Harvard Sailing Team is a New York City based sketch group of four men and five women dedicated to "clean-cut" humor of Ivy League standards. Their sketch comedy is characterized by scenes that transform everyday life into absurdity and is fueled by a strong group dynamic. They have performed at venues all over the east coast including The Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre (NYC), The Second City (Toronto), Caroline's On Broadway (NYC), and the 2007 Piccolo Spoleto Arts Festival (Charleston) for which they received an "A+" review from the Charleston City Paper. For over a year they've been featured at The People's Improv Theater (NYC) every Saturday night. For more info and to view the team's short videos visit their website www.HarvardSailingTeam.com.
"The team’s singular vision, style and point of view have set it apart from the ever-increasing number of sketch groups currently clamoring for the New York spotlight. Harvard Sailing Team doesn’t fight for the stage; it owns it."-Time Out NY (Sept. 2007)
Click here for video:
VIDEOS
| Thursday, January 17 |
8:00 p.m. | Charleston Ballet Theatre |
| Friday, January 18 | 8:00 p.m. | Charleston Ballet Theatre |
The Josh and Tamra Show is New York City's only puppet improv comedy duo. This show is one part puppet and one part long-form improv. Starring Josh Cohen, Tamra Malaga, and a cast of amazing puppets. Each show begins with a one-word suggestion. Josh and Tamra then proceed to create a feature length improv show that interweaves different scenes, characters and puppets together. The Josh and Tamra Show may contain adult situations and language so please leave the kids at home. In 2006, The Josh and Tamra Show launched www.JoshAndTamra.com which includes short films, and an on-line sitcom featuring the cast. They recently won the "Best Comedy Pilot" award for "Apartment 413", at
the New York Television Festival 2007.
Click here for video:
www.joshandtamra.com
| Friday, January 18 |
9:30 p.m. | Theatre 99 |
| Saturday, January 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Theatre 99 |
I Eat Pandas is Glennis McMurray and Eliza Skinner - two NYC-based performers who create 3 spontaneous, sparkly musicals in under an hour. Using a large digital clock and unexplainable musical improv skills, they perform a 25 minute, 15 minute, and 5 minute musical all based on one audience suggestion. Since their first show 3 years ago at New York's Upright Citizens Brigade Theater they have played to sold-out houses and standing ovations all over the country. They were made a featured Critics Pick by Time Out NY's Jane Borden, who said, "You'll smile all the way home and sing their impromtu tunes in your sleep." The NY Daily News' Sean McCarthy went so far as to say "I Eat Pandas (is) the funniest improvised musical comedy duo either side of the Hudson." Alan Rosenberg of the Providence Journal wrote, "You can almost envision their work as beging penned by some Off-Broadway luminary. Dilemma, humor, and resolution in a quarter of an hour-- all in time to music."
Click here for video:
www.ieatpandas.com
| Friday, January 18 |
8:00 p.m. | Theatre 99 |
| Saturday, January 19 | 9:00 p.m. | Theatre 99 |
“Hot Sauce Sells Out”
Fresh off of the Montreal Comedy Festival, sketch/Improv team Hot Sauce (Ben Schwartz, Adam Pally, Gil Ozeri) jumps the shark, goes for the joke and compromises their integrity in this hilarious black diamond ski slope of entertainment. Hot Sauce members have appeared on SNL, Conan O'Brien and various movies, written for Robot Chicken on Adult swim and freelance written on SNL and the Late Show with David Letterman. With an enormous half-hour of sketch and a monstrous half-hour of improv, you won't be able to get that gorgeous smile off your face. Hot Sauce performs regularly at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York.
Click here for video:
www.hotsauceacademy.com
www.myspace.com/hotsaucecomedy
| Friday, January 18 |
9:30 p.m. | Charleston Ballet Theater |
| Saturday, January 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Charleston Ballet Theater |
THE APPLE SISTERS VARIETY SHOW
Written & Performed by Kimmy Gatewood (Comedy Central), Rebekka Johnson (Boiling Points), and Sarah Lowe (Mama Mia). The Apple Sisters exploded on the scene, playing to sold out houses in NYC, LA, and Seattle. Each month, Candy, Cora, & Seedy Apple present a brand new hilarious 1940s radio show with original songs, dances, commercials, and comedy. They are a Time Out New York critics' pick month after month because"they woo audiences with their big voices and naïve hearts."
