ARCHIVES: CIF 10
A Decade of Funny

To watch the opening video from CIF 10, please click: Opening Video
Update: 4/28/07
UCB SHOW SOLD OUT!!!
Update: 4/14/07
Saturday Night Live's Amy Poehler joins CIF 10!

Amy Poehler to perform in Upright Citizens Brigade (4/28, 10:30pm @ Park West)
Update: 4/2/07
ALL CIF TICKETS ON-SALE NOW!
For Main Stage, call Ticketmaster at 312.902.1500 or www.ticketmaster.com (enter "Chicago Improv Festival"). For Alternate Stages, see Shows for complete ticket links.
The Funniest Week in Chicago!
Main Stage:
We've got Saturday Night Live's Seth Meyers and the cast of MADtv.
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| Seth Meyers (4/26, 7:30pm @ Athenaeum) |
MADtv (4/28; 8pm @ Park West) |
We've got Upright Citizens Brigade from LA & NY, and Boom Chicago from Amsterdam.
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| Upright Citizens Brigade (4/28, 10:30pm @ Park West) |
Boom Chicago's Me, MySpace and iPod (4/26, 7:30pm @ Athanaeum) |
We've got BASSPROV fishing with SNL alumni Tim Kaurinsky, Baby Wants Candy singing with MADtv's Nicole Parker, and Schadenfreude playing with many surprises.
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| BASSPROV (4/27, 8pm @ Athenaeum) |
Schadenfreude (4/29, 8pm @ Martyrs) |
We've also got funny couples (Razowsky & Clifford), funny men (Dasariski), funny women (Switchboard), funny mimes (imp), and funny puppets (The Josh and Tamra Show).
(4/27, 8pm @ Athenaeum) |
(4/27, 10:30pm @ Athenaeum) |
Alternate Stages:
We've got comedy celebrities MADtv's Ike Barinholtz, MADtv's Frank Caeti, MADtv's Nicole Parker, and Chicago favorite Tim Kazurinsky performing on four different alternate stages.
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| Ike Barinholtz (4/27, 12am @ Annoyance Theater) |
Frank Caeti (4/27, 8pm @ ComedySportz) |
Nicole Parker (4/25, 8pm @ The Second City ETC) |
Tim Kazurinsky (4/25, 10:30pm @ iO Chicago) |
We've got the creators of NBC's mockumentary Sports Action Team hosting a video night, and we've got the next generation of improvisers (Barinholtz & Belushi) playing on the Showcase stage.
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| Barinholtz & Belushi (4/27, 7pm @ The Playground) |
We've got improv ensembles performing here from five different countries: Canada's String Theory, Japan's NeXT IMPRO THEATRE, Netherlands' Boom Chicago, Norway's Norsk Sceneskrekk, and America.
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Norsk Sceneskrekk (4/26, 8pm @ The Playground) |
We've got a special opening night show featuring the only three improvisers
who've performed at all 10 CIFs (Joe Bill, Susan Messing, & Mark Sutton).
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| Joe Bill (4/23, 7pm @ Chicago Cultural Center) |
Susan Messing (4/23, 7pm @ Chicago Cultural Center) |
Mark Sutton (4/23, 7pm @ Chicago Cultural Center) |
Parties:
We've got great post-show parties scheduled for all 7 nights of the festival.
We've even got a map to all CIF venues: CIF 2007 Venue Map
CIF 10: So much comedy, such little time!
CIF 2007 received its first press through an article written on 2-17-07 and it was printed in Dagbladet,
Norway's biggest newspaper. The focus of the article is on Norsk
Sceneskrekk, an improv ensemble from Toten, Norway that will be performing
in this year's festival as part of CIF's International Night (Thursday,
April 28, 8pm @ The Playground). Also performing on International Night with
Norsk Sceneskrekk will be String Theory from Vancouver, Canada, and NeXT
IMPRO COMPANY from Tokyo, Japan.
Click HERE to view the complete article.
SHOWS

