A.V. Club's Chicago Improv Festival preview
Though the Chicago Improv Festival organization has shifted to a year-round programming schedule, its annual namesake event is still its biggest undertaking, and this year is no exception. The theme is "One World, Many Laughs," which means the week-long CIF will be an international affair; groups from as far away as Israel, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Canada, and Idaho will be represented, as well as the usual strong Chicago contingent. There's obviously a prevalent theme of "diversity" in this year's lineup (a noble effort in an art form dominated by twenty- and thirtysomething white dudes), but as Decider perused the schedule, a few more themes emerged.
Repeat performances
CIF is an organization that looks at the big picture: It's not strange for a group to work its way up from a showcase opening slot to something more substantial. This year sees local fest alums Pimprov, Improvised Shakespeare Company, and Virgin Daiquiri taking on mainstage slots, along with New York's Johnny Lunchpail. In addition, expect shows from traveling performers and ensembles that have made their mark. The 313—an improv group from Los Angeles featuring expat Keegan Michael Key—performs on The Lakeshore Theater mainstage for the second year in a row on April 18, 7:30 p.m. After a two-year hiatus, fest-fave Ike Barinholtz is back with one of the raunchiest, most verbally abusive (in a good way) Messing With A Friend. The show's scheduled on April 16 at 7:30 p.m.on the mainstage with MadTV's Jordan Peele, then again as part of the Amsterdam-based Boom Chicago alumni show on April 17 at 10:30 p.m. On the showcase side, don't miss 4Track, a New York–based ensemble with so much energy that it might as well be charging people's cell phones. The group was featured in last year's showcases at The Playground Theater, and this time they're at Donny's Skybox on April 18 at 10 p.m.
Repeat performances
CIF is an organization that looks at the big picture: It's not strange for a group to work its way up from a showcase opening slot to something more substantial. This year sees local fest alums Pimprov, Improvised Shakespeare Company, and Virgin Daiquiri taking on mainstage slots, along with New York's Johnny Lunchpail. In addition, expect shows from traveling performers and ensembles that have made their mark. The 313—an improv group from Los Angeles featuring expat Keegan Michael Key—performs on The Lakeshore Theater mainstage for the second year in a row on April 18, 7:30 p.m. After a two-year hiatus, fest-fave Ike Barinholtz is back with one of the raunchiest, most verbally abusive (in a good way) Messing With A Friend. The show's scheduled on April 16 at 7:30 p.m.on the mainstage with MadTV's Jordan Peele, then again as part of the Amsterdam-based Boom Chicago alumni show on April 17 at 10:30 p.m. On the showcase side, don't miss 4Track, a New York–based ensemble with so much energy that it might as well be charging people's cell phones. The group was featured in last year's showcases at The Playground Theater, and this time they're at Donny's Skybox on April 18 at 10 p.m.
Spreading the love
In the spirit of diversity, it makes sense that CIF is sharing the spotlight with not only the usual-suspect comedy venues like iO, Annoyance Theatre, ComedySportz, Chemically Imbalanced Theater, Donny's Skybox, improv co-op the Playground, and the Lakeshore, but also unexpected ones like the recently opened and unfortunately named Laugh Out Loud Theater in Schaumburg. It also makes sense that Wicker Park's anyone-can-put-a-show-up-theater Gorilla Tango Theatre would get in on the action, but Ridge Park and The National Museum Of Mexican Art's inclusion as venues should make for some interesting shows to watch for laughs and for aesthetics.
In the spirit of diversity, it makes sense that CIF is sharing the spotlight with not only the usual-suspect comedy venues like iO, Annoyance Theatre, ComedySportz, Chemically Imbalanced Theater, Donny's Skybox, improv co-op the Playground, and the Lakeshore, but also unexpected ones like the recently opened and unfortunately named Laugh Out Loud Theater in Schaumburg. It also makes sense that Wicker Park's anyone-can-put-a-show-up-theater Gorilla Tango Theatre would get in on the action, but Ridge Park and The National Museum Of Mexican Art's inclusion as venues should make for some interesting shows to watch for laughs and for aesthetics.
Shows that sound gimmicky, but probably aren't (or are they?)
You can't blame the CIF for taking its theme as far as they can, with April 14's show at ComedySportz having improvisers from all the countries represented onstage together—in effect transforming the festival into a comedy U.N. It tows the line between being gimmicky and not being gimmicky. If you were booking this festival, chances are you'd probably dream up a similar show, but have the improvisers from around the globe hold hands and sing "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" while an American flag unfurls in the background. That probably won't happen here. Hopefully. What is clearly gimmicky, though, is April 18's The Great Puppet Bollywood Extravaganza at the Gorilla Tango Theatre. It's mostly what the title suggests: a 90-minute improvised Bollywood musical performed entirely by puppets. Oh, and there's no intermission. Arguably, though, that might not be as gimmicky as April 15's Puppet Cage Match, which pits iO's puppet improv troupe Felt against the also-local The Noah Ginex Puppet Company. Why have two local puppet improv troupes compete against each other instead ones from outside of Chicago? Because it appears the fest like pairing acts that have something in common. Also seemingly gimmicky (but probably not) is California's Iceworm: they all perform entirely in sign language. Though chances are their show Wednesday at the GTT should be worth watching since it's at least an opportunity to see something different, even though there aren't any puppets. Wait, can people still improvise without puppets?
You can't blame the CIF for taking its theme as far as they can, with April 14's show at ComedySportz having improvisers from all the countries represented onstage together—in effect transforming the festival into a comedy U.N. It tows the line between being gimmicky and not being gimmicky. If you were booking this festival, chances are you'd probably dream up a similar show, but have the improvisers from around the globe hold hands and sing "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" while an American flag unfurls in the background. That probably won't happen here. Hopefully. What is clearly gimmicky, though, is April 18's The Great Puppet Bollywood Extravaganza at the Gorilla Tango Theatre. It's mostly what the title suggests: a 90-minute improvised Bollywood musical performed entirely by puppets. Oh, and there's no intermission. Arguably, though, that might not be as gimmicky as April 15's Puppet Cage Match, which pits iO's puppet improv troupe Felt against the also-local The Noah Ginex Puppet Company. Why have two local puppet improv troupes compete against each other instead ones from outside of Chicago? Because it appears the fest like pairing acts that have something in common. Also seemingly gimmicky (but probably not) is California's Iceworm: they all perform entirely in sign language. Though chances are their show Wednesday at the GTT should be worth watching since it's at least an opportunity to see something different, even though there aren't any puppets. Wait, can people still improvise without puppets?
