Update: 4/4/09
CIF Segment On LXTV
To watch the video about CIF 2009 from LXTV, please click: LXTV

Update: 3/18/09
CIF In Footlights Feature Story
To read the article in Footlights, please click: Footlights

Update: 2/18/09
CIF 2009 Gets Press Coverage!
On Monday, February 16, CIF's new publicist Allison Yates sent out CIF's initial press release and it is already getting positive responses.

Chicago Tribune (2/17/09) Please click: Chicago Tribune

The Onion (2/18/09) Please click: The Onion

SHOWS

CIF Artistic Director's Statement

CIF Artistic Director Mark Sutton about CIF 2009's roster: "The 2009 Chicago Improv Festival will bring together the most diverse collection of performers in the festival's 12 year history. I truly think it's the most exciting festival in our history, in that audiences will see improvisation's influence around the world played out in a tremendous variety of styles and ideas. It's a rare chance to see performers from so many cities and countries bring their unique voices to Chicago and share their love and dedication to an art form that is so woven into the fabric of our city."

CIF 2009 features 90 acts from 6 countries playing on 11 stages in 7 days.

CIF MAIN STAGE @ LAKESHORE THEATER

3175 N. Broadway, (773) 472-3492

MONDAY, APRIL 13 @ 7:30PM, $20
Emcee: Andy Eninger
Opening Act: GayCo Productions
Middle Act: Dyke-Prov
Headlining Act: GayMondo (Special Guest: Honey West)

TUESDAY, APRIL 14 @ 730:PM, $20
Emcee: Bob Wiltfong
Opening Act: Mission IMPROVable
Middle Act: Siblings of Doctors (with MTV's Wild-n-Out's Rasika Mathur)

Headlining Act: FACEBOOK (with MTV's Human Giant's Rob Heubel & Paul Scheer)

Show Note: Because he's shooting the season finale of 30 Rock, Rob Heubel will not be able to perform with FACEBOOK for this show.

THURSDAY, APRIL 16 @ 7:30PM, $20
Emcee: Strangers with Candy's Greg Hollimon
Opening Act: Barinholtz and Belushi
Middle Act: Velvet Gunn
Headlining Act: Ike Barinholtz & Jordan Peele (MADtv alums)

FRIDAY, APRIL 17 @ 7:30PM, $20
Emcee: Strangers with Candy's Greg Hollimon
Opening Act: Johnny Lunchpail
Middle Act: Sutton & Friends
Headlining Act: Frangela (with Frances Callier and Angela Shelton from the hit movie He's Just Not That Into You & V-H1's Best Week Ever)

FRIDAY, APRIL 17 @ 10:30PM, $20
Emcee: Strangers with Candy's Greg Hollimon
Opening Act: Oui Be Negroes (with Shaun Landry from the Academy Award winning movie Milk)

Headlining Act: Boom Chicago Alumni (with Madtv alums Ike Barinholtz and Jordan Peele)

SATURDAY, APRIL 18 @ 7:30PM, $20
Emcee: Strangers with Candy's Greg Hollimon
Opening Act: Johnny Lunchpail
Middle Act: Catnip
Headlining Act: 313 (with MADtv star Keegan-Michael Key, According To Jim's Larry Joe Campbell, MTV's Wild 'n Out's Nyima Funk)

SATURDAY, APRIL 18 @ 10:30PM, $20
Emcee: Strangers with Candy's Greg Hollimon
Opening Act: Pimprov
Headlining Act: The Doubtful Guests (with F/x's The Riches' Todd Stashwick)

SATURDAY, APRIL 18 @ 11:59PM
Note: Andy Dick's show has been canceled.