The Stranger says "It sounds stupid, but they're great!"
Chelsea Now says "close harmony, ingenious choreography and broad comedy."
The Villager calls it "Pitch Perfect."
Piano: Andy Hertz
Directed by Tom Ridgely (Drama Desk Award)
Click here for video:
www.myspace.com/theapplesisters
| Friday, January 18 |
8:30 p.m. | The American Theater |
| Saturday, January 19 | 8:30 p.m. | The American Theater |
Dad’s Garage Theater presents Murder, She Improvised – a completely made-up-on-the-spot whodunit! The SunnyArse Hotel on the shores of Great Britain is the scene of a heinous, mysterious murder. Sir John Holmes, Scotland Yard’s most famous detective, will have only his wits and the audience suggestions to help him sort through the cast of suspects and solve the crime. Can he do it? Probably not... but the results are guaranteed to be hilarious!
Click here for video:
www.dadsgarage.com
www.myspace.com/dadsgarage
| Friday, January 18 |
10:00 p.m. | The American Theater |
| Saturday, January 19 | 10:00 p.m. | The American Theater |
WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATRE (WIT)
CAVEAT
Inspired by the rhythm of everyday life, Caveat’s longform plays with varying scene lengths to heighten and weave together themes based on an audience suggestion. Favoring truthful characters with strong emotional standpoints the players in Caveat focus on patient play, experimenting with alternative edits such as transformations, swarms, and split screens among others. The result is a world remarkably similar to everyday life, but infinitely more hilarious.
If it happens once, it happens. If it happens twice, it's a coincidence. If it happens three times, you might want to start paying attention.
What would it be like to live in a world where little things mattered, and nothing was inconsequential? German born, American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once said, "God is in the details." This January, Caveat will see if that's true. Playing truthful characters that aren't afraid to go after what they want, Caveat will take an audience suggestion and explode it into a world where the details matter and pattern is the glue that holds it all together... and where things are really funny. We're paying attention, are you?
Click here for video:
www.myspace.com/caveatimprov
www.washingtonimprovtheater.com
| Friday, January 18 |
8:00 p.m. | Stars at The American Theater |
| Saturday, January 19 | 10:00 p.m. | Stars at The American Theater |
Season Six is a group of underappreciated television pilot actors. They were there first, but you’ve never seen their faces on the telly. What’s your favorite show? The last show you watched today? Funny you should say that, because S6 would like to show you the original, unaired pilot. By the end, their characters will be the ones you wish the networks had had the balls to keep…McSteamy who?
S6 lives by the tagline “Longform improv that never jumps the shark.” By staying true to their characters and respecting the integrity of the scenes—no matter how absurd both can get—the audience will enjoy the honesty and emotional depth of their relationships and circumstances.
Click here for video:
www.myspace.com/seasonsiximprov
www.washingtonimprovtheater.com
THE MAGNET THEATER (NYC)
HELLO LASER performs long-form improvisation highlighted by their own self-made, improvised soundtrack. Mining their suggestion with music, they unearth a wellspring of rich characters and environments, buzzing with the noise of life. Directed by Armando Diaz
Click here for video:
www.myspace.com/hellolaser
www.myspace.com/magnettheater
SKOSH takes your suggestion into a montage of scenes with rich characters and and an array of relationships. Long-form improvisation with hard hitting realities.
Directed by Armando Diaz
Click here for video:
www.myspace.com/skoshimprov
www.myspace.com/magnettheater
| Friday, January 18 |
9:00 p.m. | Stars at The American Theater |
| Saturday, January 19 | 8:00 p.m. | Stars at The American Theater |
The Pushers are a Virginia based sketch comedy group who pride ourselves on our edgy, cantankerous, high energy, take-no-prisoners type of comic theatre. At times our show can be caustic, sophomoric, even a tad bit offensive. Political correctness prevails in American society. We are aware of the sticky fact, and after careful deliberation weave decided to test the system. H.G. Wells once said Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo. We’re not really sure what that means but we do apologize in advance to anyone we may offend.
"Imagine Wild and Raunchy on steroids and you’ll have an inkling of what The Pushers are all about. Portfolio Weekly.
