Second City High School Improv All-Star Team Sundays at 6PM

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Venue: Judy's Beat Lounge

Family friendly improv fun

Here at ChiIL Mama, we're huge fans of improv. I was first introduced to the form in a high school class and went on to found an award winning improv troupe at Miami University that lasted over 20 years. My teens, husband and I checked out the Chicago high school improv All-Star team performance last Sunday and it was lots of fun. We have 3 friends on the team and it was great to see the next generation embracing the theatre form and expressing themselves creatively in the moment and on the spot. 

We love Chicago's After School Matters programs where kids are paid to learn a variety of skills in the arts, tech, and more. Last year my two teens did a summer long, paid internship with Lookingglass Theatre where they built and performed an entire show. As a mom, I'm elated Chicago teens aren't just relegated to after school and summer jobs in fast food or retail. The Chicago high school improv All-Star team has another show this Sunday at 6pm. Check it out!

ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Tips:

Bring in food and drinks purchased at Second City: We had a tight turnaround and my kids came straight from their own rehearsal for The Odyssey at The Actors Gymnasium, so we didn't have time to stop for dinner before the Second City Show. We were happy to discover we could order carry out food in the bar and bring it in to the show. There is also a small lobby bar for the 21+ crowd, right outside of Judy's Beat Lounge,  where their show takes place, and it's fine to bring drinks in.

Parking tip: Greenbox street parking is more reasonable than the parking garage.

Description

The Second City Training Center and After School Matters have partnered to create a Chicago high school improv All-Star team. Composed of After School Matters students who have completed at least one year of improv training and directed by Jeff Poole, the Head of the Second City Teen program. Most nights this group performs The Panic, a high energy long form improv, it is family friendly and entertaining for fan of all ages.

Cast:

Auriel Anderson
Marcellis Browder
Savannah Clark
Samuel Contreras
Tegan Daley
Maya Fragoso
Ari Kelo
Maxwell Kroll
Talen McChristion
Izabella Mims-Haddad
Brendan Mohen
Camelia Patron
Mikhayla Sowemimo
Jacob Tate
Quinton Thompson

Assistant Direction by Alec Santillian

Direction by Jeff Poole

Tickets:  $13 Standard, $11 Student, $7 TC Student

4 Shows Only -Sundays at 6pm Click here to order tickets

Check Out Chicago Children's Theatre Spring & Summer Classes & Camps For Tots To Tweens

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List:

From newborns to young tweens, there’s an open spot for your child this spring in a fun, potentially transformative performing arts class at Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station.

Registration is open for the next eight-week spring session, April 9-June 2, 2018, at Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station, 100 S. Racine Avenue in Chicago’s West Loop. Visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org/springclasses to peruse arguably the city’s most diverse roster of performing arts classes in any one location, taught by professional CCT teaching artists and the city’s leading arts teaching institutions, who are all tops in their fields.



In addition to favorites like Bubble Jams, HipHop4Tots, Intro to Piven Theatre Workshop, Circus and Aerial Arts with Actors Gymnasium and Improv with The Second City, Chicago Children’s Theatre Community Programs Director Frank Maugeri continues to grow CCT’s array of offerings including the following new classes, totally unique to the arts education landscape in Chicago:



Learning Lab: Make A Music Video – In this S.T.E.A.M.-based (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) after school experience, students work together to author, film and edit a one-of-a-kind music video. For grades 2 through 4. Fridays, 4:15-5:15 p.m. Class fee: $225

Sa Re Ga Me Pa with Seeta: Intro to Indian Vocal Music – Indian vocalist and harmonium player Seeta Khanna teaches children the basics of singing in Hindi through popular Bollywood children’s songs such as Nani Teri Morni, Lakdi Ki Kathi and Chanda Mama Door Ke. For ages 3-1/2 to 6 years. Saturdays, 11:30-12:15 p.m. Class fee: $150 (six weeks).

Lullabies – Together, mommies, daddies, and families sing and gently move with their babies. Through call and response, you and your infant will learn new songs and recall childhood favorites to share with baby all day…and all night! Enjoy finger play songs, gentle dancing, and beautiful lullabies. Nursing, bottles, sleeping, giggling and crying welcome. For ages 0 to 6 months, Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Presented with Old Town School of Folk Music. Class fee: $112. 