SUNDAY, APRIL 19 @ 8PM, $20
Emcee: Bob Wiltfong
Opening Act: Virgin Daiquiri
Middle Act: Improvised Shakespeare Company
Headlining Act: BASSPROV (with special guest Freak & Geeks' Joe Flaherty)

CIF SHOWCASE @ THE SECOND CITY SKYBOX

1608 N. Wells, 4th Floor, (312) 337-3992

Friday, April 17, 7pm, $15
Emcee: Jamie Black
Opening Act: Surf-n-Turf
Headlining Act: Snippets

Friday, April 17, 8:30pm, $15
Emcee: Jamie Black
Opening Act: The Dollhouse
Headlining Act: The DK And Morgan Show

Friday, April 17, 10pm, $15
Emcee: Jamie Black
Opening Act: JINX
Headlining Act: Without Annette

Friday, April 17, 11:30pm, $15
Emcee: Jamie Black
Opening Act: The Tuskegee Experiment
Headling Act: Hot Lawyer

Saturday, April 18, 7pm, $20
Emcee: Mark Sutton
Headlining Act: Impromptu Splendor (with SCTV's Joe Flaherty)

Saturday, April 18 @ 8:30pm, $15
Emcee: Jamie Black
Opening Act: pH Productions
Headlining Act: Rare Bird Show

Saturday, April 18 @ 10pm, $15
Emcee: Jamie Black
Opening Act: Little American Bastards
Headlining Act: 4Track

Saturday, April 18 @ 11:30pm, $15
Emcee: Jamie Black
Opening Act: Ay Diego!
Headlining Act: The Reckoning

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CIF SHOWCASE @ THE PLAYGROUND

3209 N. Halsted, (773) 871-3793

Thursday, April 16 @ 8pm, $15
Emcee: Wendy Mateo
Opening Act: Stripper's Picnic
Headlining Act: Dummy

Friday, April 17 @ 7:30pm, $15
Emcee: Wendy Mateo
Opening Act: Impro Japan
Headlining Act: The Wilhelm

Friday, April 17 @ 9pm, $15
Emcee: Wendy Mateo
Opening Act: Atilla
Headlining Act: Sybil

Friday, April 17 @ 10:30pm, $15
Emcee: Wendy Mateo
Opening Act: WDWMKR
Headlining Act: Hello Laser

Saturday, April 18 @ 6pm, $10
Emcee: Wendy Mateo
Burning Desires

Saturday, April 18 @ 7:30pm, $15
Emcee: Wendy Mateo
Opening Act: Foxy Freestyle
Headlining Act: Bastards, Inc.

Saturday, April 18 @ 9pm, $15
Emcee: TBA
Opening Act: Dominizuelan
Headlining Act: Monkey 13 And The Masked Menace

Saturday, April 18 @ 10:30pm, $15
Emcee: Wendy Mateo
Opening Act: Whiskey Rebellion
Headlining Act: Parrallelagramphonograph's French Farce

* * * * * * * * *

CIF SHOWCASE @ CHEMICALLY IMBALANCED THEATRE

1420 W. Irving Park, (773) 865-7731

Friday, April 17, 10:30pm, $15
Emcee: Adam Higgins
Opening Act: Poser
Middle Act: Firth & Arjet
Headlining Act: Latch Key Kids

Saturday, April 18, 10:30pm, $15
Emcee: Jay Gish
Opening Act: Space Robbers
Middle Act: The Uncle Ukulele Show
Headlining Act: Rooster

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CIF SHOWCASE @ GORILLA TANGO THEATER

1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., (773) 598-4549

Wednesday, April 15, 8pm, $15
Headlining Act: Iceworm
Note: Iceworm's shows will be improvised entirely in Sign Language.

Wednesday, April 15, 9:30pm, $12
Headlining Act: Iceworm
Note: Iceworm's shows will be improvised entirely in Sign Language.