ALL CIF TICKETS ON-SALE NOW!!!
For Main Stage, call Ticketmaster at 312.902.1500 or www.ticketmaster.com (enter "Chicago Improv Festival") For Alternate Stages, please use the ticket links listed below.
The following is a complete schedule of all CIF 2007 shows listed in chronological order.
Show notes: The show's headliners are always listed first. All shows are general admission. The shows are recommended for ages 15+. There is no drink minimum. Tickets can not be refunded.
For a map of CIF's official venues, please click here: CIF 2007 Venues
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Monday, April 23rd
Opening Night @ Chicago Cultural Center’s Garr Hall, 78 E. Randolph
Co-presented by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs
Tickets: Free to the public
7pm:
Joe Bill, Susan Messing, & Mark Sutton
International Improvisers
CIF Slide Show: A 10 Year Retrospective
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Tuesday, April 24th
Video Night @ Goodbar, 2512 N. Halsted
Tickets: $5, available only at the door on the night of the show
8pm
Hosted by NBC’s Sports Action Team’s Al Samuels and Kevin Fleming
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Wednesday, April 25
One Act Shows @ The Second City ETC, 1608 N. Wells, 2nd Floor
Co-Presented by Second City Theatricals
Tickets: $15, available through The Second City Box Office, 312.337.3992, or on-line at www.secondcity.com
8pm:
MADtv’s Nicole Parker’s “Suitcase Full of Lies”
US Comedy Art Festival’s Brendan Hunt’s “5 Years in Amsterdam”
*
Chicago Night @ Stage Left Theatre, 3408 N. Sheffield Ave
Co-presented by pH Productions
Tickets: $10 per show, or $15 for the evening, available through the pH Productions box office, 773.732.5450, or on-line at http://whatisphtix.com
7pm:
Chewties!
iO's Stubs
8pm:
Pimprov
Duchess
9pm:
ph Productions'pHamily
Dirty Water
*
iO’s Improv Match Game @ iO, 3541 N. Clark
Co-Presented by iO
Tickets: $5, available through the iO box office, 773.880.0199, or on-line at www.iochicago.net
10:30pm:
iO's Improv Match Game (with guest panelist SNL alumni Tim Kazurinsky)
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Thursday, April 26
Main Stage @ Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport
"Boom Chicago Night" is presented by Heineken Premium Light
Additionally presented by Chicago Sketchfest
Tickets: $25, at the Athenaeum Theatre box office; Ticketmaster: 312-902-1500; and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com (enter "Chicago Improv Festival")
7:30pm:
Boom Chicago's "Me, MySpace and iPod"
Pickups & Hiccups (with SNL’s Seth Meyers & Jill Benjamin)
Boom Chicago Alumni Jam (Note: After the first two shows are done, there will be a special improv set featuring Boom Chicago's alumni. Currently scheduled to appear: MADtv’s Ike Barinholtz, Pickups & Hiccups’s Jill Benjamin, US Comedy Arts Festival award winner Becky Drysdale, The Second City’s Joe Canale, SNL’s Seth Meyers, MADtv’s Nicole Parker, MADtv’s Jordan Peele, and The Second City’s Amber Ruffin)
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International Night @ The Playground, 3209 N. Halsted
Co-Presented by The Playground
Tickets: $15, available through The Playground box office the night of the show. Advance reservations can be made at 773.871.3793 or via email: reservations@the-playground.com and then paid for at the door.
8pm
NeXT IMPRO THEATRE (Tokyo, Japan)
String Theory (Vancouver, Canada)
Norsk Sceneskrekk (Toten, Norway)
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Friday, April 27
Main Stage @ Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport
Tickets: $25 (8pm) and $20 (10:30pm); at the Athenaeum Theatre box office; Ticketmaster: 312-902-1500; and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com (enter "Chicago Improv Festival")
8pm:
BASSPROV (with SNL alumni Tim Kazurinsky)
iO West's Dasariski
Razowsky & Clifford
10:30pm:
Baby Wants Candy (with MADtv’s Nicole Parker; US Comedy Arts Festival Award winner Becky Drysdale; iO West's Craig Cackowski & Bob Dassie)
The Josh and Tamra Show
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ComedySportz Night @ Chicago Center for the Performing Arts: 777 N. Green St.
Co-Presented by ComedySportz
Tickets: $19, available through the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts box office, 312.733.6000, or on-line at www.theaterland.com
8pm
ComedySportz (with MADtv’s Frank Caeti)
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Showcase @ The Playground, 3209 N. Halsted
Co-Presented by The Playground
Tickets: $15 per show 7pm-11pm, and $10 midnight; available through The Playground box office the night of the show. Advance reservations can be made at 773.871.3793 or via email: reservations@the-playground.com and then paid for at the door.
7pm:
Barinholtz and Belushi
8pm:
Lurlene
9pm:
Johnny Lunchpail
10pm:
iO’s Improvised Shakespeare
11pm:
Be Frank
12am:
Revolving Madness
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Late Night @ Annoyance Theater, 4840 N. Broadway
Co-Presented by Annoyance Productions
Tickets: $10, available at the Annoyance box office, 773.561.4665
12am:
Messing with a Friend (with MADtv’s Ike Barinholtz)
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Saturday, April 28TH
Main Stage @ Park West, 322 W. Armitage
Tickets: $37.50 (8pm) and $25 (10:30pm); at the Park West box office; Ticketmaster: 312-902-1500; and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com (enter "Chicago Improv Festival")
8pm:
MADtv (with Ike Barinholtz, Frank Caeti, Crista Flanagan, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael McDonald, Arden Myrin, Nicole Parker, Jordan Peele)
MADtv Writers on Hiatus
10:30pm
18+ and older only
Upright Citizens Brigade (with Matt Besser, Chad Carter, Andy Daly, SNL's Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh)
imp
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Showcase @ The Second City's Donny Skybox, 1608 N. Wells, 4th Floor
Co-Presented by The Second City Training Center
Tickets: $15 per show 7pm-11pm, and $10 midnight; available through The Second City Box Office, 312.337.3992, or on-line at www.secondcity.com
7pm:
Transactors Improv Co.
8pm:
Cross, Ross and Tubbs
9pm:
iO'sThe Reckoning
10pm:
The Hook
11pm:
iO's Washington Generals
12am:
Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr
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Late Night @ Annoyance Theater, 4840 N. Broadway
Co-Presented by Annoyance Productions
Tickets: $10, available at the Annoyance box office, 773.561.4665
12am
Underbelly
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Apprentice Teams @ Cornservatory Theatre, 4210 N. Lincoln Ave
Co-Presented by Chemically Imbalanced Comedy
Tickets: $10 for the evening, available through CIC's box office, 773.865.7731, or on-line at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/13957
10pm:
Baltimore Improv Group
The Humor Artists
Jackie
11pm:
The IMPers
Spontaneous Combustion
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Sunday, April 29
Main Stage @ Martyrs, 3855 N. Lincoln
Co-presented by Schadenfreude
Tickets $10; available only at the door & on the night of the show
8pm:
Schadenfreude (with many guests and many surprises)
Switchboard
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ENSEMBLES

