Bridgeport exists in the gap between New York prices and Hartford distance. Downtown rooms welcome the hungry ones—performers building sets before the city runs, testing material on crowds who've seen enough to know the difference. Black Rock draws the artists. East Side hosts the working-class rooms. The open mic scene here feeds on proximity to bigger markets without the bigger costs. West End and North End book the regulars. What Bridgeport offers is rare: stage time without the pressure, reps without the rent, room to develop before anyone's paying attention.