The Pushers' comedy is cutting edge, often controversial and definitely not for those who are sensitive or close minded. Mace and Crown.
Click here for video:
www.myspace.com/pushers
www.youtube.com/pushers
| Saturday, January 19 |
9:30 p.m. | Charleston Ballet Theater |
DCUP COMEDY (Washington, DC) presents
THE SIMONS
DCUP is pleased to present their award-winning comedy show "The Simons". Equal parts creepy and hilarious, "The Simons" is three identical ventriloquist dummies that perform improv. Charna Halpern of IO West says "I never thought I'd be raving about a short form improvisation show performed by puppets. But indeed, that is what I'm doing." Winner of the 2007 Miami Improv Festival's Best Sketch Comedy show.
Click here for video:
Website
| Friday, January 18 |
10:00 p.m. | Stars at The American Theater |
COMEDY ROYALE
Comedy Royale is DCUP's competitive improv show. Four players make up six different teams, performing different challenges, scenes, and scenarios until only one team is triumphant. Four players on six teams? You have to see it to understand it, since it's too hard to sum up in a paragraph! DCUP's improv comedy won the "Battle of the Comedy" at the DC Improv.
Click here for video:
www.dcupcomedy.com
www.myspace.com/dcupcomedy
| Saturday, January 19 |
9:00 p.m. | Stars at The American Theater |
KENNY Z AND FRIENDS
A one hour jam-packed slam-fest of comedy. Well, that's too aggressive. Former Charlestonian radio personality and current voice on "Wake Up with Cosmo" on Sirius Satellite Radio's channel 111, Kenny Z (Zimlinghaus) and special guests, bring hilarious stand-up to Chucktown. Plucking from local talent and comics from NYC, this show promises to provide a solid one hour of huge laughs. Charleston City Paper calls Kenny Z "talented, spikey-haired and slightly hungover"!". This show sold out all performances last year, so get tickets early.
Click here for video:
Website
| Friday, January 18 |
8:00 p.m. | Tonik |
| Saturday, January 19 | 8:00 p.m. | Tonik |
Tom McCaffrey was born and raised in Manhattan. In 2003 he was chosen from thousands of tape submissions to compete in Comedy Central’s “Laugh Riots” national stand-up competition. He won the New York semifinals and was flown out to LA to compete in the finals where he placed 3rd Runner up. Later that same year he appeared on Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend”. In 2004 he appeared on Comedy Central’s “Shorties Watching Shorties” alongside such comics as Janeane Garofalo and Jim Gaffigan. That same year Comedy Central chose him as one of their “Fresh Faces of Comedy.” He has written for “The Onion” which once called him “consistently funny” Quite simply he is the most hilarious writer and stand-up comedian in the history of the universe.
Steve Burr is originally from Rochester, NY where he began his stand- up comedy career with a first place finish in the 1998 "Funniest Person in Rochester Contest". Steve also makes regular trips overseas to entertain US troops stationed in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Italy & Germany. Realizing that when people go to a comedy show they are there for one reason...to laugh, Steve very naturally gets them to do just that.
Combining great story telling, everyday observations, interaction with the audience and the simple desire to have fun, Steve brings the complete comedy package to the stage. He always seems to be having the best time on stage and with his silly antics you can't help but like him. Spend some time with Steve Burr and let the roller coaster ride begin.
| Friday, January 18 |
9:30 p.m. | Tonik |
| Saturday, January 19 | 9:30 p.m. | Tonik |
Big Dicktionary is a two-person, long-form improvisational comedy team composed of Timmy Finch and John Brennan. The two share the stage and break many of the "rules" to entertain. Neither one is safe from the other as they keep the show tight and fast even as they call out each others' foibles. Oh yeah, they use a very big dictionary in the show.
| Thursday, January 17 |
8:00 p.m. | Theatre 99 |
DOPPELGANGER / MORAL FIXATION DOUBLE FEATURE
Moral Fixation is a 2 man long form improv show birthed from the fertile loins of Lee Lewis (Doppelganger, Fishing with Dynamite, Who Wants to be a Superhero, The Harry and Sam Dialogues) and Greg Tavares(The Have Nots, History of Charleston For Morons, 3-Play, The Harry and Sam Dialogues). Come watch as they take one audience member suggestion and through personal revelation and virtuoso scenework weave an intricate tapestry of artistic deliciousness. With almost 10 years of improv and acting experience as a team, it's improv at the speed of brilliance! The perfect show for those who like their comedy a little on the meaty side...
