Four Star Comedy Fest Features Free Workshops and an All Chicago Lineup- Oct 6 at Navy Pier

October 1, 2012 By Natyb Leave a Comment

The team behind Improv Nerd are introducing a new festival to the Chicago landscape next week.

Saturday October 6th will be the inaugural “Four Star Comedy Fest.” The name is accurate. A bit more of a fest than a festival, the event intends to focus on Chicago improv and Chicago performers while giving a downtown audience a chance to experience improv and improv training.

The most unique element of the event will be the set of 4 FREE workshops hosted by the fest and featuring teachers and curriculum from iO, Annoyance, Comedysportz and ACT (which will be doing improv for kids). Workshops are 1p-4p on the 6th and you can reserve your spot by emailing fourstarcomedyfest@navypier.com or calling 312-595-5022. Each class has only 20 spots, so if you are interested contact them ASAP. For full details on it, check here.

At 5p Carrane will be doing a special free Improv Nerd show with Charna Halpern, owner of iO Theater.

The meat of the fest’s performances start at 7p (doors open at 6p). Hosting the evening will be Chicago native and SNL alum Tim Kazurinsky. The lineup is as follows:

A ticket gets you in for four hours of improv in the Navy Pier Grand Ballroom. Carrane and his team will be building a secondary stage on the dance floor to recreate the intimate cabaret space that improv is best known for.

Tickets aren’t cheap but it is four hours and it is in a pretty magnificent space. The two upper tiers of tickets also come with a free drink ticket.

Tickets (including handling charges):

Standing Room on Balcony (No drink ticket) $48
Main Floor Seating $81
Cabaret Table Seating $112

There will be a total of about 400 seats on the main floor.

Carrane also has two sessions of “The Art of Slow Comedy” running this Fall.

Sat 1-3p 10/13 – 11/17 at Stage 773

Mon 6:30p-8:30p 10/15 – 11/15 at Green Shirt Studio

$279

Mention Inside Joke Chicago and get $30 off.

Filed Under: Chicago Improv Updates, Festivals Tagged With: Baby Wants Candy, Charna Halpern, Cook County Social Club, Festivals, Improv Nerd, Improvised Shakesp, iO Theater, Jimmy Carrane, Navy Pier

TBS Just for Laughs Improv Lineup

June 12, 2012 By Natyb Leave a Comment

The TBS Just for Laughs Festival is kicking off today!

The festival is certainly more standup than improv focused, but there are some great shows to see.

You can see my picks by date below. If you want to say hello, I’ll be at The Playground Tuesday and Wednesday night and then at the Annoyance late Wednesday.

Tuesday 6/13

Stuffed and Unstrung by Henson Alternative

WHERE: Bank of America Theater

WHEN: 7:30p

$: 40-60

Part of Broadway in Chicago, this is like Felt on steroids. Probably with better puppetry. Don’t worry, giant screens magnify the tiny puppet stage action so everyone can see.

(You can see these guys around 7p every night of the festival. Cause they are basically just remarketing their normal tickets to the festival crowd….)

Wednesday 6/13

Hotdogs, Baseball and Schadenfreude

WHERE: Lincoln Hall

WHEN: 7:00p

$: 10

WHAT: Basically they will be MSTK3000 style watching a cubs game. I’m guessing if you want to buy a ticket to this, you probably still can. Alternatively you can sit at home and do this yourself with a few friends.

Pet Project Series

WHERE: The Playground

WHEN: 7:30p, 10:30p

$: 5

WHAT: These shows are all Chicago groups and performers given an hour to do what they want….

7:30p: WiseSnatch> Rachel Farmer, Jo Scott, Meg Johns.

Chicago Based Improv Trio!

Check them out on Facebook here.

10:30p: My Manns> Mark Raterman, Tim Robinson, Andy Miara

Two of the Cook County Social Club boys and longtime collaborator Andy Miara.

Scott Adsit and Kevin Dorff (with various guests)

WHERE: iO Theater

WHEN: 8p (with Dave Pasquesi and TJ Jagadowski), 10:30p

$: SOLD OUT

I’m seriously jealous of people attending the TJ and Dave Show.

Thursday 6/14

Pet Project Series (Night 2)

WHERE: The Playground

WHEN: 7:30p, 10:30p

$: 5

WHAT: These shows are all Chicago groups and performers given an hour to do what they want….

7:30p: NICE> Brooke Breit, Nancy Friedrich, Barry Hite and Hans Holsen

Longtime players from iO, Second City and Annoyance, I know literally nothing about this group. Google isn’t helping.

8:30p: Hovdees> Matt Hovdee, Megan Hovdee

Second City Artistic Director and his Tourco sister. You can get a sense of their level of artist skill and integrity from the above picture.

Scott Adsit, Kevin Dorff, Jon Glaser, Dave Pasquesi, TJ Jagadowski

WHERE: iO Theater

WHEN: 8p, 10:30p

$: SOLD OUT

Again. Jealous.

Messing with a Friend with Greg Hess

WHERE: Annoyance Theater

WHEN: 10:30p

$: SOLD OUT

I’m psyched to see Greg and Susan play together.

Friday 6/15

Scott Adsit and Jet Eveleth

WHERE: iO Theater

WHEN: Midnight

$: 15

I have run out of quippy show comments.

That’s it!

It’s great to see improv highlighted in such a high profile festival and I hope next year features even more.

