Improv and Creativity

Improv is a great tool for creativity. It's not only a dynamic art form, it's also a teachable way of thinking and communicating. For decades Stephen Sim (founder of the Winnipeg Improv Festival and CRUMBS) has been performing shows, directing shows, leading masterclasses and hosting events using the skills of improvisation.

To learn more about improv and Applied Improvisation go to his professional site -> The Improv Company

To learn more about the Winnipeg Improv Festival go to the official site -> Winnipeg Improv

Improv Festival 2018

The Winnipeg if... Improv Festival 2018

facebook page

online tickets

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.

Winnipeg Improv Festival 2017

The Winnipeg if... Improv Festival is coming soon!

Oct 17th - 21st, 2017

Visit the NEW Website HERE

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!

CRUMBS and the Winnipeg IF... Improv Festival!

The summer sets like the sun and the autumn falls upon us like a warm blanket.
-a poem

The fall means several things:
-We "fall back" and screw with our clocks.
-We launch the theatre season and comedy season and improv season of shows.
-We get excited about the 15th Annual Winnipeg IF... Improv Festival

CRUMBS has always worked at spreading improv across Canada and the world. We've toured our show and taught our master classes in so many cities and to so many people. CRUMBS has also grown improv here at home in Winnipeg. One of the ways we do that is by bringing improv players and improv ideas right here to our hometown.

The 15th Annual Winnipeg IF... Improv Festival is one of the best times to bring all these players and ideas and shows and workshops and parties together... I suppose that is what a festival really is.

This year CRUMBS is excited about doing a full show with Kevin McDonald (The Kids In The Hall). This show is sure to become legendary and everyone should probably get their Tickets NOW to ensure you are among the hundreds left without tickets huddled around the doors to try and catch a glimpse.

CRUMBS with Kevin McDonald
Sat, Oct 4th at 11PM
Gas Station Arts Centre

ONLINE TICKETS


Other cool things happening at this year's festival:

Collaboration with la Lim (the French improv in Winnipeg)
Thu, Oct 2nd at 8pm

Collaboration with the Winnipeg Spoken Word Festival
Sat, Oct 4th at 8pm

Collaboration with the Manitoba Association of Playwrights
Sat, Oct 4th at 8pm

Collaboration with the local Stand-up Comedy scene
Fri, Oct 3rd at 8pm

Collaboration with improv players from Germany, Edmonton and Vancouver with the amazing local players from right here in Winnipeg...

Every night of the festival from Sept 30th to Oct 4th!

And it's summertime.

Lovers of reading things on the internet and probably lovers of the live improv and live comedy and live lively things. Here is what is coming up on you in Winnipeg!

The whole next season of Comedy Knights happening at the King's Head Pub. This means that Tuesday, Sept 2nd at 9PM we re-launch and you'll be able to enjoy the FREE comedy show. And then, every TUESDAY NIGHT after that!

The Winnipeg IF... Improv Festival happening at the GSAC Sept 30th - Oct 4th. You will want to watch th live international improv happening right in Winnipeg. Guests from as far away as Germany, plus improvisers from as close to you as your neighbour.
Details Link


In the meantime, here are pictures of summer time things. It is still summer.

Welcome to the summer of times. Wherever you are reading this, it is summer. Except you "downunderers" and you "kiwis", though it could be that you wait for several months to read this. 

Everyone is of course gearing up for their favourite sumer time things. Like for instance:

-Growing your flowers and vegetables. (see above pictures)

-Going to the cabin, the lake or camping.

-Hiding at home, inside and avoiding all things.


Other highlights you might see or might have seen or wish you had or wish you would see?

Ray "2 the Limit" Fenwick performing at the Yellow Dog.

Free art installations in the Exchange District. (can you spot which one of the installations isn't art but is corporate advertising?)


Keep enjoying your season, whatever your season, and keep playing safe.

Be safe.

Be very very safe...

Hospitals are great for broken collarbones. Broken collarbones are great for killing all the fun.

CRUMBS Spring of 2012 Tour.

So I really haven't been updating the website here at all huh?

I guess that's what happens when the tour takes over.


Just no extra time to internet it all up.

Here are some pictures of some of the random stops on our tour.

Thank you

Improv Festival is here!

