Susan Messing News

Increasingly, it seems, all roads lead to Nashville – or at least everyone seems somehow to have a connection to our fair city. Case in point: Blaine Swen, the creator and director of The Improvised Shakespeare Company lives here – a fact unknown to me until I tracked him down to belabor him with questions about his company’s upcoming performances at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center on November 10 and 11.

Macbeth begins performances tonight, March 29, 2022, at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street) and opens on Thursday, April 28, 2022. Learn more about the cast bringing this show back to the stage!

Joining a global community with sister schools in Toronto, Mexico City and Amsterdam, The Assembly Improv South Africa welcomes an international cast of 'improvisers, clowns and performers' to flaunt their comedic skills in this weekend's launch show. Founded by performer and teacher Paul Rabenowitz, he tells BroadwayWorld South Africa of what to expect from this new improv venture.

NEXT WEEK, Nov. 30 through Dec. 6, the 2020 ADG Virtual Festival will stream WEEK EIGHT, a tribute to Garth Fagan, Martha Myers and the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers/Louis Mofsie, honorees at American Dance Guild Festival 2017 - 'Celebrating Diversity.' 

ShPIeL Performing Identity has released an updated schedule for TEATRON: Chicago's Jewish Theatre Festival, to be held from Sunday, November 3 - Sunday, November 10, 2019, with most events at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago.

The Bay Area's Signature Womxn Focused Improv Gathering Celebrates Fifth Year.

Stage 773, located at 1225 W. Belmont, presents an exclusive panel The Future is Female: A Discussion with Women about the Climate of Chicago Comedy on Saturday, January 20 beginning at 3 p.m. The panel takes place during the theatre's 17th Annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, which begins Thursday, January 11 through January 21, 2018.

Returning for its sixteenth year, The Second City's 24-hour improv and music marathon will be held Monday, November 20th through Tuesday, November 21st in The Second City e.t.c. Theater. The non-stop event, named 24 Hour: It'll Make You Feel Better, is set to feature a lineup of Second City's most lauded alumni, as well as special guests from the worlds of comedy, theater, sports, and music.

26 PRESENTS: NET-FLIX AND KILL, the third installment of '26,' opening September 30 and running up to the Today before Halloween, will take on a horror theme for its twenty-six scenes of horror-comedy and straight up horror written by various guest writers.

The Second City will hold a benefit for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts tomorrow night, September 6th in the e.t.c. Theater. "Harvey Can't Mess with Texas" will feature performers who hail from areas affected by the storm.

26 PRESENTS: NET-FLIX AND KILL, the third installment of '26,' opening September 30 and running up to the Saturday before Halloween, will take on a horror theme for its twenty-six scenes of horror-comedy and straight up horror written by various guest writers.

ImprovBoston welcomes back 35 years worth of alumni for a historic 35-Hour Comedy Marathon on August 5 & 6. A fundraiser for the New England comedy staple, the event features more than 90 laugh-out-loud comedy acts including sketch, standup, character work, improv, musical improv, late-night bit shows, and more. All proceeds from the event will benefit the nonprofit theater's facility upgrades, scheduled for the week of August 7th.

Metro Detroit will be the center of the comedy universe as top names in sketch and improvisational comedy arrive for the seventh annual Detroit Improv Festival August 9-13. Headlined by Paul F. Tompkins, Sam Richardson, Tim Robinson, Susan Messing, The 313, Mama's Boy, and more, this year's festival will take place over four venues in Detroit and Ferndale with more than 50 improv troupes from across the US and Canada performing in more than 20 shows.

Hitch*Cocktails - the improvised thriller (and drinking game) has been a Chicago comedy staple for five years, and in July the nefarious fellows are celebrating in style. Special performances will be hosted every Friday in July (July 7, 14, 21 and 28th), 2017 at The Annoyance Theatre and Bar, 851 W Belmont Ave., in Chicago. Doors open at 10:00 p.m., and the show begins shortly after. 

Stage 773 Director of Theatre Management Jill Valentine and co-producer Liz McArthur have announced the highly anticipated lineup for the 6th Annual Chicago Women's Funny Festival, taking place June 15 through June 18 at the comedy hub of Chicago, Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont.

Late-Night at the Pride Arts Center announces '26,' Friday nights at 11pm, May 26th through July 14th at The Buena, Pride Arts Center, located at 4147 N Broadway Ave.

February brings DSI Comedy Theater's largest event of the year. This year, it is giving DSI a chance to showcase a new direction and continue its 17th year tradition of showcasing comedy from up and down the east coast and across the country.

The Second City Training Center's Blackout Cabaret (230 W. North Ave.) presents YOU & ME a two-person, entirely improvised, no suggestion set with Michael Patrick Thornton (Artistic Director of The Gift Theatre) and a special guest artist for every performance.