ComedySportz Philadelphia Celebrates 25 Years With Two Anniversary Performances

ComedySportz, Philadelphia's longest-running comedy show, turns 25 this year and to celebrate the quadricentennial, the company is mounting two super-sized matches at the Mandell Theater at Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104. The matches will take place Saturday, July 22 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets to each show cost $25 for adults and $22 for students, seniors, and military with a valid ID. Tickets and more information are available at www.comedysportzphilly.com.

"It's staggering that we are celebrating 25 years," says Executive Director Don Montrey. "We've been developing talent and producing comedy shows longer than people have had cell phones and Facebook accounts. One of the main reasons we are celebrating 25 years is the devotion of our Loyal Fans." Fans like Kris Engdhal and Ted Kulik who attended their first ComedySportz match in 1997 on their first date. They are now married and they celebrate every year on their "First Date-iversary" by seeing ComedySportz. "In all that time they have never failed to crack us up" said Ms. Engdahl.

Another fan, Julie Sinkoff, first saw ComedySportz at her High School in 1996. Since then, she's lost count as to how many times she has seen a match. "I love that it is totally different and new every single time. Even more fun is introducing new people to ComedySportz and having them become Loyal Fans!" Julie loves it so much, she got engaged on the field during a match and even brought her Bachelorette Party to the 20th Anniversary Matches.

"Most of our Players start out as Fans," says Artistic Director Dave Jadico. "I saw a match in 1992 and I knew I had to audition. One of our Players, Noah Herman, first saw ComedySportz when he was 11 years old. Now, 25 years later, he is one of our star players and instructors."

The 25th Anniversary celebration culminates Saturday, July 22 with two super-sized ComedySportz matches. Over 40 players from the company's 25-year history will travel to Philadelphia to celebrate the comedy theater that gave them their start. "We have a few surprises planned for Fans both new and returning," said Don Montrey. "They should not miss these matches."

For the past 25 years ComedySportz has been entertaining fans with the fastest and funniest form of comedy they've ever seen. ComedySportz is improv comedy played as a sport. Two teams, The Philadelphia Fighting Amish and The New Jersey Turnpikes play rounds of improv games, battling for the laughs of the audience. A Referee oversees the action: timing the games, calling the fouls and getting suggestions, while an Announcer gives scoring updates and provides color commentary. The audience is always part of the match because ComedySportz is interactive. They give suggestions, judge games, award points and even end up on the field playing one of the games. ComedySportz is a great night out and perfect for everyone.

ComedySportz Philadelphia's roster features many notable players and alumni. Their alumni include: Jennifer Childs (Founder of 1812 Productions, Barrymore Award winning actress, F. Otto Haas Award Winner), Scott Greer (Barrymore Award winning actor, F. Otto Haas Award Winner), Thomas Fowler (Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Book Club) and Kelly Vrooman (Sunny Side Up Show, Fairy Tales According to Kids).

Current players on ComedySportz Philadelphia's roster include: John Zak (Barrymore Award winning Actor), Dave Jadico (Barrymore Award winning Actor), Brian McCann (Barrymore Award winning Actor), Sean Roach (Sunny Side-Up Show, Noodle and Doodle), Fred Siegel (Barrymore Award winning Actor), Darryl Charles (Philly's Phunniest Finalist, DTF) and Eoin O'Shea and Mary Carpenter (City of Nutterly Love - Second City/Philadelphia Theatre Company).

ComedySportz teams across the nation boast many famous alumni that include: Colton Dunn (Superstore), Jason Sudeikis (cast, Saturday Night Live), Jeff Davis (Whose Line Is It Anyway?), Chris Tallman (The Thundermans, Reno 911), Dan Harmon (Community, Rick and Morty), Lauren Pritchard (Mad TV, Stuck in the Middle) Derek Mears (the new Jason in the Friday the 13th movies), Rob Schrab (The Sarah Silverman Program), and Nick Swardson (stand-up comedian, film & television actor, film writer & producer).

CSz Philadelphia uses improvisation to produce fun, immersive experiences that bring laughter to the people of Philadelphia. In the classroom we teach our students how to use improv to entertain and excite and audiences. In the boardroom, we teach professionals how to communicate, listen, and take risks using Applied Improvisation. On stage we entertain everyone with ComedySportz, Philadelphia's longest-running comedy show where two teams of improvisers battle for the laughs of the Loyal Fans.

CSz Philadelphia is a part of CSz Worldwide, a global network of companies for organizations needing entertainment, training, and events marketing solutions.

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