One of the great things about living in a big city such as New York, Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles or Vancouver is the number of options you have when it comes to finding something entertaining to do with your free time. Whether you spend all day working at your print shop and can't wait to paint the town red after work or you're at home all day taking care of the kids and need a night out you're never going to be at a loss for options when it comes to living in a big city.

From going out for dinner to taking in a movie to going for a walk to watching live theater to watching the hottest stand-up comedian to going to a sporting event you have so many options to choose from. As you can see it doesn't really matter what you're into there will be something to do. All you have to do is leave your lofts and get out there and find what you like. Some folks just love shopping, and for those people, the big cities are the best.

Another form of entertainment that you might not initially think about but that could be a lot of fun if you are willing to take a try on it is going to a local theater company performance.

In most big cities you will find theater groups or troupes that put on a variety of live entertainment performances, be it plays, musicals, skits, sketch comedy shows, etc. Most local theater companies tend to skew to audiences looking for something alternative that isn't mainstream. If you want something like that there will always be a performance of a popular Shakespeare play or Broadway play such as The Lion King you can go to.

However, if you have an open mind and are willing to try new things and don't mind traveling from your home then why not take in a performance from a local theater company? You don't have to go to the first one you find as there is usually more than one local theater company performing in town. They all cater to different types of people and are willing to take risks that most traditional theater companies might not.

A local theater company, be it in London or Los Angeles, has a variety of eclectic and creative performers in their group that bring a wide range of skills, talents and viewpoints to the material being performed. You also never know when the group or individual performer you see at a local theater company performance will hit it big one day. It happened to the guys in Kids In The Hall and might happen to the people you end up seeing in a local play, musical, or sketch comedy show in Toronto again.

Think about that the next time you need a night out from your home and are looking for entertainment options.