It’s time to get PHIT

I hope you’ve all resolved to get your comedy on… and during the next two weeks, the PHILLY IMPROV THEATER has what it takes for you to be the Biggest Winner:

Wed, 1/26
8:00PM – The Bully Pulpit ($10)
9:30PM – Rant-O-Wheel ($10)

Thu, 1/27
8:00PM – Hey Everybody! ($10)
9:30PM – Cagematch: Grimacchio v. Hans Gruber ($10)
11:00PM – The Gross Show ($10)

Fri, 1/28
8:00PM – Women w/ Class + Kristen & Amie Show ($10)
9:30PM – Rosen & Milkshake + Angry People Building Things ($10)
11:00PM – Hopper Bros Happy Magic Fun-Time Show ($10)

Sat, 1/29
8:00PM – King Friday + Asteroid ($10)
9:30PM – Fletcher + Mayor Karen ($10)
11:00PM – PHIT Improv Jam (FREE)

Sun, 1/30
8:00PM – Comedy University: Improv Kerouac + Guests ($10)

Wed, 2/2
8:00PM – Guilty Pleasures ($10)
9:30PM – TV Party! ($10)

Thu, 2/3
8:00PM – Hey Everybody! ($10)
9:30PM – Cagematch: 1/27 Winner v. TBA ($10)

Fri, 2/4
8:00PM – Suggestical! + Rare Bird Show ($10)
9:30PM – Medic + BWP ($10)
11:00PM – Sketch Open Mic: Sketch Up or Shut Up (FREE)

Sat, 2/5
8:00PM – King Friday + Asteroid ($10)
9:30PM – Fletcher + Mayor Karen ($10)
11:00PM – Never Have I(mprov) Ever ($10)
12:00AM – PHIT Improv Jam (FREE)

 

All shows are at the Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St.

Tickets and additional information available at www.phillyimprovtheater.com

December PHIT shows are upon us

Following their personal record-length run last month, the PHILLY IMPROV THEATER is set to kick off its December shows this week with some of your old favorites, a little reformatting of familiar formats and some great new comedy.

• Aaron Hertzog’s Hey Everybody! continues its newly minted weekly slot, surrounded by the fun usual suspects like Guilty Pleasures, The Bully Pulpit and Rant-O-Wheel… as well as new faces like TV Party! and Chip Chantry’s One Man Show, relocated from its former home at The Khyber.
• Fans can scout up and coming talent from area colleges in Comedy University, formerly known as Improv Comedy PhD, and now moved to Sundays.
• PHIT welcomes friends from afar, with Brick Penguin bringing a little DC our way and the Philly premier of Magnet’s newest house team Brick, featuring local improviser and PHIT director/instructor Amie Roe.
• Cagematch winners Six-Fisted Dynamo look to hold on to their newly claimed title against the comic stylings of Grimacchio.
• PHIT introduces Sketch Up or Shut Up’s improv step-sibling with its new instructor-hosted weekly improv jam.
• Those Hopper Brothers are back again this holiday season, this time with their Happy Magic Fun Time Show.
• And finally, house team Activity Book debuts “Metal Men” – a special run of shows featuring the alter-egos of superheroes from a failed comic book… exploring the comedy of not being so superly awesome.

The whole thing is topped off with shows from all of the house teams and sketch comedy from Camp Woods. It promises to be a jam-packed,  fun-filled couple of weeks.

Here’s the full run down…

Wednesday, December 1st
8:00PM Guilty Pleasures hosted by Brendan Kennedy – $10
9:30PM TV Party! hosted by Rob Baniewicz & Paul Triggiani – $10

Thursday, December 2nd
8:00PM Hey Everybody! hosted by Aaron Hertzog – $10
9:30PM CAGEMATCH – Six-Fisted Dynamo vs. Grimacchio – $10

Friday, December 3rd
8:00PM Activity Book Presents “Metal Men” + Asteroid! – $10
9:30PM King Friday + The Amie & Kristen Show – $10
11:00PM Sketch Up or Shut Up – FREE!

Saturday, December 4th
8:00PM Activity Book Presents “Metal Men” + Asteroid! – $10
9:30PM Camp Woods + Brick Penguin (DC) – $10
11:00PM Improv Jam hosted by Mike Marbach & Kristen Schier – FREE!

