Seattle Festival of Improv Theater

"What true, deep, call-an-ambulance-honey-I-think-I-just-busted-a-rib laughter feels like..." -The Seattle Weekly

"Bust-a-gut hilarity" -NW Source

Seattle Festival of Improv Theater is a four-day improv festival in Seattle.
Groups from all over North America descend upon the city to perform at two different venues: the Historic University Theater (home of Jet City Improv) and The Market Theater (home of Seattle Theatersports).

There are also many wonderful improv workshops for beginners and seasoned players alike.

In addition to that, we have a Symposium and The Seattle Dust-Up, our answer to the typical festival "improv jam." Parental guidance is suggeted at most Seattle Festival of Improv Theate performances.

Special Guests
David Shepherd, the co-founder of the The Compass Players, will be in attendance teaching and in discussions. Other distinguished guests to be announced.

Festival Through: February 14 - 17

Festival Schedule:

Thursday, February 14

The Historic University Theater

8pm - Singles Bar (The Skulz, Los Angelas CA)

Have you ever experienced a lonely heart, or do you have problems finding that special someone? Well, you're not alone because a group of seven single friends have almost made a religion of going solo in Singles Bar! These bachelors and bachelorettes strike out week after week as they tour different Singles Bars suggested by the audience. The Skullz present a classic improv show of failed love, dead-end relationships, and some lovely characters that stray far from your typical night on the town.

8pm - Cathcart & Olson (Chicago, IL)

Hailed as "a trip out of the mundane and into something original and fun" by Centerstage Chicago, Cathcart & Olson perform rapid fire comedy that celebrates and analyzes current trends, human behavior, and the struggle to maintainbalance in a chaotic world. Characterized by strong reationships, vibrant characters and rich slice-of-life comedy - each scene is a tightly wound drama that happens to be hilarious. Jay Olson and Melissa Cathcart have both previously been to SFIT with the show "Chairs."

8pm - Dirty Water Dirty Water (Chicago, IL)

Dirty Water is a hilarious improvised comedy about the fun-loving wise-cracking regulars of the Dirty Water Pub in South Boston. Audiences witness a night in the life of the bar's patrons and experience the characters' lives and world views as they discuss, debate and dissect a variety of topics. The Chicago Reader raved, "If half the tavernous chats I've sat through had been this lively or funny, I'd count myself lucky." This is Dirty Water's second trip to SFIT.

The Market Theater

8pm - Comedy of Love

Friday, February - 15

The Historic University Theater

8pm - Gillett & Sutton (Seattle, WA and Chicago, IL)

This show features one of Seattle's finest performers, Adina Gillett, paired for the first time with BASSPROV's Mark Sutton. In the world premiere of this original improv show "Afterthoughts", Gillett and Sutton will bring their unique styles to the same stage to create a series of improvised scenes that show what's in a person's mind and what's in their words are seldom the same.

8 pm - The Dart-Mondo (Wing-It Productions/Gravity Failure Productions, Seattle WA)

The Dart-Mondo is where stand-up comedy and improv collide. Stand-up comics perform short sets of material, and the improvisers immediately perform scenes based on that material. Like peanut butter and chocolate, the combination is even more satisfying than the individual ingredients. The Stranger says it's "Actually funny" and the Seattle P-I says "Odder!"

8pm - Road Trip (Honolulu, HI)

Road Trip is a one-man show improvised by Garrick Paikai, based loosely on the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope road pictures. In each performance, Garrick sings, fights, dances and romances to a location of the audience's choice. Garrick previously visited Seattle with the show "Screwbuki."

10:30pm - Improsia (Seattle, WA)

Improsia is a three-performer, long-form improvised show in the style that is known as v3. v3 is recognized by the following qualities: the story revolves around a simple central idea, character or plotline; for the sake of storytelling, the actors can switch characters and locations whenever needed, meaning transitions between places and people in the story are seamless. Also, the characters are not tied to any one actor - they are tools to tell the story, and can be used by any performer at any time. This is Improsia's sixth performance at SFIT.

10:30pm - Election Show (Wing-It Productions, Seattle WA)

Festival-circuit favorite Election Show is a completely improvised presidential election where your vote decides the winner. Follow the candidates through a brutal primary, debates, attacka ads and scandals, all based on audience suggestion. Who will win: the upstart challenger or the incumbant president? Your vote can make the difference! This is Election Show's second time performing at SFIT.

