Brendan Dowling

The Improvised Shakespeare Company provides a night of dazzling humor and wit.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Shakespeare plays. While studying abroad in Italy back in college, I performed a variety of Shakespeare scenes, including the infamous Queen Mab monologue. I also got the chance to visit Verona and stand atop Juliet’s balcony. So when a Shakespeare inspired improv comedy company was coming to town, I knew I had to be in the room.

There are just a few seats left for The Improvised Shakespeare Company's last few performances during its limited run at The Kennedy Center, and you're going to want to buy a ticket. A group of five outrageously talented performers takes one audience suggestion for the title of a play that is yet to be written and transforms it into a riotous, 90-minute Shakespearean masterpiece before your eyes. If your experience is anything like mine, you will enter the theatre contemplative and work-weary and leave smiling ear to ear, sharing knowing looks with other theatre-goers as if to say a?oedid we all really just witness that?!a?? If this sounds effusive, it's meant to. The Improvised Shakespeare Company is an experience not to be missed. 

There is a rule in the theater about knowing when to get off the stage so as not to give your audience too much of a good thing. The Improvised Shakespeare Company unfortunately did not follow this rule in presenting their totally improvised audience-named epic The Barber's Hat this past weekend at Kennedy Center as part of the DC Comedy Festival. All the greatness of their first hour was diminished by the last twenty plus minutes of their performance.

The Second City's Game Night features Joey Bland, Brendan Dowling, Paul Grondy, Matt Hovde, Megan Hovde, Beth Melewski, Tim Paul, Brett Lyons, Adam Peacock and Sue Salvi. The Music Director for Game Night is Lisa McQueen and the Stage Manager is Meghan Teal.

After 15 years, the popular late night improv show THE HOT KARL is coming to a close on June 14, 2014 at The ComedySportz Theatre (929 W Belmont). Since 1999, every Saturday at midnight, some of Chicago's best improvisers and eager audience members have packed into The ComedySportz Theatre for a night of unpredictable and unadulterated fun. Starting in April, THE HOT KARL is celebrating by inviting some of the top names in Chicago comedy to see them off.

After 15 years, the popular late night improv show THE HOT KARL is coming to a close on June 14, 2014 at The ComedySportz Theatre (929 W Belmont). Since 1999, every Saturday at midnight, some of Chicago's best improvisers and eager audience members have packed into The ComedySportz Theatre for a night of unpredictable and unadulterated fun. Starting in April, THE HOT KARL is celebrating by inviting some of the top names in Chicago comedy to see them off.

THE IMPROVISED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY returns to New York City for 6 shows in 4 nights! January 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th, 2014.

The Improvised Shakespeare Company will return to New York City for five shows in three nights, tonight, November 10-12th, 2013.

UP Comedy Club has announced its remount of Porchlight Music Theatre's smash hit, BEST MUSICAL! A Completely Improvised Musical Comedy. BEST MUSICAL! was developed in 'Off the Porch' Porchlight Music Theatre's new works development program. BEST MUSICAL! will run October 2 - November 6, 2013 at the UP Comedy Club, located at 230 W. North Ave., 3rd Floor of Pipers Alley.

The Improvised Shakespeare Company will return to New York City for five shows in three nights, November 10-12th, 2013.

UP Comedy Club has announced its remount of Porchlight Music Theatre's smash hit, BEST MUSICAL! A Completely Improvised Musical Comedy. BEST MUSICAL! was developed in 'Off the Porch' Porchlight Music Theatre's new works development program. BEST MUSICAL! will run October 2 - November 6, 2013 at the UP Comedy Club, located at 230 W. North Ave., 3rd Floor of Pipers Alley.

Best Musical, a completely improvised show, will be coming to the UP Comedy Club in Chicago for a limited run. Porchlight has also announced Porchlight Revisits, which are one night showings of some of their favorite shows, this year includes GOLDEN BOY and FADE OUT - FADE IN, both for one night only.

I've long been blunt about the fact that I don't have much of a taste for improv. I don't like beer, bananas or iceberg lettuce either. It's just my preference. I can, however, recognize when it is done well. And the one-night, two-shows-only Improvised Shakespeare Company does it very, very well.

The experience of a performance by the Improvised Shakespeare Company is difficult to describe because it is much less about the story than it is about watching the troupe come up with it on the fly.

In honor of Father's Day and graduations, dads and grads may purchase discounted tickets for only $10 for BABY WANTS CANDY, the hilarious improvised musical comedy now in its fifth year at Chicago's Apollo Theater, 2540 North Lincoln Avenue, throughout the month of June. To receive the discount, dads should wear their ugliest tie and grads should wear their cap and/or gown when purchasing tickets at the Apollo Theater box office on Fridays this month.

THE IMPROVISED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY returns to NYC for 2 shows only Friday, May 6th, 2011 - 7:30PM and 10PM at Theatre 80 on St Marks

THE IMPROVISED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY Returns to NYC for 2 shows only Friday, May 6th, 2011 - 7:30PM and 10PM Theatre 80 on St Marks

Forget about gloomy April Showers and receive $10 tickets to see BABY WANTS CANDY, the hilarious improvised musical comedy now in its fifth year at Chicago's Apollo Theater, 2540 North Lincoln Avenue.