Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon et al. Lead San Francisco Sketchfest, 1/19 - 2/4

SF Sketchfest will celebrate the 11th annual San Francisco Comedy Festival by honoring Eddie Izzard and the Upright Citizens Brigade with in-person tributes and by welcoming Drew Carey, Jennifer Coolidge, David Cross, Rachel Dratch, Chris Elliott, Florence Henderson, Elliott Gould, John Hodgman, Sally Kellerman, Marc Maron, Bruce McCulloch, Christopher Meloni, Laraine Newman, Bob Odenkirk, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Molly Shannon, Kevin Smith, Reggie Watts, Fred Willard, The Groundlings, the geeks behind w00tstock, the creators of Wet Hot American Summer and many more to fifteen venues over seventeen nights in San Francisco. SF Sketchfest, the most prestigious comedy festival on the west coast, runs January 19 through February 4, 2012. Tickets range from $10 to $75. For tickets and information, go to www.sfsketchfest.com.

SF Sketchfest will honor groundbreaking international comedy sensation Eddie Izzard with anin-person SF Sketchfest Tribute on Wednesday, January 25 at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre. Already one of the most acclaimed comics of his generation, Eddie Izzard is developing an equally stellar reputation as a film, television and stage actor. The SF Sketchfest Tribute program highlights comedic minds that have had a profound influence on the culture and on the craft of comedy. The evening will feature a selection of clips from Eddie Izzard’s illustrious career followed by a freewheeling onstage conversation and audience question-and-answer period.

The Festival will also present an SF Sketchfest Tribute to the founders of the influential Upright
Citizens Brigade: Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh, who will sit down
for an in-depth conversation about their unique place in the comedy cosmos, as performers and
creators of their own acclaimed Comedy Central series and founders of the Upright Citizens
Brigade Theatre. The UCB Theatre has two locations in New York City and one in Los Angeles,
and has become the breeding ground for a whole new generation of comedy performers and
writers. The Tribute takes place at Cobb’s Comedy Club on Sunday, January 22 at 5pm. An intimate performance of their hit improv show ASSSSCAT appears at the Eureka Theatre on Saturday, January 21 at 10:30pm.

In Wet Hot American Summer: The Live Radio Play, the original creators and cast of the
classic absurdist summer camp film will reprise their roles for a one-night-only performance of
the script, done in the style of a classic radio play-- complete with live music and sound effects.
Director David Wain and his co-screenwriter and leading man Michael Showalter will be joined
by cast members Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Christopher Meloni, Marguerite
Moreau, Michael Ian Black, Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio. Special surprise guest “understudies”
will fill out the evening, which is presented by SF Sketchfest and Acker & Blacker, creators of The
Thrilling Adventure Hour. At Marines’ Memorial Theatre on Saturday, January 21 at 5pm.

SF Sketchfest 2012 closes with a series of film events at The Castro Theatre including M*A*S*H:
Celebrating Robert Altman. The film will be preceded by a conversation and Q&A on the late
Altman’s iconic career and the impact of the darkly comic 1970 film. In attendance will be frequent
Altman collaborators and M*A*S*H stars Elliott Gould and Sally Kellerman along with Altman’s
wife, Kathryn Altman. On Saturday, February 5 at 5:00pm at the Castro Theatre.

SF Sketchfest is very pleased to present “Reggidency: a Reggie Watts series.” The brilliant
comic and musical improviser plays four dates at four separate venues, each one unpredictable,
original and wildly different. Part 1: “Reggie Watts solo: just the music” happens at Yoshi’s
San Francisco on Tuesday, January 31 at 8pm. Part 2: “Reggie Watts + Garfunkel & Oates:
the comedy” takes place at Mezzanine on Wednesday, February 1 at 8pm. Part 3: “Reggie
Watts + Robert Glasper: the jazz collaboration” hits Yoshi’s Oakland on Thursday, February
2 at 8pm. Then Part 4: “Reggie Watts + Silent Film: an improvised scoring” will round out the
series at the Roxie Theater on Friday, February 3 at the stroke of midnight.

The imperial court of improvisation comes to town with Drew Carey’s Improv-A-Ganza and its
blend of some of the quickest and funniest improv onstage or onscreen. This live show stars
Whose Line Is It Anyway veterans Drew Carey, Jeff Davis, Chip Esten, Greg Proops and Ryan
Stiles at Marines’ Memorial Theatre on Friday, January 27 and Saturday, January 28 at 8pm.

ABOUT SF SKETCHFEST
SF Sketchfest, co-founded and directed by David Owen, Cole Stratton and Janet Varney,
produces the eclectic San Francisco Comedy Festival, an internationally-recognized and
critically-acclaimed event that mixes major comedy stars and the best up-and-coming comedians
from around the world for three weeks of sketch, improv, stand-up, alternative comedy, films,
tributes and panel discussions. SF Sketchfest offers its audiences the rare opportunity to see
their favorite performers in intimate live performances and discussions.

In past years, SF Sketchfest has featured renowned comedy artists such as: Aziz Ansari, Fred
Armisen, Dan Aykroyd, Dana Carvey, Margaret Cho, Zach Galifianakis, Monty Python’s Terry
Jones, Conan O’Brien, Amy Poehler, Paul Reubens, Amy Sedaris, Garry Shandling, Robin
Williams and “Weird Al” Yankovic. The festival has also hosted film and television stars: Will
Arnett, Candice Bergen, Dick Cavett, Bud Cort, Danny DeVito, Jon Hamm, Neil Patrick Harris,
Cloris Leachman, Jason Segel and Gene Wilder; ensemble comedy groups Kids in the Hall, Mr.
Show, Mystery Science Theater 3000, The State and the Upright Citizens Brigade; and musical
guests David Byrne, Gordon Gano, Aimee Mann and Michael Penn.

Venues include: The California Academy of Sciences, The Castro Theatre, Cobb’s Comedy Club,
The Dark Room, The Eureka Theatre, Hemlock Tavern, Marines’ Memorial Theatre, Mezzanine,
The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, The Punch Line Comedy Club, The Purple Onion, The Regency
Ballroom, Roxie Theater, Yoshi’s Oakland and Yoshi’s San Francisco.

SF Sketchfest welcomes back returning sponsors SF Weekly, Sheridon Keith Design &
Photography, Adult Swim, Sara Holt, CidLang Media, PS Print, StreamSend and Rooftop
Comedy.

For tickets and information and more performers, go to www.sfsketchfest.com.

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