Improv Festival 2018

The Winnipeg if... Improv Festival 2018

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Date: Thu, Oct 18th 8PM

Title: SKETCH-PROV-MEDY

Price: $15

Line: Sketch plus comedy times improv equals sketchprovmedy!

Link: http://www.winnipegimprov.com/sketch/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/1372070129592164/

ticket: https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/sketch-prov-medy-gas-station-arts-centre-tickets/8714605

Description:

Sketch comedy meets improv comedy meets comedy comedy. What a strange and hilarious concoction will be created at this sketch comedy improv hybrid of a show. Featuring Kevin McDonald from The Kids in the Hall!

Date: Fri, Oct 19th 8PM

Title: Pixels and Friends

Price: $15

Line: Real-time animation live onstage

Link: http://www.winnipegimprov.com/pixels/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/341649253258760/

ticket: https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/pixels-and-friends-gas-station-arts-centre-tickets/8714645

Description:

Live animation live onstage! We have collaborated with Flipside XR who have developed a real-time animation application using Virtual Reality. After a smash-hit at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival with Pixels, we are bringing the show to the next level for the improv festival stage!

Date: Fri, Oct 19th 10:30PM

Title: The More You Know

Price: $15

Line: Experts dropping knowledge that improvisers pick up

Link: http://www.winnipegimprov.com/fri-lateshow/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/277508546425722/

ticket: https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/the-more-you-know-gas-station-arts-centre-tickets/8714685

Description:

We take a bunch of experts, we get them to talk about what it is they are experts in. Then we learn and are inspired by the knowledge to make the world a better place… and funnier… a funnier and better place.

Date: Sat, Oct 20th 8PM

Title: Mind Readers

Price: $15

Line: Writer’s read and then improvisers read their minds

Link: http://www.winnipegimprov.com/mindreader/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/893653444159272/

ticket: https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/mind-readers-gas-station-arts-centre-tickets/8714695

Description:

The Improv Festival continues their collaboration with the International Writer’s Festival. This time taking the written word and improv into the unknown future. We will be looking at the what the future holds, what fortunes we are in store for and what is going on inside the minds of the writers and the performers.

Date: Sat, Oct 20th 10:30PM

Title: Ghost Stories

Price: $15

Line: Just when you thought it was safe to laugh again!

Link: http://www.winnipegimprov.com/ghost/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/2063356633994499/

ticket: https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/ghost-stories-gas-station-arts-centre-tickets/8714715

Description:

This show will feature real ghost stories that then inspire the improv show with the festival ensemble. Special guests and spooky stories.  Ghosts are real but they fear rooms of laughing people.

The Winnipeg if... Improv Festival is almost here! It runs Oct 11th to Oct 15th and it is the best time in Winnipeg for Improv (plus sketch comedy and stand-up comedy and then even more improv).

The Winnipeg if... Improv Festival will be flying in some amazing guests performers from Seattle, Los Angeles, Montreal, Edmonton, Toronto, Port Coquitlam and Winnipeg (well, the guests from Winnipeg will maybe take the bus).

Get Tickets ONLINE NOW

We will showcasing Improvisation as well as collaboration withSketch Comedy and Stand-up Comedy. Not only will we be showcasing some great out of town improv shows, we also also invent some improv shows of our own. We will be creating a Festival Ensemble of players, as well as a Local Ensemble of players and aSketch Ensemble of players. What does this mean? It means we will be making up some amazing new improv and hilarious new sketch comedy. The improv ensembles will be directed by none other than Randy Dixon (Seattle's Unexpected Productions) and the Sketch ensemble will be directed by Kevin McDonald (The Kids in the Hall). You will also get to see some stand-up and sketch comedy from Mark Little and Andrew Bush (of Picnicface fame!)

We will be kicking off the entire festival with our FREE SAMPLER SHOW on TUE, OCT 11th at 8PM where you can sample all the amazing improv and comedy that will be featured all week. The Sampler show will be at the Albert Street Cocktail Company (91 Albert Street) So you can sample great improv and fancy cocktails!

The Winnipeg Comedy Festival gets closer!

Check out the website for information about the 40+ shows featured in this year's festival.
We start featuring some FREE outreach comedy shows as we get closer to the Winnipeg Comedy Festival.