CCT’s all-new Spring Ahead Camp, March 26-30, will keep kids busy, entertained and educated the entire week, while providing a big assist for working parents, or families planning a staycation over CPS spring break. Spring Ahead campers will create an original musical focused on singing, storytelling, and dancing, inspired by their hopes and dream of the future. On Friday afternoon, camp culminates with a live performance for family and friends on stage at Chicago Children’s Theatre. Spring Ahead Camp director is Allison Grischow, an actor, improviser, musician and professional teaching artist who trained at the Moscow Art Theatre School. Camp is for grades K through 5. Camp runs Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuition: $450, $475 with after care. Jump right to full information on CCT Spring Ahead Camp at chicagochildrenstheatre.org/springcamp.

Also new is a growing list of drop-in class opportunities. To reserve a drop-in, contact Chicago Children’s Theatre Guest Services at (312) 374-8835 in advance to confirm availability and enroll. Parents can also enroll for a drop-in 30 minutes prior to the scheduled class, in person only, pending availability.

Class days, times, descriptions, age ranges, and fees are spelled out at chicagochildrenstheatre.org/springclasses.

But don’t wait. Space is limited and will fill quickly, particularly for classes already in high-demand like Bubble Jams, Wiggleworms West Loop, HipHop4Totz and HipHop4Kids (both taught by Yuri “The Human Beatbox” Lane), Intro to Theatre, Intro to Circus Arts, Teeny Tales and Shake the Stage.

Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station, is located at 100 S. Racine Avenue, in the heart of Chicago’s West Loop. Bonus: CCT has free parking in its own lot directly adjacent to the theater. Information about tuition assistance and scholarships for classes and camps are available on online registration forms.

Smart parents plan ahead! Book Summer Camp experiences at Chicago Children’s Theatre!

Registration is also open for an array of 2018 Summer Camps at Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station.

For children ages 6 to 10, a weekly series of Adventure Camps born from legends, myths, folktales, fairytales and fables will help kids grow their skills in acting, dance, spectacle, craft and collaborative storytelling. Dates for CCT’s five Adventure Camp sessions are June 25-29, July 9-13, July 16-20, July 23-27 and July 30-August 3. Campers will create their own original story and at the end of each week, and will perform it for friends and family in CCT’s Pritzker Family Studio Theatre. Tuition is $475 per week for these camps. Camps typically run 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with aftercare available until 5:30 p.m.



In addition to full-day camps, little ones ages 3-1/2 to 5 will love morning, action-packed half-day Play Time camps at The Station. Campers gather with teaching artists for fun and colorful crafts, stories, songs, dance and active game play, all encouraging collaboration and creativity. Play Time tuition is $300 per week.

Also on CCT’s summer education schedule are two all-new, two-day workshops for kids 6 to 10: 

Acting for the Camera, July 2-3, will introduce kids to how to successfully act on screen, providing them the skills to audition for plays, commercials and film.

Acting with Green Screen, July 5-6, will teach children how to use green screen technology to make wild and unimaginable special effects-driven scenes.



CCT’s last camp of the summer, GRRL Power, is August 6-10. Open to girls only, ages 9 to 13, GRRL Power brings the Viola Project’s signature girl-powered Shakespeare program to Chicago Children's Theatre! Campers will focus on the indomitable dames, often based on real-life leaders, who fight their way through Shakespeare's works. As a special treat, they’ll work with a real life stage combat choreographer to make their characters extra fierce. It’s a space where young women can create their own story of relevance and celebration and the week culminates with a performance for family and friends. Tuition is $475.

Finally, Chicago Children’s Theatre’s Camp Red Kite, August 6 through 24, is a three-week summer arts camp tailored specifically to the unique interests and needs of young people on the autism spectrum. Led by a team of artists, administrators, and special education teachers, Camp Red Kite is dedicated to creating a safe, welcoming, shared arts experience that encourages self-expression, social engagement, creative exploration and above all, fun! Groups are divided by age, 8 to 14, and 15 to 22. Tuition for all three weeks is $875.

Camp slots will fill quickly, so visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org/summercamp,
email education@chicagochildrenstheatre.org, or call (312) 374-8835 to register your child for one camp or many.


About the new Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station

Chicago Children’s Theatre has transformed the former 12th District Police Station, located in the heart of Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood at 100 S. Racine Avenue, into its first permanent home. The new Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station, celebrated its grand opening in January 2017, and now serves as a beautiful, mixed-use performing arts, education and community engagement facility that welcomes all Chicago families.

