Committee founders Alan Myerson and Latifah Taormina address the crowd.

On April 27 The San Francisco Improv Festival was pleased to convene over 100 cast, crew, friends, and fans of pioneering comedy troupe The Committee to celebrate their 50th anniversary. It was an incredible honor to be in a position to throw this party, and it’s pretty intense to find oneself the midst of such an incredible host of talent. Most living members of The Committee were present, and they were joined by luminaries such Senator John Burton, the chair of the California Democratic Party, State Senator Mark Leno, R.G. Davis (founder of the San Francisco Mime Troupe), satirist Will Durst and representatives of the SF improv and sketch comedy community, including Kimberly MacLean (BATS Improv), Jill Eickmann (Leela Theater), and Rob Ready, Dan Williams and Kevin Fink (Piano Fight).

Jamie Wright and Sam Shaw hosted the evening, which took place at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Diamond Heights. Sam Willard took photos of attendees for his Improvisers portrait series, and an oral history video studio was set up for attendees to record Committee stories and recollections.

We will post a gallery of photos soon. We will also be announcing more details of an upcoming film project on The Committee that the festival has in store. We have big plans. Stay tuned, and thanks for your ongoing support.

Barbara Bosson, The Committee, San Francisco, circa 1967.

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On this date in 1963, the most influential comedy theater to ever emerge out of the Bay Area – The Committee – opened its doors at 622 Broadway in North Beach. Thus began a full decade of widespread cultural influence, with multiple studio albums, appearances on The Tonight Show and The Dick Cavett show, and a feature film. The Committee’s provocative and confrontational style, influenced equally by Chicago’s Second City and the radical politics of the era, set the stage for much of the comedy to follow. To all actors, crew, backers, and friends of this incredible company, the San Francisco Improv Festival says HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The SF Improv Festival has had a great year and the Fest was another huge success, thanks to the performers who came and threw down some amazing improvisation, the great crowds we had in at the Eureka Theater, our volunteer staff who made it all happen, and our sponsors who gave us amazing support.

So here’s a little treat to watch as you slowly digest your dinners and enjoy a hopefully fantastic holiday: David Razowsky and Rachel Hamilton rocking the faces off a packed house at the SF Improv Festival 2012. Watch the full show below.

Again, THANK YOU…!

Rebecca & Rich Sohn

We’re pleased to see that EndGames is bringing two great teachers from Chicago’s legendary Annoyance Theater out to SF, building on the ‘Annoyance in a Box’ workshop that Susan Messing taught at SFIF 2012. And we’re quite pleased to co-present it with them on October 27th and 28th!

Rich and Rebecca Sohn are twenty-year veterans of the Chicago improv scene. They’ve performed with companies such as The Annoyance Theatre, The Second City Touring Company, and iO.

They’ll be, brining you 5 different workshops with lessons in character, heightening, emotion and the Annoyance style; three on Saturday, October 27th and two deeper classes on Sunday, October 28th, all at the Phoenix Theater (414 Mason St, SF).

Class passes are already sold out as is the Saturday afternoon workshop, but there are spots left for Saturday morning and both Sunday workshops – jump on it!

WORKSHOP INFO
TIX

Due to an unavoidable scheduling conflict, Sunday’s 12pm Writing from Improv with Justin Ware will now swap places with Take a Hint with Neil Garguillo, which will move to the noon Sunday slot. Justing Ware’s writing class will now be on Saturday at 12pm. Both classes are at The Alcove Theater.

So those of you with Class Passes taking all the Dr. God workshops will just have a shift in the order you take in all 5 fantastic Dr. God Workshops, but those of you planning on just taking one or the other of the Dr. God noon workshops on Saturday or Sunday might have to check your schedule. Our apologies for any inconvenience…!

Confused? Take a look at the workshop schedule, or email info (at) sfimprovfestival.com

** LOCATION CHANGED TO THE ALCOVE THEATER (near Union Square)**

Ron West, in addition to being the games director for ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’, has been at the business of sketch writing from The Second City and other stages and most recently as writer & director on the “Second City This Week” television series.

Bring your rough draft or completed script for feedback and readings. Ron West will help hammer out the rewrites and get you to the final draft. This workshop will help you to scrutinize your sketch in preparation for a pitch or a production.

Be sure to bring as many copies to cover your cast, cause this thing is going up on it’s feet…!

Friday Aug 17, 2012 10:00 PM (with Five Play)

Great news for sketch lovers and anti-crustacean activists everywhere: Killing My Lobster has just been added to our Friday night lineup for August 17th alongside East Bay improv powerhouse Five Play!!

We’re excited to finally have the opportunity to put this show up – Hankin is a living legend in these parts.  Larry Hankin’s Street Stories formed the basis of Hankin’s Oscar nominated short Solly’s Diner and was last performed in San Francisco in the 1990′s. Street Stories at The Marsh is a limited engagement. Buy now!

Larry Hankin’s Street Stories
Friday and Saturday, June 1 and 2 at 8pm
at The Marsh Studio Theater
1062 Valencia at 22nd
San Francisco
Tickets: $20-35 BUY!

The San Francisco Improv Festival serves up unique opportunities for learning the art in 2012, and now we are partnering with SF Rec & Parks Department to offer an intro to improv at exceptionally affordable pricing!

A 9-week Intro to Improv class with master improvisor & SFIF board member Chris Libby is on offer for just $90 – that’s (wait for the math…) $10 a class!!

WHEN: Fridays March 23rd – May 18th: 6:30pm – 8pm

WHERE: Upper Noe Rec Center @ Day & Sanchez, SF

COST: $90 for the nine classes. Sign up here!