Thursday, March 17th
at the Handsome Daughter

Wednesday, March 23rd
at Jekyll & Hyde's

Thursday, March 24th
at McNally Bookstore at Grant Park Mall

Tuesday, March 29th
at the King's Head (Comedy Knights)

Wed, March 30th
at the Park Theatre (Comedy Amuse-Bouche)



Then we have the Winnipeg Comedy Festival actually start, which means that Winnipeg EXPLODES with comedy. So much comedy, so much stand-up, so much improv, so much sketch, so much funny and so many jokes.

Check out the website for information about the 40+ shows featured in this year's festival.



Some highlights?

 CRUMBS & Friends
Yes, you'll see CRUMBS with DJ Hunnicutt at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival with some very special guests.

The High School Improv Super Show
The return of this favourite show. Hand selected players from the Canadian Improv Games FINALS will be assembled into a Super Team. This show will be hosted by Caitlin Curtis and Stephen Sim.

Lost in Translation, Perdu en quoi? 
The French and English improv show all about miscommunication. A hit last year, sure to be a hit again. Get your tickets early for this one, the venue is small and the laughs are huge.

The Sketch Comedy Revue hosted by Kevin McDonald
A comedy festival must include sketch comedy. Here we have sketch comedy legend Kevin McDonald hosting this sketch comedy revue. The show will include Craig Lauzon (Royal Canadian Air Farce), Wes Borg (Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie), Hot Thespian Action, H.U.N.K.S., Stephen & Caity and Bucko.

But really... there are so many great shows to check out!


Thank you!

Improv & Comedy coming up in Winnipeg

Winnipeg shows are coming up. Yes, the world seems to end in February and it seems like nothing will ever be good again. But instead of being depressed, let the comedy and improv melt your heart and make you feel good.

Thank you to all the people in Berlin who came out to the Virtual CRUMBS show we had at the Ratibortheater in Berlin. Lee was live on the stage while Stephen was live in his living room using the magic internet.

What's that? Upcoming shows? Of course!

Tue, Feb 16th

The Comedy Double Date Show

The Comedy Double Date is a real live double date of 

comedy. Two of Winnipeg's power couples of comedy, spanning the world of stand-up, improv and sketch, unite. Tim Gray, Dana Smith, Caitlin Curtis and Stephen Sim combine forces and let you tag along like a fifth wheel on their comedy double date.

All happening at the King's Head Pub as part of the Comedy Knights comedy series that happens ever single Tuesday night.

FACEBOOK EVENT

Look for CRUMBS during the Winnipeg Comedy Festival as it gets closer and closer. Fri, April 8th at the Gas Station Arts Centre.

LINK

CRUMBS in December

December isn't just about Xmas parties and New Year's Eve parties... it's also about improv and comedy parties. CRUMBS a some shows coming up and you will want to see them because, really, you haven't seen a real CRUMBS show in months!



CRUMBS does the Wed, Dec 30th show at the Park Theatre with H.U.N.K.S. sketch comedy. You will see the "best of 2015" sketches from H.U.N.K.S. and the "best of 2015" improv scenes from CRUMBS. Music by none other than DJ Hunnicutt!

EVENT LINK


Of course you can also catch CRUMBS on the radio on 101.5 UMFM every Monday at 5pm


Of course you catch live comedy and improv at various venues in the city every week...

Sundays at the Cavern

Mondays at the HUB

Tuesdays at the King's Head Pub

Wednesdays at Jekyll & Hyde's

Thursdays at handsome Daughter



CRUMBS in the New Year!


CRUMBS at the King's Head Pub on Thursday, Jan 7th


Of course you'll be looking forward to seeing the amazing Virtual CRUMBS show happening in... well in Berlin on Feb 4th. Some of the show happens in Winnipeg and then it's stuffed into small tubes and the digital information is sent to Berlin and projected live onstage at the Ratibortheater. A CRUMBS show that happens with the help of technology.

CRUMBS at the Winnipeg Improv Festival

The Winnipeg if... Improv Festival is approaching so quickly, that by the time you read this, it might already be here (I don't know how fast you can read).

The festival dates are Sept 29th to Oct 3rd, 2015.

The Winnipeg if... Improv Festival kicks things off with a free sample show at the King's Head on Tuesday, Sept 29th. This show is hosted by CRUMBS with music by DJ Hunnicutt. This show has always been a great time. You get to see short improv scenes with a great number of improv guests and it's a nice way to see some improv and rub some shoulders.