Click here for video:
Website
Doppelganger, In a world where rock was king, the drugs were free, and the women were easy; two men formed from fire and brimstone a band that would transcend time and space: "DOPPELGANGER!" Now that Clive Neilsen (Lee Lewis - Moral Fixation) and Johnny Dregg (Jason Cooper - Playlist, Weird Science), have fallen on hard times they are bringing their "hits" to their most rabid fans...the patrons of Theatre 99 for ONE NIGHT ONLY!!!
Come see Charleston's only all improvised rock show, where you, the audience, shout out the "titles" of your favorite DOPPELGANGER! songs, and have them performed for the first and last time ever.
The Critics say:
"Lee Lewis and Jason Cooper are so good at what they do that the lines between fact and fiction may blur a bit during the show." - Jason Zwicker
"It's a mix of VH1 Storytellers and Tenacious D" - Erica Jackson
Click here for video:
www.myspace.com/dopplegangerrocks
| Thursday, January 17 |
9:00 p.m. | Theatre 99 |
Come join Skeeter, Wild Man, Jackson, Carlene, R.L., Ray Ray and Petey for an evening for rednecks and those who are curious about rednecks. This long form will weave a tapestry of stereotypical redneck situations and not so stereotypical situations into a gut busting show that will have you waving the stars and stripes and yelling “Free Bird.” What if rednecks were at the signing of the Declaration of Independence? What if they were the brains behind such great inventions as the telescope, duck pate or the atom bomb? Come find out! Someone is gonna burn down their trailer house trying to deep fry some road kill. It’s all improv based on your suggestions. Rednecks don’t write scripts.
| Wednesday, January 16 |
8:00 p.m. | Theatre 99 |
A perspective on relationships from the Banana's point of view. The hilarious true story about one relationship, one woman... that gave one man, the best sex of his life... and all the crap that went all long with it. The Banana Monologues, written by John Brennan and Jason Cooper, is based on a diary by Gus Weiderman about his tumultuous 5-year relationship with his then-girlfriend, Alexis. A great show for anyone who has ever been in a bad relationship and stayed in it way too long, or know of someone who has...which is pretty much everyone.
John Brennan, voted Best Local Actor & Best Local Comic by the readers of Charleston City Paper and co-writer of 'Hobo the Musical' voted Best Non-Piccolo and Spoleto play of 2006, plays all the characters including the banana. Jason Cooper, a writer and performer with 'The Bottom Line' (a now-defunct sketch comedy group), currently performs in a music/improv show as one of the front men from the fictional band, Doppelganger. The Banana Monologues is directed by Mary Cimino. She brought 'Lilita', her own show, to Piccolo and the Edinburgh Festival in 2005 and before that to the New York Fringe. She has also directed the Have Nots in 'A Tuna Christmas.'
For more information on the Banana Monologues (including pics and videos) go to www.thebananamonologues.com
For more information about or to order the book, 'Tales From the Relationship' go to www.talesfromtherelationship.com
| Wednesday, January 16 |
9:00 p.m. | Theatre 99 |
MAXIMUM BRAIN SQUAD SKETCH COMEDY present “A Day That Will Live in Industry”
Maximum Brain Squad is on a mission to expand the horizons of the Charleston comedy scene. This is a fresh team of young comedians and improvisers whose primary focus is original sketch comedy. Using contemporary cultural and political inputs, Maximum Brain Squad writes sketches based on improvisation sessions, similar to the work of the famous Second City based in Chicago and Toronto. A Day That Will Live in Industry, their premiere show, is a satirical look at American culture, focusing on social absurdities and themes like consumerism, communication, and corporate power.
Click here for video:
Website
| Thursday, January 17 |
9:30 p.m. | Charleston Ballet Theatre |
Get your tickets now for the hottest event in the festival! Hosted by The Have Nots! Comedy Improv Company, this show is a pu pu platter sampling featuring a variety of festival artists. You don’t want to miss it!
| Saturday, January 19 |
10:30 p.m. | Theatre 99 |