10:30pm - Imp (Houston, TX and New York, NY)

Imp has been performing nationally since 2002, combining the inspirations of Commedia dell'Arte, Cirque du Soleil, Jacques Tati and Bill Irwin into their improvisation. In the course of a show, Asaf Ronen and Karen Wight play out several vignettes using as few words as possible, if any, instead communicating with action and emotion and expression and physicality, bringing audience members into the mix whenever possible. Imp always holds to its basic tenets of what makes a story and its characters engaging and how the body can be used more concisely to convey those ideas.

Workshops

1:00-4:00pm - Master Class: What's Wrong with Me / Joe Bill & Mark Sutton - $50

A no holds barred, right to the point assessment of you as an improviser. We watch you, evaluate you and give you specific challenges to break out of bad routines, reinforce good ones and challenge yourself. It's all about making you better. No matter what your experience level or background... you will come away with working ideas to help advance and improve your performance.

The Market Theater

8pm - Quiet Monkey Fight (Seattle, WA)

Quiet Monkey Fight has been performing regularly for two years in the Seattle area and has been recognized for its long-form "Fairy Tale" that has been enjoyed by audiences across North America. They have adapted this classic storytelling format with their own flavor by featuring a grandparent telling an improvised fairy tale to a grandchild and then having the scenes concurrently acted out by the full troupe. After the audience provides suggestions to impact the storyline, watch in wonder as a never-before-told story unfolds before your eyes that will surely be remembered!

8pm - Improsia (Seattle, WA)

Improsia is a three-performer, long-form improvised show in the style that is known as v3. v3 is recognized by the following qualities: the story revolves around a simple central idea, character or plotline; for the sake of storytelling, the actors can switch characters and locations whenever needed, meaning transitions between places and people in the story are seamless. Also, the characters are not tied to any one actor - they are tools to tell the story, and can be used by any performer at any time. This is Improsia's sixth performance at SFIT.

8pm - The Josh and Tamra Show (New York, NY)

Josh and Tamra are a New York-based puppet improv group. Josh Cohen who trained with the Jim Henson company, and Tamra Malaga will do a serious of hilarious two-person scenes, only one of those people will always be made out of felt. This is Josh and Tamra's third visit to SFIT.

10:30pm - Cathcart & Olson (Chicago, IL)

Hailed as "a trip out of the mundane and into something original and fun" by Centerstage Chicago, Cathcart & Olson perform rapid fire comedy that celebrates and analyzes current trends, human behavior, and the struggle to maintainbalance in a chaotic world. Characterized by strong reationships, vibrant characters and rich slice-of-life comedy - each scene is a tightly wound drama that happens to be hilarious. Jay Olson and Melissa Cathcart have both previously been to SFIT with the show "Chairs."

10:30pm - Shades of Gray (Wing-It Productions, Seattle WA)

Brutes, babes and bullets in the city that wants ou dead: Shades of Gray is a live, unscripted noir comic book inspired by the works of Frank Miller.

10:30pm - Bassprov (Hook in Mouth Productions, Chicago IL)

Festival-circuit favortie Bassprov is a two person longform improvisational comedy show. The main characters Donny Weaver (played by Mark Sutton) and Earl Hinkle (played by Joe Bill) are middle-aged central Indiana blue-collar guys that spend their free time fishing, drinking and solving the world's problems. Completely improvised dialogue is created while interconnecting events from the characters lives and the suggestions, all while the two men fish. This is Bassprov's sixth visit to SFIT.

Saturday, February 16

The Historic University Theater

4:00pm - Symposium

This panel discussion will feature David Shepherd, one of the founders of modern improvisation in America discussing how the movement started and the impetus and ideas that created the art form in Chicago and it's growth to where it is today. Panelists from the first days of improv in Seattle will be present to discuss how these ideas influenced their work, and how the Chicago movement translated to the exploration of improvisational theater in Seattle.

8pm - The Irish Wake (Wing-It Productions, Seattle WA)

The best party of your life happens after you die. The Irish Wake begins, quite simply, with a body surrounded by Irish friends and family. As they mourn and interact, their stories and flashbacks will tell the story of the recently departed. This show puts a lot of emphasis on its characters, their interactions and relationships. The wake-goers are unapologetic, hard-drinking and complete Irish stereotypes. Songs will be sung. Fights will break out. Bottles will be broken.