Sunday, December 5th
8:00PM COMEDY UNIVERSITY: Women With Class + Special College Guests – $10

Monday, December 6th
8:00PM Chip Chantry’s One-Man Show (With Special Guests) – $10

Wednesday, December 8th
8:00PM The Bully Pulpit hosted by Luke Giordano – $10
9:30PM Rant-O-Wheel hosted by Jaime Fountaine – $10

Thursday, December 9th
8:00PM Hey Everybody! hosted by Aaron Hertzog – $10
9:30PM CAGEMATCH – 12/2 Winner vs. Good Cop, Bad Doctor – $10

Friday, December 10th
8:00PM Activity Book Presents “Metal Men” + Mayor Karen – $10
9:30PM Fletcher + Brick (NYC) – $10
11:00PM The Hopper Brothers’ Happy Magic Fun-Time Show – $10

Saturday, December 11th
8:00PM Activity Book Presents “Metal Men” + Mayor Karen – $10
9:30PM Camp Woods + Brick Penguin (DC) – $10
11:00PM Improv Jam hosted by Amie Roe & Greg Maughan – FREE!

Sunday, December 12th
8:00PM COMEDY UNIVERSITY: Cookiepuss (NYC) + The Rubber Chickens (University of Delaware) – $10

Tickets and additional information can be found on PHIT’s website.

Jessica Tandy holds on to Cagematch title

After winning the crown last week, JESSICA TANDY managed to hold on to the the title by defeating RINTERSPLINT last night at the PHILLY IMPROV THEATER‘s CAGEMATCH.

Now that PHIT is tackling it’s longest run to date at the Shubin, the victory celebrations are much shorter… they are on the chopping block again next week, this time challenged be newcomer PRO B (Emily Davis & Rick Horner). With a couple of shows already under their belt, will this team sweep in to claim the title and bring down Jessica Tandy? Your votes decide…

CAGEMATCH: JESSICA TANDY v PRO B
THURSDAY, OCT. 21ST @ 9:30PM
PHILLY IMPROV THEATER @ THE SHUBIN
407 BAINBRIDGE ST | $10

A new Cagematch champ arises

Last week, newcomer JESSICA TANDY (Jessica Ross & Andy Moskowitz) took down longtime reigning champs, THE ONES YOUR MOMS WARNED YOU ABOUT at PHIT’s CAGEMATCH.

After seeing The Ones toppled after holding on to the title for the better part of the past year, I thought I’d get a bit of insight into how everyone feels about the upset…

J: “I’d say we are definitely proud of our run at the top. The loss stings a bit, especially because we had one of our best performances, but we sure went out fighting.

JESSICA: “It was an awesome night. The Ones really set the bar high and as always put on a great show, they’re one of the best teams in Philly.”

ANDY: “We’re thrilled to be the group to finally take down The Ones, and we’d be lucky to keep our streak going even half as long as they did. We we fresh and new… and with each successive show we will be less fresh and less new, so we know it’s an uphill climb.”

B-LIBS: “As for our run, I personally felt like Julius Caesar: conquering all and then holding massive orgies. So I guess that makes Jessica Tandy Brutus. ‘Et tu, Tandy.’”

JESSICA: “We were just happy to share the stage with an amazing team and debut our work. Andy and I had so much fun performing together and were really proud of our work. Winning was just the icing on the cake.”

ANDY: “I think the most important thing is for us to keep having fun and delighting and surprising each other on stage.”

Finally, THE RICHNE$$ had a final message for their groupies: “Dear Ladies, It was a fun run, but we can’t be tied down right now, girl.  We’ll see you around and all.  Remember, girl, hate the game not the playa!  Most Sinceriously – The Richne$$”

–

So there you go, some broken hearts, some high hopes and lots of praise and mutual respect for what were a couple of great shows. For fans of The Ones, despair not, as they’re slated to play PHIF in a couple of weeks.

As for Jessica Tandy, the duo needs to be on their game tonight if they’re going to hold on to their newly won title. They take on another newcomer, RINTERSPLINT (Joe Gates, Matt Akana & Marc Reber), at CAGEMATCH 9:30pm tonight at the Shubin.

CAGEMATCH! JESSICA TANDY v RINTERSPLINT
THURSDAY, OCT. 14TH @ 9:30PM
PHIT AT THE SHUBIN | 407 BAINBRIDGE ST

Tonight the Shubin gets seriously funny

Looking for a solution to that stand-up fix? How about a little healthy competition? Well, tonight the PHILLY IMPROV THEATER has shows at the Shubin for whatever ails you… It all starts at 8PM, as they kick off five consecutive weeks of Aaron Hertzog’s HEY EVERYBODY!

