Sketch Comedy Artists Invited to Apply for MILESTONE 15th ANNUAL CHICAGO SKETCH COMEDY FESTIVAL

Stage 773 Creative Director Brian Posen invites sketch comedy artists to submit an application to participate in the 15th Annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. As part of this hallmark year for the annual festival, Posen and the Sketchfest Artistic Team will cultivate an exclusive line-up of headliners to represent Stage 773's history of excellence in festival programming. These spotlighted groups will include award-winning "city-swap" ensembles from National and International comedy festivals, reunion performances by all-star Sketchfest groups whose members have proven outstanding in their field, and brand new shows created especially for "Sketchfest 15" by high-caliber leaders in Chicago's comedy community.

"I can't believe our child has grown so quickly!" says Posen. "The art form continues to explode and each year the bar is lifted higher with the quality of shows strengthening Chicago is the leader when it comes to sketch comedy. We continue to attract new and exciting groups from all around the globe."

Over the past 14 years, The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival has garnered international attention, attracting over 1,000 artists and 10,000 patrons annually from around the world. The event celebrates the best in local, national and international sketch comedy, and will run January 7 through 17th, 2016. Applications for participation are open now and may be submitted through October 15 by visiting http://www.chicagosketchfest.com/. All selected performers receive an all-festival pass, access to artist only events, and exclusive discounts at sponsoring hotel, dining and bar partners.

The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival debuted in January 2002, with 35 local Chicago Sketch Comedy groups gathering together to perform their craft. The event met overwhelming success and has grown to the largest sketch comedy festival in the world, hosting close to 160 groups performing 188 shows in 8 days.

All performances take place at Stage 773, Chicago's home for the most innovative, creative and passionate off-Loop performing artists. Over the course of the two weeks, Stage 773 transforms into a sketch comedy oasis, with the entire building featuring simultaneous performances in all four theater spaces. The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival invites comedians from around the world perform in an atmosphere of celebration, collaboration and community.

Tickets for the 15th Annual Chicago Sketch Festival will be $15 each and will go on sale December 1, 2015 at 12 p.m.Festival passes, regularly priced at $150, will be available for only $100 if purchased before December 31 atwww.Stage773.com, by phone at 773.327.5252, and in person at the Stage 773 box office, located at 1225 W Belmont.

About Stage 773

Stage 773 is a vibrant anchor of the Belmont Theatre District and home to Chicago's finest off-Loop talent. As a performance and tenant venue, our four stages provide entertainment for everyone: comedy, theatre, dance, musicals and more. We are a not-for-profit, connecting and catalyzing the theater community, while showcasing established artists and incubating up-and-coming talent.