Philly Improv Theater Announces Shows, 7/30-8/5

The Philly Improv Theater (PHIT), the city's source for alternative comedy, announces its performance schedule for the week of July 30th to August 5th.

The public is invited to enjoy some of the best stand-up, sketch and improv shows in the city, including a PHIT House Team. Every Saturday night comedy fans will laugh at the quick-witted antics of house improv teams: Asteroid!, Hey Rube, King Friday, Mayor Karen or ZaoGao. Inspired by a single suggestion an audience member provides, spectators will be taken on a fantastic (or possibly depraved) journey that is never the same twice.

Shows are located at The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, Penn. Audience members can bring their own beverages. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online for a discount at www.phillyimprovtheater.com.

UPCOMING PHIT SHOWS:

Variety Comedy:

The Monthly Hour
Date: Monday, July 30, 2012
Time: 9:00 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

A mix of late-night talk show, stand-up showcase and one giant desperate attempt to get the approval of others, The Monthly Hour with James Hesky will help you catch up on all the major (and minor) current events of the month.

Stand-up Comedy:

Hey Everybody!
Date: Monday, July 30, 2012
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

Hosted by Aaron Hertzog, Hey Everybody is a stand-up comedy showcase featuring sets from some of the best comedians in Philadelphia.

Improv Comedy:

The Lotto
Date: Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

The Lotto is an improv show where current PHIT Training Center students go "head to head" with members of the PHIT House Teams. The students get a chance to think on their feet with some of the most experienced improvisers in the city while audience members get to enjoy an hour of amazing comedy.

Improv Comedy:

PHIT Harold Night with Asteroid! and Mayor Karen
Date: Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Time: 9:00 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

Philly Improv Theater House Teams perform the Harold, a classic, long form improv format developed in the 60s by theater director/teacher Del Close. This signature form performed by improvisational theater troupes and teams across the world begins with a suggestion from the audience, contains three unrelated scenes and can run 25 to 45 minutes.

Found Comedy:

Guilty Pleasures
Date: Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Time: 9:00 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

A truly unique comedy experience, Guilty Pleasures' hosts Brendan Kennedy and Roger C. Snair find gold in cringe-worthy writing by amateur scribes who got a little bit too eager to make their work public. Kennedy and Snair, along with a cast of comedians, perform a live table-read of terrible plays, poetry and film scripts found on the internet and perform improv scenes based off of those works that have messages that are a little too on the nose, awful dialogue and overly specific stage directions.

Found Comedy:

TV Party
Date: Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

Rob Baniewicz (Meg & Rob) and Paul Triggiani (Secret Pants) used to watch a lot of television, but they don't anymore, because most television is terrible. That doesn't stop them from obsessing over programs from the past, especially shows that have been forgotten for a good reason. Join Rob, Paul and special guests as they present lost and forgotten television shows from the annals of programming history, followed by a discussion on what we can learn from these programs, and why they (probably) weren't very good. Free brews will be provided for all (while supplies last).

Sketch Comedy:

The Hold-up and Camp Woods
Date: Thursday, August 2, 2012
Time: 9:00 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

The Hold-Up is Mark Leopold and Eric Humble of The Action Section bringing a fast-paced, hard-hitting sketch comedy show to the theater that will leave you chuckling.

Camp Woods is a sketch comedy troupe from Philadelphia that blends sharp absurdum and energetic performances with homemade props, sets, puppets and costumes to create a memorably weird and funny live experience. Camp Woods members are Rob Baniewicz, JP Boudwin, Patrick Foy, Brendan Kennedy, Sam Narisi, Madonna Marie Refugia and Billy Bob Thompson. The group has performed shows in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Boston and Chapel Hill, NC.

Improv Comedy:

CAGEMATCH
Date: Friday, August 3, 2012
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

CAGEMATCH is competitive improv: two teams enter the stage and perform their best material, the audience votes and the prevailing team earns the right to remain. Hosted by Ian Vaflor, Philly's CAGEMATCH is also known for the ridiculous Double-Dare style challenges each team is subjected to in order to decide the playing order.

