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ONE WORLD, MANY LAUGHS
Update: 4/22/09
Update: 4/19/09
To those people who've been asking, the Main Stage pre-show music is by Michael Franti & Spearhead, the intermission music is by Thievery Corporation, the post-show music is by M.I.A., and the music on CIF's opening video is by A. R. Rahman. Update: 4/18/09
Update: 4/17/09
Frangela & Joe Flaherty Television Interview
* * * * * * CIF's Fourth Night
Messing with a Friend played a fantastic show to an overflow crowd at the Annoyance. There was a Showcase at The Playground and Interactive Performance Lab demonstrated Story Box in the downtown loop. Lots of improvisers showed up to play at CIF's Open Court at The Playground. To see photos by Jerry Schulman from Messing with a Friend and Interactive Performance Lab, please click: 4/16 Update: 4/16/09 CIF's Third Night
Over at IO Chicago, the puppet ensemble Felt won CIF's Puppet Cage Match in front of a standing room only house. Beth Melewski did a great job as the emcee and at nursing the monkey award trophy! At Gorilla Tango Theatre, the deaf improv ensemble Iceworm performed two funny and very physical performances using sign language as they performed to delighted deaf and hearing audiences. To see CIF Lifetime Achievement Awards photos and Iceworm's show photos by Jerry Schulman, please click: 4/15 Update: 4/15/09
At ComedySportz, CIF's One World on One Stage stole the funny bones and hearts of both the audience and players. After a strong set from the 808 All-Stars, Israel's Altermania tore the stage apart. In the second act, improvisers from Canada, Germany, Israel, Japan and USA performed together and overcame differences in languages and cultures while celebrating the essential nature of play. Said CIF photographer Jerry Schulman, "Isn't this what it's all supposed to be about? Playing together." Jeremy Schaefer, one of the Chicago performers who guested with the 808 All-Stars and watched the One World Players said, "This event was a blast! It was so interesting to see so many people improvising - in different languages! It was a really fun, interesting event. Adding to the perfection it ended with a line of improvisors from different countries singing a song about world peace. Perfect, timely, funny, beautiful." For One World On One Stage photos by Jerry Schulman, please click: 4/14 Update: 4/14/09 Photos From CIF's Opening Night
For more CIF opening night photos by Jerry Schulman, please click: 4/13 Update: 4/13/09
Update: 4/12/09
Update: 4/3/09
Joe Flaherty will be BASSPROV's special guest on the closing night of this year's festival on Sunday, April 19, 7:30pm at Lakeshore Theater. Joe is an alumni of SCTV, star of Freaks and Geeks, and a Emmy award winner. This is his first CIF Main Stage show. For tickets, please click: BASSPROV Joe also guest stars with Toronto ensemble Impromptu Splendor in their upcoming CIF show on Saturday, April 18, 7:30pm @ The Second City Skybox. For tickets, please click: Impromptu Splendor Joe will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from CIF on Wednesday, April 15, 7pm @ The Second City ETC. Andrew Alexander, SCTV producer, Emmy award winner, and owner of The Second City will also receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from CIF. For tickets, please click: CIF Awards Night Update: 2/25/09
To read about each CIF ensemble and watch their work, click: Ensembles Update: 2/22/09
The Doubtful Guests' Todd Stashwick created this video to promote their upcoming CIF Mainstage show. To watch, please click: Doubtful Guests Update: 2/16/09
The Chicago Improv Festival is very excited about this year's line-up of 90 ensembles, from 9 countries, performing at 10 venues, with parties at 7 locations, over a marathon 7 days and nights. With a historic new president, a new era for America and the world, CIF Artistic Director Mark Sutton and Executive Director Jonathan Pitts, selected ensembles to celebrate this new era of internationalism, multiculturalism, and pluralistic points of view. CIF 2009 is a world comedy party!
This year's Main Stage returns to the Lakeshore Theater to present 21 ensembles and 8 shows. 15 ensembles are making their Main Stage debut. This year's Main Stage headliners include: 313 (with Larry Joe Campbell, Nyima Funk, Keegan-Michael Key)
With this year's festival, the process of improvisation might not be all that different, but the players and their perspectives certainly are, so their comedy and humor will certainly reflect that in performance. There's some shows that are different in their approach and style too. There's even a 90 minute fully-improvised Bollywood musical with puppets!
55 years ago, modern improv got its beginning here in Chicago. Through The Compass, Paul Sills, Viola Spolin, and David Shepherd sent both the play and the work of improvisation on its first revolution around the globe. In 1959, The Second City put its brand of improv-sketch comedy into the world, spanning the globe many times.
In the late 80's, the play and the work was furthered from Chicago by Del Close, Charna Halpern and IO Comedy Theater, as their influences spanned the planet. Later, through Mick Napier, Mark Sutton, Susan Messing and the Annoyance Theater, another new way to improvise went from Chicago out into the world.
Through the work of Keith Johnstone, an international focus of narrative based impro was born replying to Chicago's vibes and both the play and the work kept changing with Theatre Sports and ComedySportz. Now, through recent examples like Todd Stashwick and Shira Piven's organic improvisation, the play and the work has gone full circle and spun out around the planet again.
As Chicago has given its improv to the world, the world of improv replied and gave back to Chicago. Joyfully, playfully, artistically. This comedic work, this spontaneous art, is a process that triumphs in discoveries shared between both players and audience. What started in Chicago has gone around the world many times. One world, many laughs.
This year's festival features shows improvised in several languages, including English, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Norwegian, Sign Language, and Spanish, but they all share the universal language of laughter. Look around. Check out all the world there is to see at CIF 2009. For More CIF 2009 Information: Please click: Shows
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Productions