ALL CIF TICKETS ON-SALE NOW!
For Main Stage, call Ticketmaster at 312.902.1500 or www.ticketmaster.com (enter "Chicago Improv Festival"). For Alternate Stages, use the ticket links inside each performer's page.
The following is an alphabetical list of all CIF 2007 acts and ensembles.
Baby Wants Candy (with MADtv's Nicole Parker and US Comedy Arts Festival Award winner Becky Drysdale)
Barinholtz & Belushi
BASSPROV (with SNL alumni Tim Kazurinsky)
Be Frank
Bill, Messing, & Sutton
Boom Chicago's "Me, MySpace and iPod"
Boom Chicago Alumni Jam (with MADtv’s Ike Barinholtz, Pickups & Hiccups's Jill Benjamin, US Comedy Arts Festival award winner Becky Drysdale, US Comedy Arts Festival's Brendan Hunt, SNL’s Seth Meyers, MADtv’s Nicole Parker, and MADtv’s Jordan Peele)
Chewties!
Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr
ComedySportz (with MADtv’s Frank Caeti)
Cross, Ross & Tubbs
iO West’s Dasariski
Dirty Water
Duchess
The Hook
Brendan Hunt's "5 Years in Amsterdam”
imp
iO’s Improvised Shakespeare
iO’s Improv Match Game (with SNL alum Tim Kazurinsky)
Johnny Lunchpail
The Josh and Tamra Show
Lurlene
MADtv (with Ike Barinholtz, Frank Caeti, Crista Flanagan, Michael McDonald, Arden Myrin, Nicole Parker and Jordan Peele)
MADtv Writers on Hiatus
Messing with a Friend (with MADtv’s Ike Barinholtz)
NeXT IMPRO THEATRE
Norsk Sceneskrekk
MADtv's Nicole Parker's "Suitcase Full of Lies”
pH Production’s pHamily
Pickups & Hiccups (with SNL’s Seth Meyers & Jill Benjamin)
Pimprov
Razowsky & Clifford
iO’s The Reckoning
Revolving Madness
Schadenfreude
NBC's Sports Action Team
String Theory
iO’s Stubs
Switchboard
Transactors Improv Co.
Underbelly
Upright Citizens Brigade (with Comedy Central's Matt Besser, Chad Carter, MADtv alumni Andrew Daly, SNL's Amy Poehler, Anchorman's Ian Roberts and Comedy Central's Matt Walsh)
iO’s Washington Generals
PARTIES