In addition to a full slate of live performances in its new Pritzker Family Studio, Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station, is a centrally located community hub with the most diverse roster of year-round performing arts classes for children 0 to 14 anywhere in Chicago. Additionally, Chicago Children’s Theatre has struck exciting partnerships with the city’s finest teaching institutions including The Second City, Old Town School of Folk Music, The Actors Gymnasium and Piven Theatre Workshop.

“Classes at Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station, from aerial arts to Shakespeare to hip hop, match our desire to emulate our city’s remarkable cultures and diversity,” says Frank Maugeri, Community Programs Artistic Director, Chicago Children’s Theatre. “Our classes and camps are a blast and a great way for kids to meet other kids from all over the city. But they also help kids build confidence, overcome fears, learn to solve problems as individuals and as a group, boost imagination and creativity, think fast on their feet, become collaborators and, ultimately, be better citizens of Chicago.”


Pictured, from left: Chicago Children's Theatre's Education team Samantha Buckman Rowley, Education and Community Programs Manager; Frank Maugeri, Community Programs Artistic Director; and Dexter Ellis, Residency Coordinator and Education Associate.

Led by Co-Founders, Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell and Board Chair Todd Leland, Board President Eric Neveux and Community Programs Artistic Director Frank Maugeri, Chicago Children’s Theatre is supported by a dynamic Board of Directors comprised of dedicated individuals from the fields of entertainment, philanthropy and business. Chicago Children's Theatre is sponsored in part by Goldman Sachs Gives, ComEd and US Bank.
For more information, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

Children ages 9 to 13 can take Improv with The Second City! at Chicago Children's Theatre, The Station.

Old Town School of Folk Music's Wiggleworms early childhood music classes at Chicago Children's Theatre, The Station, are popular with parents and toddlers who like having fun together.

The Actors Gymnasium was one of Chicago Children's Theatre's first arts education partners to start offering classes in circus and aerial arts at the company's new West Loop home, The Station.

Check Out Family Friendly Improv with Storytown at Lickity Split Ice Cream Parlor as Part of Pivot Arts Fest

Join Storytown Improv At Pivot Arts Fest 

For A Sweet Adventure

Storytown Improv will be performing a special show at Edgewater’s favorite ice cream stop, Lickity Split, on Sunday June 12 at 11am.  The frozen treat store will provide the perfect backdrop to Storytown’s mix of music, theatre and comedy, where the children run the show and get to decide the fate of their heroes and heroines.

The show is part of Pivot Arts Fest: the annual celebration of innovative performance throughout Chicago’s Uptown and Edgewater neighborhoods. The festival includes performances of live music, puppetry and new plays throughout the area.

Storytown Improv founder and Artistic Council for Pivot Arts member, Jill Olson, said: “Pivot Arts has a mission to raise awareness of the arts and support local businesses in the Edgewater and Uptown neighborhoods. Improv and ice cream seemed like the perfect partnership for a summer Saturday morning.”

In this fully interactive, improvised adventure with Storytown, performers will use audience suggestions and ideas for the characters and storyline. The show is best suited for children aged 3-10 years old, along with their whole family.

Tickets cost $10, and are available HERE through Brown Paper Tickets 

"Ice Cream and Improv" presented by Storytown

June 12 at 11AM
Lickity Split Frozen Custard and Sweets
6056 N. Broadway

From superheroes to undersea adventures, princesses to dinosaurs, Storytown takes kids on an interactive, fully-improvised adventure. When the possibilities are endless, no two stories are ever the same.

Presented as part of the 2016 Pivot Arts Festival. 
To view all Festival Events, please visit: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/profile/1625986

Storytown Improv will also be taking part in Pivot Arts’ ‘Celebrate Community’ Parade on Saturday June 4. The event will take place at Swift School Playground, 5900 N Winthrop Ave, beginning at 12.30pm with a puppet making workshop, the parade at 1.30pm, and performances from 2-3.30pm.  In case of rain the event will be held inside the school.

About Pivot Arts:

Pivot Arts is a home for innovative music, theater and dance on Chicago’s far north side.  It develops new work and presents performances throughout the year culminating in a large-scale, multi-arts festival. Its vision is that of a vibrant community where unique collaborations between artists, businesses and organizations lead to the support and creation of innovative performance events. 