Saturday, April 18, 11:30pm, $12
Emcee: Shaun Landry
Headlining Act: The Great Puppet Bollywood Extravaganza by Un-Scripted Theatre Company
Note: This show runs 90 minutes without an intermission.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

CIF SHORT-FORM SHOWCASE @ LAUGH OUT LOUD

601 N. Martingale Road, Streets of Woodfield, Suite 171, Schaumburg, IL, (847) 240-0386

Friday, April 17, 7:30pm, $15
Opening Act: On The Spot Improv
Headlining Act: Laugh Out Loud Players

Friday, April 17, 9:30pm, $15
Opening Act: On The Spot Improv
Headlining Act: Laugh Out Loud Players

Saturday, April 18, 7:30pm, $15
Opening Act: The Improv Mafia
Middle Act: Team Bobby
Headlining Act: Laugh Out Loud Players

Saturday, April 18, 9:30pm, $15
Opening Act: The Improv Mafia
Middle Act: Altermania
Headlining Act: Laugh Out Loud Players

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

CIF LATINO SHOWCASE @ NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART

1852 W. 19th St., (312) 738-1503

Friday, April 17, 8pm, $10
Emcee: Will Luera
Headlining Act: Los Aztecas del Norte

Saturday, April 18, 8pm $10
Emcee: Will Luera
Headlining Act: Los Aztecas del Norte

CIF LATE NIGHT @ ANNOYANCE THEATRE

4830 N. Broadway, (773) 561-4665

Thursday, April 16, 10:30pm, $10
Emcee: Alison Royer
Headlining Act: Messing with a Friend (Special Guest: Mick Napier)

Friday, April 17, Midnight, $10
Emcee: TBA
Opening Act: Three Hole Punch
Headlining Act: Psychic Improv

Saturday, April 18, Midnight, $10
Emcee: TBA
Opening Act: Babel Fish
Headlining Act: Mustache Rangers

* * * * * * * * *

CIF NIGHT OWL @ THE PLAYGROUND

3209 N. Halsted, (773) 871-3793

Saturday, April 18 @ Midnight-3AM, $5
Emcee: Leah Eva

12:00am, Standards and Practices
12:20am, Sutton and Shelo: Middle-Age Meets Middle-East
12:40am, Skinprov
1:00am, T & A
1:20am, Bearded Men
1:40am, Naomi Ikegami
2:00am, Blackout
2:20am, All-Fest Improv Jam

CIF SPECIAL EVENTS
Note: CIF's Special Events are listed chronologically.

CIF's One World On One Stage

Tuesday, April 14, 8pm @ ComedySportz Chicago, $5
929 W. Belmont, (773) 549-8080
Emcee: Matt Elwell

Opening Act: 808 All-Stars
Middle Act: Altermania
Headlining Act: Improvisers from Canada, Germany, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, and USA playing together.

* * * * * * * * *

CIF's Lifetime Achievement Awards

Wednesday, April 15, 7pm @ The Second City ETC., $75
1608 N. Wells, 2nd Floor, (312) 337-3992
Emcee: Mark Sutton

To read about Andrew's career, please click: Andrew Alexander
To read about Joe's career, please click: Joe Flaherty
Spotlight Award Recipient: George Earle

* * * * * * * * *

CIF's Puppet Cage Match: The Fur Will Fly!!

Wednesday, April 15, 8pm @ IO Comedy Theatre, $10
3451 N. Clark St., (773) 880-0199
Emcee: Beth Melewski

Felt vs. The Noah Ginex Puppet Company

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Interactive Performance Lab's StoryBox: iTeam Show

Wednesday, April 15, 8pm @ Barnes & Noble on the corner of Jackson & State
1 East Jackson, (312) 362-6000

Headlining Act: iTeam

* * * * * * * * *

Interactive Performance Lab's StoryBox: Dream A Little Dream...

