Philadelphia Comedy Month Resumes

Once again, the Philadelphia Comedy Collective is hosting Philadelphia Comedy Month. This October, there will be three weeks of comedy which kicks off with the seventh annual Philadelphia Improv Festival tonight through October 9 at the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom Street, 2nd Floor. Comedy Month will run through October 23, featuring the Philly Sketchfest, and the City Spotlight, which will feature films, stand-up, improv and the Mid Atlantic Regional College Improv Championship. Tickets cost $10 per night Tuesday-Thursday and on Sunday. The Friday and Saturday night shows cost $10 per block or $20 for the entire night. A full pass to the PHIF costs $60. A full Comedy Month pass costs $125. More information can be found at www.phlcomedy.com.

This year, Philadelphia Comedy Month has partnered with Philadelphia Young Playwrights, who will receive a portion of proceeds from tickets sales as well as funds raised in the charity raffle, running throughout the month. Comedy Month will kick off on October 4th, with a showcase reading of comedic plays from Philadelphia Young Playwrights.

The talent for the Philadelphia Improv Festival this year runs far and wide. The festival will be highlighted by an appearance from Jill Bernard, a nationally known improviser who is presenting her wildly popular one-woman, multi-character musical, Drum Machine. Also appearing at the festival are Three's Company from iO Chicago, BillyHawk from iO West, and an assortment of talented teams from New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Austin, and Los Angeles.

The local improv community will continue to have strong representation at the festival. The wildly popular Rare Bird Show, as well as The Real Housewives of Philadelphia will both be making their first appearances since last year's festival. ComedySportz Philadelphia is remounting its Improvised Shakespeare show for the festival, which over the past two years has proven to be a big hit with audiences. A few other local highlights include MattAnd, The Amie & Kristen Show and the N Crowd, as well as a record six local teams making their PHIF debut.

"I'm really excited about what we've put together for PHIF this year, and can't wait to share it with audiences. In our seventh year, we've focused on bringing real variety to the stage. Through both our commissioned and selected acts, we're seeing a real cross section of what improv has to offer fans. We're showcasing a terrific mix of indie shows as well as ensembles from some of the top theaters in the country. We've been able to assemble a lineup that boasts many of the most beloved and acclaimed acts from previous years and a healthy assortment of young, energetic groups on the rise. We have both classic shows and experiemental pieces, ranging from structured or premise-based pieces to pop satire and even a solo musical. It's outright some of the best people touring festival circuits today, many of whom have emerged from right here in our own backyard. It's a combination that comedy fans are going to be hard pressed to pass up." Philadelphia Improv Festival Producer Matt Nelson

Philadelphia Improv Festival Schedule:

Wednesday, Oct 5
7:30pm
Haverford Middle School Actors Workshop (Haverford, PA)
King Friday (Philadelphia, PA)
Double Date (New York, NY)

9:00pm
Legion (New York, NY)
Grimacchio (Philadelphia, PA)
ComedySportz Presents Improvised Shakespeare (Philadelphia, PA)

Thursday, Oct 6
7:30pm
N Crowd (Philadelphia, PA)
Iron Lung (Philadelphia, PA)
Til Death Do Us Part (Philadelphia, PA)

9:00pm
Cubed (Philadelphia, PA)

Mayor Karen (Philadelphia, PA)
The Lodge (Boston, MA + New York, NY)
Real Housewives of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA + Los Angeles, CA)

Friday, Oct 7
7:00pm
The Score (Washington, DC)
The Andrews Sisters (New York, NY)
Fletcher (Philadelphia, PA)

8:30pm
Shawn-Mikael(s) (Washington, DC)
Firth&Arjet (Austin, TX)
ImprovBoston Mainstage (Boston, MA)

10:00pm
The Amie & Kristen Show (Philadelphia, PA)
MattAnd (Philadelphia, PA)
Lekker (Baltimore, MD)
Three's Company (Chicago, IL)

 

Saturday, Oct 8
7:00pm
Hidden Falls (Boston, MA)
The Imposters (New York, NY)
Adrift (Various)

8:30pm
Marjean (Boston, MA)
Asteroid! (Philadelphia, PA)
BillyHawk (Los Angeles, CA)

10:00pm
BWP (Philadelphia, PA)
Hello Laser (New York, NY)
Rare Bird Show (Philadelphia, PA + Los Angeles, CA)
Drum Machine (Minneapolis, MN)

Sunday, Oct 9
7:00pm
Rookie Card (Philadelphia, PA)
RuBin (New York, NY)
Caveat (Washington, DC)

8:30pm
Jessica Tandy (Philadelphia, PA)
Featherweight (New York, NY)
Vox Pop (New York, NY + Washington, DC)

 

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