2016 Seattle Festival of Improv Theater to Kick Off 2/17

Improvised séances, laser shows, murder mysteries, and hilarious TED talk spoofs are all on their way to Seattle for a weekend of unpredictable comedy at the 2016 Seattle Festival of Improv Theater (SFIT).

This year's festival takes place February 17 - 21 at two venues in the University District and features 28 groups from 11 cities across North America. Each of the festival's twelve performance blocks features a combination of local acts like Seattle's Every Movie Is A Musical, Interrobang?!, The Gloomwhisper Entrancement and Bellingham's The Upfront Theater alongside nationally- and internationally-renowned improv comedy troupes.

The list of acts making their Northwest debut at this year's festival includes the female-centric The Ladies Room out of Austin, Edmonton's improvised TED talk TEDxRFT, and the technologically wondrous Laser Comedy Show from Chicago.

Now in its fourteenth year, SFIT has grown from a two-night gathering of a handful of acts to a five-night, two-venue celebration of improv comedy that connects over 1,200 audience members with hundreds of performers every February.

"The name of the game is quality and variety, and we keep uncovering more of each," said Andrew McMasters, the executive director of the festival and artistic director of festival host Jet City Improv. "Improv is growing and finding brand new ways to make people laugh. We've worked very hard to pick the best groups in the country to show off what improv can do; and love showing off our local talent to groups from the rest of the country so they can see why Seattle is one of the top improv cities in the country."

Performances take place at 8pm and 10:30pm at both Jet City Improv (5510 University Way NE) and the SFIT Second Stage (3940 Brooklyn Ave NE). Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for students, seniors, and military with ID. There is also a $60 festival pass that is valid for all shows, Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets and a full schedule and lineup can be found by visiting www.seattleimprov.com. Schedule and line-up are subject to change.

SFIT is hosted by Jet City Improv with additional support from sponsors The Stranger and Fremont Brewing.

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