With ten of Houston’s finest comedy troupes and four more visiting from notable improv hubs Chicago and Austin, the 4th Annual Houston Improv Festival is shaping up to be the best one yet!
The Houston Improv Festival is a four-day festival of live improv comedy performances and workshops. Performers use teamwork and the basic improv tenet of “Yes, and…” to weave completely unscripted 20-25 minute shows with distinctive characters and unique scenarios, often sharing worlds that only exists the performers’ imaginations
What’s new for 2015? We’ve added a family-friendly show on Saturday, April 18 at 8:00pm. Performers in this show will keep the content rated PG, allowing audiences ages 12 and up to enjoy live improvised comedy.
Tickets and festival passes will go on sale March 1. Workshops will be announced by February 22 and go on sale March 1 as well. All shows will be at Midtown Art Center, 3414 La Branch in Midtown Houston.
THURSDAY, APRIL 16 – 8:00PM
Max (Houston, TX)
Beta Theater’s house troupe brings you fast-paced long-form improv.
Antoine Culbreath, Billy Trim, Hoja Lopez, Liz Stockdale, Shannan Scarsaletta, and Traci Thiebaud
Standards (Houston, TX)
Standards performs long-form improv based on their standards of anything from grapefruits to significant others – all based on an audience suggestion.
Kelly Juneau, Katy Manning, Jim Meyers, Christopher Oddo, and Bret Whitacre (Station Theater)
Ophelia’s Rope (Houston, TX)
A two-woman duo performing a modified Deconstruction form, taking inspiration from an audience-suggested sonnet (or Shel Silverstein poem, or karaoke track…) to build their world.
Autumn Clack and Ruth McCleskey
FRIDAY, APRIL 17 – 8:00PM
Space Mutt (Houston, TX)
Space Mutt performs the LaRonde, a character-based improv form that explores a world created by a series of two-person relationships. Space Mutt performers enjoy big characters and crazy worlds.
Antoine W.B., Armando Sosa, Bryan Cruz, Jessica Brown, and Steven Saltsman (Station Theater)
Man Baby (Chicago, IL)
A long form troupe comprised of five spry young men. Their diverse show openings set the stage for dynamic shows.
Don Watts, Nate Dicken, Quinn Wilson, Saurabh Pande, and Zak Scott
The Faculty (Chicago, IL & Austin, TX) – PENDING
The Houston Improv Festival workshop instructors join each other on stage to put their money where they mouth is! Don’t miss Jimmy Carrane and Dan Grimm in this one-night-only set!
FRIDAY, APRIL 17 – 10:00PM
Never Pickles (Austin, TX & Chicago, IL)
A patient improvised look at romance featuring two bona fide love morons.
Dan Grimm and Tina Jackson
This Infinite Closet (Houston, TX)
Weaving vocal soundscapes in complete darkness; This Infinite Closet takes the audience on a journey transcending physical boundaries of improv to explore worlds only found in the imagination.
Antoine W.B., Jessica Brown, Matt Graham, Monica Marcha, Roger Anderson, and Steven Saltsman (Station Theater)
Baby Knuckle (Houston, TX)
A Harold-esque playground that kicks off with an organic free form opening then explores that connected universe with rich characters, stories you must hear, and laughs your belly craves.
Adam Pecht, Chad Minchew, Nate Suurmeyer, and Ryan Heine
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 – 4:00PM
Improv Nerd Podcast LIVE Show and Recording
Guest: Dianah Dulany, Owner of ComedySportz Houston
“Improv Nerd with Jimmy Carrane,” is a comedy podcast and live interview show hosted by Jimmy Carrane, a well-known improv teacher and former host of Studio 312 on Chicago Public Radio. Jimmy interviews icons in the world of improv, giving audiences a behind-the-scenes look at careers in comedy. Laugh along as Jimmy performs a totally unscripted scene with each of his guests, and then learn how they created the scene in a revealing interview and question-and-answer session.
In this special Houston edition, Jimmy will interview and improvise with Houston’s own Dianah Dulany, owner of CSz Houston, President of CSz Worldwide, and 28-year veteran of the improv comedy scene.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 – 8:00PM
Special Family-Friendly Show – Recommended For Ages 10+
Extended Play (Houston, TX)
Extended Play performs the Soundtrack, a completely improvised show using music as its inspiration for scenes.
Alison Coriell, Angela Mayans, Calan Lambert, Chuck Stanfield, David Toscano, Hannah Stanchi, and Roger Anderson (Station Theater)
The Mockumentalists (Houston, TX)
The Mockumentalists use eyewitness interviews and hidden camera footage to improvise an unbiased, informative documentary focused on a topic of the audience’s choosing.
Amy Grisbee, Jason McElweenie, Lori King Brown, Matt Graham, Tandiwe Kone, Steven Saltsman (Station Theater)
ComedySportz Houston (Houston, TX)
Improvised comedy played as a sport – complete with a referee, uniforms, exciting competition, and even a foul to keep the show from being in poor taste. Because every scene is created on the spot, within the format of ComedySportz’s structure, no two shows are alike.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 – 10:00PM
Flirt Reynolds (Houston,TX)
Four theatre majors from The University of Houston who live for telling stories and building characters.
Brendon Lara, Max Holkan, Robert Price, and Vic Shuttee
The Belmont Transfer (Chicago, IL)
High-octane, in-your-face, long-form improv, chock-full of fearless players from every Chicago training school. These 6-year teammates bring big action and brave characters to life at your very suggestion.
Dan Grimm, Dave Karasik, Leonardo Garcia, Peter Robards, Ryan Williams Tina Jackson, and Yvette Rebik
History Under the Influence (Austin, TX)
Inspired by the popular series Drunk History, a group of sober improvisers try to keep up with an extremely drunk narrator in “History Under the Influence.” Things… are not always perfectly accurate.
Caeriel Crestin, David Lampe, Jill Summar, Kevin Miller, Lindsey McGowen, Melissa Patterson, Mitchell Deane, Ryan Hill, and Thedward Blevins