8:00pm - Bassprov (Hook in Mouth Productions, Chicago IL)

Festival-circuit favortie Bassprov is a two person longform improvisational comedy show. The main characters Donny Weaver (played by Mark Sutton) and Earl Hinkle (played by Joe Bill) are middle-aged central Indiana blue-collar guys that spend their free time fishing, drinking and solving the world's problems. Completely improvised dialogue is created while interconnecting events from the characters lives and the suggestions, all while the two men fish. This is Bassprov's sixth visit to SFIT.

8:00pm - The Seattle Neutrino Society (Seattle, WA)

The Seattle Neutrino Society's goal is to fuse live performance with video. At this particulat festival, Neutrino will be doing their show "Triptych," in which three 10-minute short films are shot in the neighborhood in thirty minutes. At the end of thirty minutes, the society returns to the theater and shows their films.

10:30pm - Election Show (Wing-It Productions, Seattle WA)

Festival-circuit favorite Election Show is a completely improvised presidential election where your vote decides the winner. Follow the candidates through a brutal primary, debates, attacka ads and scandals, all based on audience suggestion. Who will win: the upstart challenger or the incumbant president? Your vote can make the difference! This is Election Show's second time performing at SFIT.

10:30pm - Imp (Houston, TX and New York, NY)

Imp has been performing nationally since 2002, combining the inspirations of Commedia dell'Arte, Cirque du Soleil, Jacques Tati and Bill Irwin into their improvisation. In the course of a show, Asaf Ronen and Karen Wight play out several vignettes using as few words as possible, if any, instead communicating with action and emotion and expression and physicality, bringing audience members into the mix whenever possible. Imp always holds to its basic tenets of what makes a story and its characters engaging and how the body can be used more concisely to convey those ideas.

10:30pm - The Josh and Tamra Show (New York, NY)

Josh and Tamra are a New York-based puppet improv group. Josh Cohen who trained with the Jim Henson company, and Tamra Malaga will do a serious of hilarious two-person scenes, only one of those people will always be made out of felt. This is Josh and Tamra's third visit to SFIT.

Workshops

10:00am-12:00pm - The Future: A Workshop for Teens / Tony Lawry - $35

Students will learn the basics of improv in teamwork and listening through the use of childhood games reworked to create improv skill, then move into a mesh of medium-form improv using longer scene work and working short-form attributes into the scenes. Character work by using the non-verbal improv to music. Finishing with the final goal of the art of conversational improv in long form.

10:00am-12:00pm - Minimum Effort, Maximum Scene / Jay Cathcart and Melissa Olson - $35

Learn the power of accomplishing more by saying less. Substitute emotion for clever dialogue with exercises that can be applied easily and directly to your scene work. Give more power to your words by using less of them. Discover more story, more character, and more powerful scenes. Say less, do more, go further.

10:00am-12:00pm - Musical Theatre Improv / Alex Burke - $35

This workshop focuses on how to improvise both songs and musicals. Through working on song structure, rhythm, genre, and physicality you will have the tools to improvise a song in both short and long form improv shows as well as musicals.

1:00-3:00pm - Creating Original Characters / Troy Mink - $35

Learning how to create characters on the spot. Discovering ways of committing quickly to a character and making strong character choices. Become skilled at ascertaining energy already established in scenes and know when to interject the right kind of character choice.

1:00-3:00pm - Physical Improv / Asaf Ronen - $35

Using elements of clowning, mime, and improvisation learn to enhance scene work with a more nuanced physicality. Discover new characters, different approaches to creating a relationship onstage, and new definitions as to what makes an engaging narrative while using only your body.

1:00-3:00pm - How to be Alone on Stage / Matt Smith - $35

This workshop applies to improvisers because we tend to get nervous when we're alone on stage. We try to fill the silence with something of interest, or to create something to entice another onto the stage with us. If we practice being alone we learn to let the inspiration come to us, on its own time. We become less hurried; desperate. We stop trying to be funny; to force. And once we get how nice it can be, alone up there, we begin to allow others time on stage without jumping in to "save" them, or to "get in on it". Instead we learn to calmly raise their stakes. Space opens. Tension is cultivated.