Thursday, April 16, 7pm @ Barnes & Noble on the corner of Jackson & State
1 East Jackson, (312) 362-6000

Headlining Act: iTeam (with special guests Joe Bill from Bassprov, Shaun Landry from Oui Be Negroes, Rachael Mason from iO, Will Luera from ImprovBoston, and Cory Rouse from Disney Imagineering)

* * * * * * * * *

CIF's The Battle For The Border

Thursday, April 16, 10pm @ ComedySportz Chicago, $10
929 W. Belmont, (773) 549-8080
Emcee: Matt Elwell

ComedySportz Chicago vs. Montreal's On The Spot Improv

* * * * * * * * *

CIF's Open Court

Thursday, April 16, 9:30pm @ The Playground, $10
3209 N. Halsted, (773) 871-3793
Emcee: Wendy Mateo

Chicago Improvisers play with Festival Improvisers.

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CIF's All Ages Shows

Saturday, April 18, 1pm @ Ridge Park, $0
9625 S. Longwood Dr, Chicago, (312) 747-6640

Headling Act: Josh Funk & Nyima Funk

Saturday, April 18, 2pm @ Laugh Out Loud, $10
601 N. Martindale Road, Streets of Woodfield, Suite 171, (847) 240-0386
For tickets please click: Laugh Out Loud Tickets

Headlining Act: Hogwash

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CIF Presents Improv Legends

Saturday, April 18, 3pm @ Lakeshore Theater, $5
3175 N. Broadway, (773) 472-3492

"Improv Legends: ideas, insights, icons" is a new documentary on improvisation by producers Joel Veenstra and Marc Warzecha. At this special first screening of "Improv Legends", Joel and Marc will show extended segments of the soon to be released documentary, and take your questions on the project. "Improv Legends" features some of the greatest minds in improv sharing their thoughts on the work, and includes exclusive interviews with: Bernie Sahlins: founder and original owner, The Second City; Gary Austin: founder, The Groundlings; David Shepard: founder, The Compass Players; Valerie Harper: Second City alum and star of Rhoda; Keegan-Michael Key: MADTV, Second City; George Wendt: Cheers, Second City; Matt Besser: Co-founder, UCB; Joyce Sloan: Producer Emeritus, The Second City; Andrew Alexander: Second City Owner and CEO; Mick Napier: founder, Annoyance theatre; Jennifer Estiln: Executive Producer, Annoyance theatre; Charna Halpern: Founder and Owner, IO; James Grace: IO West; Kelly Leonard: Executive Vice President Second City; Anne Libera: Head of the Second City Training Center; Jonathan Pitts: Executive Director, Chicago Improv Festival; Michael Gellman: Second City alumni and teacher; Tim O'Malley: Second City alumni and teacher; Ruby Streak: 30 year Second City Music Director, and many more.

To see a trailer for this film, please click Improv Legends

* * * * * * * * *

CIF's Apprentice Teams

Sunday, April 19 @ 12pm-3pm @ Gorilla Tango Theater, $5
1919 N. Milwaukee, (773) 598-4549
Emcees: Jill Bernard, Emily Dugan, Ed Reggi, Asaf Ronen, Rebecca Sohn, Rich Sohn

Performing in alphabetical order:
The Comedy Project
The IMPers
The Moving Walkways
The Nannie Tharp Experience
Pale Imitations
Spontaneous Combustion

SPONSORS, CO-PRESENTERS & GRANTERS

Sponsors

Chicago's Essex Inn

Chipotle

The Onion

RooftopComedy.com

Co-Presenters

Annoyance Productions

Chemically Imbalanced Comedy

Chicago Park District

ComedySportz Chicago

Gorilla Tango Theater

IO Comedy Theatre

Lakeshore Theater

Laugh Out Loud

National Museum of Mexican Art

The Playground

The Second City

Funders

City Arts Grant

href="http://www.fieldfoundation.org" target="_blank">The Field Foundation
www.chicagoimprovproductions.org/web/images/sponsorlogos/lgfieldfoundation.gif">