Please Note:
All parties are open to the general public.
CIF makes no claims that any comedy celebrities will attend any party.
CIF 2007 Parties:
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Monday, April 23: OPENING NIGHT Party
@ Dick's Last Resort, 9pm, 435 E. Illinois
Tuesday, April 24: VIDEO NIGHT Party
@ Goodbar, 2512 N. Halsted, 10pm
Wednesday, April 25: CHICAGO NIGHT Party
@ Joey's Brickhouse, 1258 W. Belmont, 10pm
Presented by The Onion
Thursday, April 26: BOOM CHICAGO Party
@ Lincoln Tap Room, 3010 N. Lincoln, 10pm
Presented by Heineken Premium Light
Friday, April 27: BASSPROV & BABY WANTS CANDY Party
@ Lincoln Tap Room, 3010 N. Lincoln, 10pm
Presented by Heineken Premium Light
Saturday, April 28: MADtv & UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE Party
@ Sedgwick's Bar & Grill, 1935 N. Sedgwick, 10pm
Presented by The Onion
Sunday, April 29: CLOSING NIGHT Party
@ Martyrs 3855 N. Lincoln Ave., 10pm
Featuring a special post-show music set by Tributosaurus
The band and the party are both presented by Heineken Premium Light
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WORKSHOPS

The 10th Annual Chicago Improv Festival Weekend Workshops: Intense, Focused, Exciting
WEEKEND WORKSHOPS ARE NOW CLOSED!
CIF is devoted to creating the best in improvisational education. We design programs to be intense, different, thought provoking with the best improv teachers in the country. We bring together artists during the festival and the best in workshop programming.
This year CIF has designed a program unlike any other. CIF Weekend Workshops will be three days of programming where students study with the same group all weekend and the same teacher. Two teachers to choose from with different backgrounds and amazing skills to pass on to improv students that want to create, learn, and expand their skill sets.
The schedule below will allow students to study with improvisers from around the world, in one intense weekend, and get to know an amazing teacher that is a professional and works in the field.
These classes are caped at 15 students to insure personal attention for every person enrolled.
Choose from the Teachers listed and study all weekend with one teacher in each workshop listed. All your time is spent with one of the teachers below:
Rich Talarico

