The Sid Williams Theatre Society鈥檚 Sid Docs series continues on Monday, Oct. 16.

3 Still Standing is the inside story of the comedy boom that rocked San Francisco in the 1980s and how big business nearly destroyed it.

Everyone knows Robin Williams, Dana Carvey and Paula Poundstone. This is the story about their friends - the other jokers in the room, the ones who stayed in San Francisco, worked the clubs and rode a comedy movement 鈥� right up until the comedy bubble burst in 1992.

In the 1980s, the comedy scene in San Francisco wasn鈥檛 commercial. In the pursuit of brilliant comedy, nothing was too experimental, too bold or too crass. Unlike New York or Los Angeles, there were rarely TV cameras here.

Comics weren鈥檛 jockeying for a spot on the Tonight Show. The real prize was making other comedians laugh. These San Francisco headliners - Will Durst, Larry 鈥淏ubbles鈥� Brown and Johnny Steele - were the comedians鈥� comedians. Today鈥檚 top comics across the country say these three are brilliant and gifted - among the very best in the business.

In this feature documentary, we watch as their careers begin to soar during the 1980s heyday of stand-up. But as they鈥檙e about to hit the big time, the scene implodes. Robin Williams called it a 鈥渃omedic recession.鈥� With the arrival of comedy on cable TV, hundreds of clubs close. The remaining clubs are bought up by entertainment giants.

Local headliners are now obsolete. For club comics, years spent becoming masters of the art of stand-up suddenly seem worthless.

3 Still Standing is about how Will, Larry and Johnny fight for their art in an increasingly corporatized world that seeks young, TV-friendly faces and eschews controversy.

It鈥檚 a story for anyone who鈥檚 worried about being downsized. It鈥檚 about re-invention, resilience, and the search to remain true to yourself. And it鈥檒l make you laugh.

An all-star supporting cast features Dana Carvey, Paula Poundstone, Michael Pritchard, Rob Schneider, Bobby Slayton, and Robin Williams in one of his last on-camera interviews.

3 Still Standing begins at 7 p.m.

Atlas Caf茅 is the proud sponsor of the Sid Docs series. Other upcoming films include Just About Famous (November 6) and Hip-Hop Evolution (January 29).

General admission for the documentaries is $9 (including taxes and fees). Members can add each film to a SID TIX pack for just $6. Purchase in person at the Ticket Centre Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., by phone 250.338.2430, or online at sidwilliamstheatre.com.