There are of course other great shows to see, but another CRUMBS show happens right at the end of the festival too. Yes, CRUMBS is the bookend of the festival, first and last. Anyways, the show is a CRUMBS show with special guest Kevin McDonald from The Kids in the Hall. Last year we did this show and it worked so well, we are doing it again. That show is Sat, Oct 3rd at 10:30pm at the Gas Station Arts Centre.

BUY TICKETS FOR SAT, OCT 3RD LATE SHOW


You also might want to check out Lee White's creation "Knowledge & Punishment". This is a game show themed improv show where improvisers will do hilarious scenes, answer trivia questions and be punished cruelly when they do anything wrong. So much fun... to watch. This show is on Fri, Oct 2nd at 8pm at the Gas Station Arts Centre.

BUY TICKETS TO KNOWLEDGE & PUNISHMENT SHOW



But really, you are going to want to see all the shows. Why not get a FESTIVAL PASS that way you get to see it all AND you get to jump to the beginning of the line to get in first, get your good seat.

BUY FESTIVAL PASS ONLINE NOW!

See the official festival schedule:

Go the Winnipeg if... Improv Festival WEBSITE

FACEBOOK event

FACEBOOK fan page

Festival on TWITTER

Well, the Fringe is over...

Another Winnipeg Fringe Festival has come and gone. The crowds have dispersed and the laughter has faded. Now it is time to sleep.

Thank you to all that showed up at the CRUMBS show at the King's Head. Some really really funny shows happened!



Thank you to all the audiences and all the special guests at the Big Stupid Improv Show Fringe edition at the MTYP. Another great run of improv jam shows happened!



Thank you to all that showed up at "What Could Go Wrong?" at the Fringe. This was a risk and "out of the comfort zone" that was written by a couple of improvisers (Stephen Sim and Caitlin Curtis) and was a delight to get on stage. 



Thank you to everyone who went to see "Revenge of the Meek" a show I helped make happen. It was written by Andrew Lizotte and was a religious comedy. 





What's next?

The Winnipeg IF... Improv Festival Sept 29th to Oct 3rd! The festival line-up will be announced very soon and then tickets will go onsale!

It's finally 2015!

The future is now... or at least the future is soon.

It is finally 2015, the futurist sounding year since 2001 and 2010. Unfortunately it happens to be the year that the Back to the Future franchise named in their movie so now we the public are going to be bombarded with Back to the Future references, jokes and complaints.

 The most common complaints will of course be:

- Where's my flying car?
- Where's my Hoverboard?

Instead it really should be:

-Why aren't we all using FAX machines so much?

But enough about Back to the Future... really... I'm wishing already that the movie franchise had been more ambiguous with the date.

2015 looks like a pretty good year, at least when it comes to shows. The first CRUMBS show of 2015 happened already at the King's Head, and it was pretty great. The Theatre Projects Manitoba season of 2015 started with "White Rabbit Red Rabbit" and that was pretty great. CRUMBS member Stephen Sim was lucky enough to be one of the rabbits.

When is the next CRUMBS show?

Tuesday, Feb 3rd at the King's Head

CRUMBS brings you an improvised show that has not only taken the world by storm, it has actually caused storms, and the storms are super crazy. Perhaps you've heard of a little thing called "Global Warming"? Yeah, sorry about that. The King's Head pub hosts a weekly comedy night aptly named "Comedy Knights". It happens every Tuesday and it happens to be FREE. These shows have been so good, the climate has changed so much, that the room has been PACKED and the icecaps are MELTING. Show up early to ensure you have a good seat and that your home isn't too close to the rising sea levels. Dj Hunnicutt will be serving up the sweet sultry tunes and the King's Head will be serving up the sweet sultry boozes. Let's all drink and laugh together before the world ends and all the Polar Bears have drowned.

When are the other CRUMBS shows?

Feb 17th + March 3rd (and they continue of course but you'll see some more updates)

What else is going on?

Comedy shows are so ongoing and weekly. Let me tell you about some of the live comedy shows that keep happening in Winnipeg.

Sundays at the Cavern:
This is an open mic comedy night that happens at the Cavern (below the Toad on Osborne St). It is hosted by John B. Duff and it happens every other week.

