Outreach
Update: 1/15/10
To see photos from the day-long process (auditions, rehearsals, and two shows) of the 2010 All-State Improv Team at this year's Illinois High School Theatre Fest on 1/8/10, please click: ASIT Photos Update: 1/9/10
Last night, the All-State Improv Team played to over 500 people and had two great shows at the Illinois High School Theatre Fest. Their first show got a standing ovation. Improv Mafia rocked both of their shows and Emily Dugan was a fab emcee all night long. At the end of the second show, both the All-State Improv Team and The Improv Mafia jammed together on a big improv game of "Freeze". Both teams and the audience clearly had a blast. Cheers for everyone! Update: 1/8/10
Here's the starting line-up for the Illinois 2010 All-State Improv Team: Mike Capra from Hersey HS, Chris Guidi from Farmington Central HS, John Hewelt, Eric Iannelli from Glenbard East HS, Eric Johnson from Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Ben Jungblut from Glenbard East HS, Natasha Laws from Maine Township HS East, Robert Leahy from Glenbard East HS, Jonathan Schaffer from Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Ben Slabik from Glenbard East HS, and Danielle Vetter from Schaumberg HS. Congrats to everyone! Update: 1/4/10
This Friday, January 8, 2010 will be the day for auditions, rehearsal and performances of the 3rd annual All-State Improv Team as produced by CIF Productions for the Illinois High School Theatre Fest in Bloomington-Normal, IL. There will be two audition time slots in the morning and the students will be selected by Teen Comedy Fest artistic director Emily Dugan and ComedySportz Chicago artistic director Matt Elwell. After being selected, the 12 students will have rehearsals under the guidance of Emily and Matt, and in the evening, their will be two performances of the 12 students chosen for the All-State Improv Team. It's a crazy, fun and hectic day-long affair that has in just two years become a very popular event at the IHSTF. Last year's All-State Improv Team performed two shows for over 650 people. Illinois is the only state in America with an organized all-state improv team. Additionally, the All-State Improv Team will perform at CIF Productions' Teen Comedy Fest on May 15, 2010. Auditioning 200 students in two hours is a difficult and fast endeavor that requires the help of many people. This year, extra eyes and hands will be provided by Illinois State University's The Improv Mafia and Kenny Metroff from Chicago's pH Productions. Please check this site for updates as when the students are selected, their names and high school/home town affiliation will be posted on this page. The two All-State Improv Team performances will be at Illinois State University's Bone Student Center's Old Main Room in Bloomington-Normal, IL. Their performance times are 8pm and 10pm. Admission is free for fest attendees. For more information on the IHSTF, please click: IHSTF Update: 7/28/09
CIF Productions' 4th annual Summer Theatre Camp presents "Barack and Roll!", an original sketch comedy review written and performed by 35 African-American children, ages 8-12. The kids also designed the sets and costumes. Their performance is Thursday, July 30, 7pm @ Ridge Park, 9625 S. Longwood. The show is free to the public and is co-produced and co-presented in partnership with the Chicago Park District. Update: 7/20/09
THE 4TH ANNUAL SUMMER THEATRE CAMP TO PERFORM ORIGINAL WORK ON THURSDAY, JULY 30 AT CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT'S RIDGE PARK Chicago Improv Festival Productions' 4th Annual Chicago Park District Summer Theatre Camp will perform on Thursday, July 30 at 7 p.m. at the Ridge Park Cultural Center, 9625 S. Longwood. The six week long Summer Theatre Camp is made up of 35 children ages 8-12 years old who attend five days-a-week, five hours each day. The camp is directed by CIF's executive director, Jonathan Pitts with Barrel of Monkeys co-founder Jason Sperling as a co-teacher. "During the six weeks the children learn acting, costume design, direction, improv, movement, theater vocabulary, set design, voice and writing," says Jonathan Pitts. "We treat the camp like a theater conservatory and it's a great chance to give South side children a high quality introduction and education in theater." Co-teacher Jason Sperling adds, "The students are really creative and energetic, and they totally jump into the scenes and games we've been working on. It's great to not just see them grow as actors and performers, which they all have, but also to get to know them and see how they grow as people, even just over this six-week session. They look out for each other, work together, and make each other, and me, laugh a lot." At the end of the camp, the children create an original 45-minute sketch comedy revue that reflects their world and gives them a voice in their community. This year's performance was chosen from more than 200 written stories, where 20 went into the rehearsal process. The students work together not only rehearsing and acting in the production, but also designing the sets and costumes. The Chicago Improv Festival Productions' 4th Annual Chicago Park District Summer Theatre Camp performance is on Thursday, July 30 at 7 p.m. at the Ridge Park Cultural Center, 9625 S. Longwood. The performance is free and open to the public. Update: 1/25/09
Here are the names and high schools of the 12 members of this year's All State Improv Team.
To see photos taken during the All-State Improv Team's performances at the Illinois High School Theatre Fest, please click: All-State Improv Team Update: 1/5/09
On Friday, January 9, CIF Productions' Executive Director Jonathan Pitts, CIF Productions' Teen Comedy Fest's Artistic Director Emily Dugan and ComedySportz' Artistic Director Matt Elwell will drive from Chicago to Normal, IL to put together the 2nd Annual "All-fest Improv Team" for the Illinois High School Theatre Fest. Last year, over 200 high school theatre students auditioned for a slot on the team, and 14 students from 12 different high schools were chosen. They rehearsed for 4 hours and then performed a 45 minute show for 300 fest attendees. This year, there will be two shows for the "All-Fest Improv Team". The first will be on Friday night and the second will be on Saturday morning. The "All-Fest Improv Team" will also get an automatic headlining gig at CIF Productions' Teen Comedy Fest on May 3, 2009. Talking about the program, Jonathan Pitts says, "We are really excited that last year's team was such a positive success. We are looking forward to auditoning, casting, and rehearsing the high school students towards another great show at the IHSFT. We really enjoy the experience of teaching and directing theatre students from all over the state of Illinois about this great art form. We're proud to put together the all-fest improv team for the IHSTF, as it is the only one of its kind in the country, and what better place for it to be in than the state that is the birthplace of modern improvisation." Performing on Friday night with the "All-Fest Improv Team" will be CIF Productions' 2008 College Improv Tournament national champions The Improv Mafia from Illinois State University. Photos and updates during the ISHTF weekend will be posted on this site. CIF Productions' Educational Philosphy Chicago Improv Festival Production's core philosophy is to educate and entertain audiences and students of all ages, demographics and locations; as well as to bring instruction and guidance to emerging improvisational artists and ensembles; by focusing on and about modern improvisational theatre, a Chicago-born and bred art form.
For more information on the shows and workshops available from Chicago Improv Festival Productions, please click on the "Shows" & "Workshops" buttons at the top of this page. |
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