Illinois Arts Council

The Second City Foundation

STAFF

Producer - Jonathan Pitts
Artistic Director - Mark Sutton
Associate Producers - Becky Brett, Alison Royer
Assistant Producers - Lucinda Alipio, Jess Jones, Theresa O'Hanian
Publicist - Allison Yates
Mainstage Stage Manager - F. Tyler Burnet
Production Assistants - Mikayla Brown, Jennifer Ducharme, Genghis Phillip
Talent Coordinators - Wendy Mateo, Patrick Rowland
Graphic Artist - Rick Gorge
Photographers - John Abbott, Sarah Albritton, Jon Cole, Kevin Leonard, Jerry Schulman
Videographer - Steven Vargas
Webmaster Consultant - Dan Abbate
Coaches - Jill Bernard, Emily Dugan, Ed Reggi, Asaf Ronen, Rebecca Sohn, Rich Sohn
Teachers - Andy Eninger, Susan Messing, Mick Napier, Todd Stashwick

CIF's educational programming includes Master Classes; Apprentice Teams, The Improv Forum; and a Women's Panel Discussion.

Update: 4/10/09
Mick Napier To Teach Workshop

Mick Napier, world renown improv director, performer, teacher, founder of the Annoyance Theater and author of the book Improvise! will present a work/lecture about directing improv and sketch.

His workshop will take place on Saturday, April 18, 12pm-2pm, at the Annoyance Theater, 4830 N. Broadway. The workshop fee is $25.

To register for Mick Napier's class, please click the Paypal button:

Master Classes

Saturday, April 18, 12pm-4pm

CIF will present three Master Classes taught by today's master improv artists: Andy Eninger, Susan Messing, and Todd Stashwick.

Each Master Class is 4 hours long. Registration is limited to 15 students per Master Class. The Master Classes are open for experienced improvisers only. Each Master Class costs $75. Registration fees are non-refundable.

Update: 4/12/09
Andy's, Susan's, and Todd's Master Classes are sold-out.

* * * * * * * * *

Master Class Descriptions & Teacher Bios

Andy Eninger / Solo Improvisation

Saturday, April 18, 12pm-4pm
@ Chemically Imbalanced Theatre, 1420 W. Irving Park Ave.

Dive into the world of solo improvisation to supercharge your scene work. Whether you are working toward an improvised solo show, or just want a kick in the pants of your group work, this course can take any improviser to the next level: Learn to trust your gut; Uncover fantastic characters; Become much more physical in your initiations; Distinguish your personal strengths to build a unique style; And most importantly, listen to your own 'improv voice' as you learn to say 'yes, and' to your own ideas.

Andy Eninger's Bio:

Andy is a Chicago-based playwright, actor and director. He has performed as an understudy for Second City's main stage, and has taught thousands of corporate clients to communicate through workshops with Second City Communications and the Chicago Comedy Company. Andy has taught improv and sketch courses for the Second City Training Center for 8 years, and is a founding member of GayCo Productions, which began life as a GLBT outreach at the training center.

He is a contributing author and lyricist for Barenaked Lads in the Great Outdoors for the Bailiwick Theater, and a founding member of Chicago Comedy Company. He is the After-Dark award winning composer for Bandgeeks: A Halftime Musical, which he also directed.

Andy's solo improv show Sybil has been seen across the country, and most recently in Amsterdam and London, and was featured in the book Shortcuts to Longform Improvisation.

He is also the co-creator of Then, Again with VH1's Adrianne Frost, and performed at the 2006 Chicago Improv Festival and in a short London run.

* * * * * * * * *

Susan Messing / Wankery 101: Specificity

Saturday, April 18, 2pm-6pm
@ Annoyance Theatre, 4830 N. Broadway

Making the same tiresome choices on stage again and again? Time to shake your shit up. This workshop will give you the tools and self-permission to let loose with awesome choices for you, your world, and your partner that will empower you big time. You deserve to get off.

Susan Messing's Bio:

Susan, a CIF Artistic Associate, is also a New Jersey native and a graduate of Northwestern University. She has performed for over twenty 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 main stage 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. Currently she can be seen there every week in the hit show Messing with a Friend.

