Submissions Now Open for 13th Annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, Jan. 9-19, 2014

Stage 773 Creative Director Brian Posen has announced that sketch comedy artists are now invited to submit an application for consideration to participate in the 13th Annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Over the past 12 years, The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival has garnered international attention, attracting over 10,000 performers and audiences annually from around the world. The event celebrates the best in local, national and international sketch comedy, and will run January 9 through 19th, 2014. Applications for participation may be sent in through October 15 by visiting http://www.chicagosketchfest.com/applications/.

The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival debuted in January 2002, with 33 local Chicago Sketch Comedy groups gathering together to perform their craft. The event was met with overwhelming success, and has now grown to the largest sketch comedy festival in the nation, hosting close to 150 groups (about 1000 artists) performing 170 show sin 8 days to an average of 10,000 patrons.

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.

All performances will take place at Chicago's home for the city's most innovative, creative and passionate off-Loop performing artists, Stage 773, located at 1225 W. Belmont. , Stage 773 is a non-profit Chicago company that produces The Cupid Players, Bri-Ko, The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, Chicago Women's Comedy Festival, Street Tempo Theatre and other programs, as well as offering subsidized theater rental space to the hundreds of Chicago's itinerant off-Loop companies and performers.

The 13th Annual Chicago Sketch Festival runs January 9 - January 19, 2014. Tickets will be $14 each on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and $15 each on Saturdays and will go on sale December 1, 2013 at 12 p.m. Tickets purchased before December 31 receive a $2 discount and may be purchased at www.Stage773.com, by phone at 773.327.5252, and in person at the Stage 773 box office.