Hertzog has quite a list of comedians on the bill tonight, including Billy Bob Thompson, Darryl Charles, Doogie Horner, John Kensil, Luke Giordano and Meg Favreau!

Tickets are $10, but if you use the password *FRIENDSHIP* at the door, you pay half. Because, hey, that’s the kind of guy Aaron is!

Then at 9:30 – new upstart JESSICA TANDY (Jessica Ross and Andy Moskowitz) look to unseat six time champs THE ONES YOUR MOMS WARNED YOU ABOUT in CAGEMATCH. Currently on an unmatched winning streak, will tonight be the night The Ones fall? Your votes decide!

Current Cagematch Champs: The Ones Your Moms Warned You About

PHILLY IMPROV THEATER @ THE SHUBIN
THURSDAY, OCT. 7TH
8PM – HEY EVERYBODY!
9:30PM – CAGEMATCH
407 BAINBRIDGE ST

Lineup for PHIT at the Shubin

It’s time once again for the PHILLY IMPROV THEATER to take up residence at the Shubin Theatre. They’ve put together a lot of great programming to kick off July… including recurring favorites like the BULLY PULPIT, a new Cagematch challenger looking to take down THE ONES…, the very audience inclusive M@&, new Troika breakout DECONSTRUCTING STEVE, newcomers WALT!, the much anticipated KEVIN ALLISON SKETCH COMEDY SPECTACULAR and if memory serves, the first ever L1 CLASS SHOW. Here’s the breakdown:

Wed, June 30
8:00pm – The Bully Pulpit

Thu, July 1
8:00pm – M@& + Friends
9:30pm – Angry People Building Things + Friends

Fri, July 2
8:00pm – Deconstructing Steve + Leo Callahan
9:30pm – King Friday + Friends

Sat, July 3
6:00pm – Storytelling Grad Show
8:00pm – Kevin Allison’s Sketch Comedy Spectacular
9:30pm – Kevin Allison’s Sketch Comedy Spectacular

Mon, July 5
8:00pm – The Moops

Wed, July 7
8:00pm – Guilty Pleasures

Thu, July 8
8:00pm – Hey Everybody!
9:30pm – CAGEMATCH: Stranger, Danger vs. The Ones

Fri, July 9
8:00pm – CUBED + Rookie Card
9:30pm – Fletcher + Friends

Sat, July 10
8:00pm – Bare Hugs + WALT!
9:30pm – Epsilon Faction + Activity Book

Sun, July 11
6:00pm – Class Show: Emily Davis’ L1
8:00pm – WALT! + Bare Hugs

PHILLY IMPROV THEATER
JUNE 30 – JULY 11
SHUBIN THEATRE | 407 BAINBRIDGE ST
TICKETS: $5 – $10

Sat: Troika Goes Nationwide

For the last three years, TROIKA has been matching up local improvisers into trios. I created the show as a way for people to experiment with new forms and collaborate outside of their normal circles without having to invest in an entirely new project. It’s also proved to be a great way to expose fan bases to different performers.

Troika’s spawned some pretty unique and fun premise-based and concept shows… we’ve seen musicals, rock band reunions, teen sleepovers and spanish language soap operas, as well as a colorful cast of characters including clowns, librarians, puppets and even states witnesses. We’ve seen groups from Troika live on to perform well beyond their season. Early teams PONYCOAT and BRENDA were the first break outs, followed by several concerts from VELVET HELMET, leading clear up to the current CAGEMATCH champs, THE ONES YOUR MOMS WARNED YOU ABOUT.

Last month, Troika expanded beyond its normal season by shedding its competition brackets for a special “blind” edition. Tomorrow night,  the show looks to raise the bar, as it takes its first steps towards national collaboration. Improvisers from New York, Boston, DC and as far away as Los Angeles will take the stage with some of Philly’s best. They’ll form three trios never before seen on stage, and not likely to be seen again:

ROBO TRIPPING
Hannah Foell (Cambridge, MA)
Nathan Edmondson (Philadelphia, PA)
Topher Bellavia (Washington, DC)

SLACKS
Alli Soowal (Philadelphia, PA)
Luis Cortes (Los Angeles, CA)
Steve Kleinedler (Boston, MA)

FROWNTOWN
Jason Stockdale (Philadelphia, PA)
Michael McFarland (New York City, NY)
Peter Fenzel (Boston, MA)

That’s some serious comedic talent, and all I can say is, you’d best expect the unexpected. So I hope you’ll join us for a special evening that is certainly never to be duplicated.