Rich Talarico has been performing and studying improvisation since 1992. He's studied with Del Close, Charna Halpern, Kevin Dorff, Norm Holly, Martin DeMaat, Don DePollo and Stephen Colbert.
Rich has appeared in the improv shows Close Quarters, Armando Diaz, Trio, Sextet, Nonet & Dasariski. Rich worked at Second City in Chicago as an actor/writer. Rich has appeared in various film and TV roles. Rich has also worked extensively behind the camera having written/produced for Mad TV, SNL and the Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show on Comedy Centrall.
In the spring of '07 - Rich moved back to Chicago to direct his first feature film "Plots and Plans & Schemes and Dreams" a comedy written with his writing partner, Brian Shortall. Ask him about it.
Dave Razowsky

David Razowsky is the respected teacher and artistic director of the Second City Los Angeles and, as an actor, has written and performed in ten Second City Chicago revues. He directed Second City Chicago Mainstage's No, Seriously, We're All Gonna Die, Second City LA's, Encino Evil, The Second City Untitled Project, The Second City Detroit's acclaimed 19th Nervous Breakdown, and The Second City National Touring Company. He directed two of Amsterdam's Boom Chicago productions, and is credited with creating Boom Chicago's signature live on-stage video production. David has worked with animators at Dreamworks, and has taught for Steppenwolf Theatre. David directed Brendan Hunt? Five Years in Amsterdam which was performed at this year? US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, and, for the second year in a row, will be performing at the Chicago Improv Festival with Carrie Clifford in Razowsky & Clifford.
David's background in theatre influences his improv style both in his acting and in his teaching. David believes that emotional truths lead to great performances, that emotional offers lead to solid connections, and honest reactions equals simple but strong scenes.
CIF 10 Weekend Workshop Schedule:
Weekend Workshops: Intense, Creative, Focused
Friday, April 27 - The Friday Intensive
iO Theater, 3541 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60657
1pm-1:30pm / Check In, Meet & Greet
Get your student information, schedule, and meet the other students before you start working together.
1:30-1:45pm / Group Warm-Up
1:45pm-2:15pm / BASSPROV show
This is a private show just for CIF Students and friends. In order to attend you must have purchased the Friday Intensive or the Weekend Workshops Package.
2:15pm-2:45pm / BASSPROV Q&A
Get to ask Mark Sutton and Joe Bill about Bassprov, performing, improv, and the future with a very intimate question and answer. Hosted by Emily Dugan. Again this is only open to Friday Intensive participants or Weekend Workshop Package Students.
2:45pm-2:55pm / Break
3:30pm-5:30pm / Mini-Workshop
First workshop with your teacher. Let the fun begin!
5:30pm-6pm / Student Jam
Students get to improvise with one another in a Student Jam. All students are invited to participate together, and teachers can watch and join in!
Saturday, April 28 - The Saturday Workshops
St. Alphonsus Academy, 1439 West Wellington - Chicago, IL 60657
10pm-12pm / Maxi-Workshops
This is where students and teachers really get to dive in. Students will focus on individual strengths and weaknesses while getting to learn their teachers individual styles.
12pm-12:30pm / Lunch (provided)
Turkey, Beef, or Veggie sandwich.
12:30pm-1pm / Author's Corner (guests: Jim Carrane)
Hosted by Emily Dugan.
Chat with Jim in an intimate talk with all the Weekend Workshop students about his new improv book, Improvising Better: A Guide for the Working Improviser.
1pm-4pm / Maxi-Workshop 2
This is three hours of intense creation where the students and teachers begin to formulate an ensemble type feel. After working together all weekend, students start preparing to create together for the other class.
5pm-6pm / Class Performances (15 minutes each
class)
Here each group will perform for each other. Each teacher and group will present 25 minutes for each other and discover how to work in their group and show of their new skills to each class.
Sunday, April 29 - The Master Class
The Playground
11am-2pm / Master Class with Susan Messing
All groups join together in one Master Class. Every weekend workshop student gets to study together with Susan Messing.

