Announcing Philadelphia Comedy Collective and Comedy Month

Philadelphia Improv Festival, Philly Sketchfest, and The Philadelphia Joke Initiative Join Forces To Form Philadelphia Comedy Collective

New Collaborative Set to Present Month of Comedy in November

Three of the top forces in the local comedy scene are teaming up this year, becoming The Philadelphia Comedy Collective, and presenting Comedy Month. Forming the new collaborative are the Philadelphia Improv Festival, Philly Sketchfest, and The Philadelphia Joke Initiative. Their first endeavor, Comedy Month, will run from November 1-21 at the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom Street. The producers will announce the performance schedule later this summer.

The first week of the festival will be the now week-long Philadelphia Improv Festival featuring local longform and shortform improv acts and troupes from all over the country. Now in its sixth year, the Philadelphia Improv Festival has hosted top-notch local acts along with teams from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (NYC), iO West (LA), DSI Comedy Theater (NC), Second City (Chicago), the Magnet Theater (NYC), Washington Improv Theater (DC), and the People’s Improv Theater (NYC). The Philadelphia Improv Festival is produced by Matt Nelson, Alli Soowal, and Jason Stockdale.

Following the improv festival, Philly Sketchfest will present its third annual event, a full week dedicated to sketch comedy. Philly Sketchfest is the brainchild of sketch troupe Animosity Pierre’s manager Ben Maher and Pierre members Matt Lally and Dave Terruso; Jessica Ciaramella and Cathleen Collins are associate producers. As active members of the Philadelphia sketch scene, these comedians have experienced the growth of comedy in the city firsthand. In 2009, the festival grew to include over a dozen local and national sketch groups.

The Philadelphia Joke Initiative (PJI) will handle the final week of performances. The comedy advocacy organization recently completed a successful run of its improvised musical, “Rodgers and Hammerstein are Dead.” The group was founded in 2009 and is dedicated to supporting comedy and comedians in the greater Philadelphia area. PJI recognizes comedy has inherent cultural value, and will foster Philadelphia’s cultural community by regularly producing comedy events, nurturing local talent, encouraging that talent to remain in Philadelphia, and raising the profile of Philadelphia-based comedy on the national market. PJI is run by Alexis Simpson and Kate Sabato.

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About The Philadelphia Comedy Collective

The Philadelphia Comedy Collective is a consortium of local producers, performers, and companies unified for the purpose of comedy advocacy, cultural vitality, and excellence in improvisation, sketch, stand up, theater, film, music, and other comedy media.

Philadelphia Improv Festival, Philly Sketchfest, and The Philadelphia Joke Initiative Join Forces To Form Philadelphia Comedy Collective

New Collaborative Set to Present Month of Comedy in NovemberPhiladelphia Improv Festival, Philly Sketchfest, and The Philadelphia Joke Initiative Join Forces To Form Philadelphia Comedy Collective

New Collaborative Set to Present Month of Comedy in November

PHIT Announces First Ever House Teams

The Philadelphia Improv Theater has officially announced the rosters of their brand spankin’ new house teams, and we’re super excited about both the veteran talent and the up-and-comers on these lists.

HOUSE TEAM I

directed by Rick Horner

Mike Schwartz, John Nolan, Jana Savini, Kim Breslin, Jason Stockdale, Alan Williams, Kelly Jo Little, Diana DePasquale & Sarah Goldrath

HOUSE TEAM II

directed by Scott Sheppard

Dan Rich, Rob Baniewicz, John Buseman, Kristen Schier, Gillienne Nadeau, Jay Brenner & Sam George

HOUSE TEAM III

directed by Greg Maughan

Nick Gillette, Bob Swenson, Jefferson Haynes, Meg Favreau, AJ Horan, Katie Horahan, Rob Cutler & Shane Jenkins.

In their recent newsletter, PHIT gaves us a little taste of what we can expect:

“Over the next few months you are going to come to know and love all these people… if you don’t already – and see them become a great addition to the scene. So is the rest of the country: after premiering in the Fall, our house teams will start traveling, first to the People’s Improv Theater in NYC, then to festivals all over the country!”

Congrats to all the teams, we look forward to see you take the stage!

PIT Aims To Strip Down Scenework

Next Friday rings in a whole new era of improv – featuring five very naked fellas busting out their, ahem, longform skills. The PIT (Peoples Improv Theater) is set to showcase a weekly double feature billing of Naked Boys Improvising and Girly Girl Burleskapades. According to their lineup page:

“They’re naked. They’re boys. They’re improvising. Five manly PITizens join forces for some seriously nude, long-form improv. Slightly less naked, but no less hilarious are the five phenomenal hosts of the Girly Girl Burleskapades! With new burlesque line-ups and never-before-seen naked improv each week, every Friday night at 11 PM is a one-time-only event you don’t want to miss!

Come one, come all, just come.”

This is the first time I’ve ever come across something like this. I can’t help wonder on the impetus for this concept. A couple of guesses…

• Stimulate Buzz – You know something like this is going to get press. A little bit artsy, a little bit salacious… just what the media likes.
• Shock Value – It’s definitely not your mother’s Harold Night.
• Exhibitionism – I’m tired of my clothes being a distraction from all the brilliant things I’m saying.
• Irony – There’s five guys getting on stage fully naked… hoping you’ll laugh at them.
• Purism – In improv, we strip down the sets, props and costumes… so street clothes or coordinated performance attire is pretty much the last visual barrier between performer and audience. Natural progression = removal of clothes?
• Mix It Up – Why be bored on stage when you can be bobbing…

Have I missed anything? Seen something like this before? Hit us in the comments.

Naked Boys Improvising | Girly Girl Burleskapades
Fridays @ 11PM
The PIT – 154 W 29th St, NYC

[Source: Apiary]