About Storytown Improv:

Storytown is an interactive improvisational musical that gives children hands on ownership of the arts. Children are encouraged to take an active role in Storytown. They can choose the location, design the backdrop, give suggestions for characters and plot, become characters themselves, and aide our performers in any way they can imagine. Storytown becomes the canvas for their imaginations. We honor, embrace and elevate their ideas.

Regular shows take place every Saturday at 10.30am, at Stage 773 – 1225 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, 60657. Tickets are $10 (free for children under 2). Shows are recommended for children age 3-10 and their whole family.

INCOMING: Upright Citizens Brigade at ECC Arts Nov 15th #improv #comedy

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE TOURING COMPANY  BRINGS THEIR SIGNATURE LONG FORM OF IMPROV TO  ECC ARTS CENTER SATURDAY, NOV. 15, 7:30 P.M.

 
The ECC Arts Center Takes Pre-Show Dining Alfresco with First-Ever Food Truck Night

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we've been fans of Upright Citizens Brigade forever. I came from an improv background myself, founding the long running, award winning Miami University improv group, Tower Players back in the mid 80's. I've been a sucker for the genre since my first high school improv class way back in the day. Come check out UCB. You'll be glad you did!

The critically acclaimed Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Touring Company comes to ECC Arts Center, located in Building H on the Elgin Community College Campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Saturday, Nov.15th, 7:30 p.m. Known for their long form improv episodes inspired from a single suggestion, improvisers from UCB will create a hilarious, 90-minute show guaranteed to leave the audience laughing.

The ECC Art Center offers a special pre-show dining opportunity for this performance…Food truck Night! The Calle Wagon, a gourmet Mexican/Mediterranean mobile eatery, will be arriving at the Arts Center one hour before the show. Advance reservations are not required but audience members are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy food truck fare in front of the Arts Center. For more information visit tickets.elgin.edu or call 847-622-0300. Box office hours are noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 5 p.m. Friday, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The UCB New York-based four-person cast scheduled to appear at the ECC Arts Center includes Yoni Lotan, Morgan Miller, Kim Parker and Keaton Patti. UCB has established the reputation of being a place to see the next generation of rising comedy stars and sports an impressive alum list featuring performers/writers from “30 Rock,” “Saturday Night Live” and “The Daily Show.” SPIN Magazine hails UCB as "New York City's only relevant live comedy troupe;" New York Magazine calls them, "New York's hardest-working sketch comics" and The Onion and Entertainment Weekly calls UCB "twisted and uproarious." 

In the 1990s, Chicago’s own Matt Besser ("Comedy Bang! Bang!") and native New Yorker Ian Roberts (Exec. Producer, Comedy Central’s “Key & Peele”), along with Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”) and Chicago-born Matt Walsh (“Veep”) of Chicago’s improv community, formed the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe. The foursome went on to create their own Comedy Central series and later opened the affiliated Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York and Los Angeles. Both theaters have become well-known hotspots for watching live alternative comedy and improv shows, and in recent years, have helped launch the careers of many of today's most popular comedians. Chicagoan’s had an opportunity to see UCB in action this past spring when they headlined the 2014 Chicago Improv Festival.

Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Touring Company comes to the ECC Arts Center located in Building H on the Elgin Community College Campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are $27. For tickets or more information visit tickets.elgin.edu or call 847-622-0300.

The ECC Arts Center, located in Building H on the Elgin Community College Campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, presents amazing artists in intimate theater settings. Delicious dinners prepared through a partnership with the ECC's award-winning culinary arts program often accompany events. Parking is plentiful and free.

For more information about the ECC Arts Center, visit tickets.elgin.edu or call 847-622-0300. The arts center also can be followed on Twitter at twitter.com/ECCArtsCenter. Become a fan of the arts center on Facebook at facebook.com/ECCArtsCenter.

ACT OUT: FAMILY FRIENDLY THEATRE ON OUR RADAR

KIDS DRIVE THE ACTION IN SECOND CITY'S G-RATED INTERACTIVE COMEDY "IMPROV EXTRAVAGANZA EXPLOSION!" AT UP COMEDY CLUB

We're big fans of improv.   I founded Tower Players Improv Troupe back in 1987 and performed with them at Miami University for several years.  The award winning troupe went on to last over 20 years and many of the alums are performing nationwide, including Chicago!   ChiIL Live Shows  covers the big improv fests, and local improv offerings as often as possible. 