Sketch Comedy:

Beige and Camp Woods
Date: Friday, August 3, 2012
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

Beige is a sketch group that performs at the famed Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City. Writers include James McCarthy, Jess Dweck, Jon Bershad, Kristy Lopez-Bernal, Sarah Rainone and Zack Phillips. Actors include Avery Monsen, Dan Hodapp, Jonathan Marballi, Kelly Hudson, Langan Kingsley and Lisa Kleinman.

Camp Woods is a sketch comedy troupe from Philadelphia that blends sharp absurdum and energetic performances with homemade props, sets, puppets and costumes to create a memorably weird and funny live experience. Camp Woods members are Rob Baniewicz, JP Boudwin, Patrick Foy, Brendan Kennedy, Sam Narisi, Madonna Marie Refugia and Billy Bob Thompson. The group has performed shows in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Boston and Chapel Hill, NC.

Improv Comedy:

Rookie Card and Hans Gruber
Date: Friday, August 3, 2012
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

Rookie Card's has earned its' reputation as Philadelphia's wildest and most unconventional improv comedy act. They've performed over 50 shows in their short, yet exciting, two year history. The members of Rookie Card embrace the abnormal and absurd and show off a fast-paced and subversive improv style. Rookie Card is Jake Alvarez, Marc Reber, Darryl Charles, Sue Taney, Thomas J. Whitaker and their newest members –Susan La Palombara and Tim Rinehart.

Open Mic:

Sketch Up or Shut Up
Date: Friday, August 3, 2012
Time: 11:00 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

The only sketch comedy open mic night in Philadelphia.

Improv Comedy:

Nielson and The Oxymorons
Date: Saturday, August 4, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

Nielsen is an independent improv group filled with fresh new talent from the Philadelphia improv community. Nielsen begins with a suggestion from the audience and quickly creates short, detailed, fast-paced scenes that get everyone involved. Nielsen is Abigail Bruley, Brad Zinn, Dan Corkery, Jacqueline Baker, Kate Banford, Katie Monaco, Meredith Weir and Molly Silverman.

The Oxymorons improv comedy troupe formed in 2010 and consists of actors from the central PA area. The Oxymorons is made up of Toby Bradbury, Sara Hilton Shaw (Director), Randy Stamm, Andy Shaw (Director), Josh Miller, Liz Curtis.

PHIT House Team Night
Date: Saturday, August 4, 2012
Time: Various
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

PHIT House Team Night mixes amazing storytelling, quick wits, hilarious chaos and a dash of audience participation to create the cornerstone of Philly's improv comedy scene. An elite cast of the city's best improvisers create a show that has never been seen before and will never be seen again. This week's House Team night will end with a free show – The Improv Jam – where audience members can get up on stage and try improve out for themselves.

8:30 p.m.
ZaoGao and Hey Rube

10:30 p.m.
King Friday and Davenger

11:00 p.m. – Free Show
Improv Jam hosted by Davenger

FREE - Improv Comedy:

The Deans Present: Hot For Teacher
Date: Sunday, August 5, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: The Shubin Theater, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1526

Founded in 2005, Philly Improv Theater (PHIT) delivers the best alternative comedy in the tri-state area including improv, sketch and stand-up. Presenting over 300 performances a year, PHIT has found its home at The Shubin Theatre where comedy fans can find a wide variety of shows two weeks out of every month. In addition to its regular schedule, PHIT has produced dozens of shows for the Philly Fringe Festival and feature presentations with well-known comedians that include Matt Besser (Upright Citizens Brigade), Paul F. Tompkins (Mr. Show, Best Week Ever with Paul F. Tompkins) and Scott Adsit (30 Rock). PHIT's Training Center is the largest of its kind between New York and Chicago offering extensive training in improv, sketch comedy, stand-up and storytelling for students of all ages and experience. Students and instructors from PHIT have gone on to perform on stages all over the country, become published authors, and even writers and performers for TV shows like America's Got Talent, Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Saturday Night Live, Two and a Half Men, Raising Hope and numerous other shows on CBS, FOX, MTV, NBC, and VH1.

For more about PHIT, visit www.phillytheater.com or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/phitcomedy.