TROIKA GOES NATIONWIDE
SATURDAY, JUNE 19TH @ 8PM
THE ACTORS CENTER | 257 N THIRD ST
$10 (CASH ONLY)

Four more days of PHIT comedy at the Shubin

With the holiday fast approaching, you only have a few more days to enjoy May programming from the PHILLY IMPROV THEATER.

Scheduled events include the return of CAGEMATCH, a movie screening and an assortment of shows… one of which features L3 grads. Let’s take a look:

Thursday
8:00PM – Improv Comedy PhD: Webber & Einstein + WALT! ($5)
9:30PM – CAGEMATCH: The Ones vs Two Guidos ($5)

Friday
8:00PM – Epsilon Faction & Friends ($10)
9:30PM – King Friday ($10)

Saturday
8:00PM – Screening: Catch 22′s Love is a Battlefield
9:30PM – Activity Book & Friends ($10)
11:00PM – Improv Jam: Flying Leap! (FREE)

Sunday
6:00PM – Class Show: Amie Roe’s Improv Level 3 (FREE)

Current Cagematch Champs: The Ones Your Moms Warned You About

PHIT @ THE SHUBIN
THROUGH MAY 30TH
407 BAINBRIDGE ST | BYOB

PHIT storms the Shubin with biggest lineup yet

Last night the PHILLY IMPROV THEATER launched their monthly run at the Shubin with a staged reading of When I Was, a new one-act play penned by house team member Michael Schwartz. The theater goes dark again tonight, right before PHIT starts ramping up into it’s largest run at the Shubin to date!

They’ll be tackling nearly thirty shows over the next two weeks, including performances by guests from NYC and Chicago, a workshop from former Philadelphian and PHIF founder Mike McFarland, as well as a special screening of the new TJ & Dave documentary. And it all resumes tomorrow night…

Wednesday, January 27th
8:00pm: The Bully Pulpit (w/ guest host Greg Maughan) – $5

Thursday, January 28th
8:00pm: Drexel Football Team + Rookie Card – $5
9:30pm: CAGEMATCH: The Ones Your Mothers Warned You About vs The Kristen & Amie Show – $5

Friday, January 29th
8:00pm: Activity Book + Everything Must Go – $10

Fletcher

9:30pm: Fletcher + The Imposters (NYC) – $10
11:00pm: Flying Leap! (An Improv Open Jam) – FREE

Saturday, January 30th
8:00pm: Activity Book + Dynasty (NYC) – $10
9:30pm: Fletcher + Everything Must Go – $10
11:00pm: Sketch Up or Shut Up (The Sketch Comedy Open Mic) – FREE

Sunday, January 31st

Mike McFarland

2:00pm: WORKSHOP – The Passion of the Mike taught by Mike McFarland (NYC) – $50
8:00pm: Screening: Trust Us This Is All Made Up (The TJ & Dave Documentary) – $5

Monday, February 1st
8:00pm: Hey Everybody! hosted by Aaron Hertzog – $5

Wednesday, February 3rd
8:00pm: Guilty Pleasures; One Year Anniversary Show – $5

Thursday, February 4th
8:00pm: High Dramma + Mr. Lizard – $10
9:30pm: We’re Nice People; A Night of Doucheless Comedy (NYC) – $10

Friday, February 5th
8:00pm: Tin Sandwich (Chicago) + B.W.P. – $10
9:30pm: King Friday – $10

Saturday, February 6th
8:00pm: King Friday – $10
9:30pm: Tin Sandwich (Chicago) + The Carousel of Progress – $10

Tickets and additional information

Tonight at PHIT: Improv PhD with Cubed and Cagematch

The PHILLY IMPROV THEATER is hitting the final stretch of December shows at the Shubin, and tonight features their shows Improv PhD and CAGEMATCH.

IMPROV PHD is where PHIT welcomes a local college group and pairs them with a PHIT house team or PHIT affiliate. This evening PHIT pairs premise-based office dwellers CUBED with U Penn’s WITHOUT A NET.

CAGEMATCH features an upstart challenger squaring off against the returning champ from the previous show. The audiences watches both improv sets and votes on which is their favorite. In the arena tonight – multi-time champs ROOKIE CARD take on THE ONES YOUR MOMS WARNED YOU ABOUT, a group risen from the ashes of Troika.

PHILLY IMPROV THEATER @ THE SHUBIN
THURSDAY, DEC. 10TH | 407 BAINBRIDGE ST
8PM: IMPROV PHD – $5
9:30PM: CAGEMATCH – $5