Go Comedy! Presents THE DETROIT IMPROV FESTIVAL, 8/8-8/12

Detroit area natives, Joshua Funk (MTV's Wild & Out), Nyima Funk, Marc EVan Jackson, Keegan Michael Key (Key & Peele), Maribeth Monroe (Workaholics) and Jaime Moyer will return to Detroit from Los Angeles for the innaugural Detroit Improv Festival beginning Wednesday night in Ferndale. More than 30 improv troupes will perform and 12 improvisation workshops will be taught by the best professionals in the industry. Tickets ($5-$25) for all festival performances are onsale now online at www.detrotimprovfestival.org and www.brownpapertickets.com. A complete schedule of events follows this release.

The Detroit Improv Festival kicks off Wednesday at 10:30pm at Go Comedy! Improv Theater. Performances for the festival will take place across three Ferndale venues: The Ringwald Theatre, The Magic Bag, and Go Comedy!. Headlining the festival this year is the superstar improv group, The 313. Featuring Andy Cobb (The Partisans), Joshua Funk (MTV's Wild & Out), Nyima Funk, Marc EVan Jackson, Keegan Michael Key (Key & Peele), Maribeth Monroe (Workaholics) and Jaime Moyer, The 313 will perform at The Magic Bag Thursday, August 9 at 8:00pm and 10:30pm, and Friday, August 10 at 11:00pm at Go Comedy! Improv Theater. Tickets for The 313 shows ($25) are on sale now at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/258162.

In addition to performances, The Detroit Improv Festival will feature 12 workshops for improvisers of all skill levels on Saturday and Sunday, August 11 & 12 at Go Comedy! Improv Theater and Go U! The Improv Academy. A complete list of available workshops follows. Tuition for most workshops is $25. A five-hour intensive workshop with Kevin Patrick Robbins on Saturday afternoon is $40. Registration for all workshops is available online at: www.detroitmprovfestival.org.

Detroit Improv Festival Schedule

Festival performances take place at Go Comedy! Improv Theater 261 E Nine Mile Road (www.gocomedy.net), The Ringwald Theatre 22742 Woodward Ave (www.theringwald.com) and The Magic Bag 22920 Woodward Ave (www.themagicbag.com), all in Ferndale, MI 48220.

Tickets for all performances are on sale now online at www.detroitimprovfestival.org or in person at the Go Comedy! box office beginning at 6:00 pm Wednesday - Sunday. A Full Festival Pass is also available for $125 and includes admission to all festival performances.

Where available, links for more information on each improv troupe have been provided. Click on the name of the improv troupe to link to their website for more information.

Wednesday August 8, 2012
Go Comedy! Improv Theatre, 261 E Nine Mile Road
8:00pm BITS Tournament FINALE: Forever 15 vs. Question Marky Mark
10:30pm t&a (Kalamazoo), Couch Surfing (Detroit) and an All Star Rock-o-Matic (Detroit, Los Angeles & Chicago) $15

Thursday August 9, 2012
Go Comedy! Improv Theatre, 261 E Nine Mile Road
8:00pm Chagory (Ann Arbor), POMP (Toronto) & People's Republic of Funny (Ann Arbor, Detroit & Chicago) $15
10:00pm Baby Leroy (Ferndale), Tiger Ride (Detroit) & Wilhelm Scream (Cincinnati & Chicago) $15

The Ringwald Theatre, 22742 Woodward Ave
8:30pm Sophmore Album (Chicago), Simply Coney (Detroit) & Galapagos (Phoenix) $15

The Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave
8:00pm Matt Nass & The Sing-A-Long Singers (Ferndale), Bottle of Red (Hamtramck) & The 313 (Los Angeles) $25
10:30pm Planet Ant Home Team (Hamtramck), The Mighty They (Ferndale) & The 313 (Los Angeles) $25

Friday August 10, 2012
Go Comedy! Improv Theatre, 261 E Nine Mile Road
7:30pm Photobomb (Baltimore), RN & Cawls (Toronto) $20
9:30pm Home School(Ferndale), Congress (Toronto) & 2-Man No-Show (Toronto) $20
11:00pm Forever 15 (Ferndale), Duffy and Messing & The 313 (L.A.) $25

The Ringwald Theatre, 22742 Woodward Ave
7:00pm Wolodarski (Chicago),Honey (New York City) & Twinprov (Oklahoma City) $20
9:00pm Improv Nerd w/ Jimmy Carrane(Chicago) with Special Guest Maribeth Monroe (Los Angeles) $20
10:30 p.m. Montag & Marbles, Man Hands (Ferndale), Cook County Social Club (Chicago) & Kristen & Amie (Philadelphia) $20

Saturday August 11, 2012
Go Comedy! Improv Theatre, 261 E Nine Mile Road
4:30pm Close Quarters Film Screening $5
7:00pm Half Life: Requiem for the Cold War (Philadelphia), The Dirty Shame (Chicago) & STACKED (Chicago) $20
9:00pm Hugs & Pullups (New York City), 2-Man No-Show (Toronto) & TJ and Friends (Chicago & Detroit) $20
10:30pm Darc7 & Bingley, Jessica (Chicago) & RN & Cawls (Toronto) $20
12:00am Special midnight performance of Robocop The Musical. $15 (Go Comedy Box Office)

The Ringwald Theatre, 22742 Woodward Ave
10:30pm Michael Pizza (Chicago), Twinprov (Oklahoma City) & Two People featuring Jet Eveleth (Chicago) $20

This performance schedule is subject to change.

Detroit Improv Festival Workshops

Tuition for DIF workshops is $25 per person except for the Kevin Patrick Robbins intensive workshop which is $40 per person. Registration is limited and available at www.detroitimprovfestival.org. Workshops will take place at Go Comedy! Improv Theatre or Go U! The Improv Academy - located in the 200 block of East Nine Mile Road in Ferndale.

Friday, August 10, 2012

5:00pm It's Not About Being Funny, So Stop Trying. Instructor: Nick Armstrong

Saturday August 11, 2012

10:30am Listen Like a Therapist, Instructor: Amie Roe
10:30am ZOOM! Phsyical Comedy and Stage Combat, Instructors Buck & Clint Vrazel
10:30am Zen and The Art of Improv, Instructor: Rob Norman
10:30am Game Of The Scene, Instructor: Adam Cawley
11:00am Jump-Start Your Scene, Instructor: Kevin Patrick Robbins ($40)
1:45pm The Art of Slow Comedy, Instructor: Jimmy Carrane
1:45pm Playing Honest Improv, Instructor: Jet Eveleth
1:45pm Making Scenes Easier, Instructor: T.J. Jagodowski
1:45pm Play with All the Things: An Introduction to Theatrical Clowning, Instructor: Kristen Schier

Sunday, August 12, 2012

12:00pm A Beginner's Guide To Improv, Instructor: Pj Jacokes
12:30pm Going Bigger and Beyond, Instructors: Ken Hall & Isaac Kessler
12:30pm Freestyle Rap 101, Instructors: Buck & Clint Vrazel
12:30pm Strong Initiations, Instructor: Steve Kleinedler

Complete workshop descriptions are available online at www.detroitimprovfestival.org.
Workshop schedule is subject to change.

Go Comedy! Improv Theater is located at 261 East Nine Mile Road in Ferndale, MI 48220 and offers the finest in improv and sketch comedy, Go U! The Improv Academy training center, road shows, classes and workshops for private parties, corporations and schools. For more information, call (248) 327-0575; visit www.gocomedy.net or e-mail Pj Jacokes at pj@gocomedy.net.

 

 

 

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