Chicago Improv Festival's
The 2nd Annual Teen Comedy Fest
Update: 8/15/08
To read the on-line article from ChiTown Daily News on this weekend's TCF, please click: TCF Press Update: 8/1/08
For a complete schedule of the 2nd Annual Teen Comedy Fest, please click: TCF Shows .
Update: 7/30/08
Emily Dugan, the Artistic Director of the Teen Comedy Fest released this statement about the upcoming 2nd annual TCF. "The energy and enthusiasm is so tangible it's intoxicating. There's nothing like the feeling of community, support, and all-out celebration that you'll find at the Teen Comedy Fest. When I first moved to Chicago, fresh out of college, and attended the "big" fest (the Chicago Improv Festival, now in its 12th year) I was struck by its resemblance, in all the best ways, to the many high school festivals and competitions I had experienced as a young performing arts enthusiast. That opportunity to share what you love with literally hundreds of other people who are equally enamored of the art form-- the rush of meeting far-flung instant friends with a guaranteed common interest-- and of course the mind-widening experience of seeing countless variations on the form as interpreted by your new acquaintances. But nothing beats the opportunity to be on stage performing in front of a supportive, engaged audience that feeds you the energy you need to pull off your best. performance. ever. That got me to wondering why there wasn't already an improv festival at the High School level. I myself started improvising at age 14, but though I attended festivals and competitions for choir, band, drama, and even show choir, there wasn't an equivalent venue for the young improvisor. I had scarcely begun to wonder before I found I had created and delivered a proposal for the Teen Comedy Fest. Now in its second year, the TCF has lived up to my expectations and more. This year over 70 young improvisors will convene to dazzle one another with their quick thinking, comic clowning, and even some more serious long-form character exploration. While I'll always enjoy seeing new talent step on to the stage, the real thrill, every time, is watching the friendships that form behind the scenes." Update: 7/15/08
To see photos of TCF from Friday, 10/19/07 please click: TCF 10/19/07 To see photos of TCF from Saturday, 10/20/07, please click: TCF 10/20/07 Update: 1/29/08
The dates for the 2nd annual Teen Comedy Fest will be Friday, August 15 and Saturday, August 16, 2008. As it was for the first festival, the South Shore Cultural Center's Paul Robeson Theatre will be the fest's performance venue and the fest will be co-sponsored by the Chicago Park District. More information, including submission and workshop applications will soon be officially announced on this TCF home page.
Update: 10/25/07
"Thanks for the Teen Comedy Fest! My daughters and their friends from Minor Infraction in Bellingham WA will include it as one of their wonderful life memories. It was a great opportunity to meet peers, to see what other teams are doing and experiencing other styles of coaching in addition to working on their craft."
"I want to tell you that the performances were great! The kids did a wonderful job. We really enjoyed the shows. My son Hal also enjoyed the workshops. Thank you for giving him this opportunity."
Update: 10/23/07
"Thanks TCF! Our kids had a blast!"
"Thanks for the all hard work that you and your staff put into the 2008 Teen Comedy Festival. Our teens were challenged, amused, delighted, especially well trained, had a fabulous time bonding with the other teams and performing for a supportive audience. Your teaching staff truly pinpointed strengths and weaknesses in our teen's performance acumen and imparted insightful expertise to our young players. We truly appreciate an environment that was developmentally appropriate, demographically diverse and stressed 'smart-clean' improvisation. Thanks again for this great, nationally impacting opportunity for teen improvisers. We appreciate your partnership."
Update: 10/21/07
Update: 10/20/07
The 1st Annual TEEN COMEDY FEST, October 19-20, 2007
"Get Your Funny On!"
Chicago Improv Festival Productions is proud to co-present with the Chicago Park District, the 2nd annual Teen Comedy Fest, on Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20, 2007. All Teen Comedy Fest performances will take place at the South Shore Cultural Center's Paul Robeson Theatre, 7059 Shore Shore Drive, Chicago, IL. For more information, please call CIF Productions at 773.935.9810 Teen Comedy Fest features 10 Chicago area teen teams and 1 teen team from Bellingham, WA gathering together to celebrate comedy and community through their performances of improv and sketch. Over the festival weekend there will be a total of 4 shows (7pm and 9pm). Each show will feature 3 teams. On Friday and Saturday at 10:30pm, there will be a special 30 minute jam featuring all the teams that performed that night. Tickets for each show are $10, and the late night jams are free. Tickets can be bought on-line through Brown Paper Tickets (Buy tickets for Teen Comedy Fest). Tickets will also be on-sale on the night of the performances at the door of the theatre. The box office will open at 6pm on Friday and Saturday. All tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.
For the complete performance schedule for the Teen Comedy Fest, please click on Shows. For more information about the teams performing in the Teen Comedy Fest, please click on Teams.
Fest Notes:
Update: May 15, 2007
When Meredith Melville, Chicago Improv Festival Production's Education Director, agreed to produce the Teen Stage at last year's Chicago Improv Festival, she wasn't expecting a big response. "I thought we'd have two or three applicants at the most," says Melville, "just enough for one show." But to her surprise, the response was overwhelming, "It was fantastic!" She continues, "We had groups from the far north suburbs, groups from the south side, even a few teen troupes from out-of-state". Melville continues, "in the end, the Teen Stage was so packed it was difficult to find enough room to seat all of the friends, family, and outright fans. And so the Teen Comedy Fest was born. This year Chicago theatre performer/director/administrator Emily Dugan joins as the Artistic Director of the new festival. The Chicago Park District will partner with Chicago Improv Festival Productions to produce the festival at the stunning South Shore Cultural Center. "We're incredibly excited about the opportunities we have to offer participants this year," says Dugan, "Each troupe that joins us this year will be participating a full day of workshops and social events before their performance in their 300-seat venue in the evening. We've culled excellent workshop instructors from each of the major training centers in the city, and we're already talking to groups from as far away as LA and Canada. Hosted at the South Shore Cultural Center on October 19th and 20th, 2007, the Teen Comedy Fest will be offering an early registration rate of $50 per student until June 1st, 2007 when the regular rate of $75 per student takes effect. "Of course, we wish we could offer this for free," says Melville, "but we try to bring in just enough to cover our costs and provide the participants with the best instructors we can find." The festival also offers merit and need-based scholarships for individuals and groups that have a passion for performance but lack the funds to attend. Local charitable organizations are also encouraged to choose a teen group to sponsor to the festival. Both Dugan and Melville are passionate about the opportunity this will offer teen performers to not only show their craft to a wider audience, but also to meet and mingle with their peers from across the country. "Our goal is to give young voices in improv and comedy a chance to make connections with peers they might otherwise never meet. These students are the future face of comedy in America. We want to abolish the notion that they have to wait until graduation to start thinking big," says Melville. Dugan agrees, "I started improvising when I was 14, but it didn't occur to me that there was anywhere to go with my craft until I graduated and moved to the city. Had there been an opportunity like the Teen Comedy Fest when I was young, you can bet I would have been there. It's my goal to make this festival everything my inner teenager could have wanted." Chicago Improv Festival Productions Executive Director Jonathan Pitts says, "I loved comedy when I was in high school, so I am happy that we are able to offer to teens, along with their family and friends, the 1st annual Teen Comedy Fest as a stand-alone festival that will better serve and showcase teens' ability, comedy and talents".
Teen Comedy Fest Staff Producer - Jonathan Pitts
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