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 stand-up act with her puppet, Jolly, was 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 which was a sure crowd pleaser. Her daughter, Sofia Mia, is very six, very ridiculous, and very awesome.

* * * * * * * * *

Todd Stashwick / Organic Improvisation

Saturday, April 18, 12pm-4pm
@ The Playground, 3209 N. Halsted St.

Class description will be posted soon.

Todd Stashwick's Bio:

Todd, a CIF Artistic Associate, began his improv training at The Illinois State University Theater Dept. where he graduated from in 1990. Quickly moving back to his hometown of Chicago he wasted no time plunging himself into the Chicago improv scene. Studying at both The Second City training center and Improvolympic it wasn't long before he was performing on a Harold team and eventually got hired to the Second City National Touring Company. While in Chicago he developed the long-form known as the Mobius. After four years performing and teaching at the Second City he moved to NYC and deepened his improv exploration with the experimental underground spontaneous theater troupe Burn Manhattan.

In 2000 he moved to Los Angeles where he formed the macabre improvised cabaret The Doubtful Guests. In 2002 he opened the improv training school The Hothouse where he teaches the free-form known as The Beast. He continues to teach at festivals and abroad. In 2004 he went to Liverpool England where he developed the improvised show Hoof. At the Hothouse in LA he continues to teach and perform in the improvised shows Mayfly and The Junk Set.

Todd has been fortunate to study and work with improv leaders such as Martin De Maat, Del Close, Mick Napier, Dave Razowsky and Shira Piven. His philosophy is about exploring the interface between players. His focus is on creating an environment in which spontaneous events can occur. Honing the player into heightened state of receptivity, what he calls "predator mind". A big proponent of grounding the work in physicality, he insists on putting the character and environment into the body to ideally get the player out of their head. His work puts an emphasis on experimentation and theatricality. He resides in Los Angeles, with his wife and son, where he works in Television and film.

Todd was a cast member of the FX series, The Riches, as "Dale Malloy". He has been a guest star on Kath & Kim and Studio 60 on The Sunset Strip.

Apprentice Teams
Friday, April 17-Sunday, April 19

This will be the third year of CIF's highly successful and unique program. In its first year there were 5 Apprentice Teams, and last year there were 8 Apprentice Teams. CIF's aim is to help teams get to the next level of their development on-stage and off. CIF uses its organizational resources to help achieve this aim for the participating teams.

Over the festival weekend, each Apprentice Team receives 10 hours of group instruction from an improv coach selected speficially for each team by CIF's Artistic Director Mark Sutton. Each team also receives free tickets to CIF performances on Friday and Saturday night, with their coach attending one of the shows with them. The Apprentice Teams also get a chance to perform under the guidance of their coach on Sunday afternoon. CIF also provides the Apprentice Teams with free lunch on Saturday, free access to festival events like The Improv Forum and after-show parties, as well as a meeting with Mark Sutton to discuss their artistic aims for the next year.

Note: On 2/25/09, all 6 Apprentice Teams were selected for this year's fest. As such, no more Apprentice Teams will be considered.

The Improv Forum
@ IO Comedy Theater
Friday, April 17, 4pm-6pm
Free to the public.

Women's Panel Discussion
Sunday, April 19, 3:30pm-5pm
@ The Second City ETC, 1608 N. Wells, 2nd Floor

Chicago Improv Festival Productions, the Chicago Women's Improv Forum and The Second City Outreach will co-present a women's only panel discussion. This discussion will feature women improvisers from America, Canada, Germany, Israel, and Japan talking about improvising as females with an international perspective.

The panelists include Shelly Gossman from Chicago, USA; Steffi Foxi from Berlin, Germany; Naomi Ikegami from Tokyo, Japan; and Lea Rondot from Montreal, Canada. CWIF's Rebecca Grossman will be the panel moderator.

This panel discussion is free to the public.