Mondays at the HUB:
This is a stand-up show all the way down at the University of Manitoba and is one hot room.

Tuesday at the King's Head:
This show is of course the legendary Comedy Knights comedy show and you of course know it. Sometimes it's CRUMBS, sometimes it's stand-up comedy, sometimes it hosts other experimental comedy shows... but it is always super awesome and super free.

Wednesdays at Jeckle & Hyde's:
This is a great stand-up room hosted by Ben Walker. This is honestly one of my favourite stand-up rooms.

Thursdays at the Handsome Daughter:
This stand-up comedy show is hosted by Mike Green at the bar that used to be the Rose & Bee (and it also used to be the Standard, Eddie's Garage and who knows what else).

Fridays & Saturdays... 
Just go to Rumors, or go out and and make your own comedy or find some special theatre show to go to at the Gas Station Theatre.

Speaking of the Gas Station Theatre:

Did you all know that the Gas Station Arts Centre produces the Winnipeg Comedy Festival? Did you know that CRUMBS' own Stephen Sim is now working for the Winnipeg Comedy Festival? Did you know that the Winnipeg Comedy Festival just got a whole lot funnier as a result of that?

Look for more Comedy Festival posts and info soon on this site and on their official site!

The Holidays are coming... and going

With the Holidays approaching so fast, you just know that they will pass just as quickly. There are some shows that bring us right up to the holidays, a show that helps us celebrate the holidays and then a couple shows after the holidays. It's like a whole holiday gift basket of shows. And let us not forget what the holidays are about... they are about not working, about avoiding the shopping malls, about eating a lot of food with your friends and family, they are about using the power of the mind to not even hear the death loop of jingles and carols that follow you everywhere.

Let's unwrap these gifts of laughter in a chronological order shall we?

1)

Tuesday, Dec 16th (doors open at) 8PM

CRUMBS at the Good Will Social Club



CRUMBS usually performs on a Tuesday night at the King's Head for the Comedy Knights free laughs series, but we are taking a break from the King's Head for the Holidays (there's that word again). Instead of just not doing a show, we thought we would do an awesome show at an awesome new venue. And since the price of OIL is so low, we can now pass the savings down to you and do a little something we used to do back in the day... FIVE DOLLAR COMEDY!

Facebook Event LINK


2)

Saturday, Dec 27th 8PM (sharp)

Outside Joke + CRUMBS = Secret Santa Improv



The two most prominent and distinguished improv companies in the city join forces and have a holiday party live onstage. This show will feature a Secret Santa game where each mystery gift is the inspiration for the improv scenes. The first have will be nice and the second half will be naughty. Come join us in celebrating not being at work, have a cup of cheer with us and cheer and laugh at the hilarity.



Get Your Tickets!

Facebook Event Page!


3)

Tuesday, January 6th 2015
Tuesday, January 20th 2015 

Comedy Knights returns to the King's Head on Tuesdays and CRUMBS returns to delivering your improv comedy theatre to you on a regular basis. Enjoy the warm and gentle insanity of CRUMBS + Dj Hunnicutt as they create instantly engaging shows. Every Tuesday at the King's Head there's a comedy show that rotates... sometimes it's improv... sometimes it's stand-up... all the times it's funny.


4) 

Saturday, January 17th 8PM

Theatre Projects Manitoba presents:
White Rabbit Red Rabbit



Stephen Sim takes part in this interesting play. Each night the play will feature a different actor, it has no director, and it has been produced all over the world. Come on the Sat, Jan 17th to see Stephen Sim of CRUMBS and improv fame perform in a legitimate theatre production. How could that not be interesting to see?

Theatre Projects Manitoba LINK

Article about the show in the Winnipeg Free Press


5)

Don't forget things like:

CRUMBS on the radio every Monday at 5-6pm. Tune in to 101.5 UMFM or use the power of the online world to do it.

UMFM LINK

CRUMBS appearing on the Week Thus Far live taping of their very very last show ever at the Park Theatre on Dec 11th. They have been airing their TV show on ShawTV for 5 years and now it's coming to an end. Come and say goodbye.

WTF LINK

All the other comedy and stand-up rooms in the city that happen. Sundays at the Cavern, Mondays at the HUB, Wednesdays at Jeckle & Hyde's... heck there might even be more!

If you really must give a gift... give the gift of laughter.