   

Honestly, we haven't had a spare Saturday to check this one out in person, but I love the concept that this is family friendly improv, so you can bring the littles without fear of F Bombs, and still get all the creativity, edginess, and immediacy of improv theatre fun.

Second City Theatricals presents the G-rated "Improv Extravaganza Explosion!" at UP Comedy Club, 230 W. North Ave, 3rd Floor Saturday's at 12 noon, now through December and into 2013. Tickets are $11. Doors open at 11 a.m. Lunch is available before and during the show for an additional charge (kids and regular menus are available). For tickets or more information, call 312.662.4562 or visit upcomedyclub.com/show.

A quintet of Second City's best lace up their sneakers and reach deep into their imaginations to present "Improv Extravaganza Explosion!," an hour of interactive, family friendly improvisation comedy based on ideas straight from the audience, and made up on the spot. The Chicago Tribune hails the show as "empowering for a kid…refreshing" and Chicago Parent calls it “high-energy and hilarious!” "Improv Extravaganza Explosion!" is perfect for birthday parties and field trips, and is recommended for ages 5 – 12.
 
The rotating cast of ten actors for "Improv Extravaganza Explosion!" includes Ross Bryant, Chelsea Devantez, John Hartman, Hans Holsen, Becky Poole, John Sabine, Nate Sherman, Katie Thomas, Katie Klein and Scott Morehead. The creative team includes ensemble includes Reid Janisse (Director), Anthony LeBlanc (Assistant Director), Tara Trudel (Musical Director), Greg Mulvey (Lead Video Editor) and CJ Arellano (Video Editor/Graphics). Stage manager is Meghan Teal.

"Improv Extravaganza Explosion!" is one of four theatrical productions currently playing in the UP Comedy Club, a new hybrid performance venue with an eclectic blend of comedy. In addition to a diverse slate of original programming, UP Comedy Club also features a full service restaurant and bar with a Chicago-style menu that includes Lou Malnati's Deep Dish Pizza, Vienna Beef and Eli's Cheesecake. This custom designed, new cabaret-style club includes state of the art audio visual capabilities, in an inviting room wrapped with intimate booth seating, and two levels of cabaret-style seating for around 300 guests. Additional information can be found at upcomedyclub.com.

Profiles

ROSS BRYANT (Ensemble) is a graduate of the NC School of the Arts and Appalachian State. Ross travelled the world as a member of Second City’s Touring Company, performs at the iO Theater, and is an ensemble member of Improvised Shakespeare and Baby Wants Candy. He has also been seen at ComedySportz Chicago, in the Mediterranean Sea with Second City and hosting the comedy rap battle HATERADE.
He co-wrote Second City’s "Wildcat on a Hot Tin Roof" for Northwestern.
 
CHELSEA DEVANTEZ (Ensemble) grew up in every state in the Southwest, studied at NYU and fell in love with Chicago. She recently performed in Second City’s "Charmed and Dangerous" in Baltimore and before that, spent four months with Second City at Sea on a cruise ship. She improvises at iO with "A Raptor," and writes songs with DING!
 
JOHN HARTMAN (Ensemble), member of The Second City Touring Company, wrote and performed "Your Friends and Enemies" and "I’m Sorry I Missed You" at the Annoyance, for which he received Time Out Chicago’s Critic’s Picks, and has performed at the TBS Just for Laughs Festival. He improvises at iO with The Armando Diaz Theatrical Experience & Hootenanny and Murderers and at the Apollo with Baby Wants Candy. John has written for "Chicago Live!" on WGN Radio with The Second City and the Chicago Tribune.
 
HANS HOLSEN (Ensemble) has improvised and performed scripted comedy here at Second City, at iO, The Annoyance, and ComedySportz, among others, and improvises with The Improvised Shakespeare Company and Baby Wants Candy. He toured the U.S. with The Second City Touring Company for two years and toured The Netherlands with Boom Chicago for two years as well.
 
KATIE KLEIN (Ensemble) Before arriving in Chicago she graduated from Indiana University and lived in D.C. where she performed with Comedy Sportz and iMusical. In Chicago she has trained with iO and The Second City, and can be seen playing with Hey, Rocket!, Sit Still and her partner-in crime, in their tag-team duo, Ed and Kath.
 