10:00am-12:00pm - From Stage to Page / Mark Sutton - $35

This workshop will focus on creating sustainable characters and set material that is born from improvisation. Using methods of both The Second City and The Annoyance for generating material, students will discover how the processes work and how they lead to great results in show creation. You'll learn how to get from a wonderful improv moment to a full-fledged scripted scene in no time and how to create deep and multidimensional characters that can be played in longer improv scenarios like Bassprov.

1:00-3:00pm - Get out of your Scenic Rut! (or, Get your Fears out of your Ears!) / Joe Bill - $35

Are you as consistent as you'd like to be in playing a sucessful Improv Scene? Are you tired of making the same old moves out of habit, and feeling uninspired by the choices that you're making in a scene? Have you asked yourself, "Why can't I just have fun in a scene?" in the last month or two...or six? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then THIS IS THE CLASS FOR YOU!!! I will help you identify habits, both large and small, that might be keeping you in a scenic rut, and then help you find the fearlessness to shake loose the true creativity in your brain and bring it to you scenework. Recommended for intermediate to advanced Improvisers.

The Market Theater

8:00pm - Singles Bar (The Skulz, Los Angelas CA)

Have you ever experienced a lonely heart, or do you have problems finding that special someone? Well, you're not alone because a group of seven single friends have almost made a religion of going solo in Singles Bar! These bachelors and bachelorettes strike out week after week as they tour different Singles Bars suggested by the audience. The Skullz present a classic improv show of failed love, dead-end relationships, and some lovely characters that stray far from your typical night on the town.

8:00pm - Road Trip (Honolulu, HI)

Road Trip is a one-man show improvised by Garrick Paikai, based loosely on the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope road pictures. In each performance, Garrick sings, fights, dances and romances to a location of the audience's choice. Garrick previously visited Seattle with the show "Screwbuki."

8:00pm - Dirty Harry: Magnum Force (Unexpected Productions, Seattle WA)

Harry is a police detective who sees justice in terms of black and white. He carries a powerful gun and is always locked and loaded. You see, Harry can't rest until crime does. This time he's mopping up the streets of 1970's Seattle in pursuit of another punk who thinks he's too good for the law. Serial Kilers, Terrorists, Bank Robbers, Corrupt cops don't stand a chance on Harry's watch. Watch his investigation as he uses his own techniques, clashes with authority, and loses a partner or two to get to the bottom of the case. He's a loose cannon but he can't do it alone and that's where you come in. In Magnum Farce, the audience will create the storyline, locations, characters and many other suggestions that will help create a unique shoot 'em up that will be remembered long after the smoke clears.

10:30pm - Dirty Water (Chicago, IL)

Dirty Water is a hilarious improvised comedy about the fun-loving wise-cracking regulars of the Dirty Water Pub in South Boston. Audiences witness a night in the life of the bar's patrons and experience the characters' lives and world views as they discuss, debate and dissect a variety of topics. The Chicago Reader raved, "If half the tavernous chats I've sat through had been this lively or funny, I'd count myself lucky." This is Dirty Water's second trip to SFIT.

10:30pm - The Irish Wake (Wing-It Productions, Seattle WA)

The best party of your life happens after you die. The Irish Wake begins, quite simply, with a body surrounded by Irish friends and family. As they mourn and interact, their stories and flashbacks will tell the story of the recently departed. This show puts a lot of emphasis on its characters, their interactions and relationships. The wake-goers are unapologetic, hard-drinking and complete Irish stereotypes. Songs will be sung. Fights will break out. Bottles will be broken.

10:30pm - The Dart-Mondo (Wing-It Productions/Gravity Failure Productions, Seattle WA)

The Dart-Mondo is where stand-up comedy and improv collide. Stand-up comics perform short sets of material, and the improvisers immediately perform scenes based on that material. Like peanut butter and chocolate, the combination is even more satisfying than the individual ingredients. The Stranger says it's "Actually funny" and the Seattle P-I says "Odder!"

Sunday, February 17

The Historic University Theater

3pm - The Seattle Dust-Up

The Seattle Dust-Up is SFIT's answer to the festival improv jam.

On Sunday, Feb. 17 at 3pm, players from the various groups will put their names into a hat, and then teams of people (most of whom have never worked together before!) will have a very short amount of time to name, plan and rehearse their 15-minute show.

Locations:

The Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
The Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101
The workshops are in and around the Historic University Theater.

Tickets: $15, Students $12

Information Contact: (206) 781-3952