See you at the shows!

Filed Under: Chicago Improv Updates, Festivals Tagged With: Andy Miara, Annoyance Theater, Barry Hite, Dave Pasquesi, Greg Hess, Improv, iO Theater, Jet Eveleth, Jo Scott, Jon Glaser, Kevin Dorff, Mark Raterman, Matt Hovdee, Schadenfreude, Scott Adsit, Second City, Susan Messing, TBS Just for Laughs, Tim Robinson, TJ Jagadowski

6/8 Chicago Comedy Improv Festival Update

June 8, 2012 By Natyb Leave a Comment

Black Box Comedy Festival

Festival: 10/10/12 – 10/14/12

Deadline: 7/1/12

$30

Atlanta, GA

Submission info is here.

Application itself is here.

Filed Under: Chicago Improv Updates, Festivals Tagged With: Black Box Comedy Festival, Festivals

TBS Just for Laughs Festival Schedule is Up

May 22, 2012 By Natyb Leave a Comment

Schedule is here.

Scott Adsit, Jon Glaser and Kevin Dorff will be improvising at iO 6/13 – 6/15. Tickets will go fast.

I also highly recommend the Playgrounds “ALONE” Series. The solo acts last year were pretty fantastic.

Filed Under: Chicago Improv Updates, Festivals Tagged With: Chicago, Comedy, Festivals, Improv, TBS Just for Laughs

5/18 Chicago Improv Comedy Festival Update

May 18, 2012 By Natyb Leave a Comment

Big and Little Comedy Festival in Grand Rapids MI

Festival: 9/12 – 9/16

Deadline: 6/29

$20

Only a few hours from Chicago folks… Apply here!

CIC’s Snubfest Now Accepting Submissions

Festival: 8/24 and 8/25

Deadline: 6/6

Snubfest is a Chicago institution and an awesome tradition. If you are a standup, improv group, sketch group or anything else comedic and you have been rejected from another festival this year, you can apply to perform at Snubfest. (Actually you can perform even if you haven’t..)

Go to http://www.snubfest.com to apply.

Filed Under: Chicago Improv Updates, Festivals Tagged With: Big and Little, CIC, Festivals, Improv, Sketch, Snubfest, Standup

5/11 Chicago Improv Comedy Festival Update

May 11, 2012 By Natyb Leave a Comment

6th Annual Baltimore Improv Festival

Festival: 8/16 – 8/19

Deadline: 5/15

$10

San Francisco Improv Festival

Festival: 5/18 – 5/20

Deadline: 5/14 (CUTTING IT CLOSE!)

$45

Bill Arnett will be out there teaching workshops.

Apply here.

Boston Improv Festival

Festival: 9/5 – 9/12

Deadline: 6/10

$20

Apply here.

4th Annual Oklahoma Improv Festival

Festival: 7/19 – 7/22

Deadline: 5/18

$25

Application here.

Kansas City Improv Festival Accepting Submissions

Festival: 9/7,9/8, 9/14 and 9/15

Deadline: 5/31

$15

Jason Sudeikis is this year’s featured guest.

Apply here.

Filed Under: Chicago Improv Updates, Festivals Tagged With: Baltimore Improv Festival, Bill Arnett, Boston Comedy Arts Festival, Jason Sudeikis, Kansas City Improv Festival, Oklahoma Improv Festival, San Francsisco Improv Festival

3/23 Chicago Improv Comedy Festival Update

March 23, 2012 By Natyb Leave a Comment

Last Days to Submit for Chicago Women’s Funny Festival!

Festival Dates: 6.6.12 – 6.10.12

Submission Deadline: 4.1.12

This first year should be awesome! It’s being run at 773, home of sketchfest and put up a whole mess of pillars of Chicago Comedy.

Be a part of history! Apply! Perform! Menstruate! Hurray!

Apply here.

Detroit Improv Festival Accepting Submissions

Festival Dates: 8.8.12 – 8.12.12

Submission Deadline: 7.1.12

$20 – $35 depending on date.

MOTOR CITY! I like their website.

They want:

Your Team Name in the Subject Line
List of everyone in your group’s Names and Emails
Recently taken high resolution photo .jpg of your group
Your group’s high resolution Logo .jpg attached to the email
Link to 20 minute unedited video of your group in performance
Link to tour group’s website or Facebook page
A two paragraph bio of your group and show description
$20/35 Submission Fee, via Brown Paper Tickets (please note, this is non-refundable)

Email the above to:

submissions@detroitimprovfestival.org

(There’s no link I can find for where to go on Brown Paper Tickets)

Filed Under: Chicago Improv Updates, Festivals Tagged With: Chicago Women's Funny Festival, Detroit Improv Festival, Festival, Improv

3/16 Chicago Comedy Improv Festival Update

March 17, 2012 By Natyb Leave a Comment

2012 Up the Creek Improv Festival Now Accepting Submissions

Festival Dates: Friday 4.27 – Sunday 4.29

Submission 4.6.12

No cost to submit.

Email springupthecreek@gmail.com with the following information to submit.

Team name
team performance roster
days and times unable to perform (ex sunday afternoons)
brief description of your team
where are you from/performed at?
Have you done the up the creek previously
contact name and email address
website info (if available)
any links or copies of video of performance

Facebook page from last year is here.

Filed Under: Chicago Improv Updates, Festivals Tagged With: Up the Creek Improv Festival