SCOTT MOREHEAD (Ensemble) in addition to performing in the "Improv Extravaganza Explosion!" Morehead performs with The Late 90’s at the iO Theatre and can regularly be seen at The Annoyance, CIC (w/ CPL), and The Second City. He also performs at the Apollo Theatre with the improvised musical geniuses of Baby Wants Candy.
 
BECKY POOLE’S (Ensemble) recent Chicago performances include the Chicago Children’s Theatre production of "Goodnight Moon," The Hypocrites, "Pirates of Penzance," "Chalk & Saltwater" with the Neofuturists, and her solo sketch show at iO "Sit on My Lapse." Becky has done voice over work for Nickelodeon, The Cartoon Network, Nintendo Wii and various other projects. She is a co-founder of SketchFest NYC and has performed with sketch comedy groups MEAT and Becky & Noelle across the country.
 
 
JOHN SABINE (Ensemble) Originally from Dallas, he graduated from Santa Clara University with a BA in Theatre and Dance. After moving to Chicago to attend Second City’s Comedy Studies Program, he studied at the Second City Training Center and iO. He can be seen around Chicago performing with The Late 90’s. He recently performed with The Second City on Norwegian Cruise Line’s The Epic and BenchCo.
 
NATE SHERMAN (Ensemble) started performing Improv Comedy at The Ohio State University with the College Group, The 8th Floor. He is a current member of the iO Harold Team, The Late 90’s and an original cast member of "Oprah! A Comedy! Live Your Best Laugh!" at the Annoyance Theater.
 
KATIE THOMAS (Ensemble) This Detroit native and University of Michigan graduate has performed at The Second City, iO, The Annoyance, and ComedySportz. She currently performs with her beloved independent team, The Katydids, and Uncle Magic. She spent last summer in Alaska performing on the Norwegian Star. Katie is a yoga instructor and teaches improv to teenagers. Find out more at meetkatiethomas.com.
 
TARA TRUDEL (Musical Director) has been the Music Director for productions by The Second City directing program, Comedy Sportz, Vampeero, and Storytown. She has taught music and songwriting for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Merit School of Music and performs children’s concerts around Chicago. She can also be seen at TT and Friends, her monthly talent showcase at Scarlet Bar.
 
MEGHAN TEAL (Stage Manager) Second City credits include: the 99th Mainstage Revue "South Side of Heaven," Second City Theatricals regional revues in D.C., Baltimore, Arizona, and Philadelphia; and she was a member of The Second City Touring Company for more than five years. Other credits include; "A Catered Affair" with Porchlight Music Theatre and various productions at the Annoyance Theatre and iO.
 
REID JANISSE (Director) is an Alumnus of The Second City Toronto where he wrote and performed in four Mainstage reviews including the Canadian Comedy Award winning "Barack to the Future" and "0% Down, 100% Screwed." For more than ten years he has been the Creative Director of Mad Science Productions, where he has written and directed shows that have played for thousands of family audiences across The United States, Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and Korea. Recent writing and directing credits include "Star Trek: Live" and "CSI: Live (Mad Science)," "Miracle on Mercer St." (Second City) and "Stop Punching Judy: (SC Edco). He currently writes, directs and teaches for The Second City Toronto, is a regular Theatresports cast member at Toronto’s Comedy Bar, and works in film and television in Canada.
 
ANTHONY LEBLANC (Assistant Director) is from Beaumont, TX. He performed with Boxaganga while obtaining a Computer Science and Physics BS at Loyola University New Orleans. An original member of DSI: The Beatbox, He wrote two Second City Chicago Main Stage Revues, "America: All Better" and "Taming of the Flu."

 
 

CHI, IL LIVE THEATRE: Chicago Improv Festival Finds The Funny

Chi-Town's 15th annual Improv Festival is in full swing with a multicultural medley of improvisors from around the world.   Check out an array of great acts through this Sunday.   I came from an improv background and founded and directed a troup at Miami University (No, directing improv is not an oxymoron, contrary to popular quips!).   So, I know how challenging, fresh and fun the genre can be.   Check in soon for our review of the highly recommended, hilarious Improv Play at DCA Storefront Theatre through May 20th. 

We also have an exclusive video interview we'll be running soon, from the CIMMfest opening of High Road.   ChiIL Live Shows interviewed the director, Matt Walsh, who was a founding member of Upright Citizens Brigade.   We also spoke with actors and caught the Q & A.   So check in with us like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often for great entertainment news!