Susan Messing, a New Jersey native, is a graduate of Northwestern University. She has performed for over eighteen years with Chicago's iO Theatre, and created and teaches their Level Two Curriculum which is used in Chicago and LA's iO West. At the legendary Second City, Susan wrote and performed in two mainstage revues and directed their National Touring Company. Susan is a founding member of the infamous Annoyance Theatre where she has created roles in over thirty original productions, including Co-Ed Prison Sluts, The Miss Vagina Pageant, and Your Butt. In addition, she conceived, co-adapted (with Mary Scruggs) and directed the critically acclaimed What Every Girl Should Know...An Ode to Judy Blume for the Annoyance stage, where she also continues to teach. Susan is an adjunct professor for Loyola University,
DePaul University's Theatre School, and The University of Chicago. Her standup act with her puppet, Jolly, has been featured at the HBO/US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, and on Comedy Central's Premium Blend and NBC's Late Fridays. You can hear her voice on radio and tv ads. Susan has been cut from several blockbuster films, but her recent movie role in Let's Go to Prison! as a bad stripper in a halo brace is sure to be a crowd pleaser if it doesn't end up on the cutting room floor. Her daughter, Sofia Mia, is very three, very ridiculous, and very awesome.
www.myspace.com/susanmessing
2pm / Group Photo
COST
Weekend Workshops Package!
Weekend Workshops Package (Includes all events the whole weekend- Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) Students study with the teacher of their choice on Friday, Saturday, and take the Sunday Master Class. Students also receive student discounts to area restaurants and discounts to CIF Shows.
$275 per person / $250 group discount
If you would like to purchase the events separately:
Friday Intensive $60
This is for any student that is available Friday and just wants to purchase Friday's events. Includes a private BASSPROV Show, a Celebrity Q&A, Author? Corner, and a workshop with one of the featured teachers.
Saturday Workshops $200
This is if you want to purchase the Weekend Workshops. It includes all of Saturday's events, but does not include Friday or Sunday.
Sunday Master Class $100
This is for Susan's Master Class at the Playground. This is if you just want to purchase the Master Class only. This doesn? include the Saturday Workshops, or the Friday Intensive.
Groups are considered 5 people or more. If you have an existing group of less that 5 people that you would like to register with, please contact Meredith Melville CIF Education Director at
workshops@chicagoimprovfestival.org
for approval.
Please use Paypal to register for the CIF 10 Weekend Workshops!
www.paypal.com
Send payment to jpitts@cif.com Do not forget to enter the teacher name in the description field, and the type of sandwich that you would like for lunch on Saturday. If you are registering as a group, make sure you include your group name.
Once CIF has received your information, you will receive an email confirming your registration.
Need to send a check? OR have questions about CIF 10?
Contact Meredith Melville the CIF Education Director for more information at workshops@chicagoimprovfestival.org
SPONSORS, CO-PRESENTERS, GRANTERS

CIF 2007 Sponsors, Co-Presenters, and Granters:
SPONSORS
Star Sponsor:
Heineken Premium Light: CIF's Official Beer
Co-Star Sponsorships:

Essex Inn of Chicago: CIF's Official Hotel

The Onion: CIF's Official Newsource
Ensemble Sponsorships:

Chipotle

Clarks Shoes

Hinkley Springs

Tovaritch Vodka

Whole Foods Market

Zip Car
Official Bars:

Dick's Last Resort
Goodbar
Joey's Brickhouse
Lincoln Tap Room
Martyrs
Sedgwick's Bar & Grill
CO-PRESENTERS

Annoyance Productions

The City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs

Chemically Imbalanced Comedy

ComedySportz of Chicago

iO Comedy Theatre

pH Productions

The Playground

Schadenfreude

The Second City Training Center
GRANTERS

City Arts Grant

The Field Foundation

The Second City Foundation
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