So I have been a busy guy lately. I have not only been organizing the busiest and best week of improv that Winnipeg ever sees (The Winnipeg if... Improv Festival 2010), I also got cast in a real live movie. The movie is called Goon and is directed by Michael Dowse (who also directed Fubar and Fubar 2). It is a hockey movie set to be the next Slapshot. Very fun to work on. I got the part of 'Back-up Goalie' which is really because I am really good at looking bored on the bench and chewing bubble gum (which is almost all I did). When I was on set I really had to channel the spirit of Habs great Ken Dryden (who was famous for looking bored even while on the ice).



So I spent a week on the set of a real movie with real film crews and real famous actors... But the whole time I kept thinking about the very real Winnipeg if... Improv Festival that was set to happen and that I was putting together. All the good things have to happen all at once I guess. "When it rains, it pours", well, I guess I am happy and thankful that I got wet with all of this.

Now everyone reading this should go to the Gas Station Theatre and see all the lovely shows and all the lovely players that are in town for this lovely festival.

Amy Shostak from Edmonton's Rapid Fire Theatre
Kayla Lorette from Toronto's Ghost Jail Theatre and YTV's That's So Weird!
Jayden Pfeiffer from Regina's General Fools
Fraz Wiest from Regina/Toronto/Winnipeg/Your Heart
Christian Capazolli from New York City's 4Track
George Basil from New York City's 4Track (but he lives in LA... whoa, sooo cool)


These special guest will be joined by the talented locals we brew right here in Winnipeg. Members of CRUMBS, Outside Joke, The D&D Improv Show as well as stand-up comics and sketch artists from this city as well.

What's that? You also heard that we will have the musical styles of Dj Hunnicutt and Mama Cuttsworth? Well, you heard correctly.

This week of improv is so wonderful, I don't think I will sleep until after it is done.

CRUMBS kisses for Valentines Day

All this happened at a show in December of 2009 at Degrees Diner at the U of M. It was a show in support of UMFM (which happens to be a great radio station in Winnipeg 101.5 on the dial). The photos were taken by Janet Shum (Thanks Janet).

The iF... Improv Festival is almost here

So, because the improv festival is almost here in Winnipeg, and because I am so excited about it, I will tell you a bit about it.

First of all, the official iF... Improv Festival site is here.

Secondly, what festival is a festival without special out of town guests. So here we go.

Fraz Weist:
He has improvised all over and he has broken hearts in all of those places. Why has he broken hearts? Because he never stays in one city long. He has performed in PROJECTproject, Ghost Jail Theatre, The General Fools and the Big Stupid Improv Show.
Check out the IMP of Fraz

Bob Banks:
He is a former Winnipegger who moved to Toronto and now is coming home. He moved to Toronto to follow his improv dreams and instantly started working with the Impatients, PROJECTproject, Big in Japan and PB&J.
Check out the IMP of Bob Banks

Sean Tabares:
This Toronto improviser is a core member of PROJECTproject and has worked with practically every improv group in Toronto. He has also created an improv show inspired by the pending zombie invasion called "Turned". He will be here to premiere this show in Winnipeg, we are lucky to have this... but beware.
Check out a video featuring of Sean Tabares

Mike Robertson:
Mike is an improviser and filmmaker. He has been working with with Rapid Fire theatre for years. Rapid Fire Theatre is a legendary Canadian improv company which has been producing improv shows for longer than most people have even heard of improv. He has also been making films with the Production company Highwire Films.
Check out the Highwire Films Youtube channel

Other people in the Festival?

Stephen Sim (the Artistic Director and member of CRUMBS)

Lee White (member of CRUMBS)

RobYn Slade (member of Outside Joke)

What shows are people going to check out?
Well, all of them right... but let me sell you on a couple.

The Thursday show is the cult classic D&D the improv show. This show is gonna be stuffed full of audience members dressed like wizards and goblins. If you don't have a chain mail shirt to wear, don't worry, the show will bring you into their world.

The Friday show is going to be a gourmet show of improv. We are going to get the ingredients from the audience and then prepare a full meal of funny and drama. It will be like going to a fancy restaurant and watching Iron Chef all at the same time.

The Saturday show will have a live improvised movie and a live zombie show! What? How does somebody do a live improvised movie... wait, did you say zombies? Yes folks, there is a way to do a live improvised movie and all the way from Toronto we are presenting the Winnipeg premiere of "Turned" the zombie themed improv show.

So, I think you can agree that coming to these shows will be necessary.