High Road:  Director, Chicago native Matt Walsh (The Hangover, Upright Citizens Brigade, HBO’s upcoming Veep), joined by actors Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls, Bachelorette), Joe Lo Truglio (Wanderlust, Superbad), Joe Nunez (Bridesmaids, Neighborhood Watch), James Pumphrey (Players) and Zach Woods (NBC’s The Office, Damsels in Distress)…
 

This year’s CIF is themed 

“Celebrating the Art of Play”

We've got friends incoming from that state that's hi in the middle and round on both ends.   Don't let their name fool ya.   ChiIL Live Shows will be documenting See You Thursday's daring dramatics SATURDAY night at The Playground.

We're jazzed that more than 75 improv groups from 16 U.S. cities and countries as far away as Russia and Norway are descending on Chicago from April 23-29 for the 15th annual Chicago Improv Festival. But we're also setting our sites a little closer to home.  See You Thursday will be the only Ohio troupe represented on the 2012 CIF performance roster, a program that includes Eastbound & Down's Ike Barinholtz and Comedy Central’s Key & Peele. See You Thursday will perform 8:30PM Saturday, April 28 at Chicago’s Playground Theater, 3209 North Halsted Street.  2012 Show Dates: through April 29 , Tickets: $10-$20

 

We're particularly jazzed for Thursday night at Annoyance Theatre

**@ Annoyance Theater, 4830 N. Broadway, 10:30PM, $15/$10
1) Messing with a Friend (Chicago) [special guest Lance Baker]
Tickets are available at Annoyance (773.561.4665) or ONLINE

 

@ The Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted St.
7pm, $15/$10
1) Harri Olli Improvised Theatre (Zurich)
2) WiseSnatch (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE
9pm, $15/$10

1) pH Productions (Chicago)
2) Mullaney Chain (Chicago/New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE

Friday, April 27
 
ImproTOP - Mexico City

@ Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 1, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
7:30pm, $20/$15
1) Curtains (New York)
2) BASSPROV (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
9pm, $20/$15
1) Classy D (Chicago)
2) Matt Naas & The Sing-a-long Singers (Detroit)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
10:30pm, $20/$15
1) Claymore (Chicago)
2) Last Action Movie (Minneapolis)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

@ Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 2, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
7pm, $20/$15
1) SAM (Chicago)
2) The Mighty They (Detroit)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
8:30pm, $20/$15
1) Improv Stands Up! (Chicago) [w. guest comic Dan Telfer]
2) The Amie and Kristen Show (Philadelphia)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
10pm, $20/$15
1) Out of Character (Chicago)
2)North Coast (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

@ Athenaeum Theater, Studio 3, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
7:30pm, $20/$15
1) Almost ATLANTA (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
9pm, $20/$15
1) Awkward (Kansas City)
2) New England (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
10:30pm, $20/$15
Jorak and Jorak Do Movie (Austin)
Pimprov (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

@ Chemically Imbalanced, 1420 W. Irving Park Rd., 10:30pm, $15/$10
1) Dead Parrots Society (Bellingham)
2) Droppin’ $cience (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the CIT (773.865.7731) or ONLINE

@ Laugh Out Loud Theater, 601 North Martingale Road, Schaumburg
7:30pm, $19/$12
1) Border Patrol (Bellingham & Edmonton)
2) Laugh Out Loud (Schaumburg)
Tickets can be bought at LOL (847.240.0386) or ONLINE
9:30pm, $19/$12
1) Border Patrol (Bellingham & Edmonton)
2) Laugh Out Loud (Schaumburg)
Tickets can be bought at LOL (847.230.0386) or ONLINE

@ The Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted St.
7pm, $20/$15
1) King Friday (Philadelphia)
2) Weekend of Regret (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE
8:30pm, $20/$15
1) The Bully Union: Local 128 (Baltimore)
2) Magnet Theater Touring Co. (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE
10pm, $20/$15
1) Danger Snack (Los Angeles)
2)My Grandma's a Fat Whore in Jersey (Chicago & Los Angeles)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE

@ The Second City Skybox, 1618 N. Wells, 4th Floor
7pm, $20/$15
1) Process (Chicago)
2)Twinprov (Oklahoma City)
Tickets can be bought at the SC Skybox (312.337.3992) or ONLINE
8:30pm, $20/$15
1) We're From Here (Toronto)
2)TBA (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the SC Skybox (312.337.3992) or ONLINE
10pm, $20/$15
1) 2-Man No-Show (Toronto)
2) ImproTOP (Mexico City)
Tickets can be bought at the SC Skybox (312.337.3992) or ONLINE

---

Saturday, April 28
 
Hello Laser - New York


@ Annoyance Theater, 4830 N. Broadway, 11:59pm, $10/$5
1) Mullaney Chain (Chicago & New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Annoyance (773.561.4665) or ONLINE

@ Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 1, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
7:30pm, $20/$15
1) B.F.F. (New York)
2) BASSPROV (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
9pm, $20/$15
1) Border Patrol (Bellingham & Edmonton)
2) JR Varsity (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
10:30pm, $20/$15
1) Hello Laser (New York)
2) Pimprov (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

@ Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 2, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
7pm, $20/$15
1) Improv Nerd (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
8:30pm, $20/$15
1) Rapid Fire Theatre (Edmonton)
2) The Minneapples (Minneapolis)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
10pm, $20/$15
1) Local Honey (Dallas)
2) Stage Fright: A Tribute to Hitchcock (Philadelphia)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

@ Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 3, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
7:30pm, $20/$15
1) Maat Naas & The Sing-a-long Singers (Detroit)
2) Bootsy Collins (Los Angeles)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
9pm, $20/$15
1) Harri Olli Improvised Theatre (Zurich)
2) The Shelter (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
10:30pm, $20/$15
1) Brick (New York)
2) Skinny Jeans (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

@ Chemically Imbalanced 1420 W. Irving Park Rd., 10:30pm, $10/$5
1) Indie Cage Match UCB (New York)
Tickets can be bought at CIT (773.865.7731) or ONLINE

@ Laugh Out Loud Theater, 601 North Martingale Road, Schaumburg
7:30pm, $19/$12
1) 2-Man No-Show (Toronto)
2) Laugh Out Loud (Schaumburg)
Tickets can be bought at LOL (847.240.0386) or ONLINE
9:30pm, $19/$12
1) 2-Man No-Show (Toronto)
2) Laugh Out Loud (Schaumburg)
Tickets can be bought at LOL (847.240.0386) or ONLINE

@ The Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted St.
7pm, $20/$15
1) DMNK (Chicago)
2) The Garys (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE
 

**8:30pm, $20/$15
1) See You Thursday (Columbus)
2) Kiss*Punch*Poem (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE

 

10pm, $20/$15
1) Ted Dangerous (St. Louis)
2) Chet Watkins (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE

@ The Second City DeMaat, 1618 N. Wells, 3rd Floor
7pm, $20/$15
1) Formal Apology (Chicago)
2) The Era (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the SC DeMaat (312.337.3992) or ONLINE
9pm, $20/$15
1) Just Ben (New York)
2) The Playboys (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the SC DeMaat (312.337.3992) or ONLINE
10:30pm, $20/$15
1) Simply Coney (Detroit)
2) Twinprov (Oklahoma City)
Tickets can be bought at the SC DeMaat (312.337.3992) or ONLINE

@ The Second City Skybox, 1618 N. Wells, 4th Floor
7pm, $20/$15
1) Improv Boston (Boston)
2) Sheila’s Sister (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the SC Skybox (312.337.3992) or ONLINE
8:30pm, $20/$15
1) Mayor Karen (Philadelphia)
2) The Improvised Shakespeare Company (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the SC Skybox (312.337.3992) or ONLINE
10pm, $20/$15
1) STACKED: All Girl Musical Improv (Chicago)
2) ImproTOP (Mexico City)
Tickets can be bought at the SC Skybox (312.337.3992) or ONLINE


About CIF: The Chicago Improv Festival, founded in 1998 promotes and teaches improv as a true form of art. Over the last 15 years, the festival has featured some of the biggest names in comedy today: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers (SNL), Horatio Sanz, Neil Flynn (The Middle) and more. CIF is now seen as the largest and most prestigious improv festival in the world and has already presented more than 850 acts from 15 nations and 45 cities; had improv workshops taught by more than 50 instructors; and has given various awards to 45 improv artists.

Click here for all the 2012 acts.


Click here for tickets and performance schedule.

Click here for Chicago Improv Fest's main site, full schedule, tickets and more.

Follow CIF on Facebook here.