The San Francisco Improv Festival celebrates and presents the best that improvisational theater has to offer in all its forms, with veteran and rising improv talent from the Bay Area and beyond. We’re in our fifteenth year and our festival features improvisers from the house teams of major improv schools to independent, regional troupes, to duos that bring the thunder and even solo performers making up their entire show on the spot for you. Support your faves, take some risks, and throw down with us. See you there.
**NOTE: All shows run September 18 – 21 at PianoFight. Workshops run September 21 & 22 at various locations (see ticket pages for more information).
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th
Opening Night Party
Wednesday, September 18, 6:00 PM – Cabaret Bar
Help kick off the 15th annual SF Improv Festival right with a roomful of improvisors, drinks, snacks, music, and games to play with prizes for champions in XL Connect Four, oversize Jenga, and Speechless’ What’s Your Point? (just the regular human-size version)!
Wednesday, September 18, 7:00 PM – Main Theater
Enjoy what the ladies of Brick House bring to our house as they improvise high-octane, character-driven short form games, alongside the adult-oriented, puppet-friendly birthday party thrown right off the rails by the members of Jurassic Pope. More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door.
Wednesday, September 18, 7:30 PM – Second Stage
Jets/Sharks, Cat People/Dog People, High-Schoolers/the 60+ Crowd – see what we’re saying?? Don’t miss the improvised East Bay throw down of Oakland’s The Perennials, challenging your assumptions of the over-60 set, paired with the Pleasanton-based, all-high-school-age team, Creatures of Impulse & their the award-winning musical improv. More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door.
Wednesday, September 18, 9:00 PM – Main Theater
Sound the alerts – this is not the Trek you remember with San Francisco’s Phasers on Stun bringing you new and ridiculous adventures of your fave camp sci-fi series. Second City Hollywood’s Emergency Contact will join to pick up the pieces, one lonely 911 operator at a time…! More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door.
Wednesday, September 18, 9:30 PM – Second Stage
It’s relationships at close-quarters with Moment Players, delivering one delicious monoscene for you, right in the same mix as SF’s short form staple, Secret Improv Society, made up of veteran improvisors bringing you fast-paced, smart, interactive comedy at it’s finest. More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th
NES & BATS Improv’s The Bechdel Test
Thursday, September 19, 7:00 PM – Main Theater
Get some serious funny with the real & complex characters of the San Diego/LA duo NES! And speaking of getting real, do not miss BATS Improv’s The Bechdel Test, exploring how amazing, engaging & entertaining the world of improvised story can be when multi-faceted female characters are at the center of the action. More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door.
Un-Scripted’s Shakesqueer & Janice
Thursday, September 19, 7:30 PM – Second Stage
Same-sex relationships rule the roost with Un-Scripted Theater Company’s Shakesqueer, in your very own gender-bending date with the Bard, alongside Janice, Endgames Improv’s Womxn’s house team, who transforms your emotional lead into comedic gold. No regrets. More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door.
We Digress & Magic
Thursday, September 19, 9:00 PM – Main Theater
Masters in the art of gracefully interrupting one another, We Digress is Reno, Nevada’s very own stream of consciousness fable-maker, joined by the absurd witchiness and grounded, improvisational hilarity of San Francisco power duo, Magic. More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door.
Chicken Scratch & I Am The Show [**SOLD OUT**]
Thursday, September 19, 9:30PM – Second Stage
SFIF veteran short form act Chicken Scratch brings you no-holds-barred big characters and impressive physicality. San Diego’s own Chris George brings his solo improvisation of a streamed show of your choice. I Am The Show is a ridiculous mix of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a bit of bad lip reading, and some movie no one thought they’d ever watch. More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th
Adsit & Eveleth and The Right Now [**SOLD OUT**]
Friday, September 20, 7:00PM – Main Theater
30 Rock’s Scott Adsit and Jet Eveleth (HBO’s Animals, The Reckoning) bring the deep & hilarious weirdness in their duo show, Adsit & Eveleth, joined by San Francisco’s own sharp, smart and funny all-lady duo, The Right Now in one not-to-miss show! More information…
TICKETS: $25 pre-sale/$30 at the door.
Famke Roumstead & SHREW Improvised Shakespeare [**SOLD OUT**]
Friday, September 20, 7:30PM – Second Stage
Be edu-tained by Life & Death Coach, $exuality Advocate, Ally and Bon Vivant, Famke Roumstead in her one-woman show. All-woman & all-funny SHREW Improvised Shakespeare finally lets you know who runneth the world with their bold comedy (& heart!), played in the style of William Shakespeare. More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door.
Liss ‘n Sams & But of Mind
Friday, September 20, 9:00PM – Main Theater
Landmark San Francisco duo Liss n’ Sams bring the madness and make it make sense with their stream of consciousness comedy, joined by But of Mind, a Seattle-Juno duo bringing the northwest’s secret export: bizarre, mind-bending psychological weirdness in the style of The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits, based on your suggestion! More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door.
Red Pill Players & The Trifecta [**SOLD OUT**]
Friday, September 20, 9:30PM – Second Stage
Think 90s R&B, the Beatles and Denzel Washington all had a love child, you end up with what is quite possibly the most diverse improv troupe below the Mason Dixie Line, aka The Red Pill Players out of Atlanta, GA. Paired with local favorite, the Trifecta. If the Odd Couple met The Big Lebowski, and they fell into a blender with a drawing room farce?? That’s not really this show, but the Trifecta are a legit improv hit. Both these acts are fantastic – do not miss!! More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$23 at the door.
Luxury Cruise Singles Mixer & Freedom Snatch
Friday, September 20, 11:00PM – Main Theater
Live, late night & off the wall – we’re super-excited to see these two acts together in this late-night show! Get loose with SF’s own Luxury Cruise Singles Mixer (“an erotic journey to the center of the human imagination… no refunds.”), and dig into the fierce, funny & quick-paced play of LA’s Freedom Snatch. More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st
The Sound of Musical & SFIF 2019 Player Ensemble
Saturday, September 21, 7:00PM – Main Theater
Get your seats for the truly excellent, improvised musicality & vocals of The Sound of Musical, LA’s answer to the question “hey – what’s a really great musical improv show?” Their set shares the bill with the SFIF 2019 Player Ensemble – come see this talent-packed hand-picked cast of players perform under the direction of Betse Green, herself a festival favorite around the country and at previous SFIFs! More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door. VIP tickets available.
In Process Chad Damiani & The Purdy Twins
Saturday, September 21, 7:30PM – Second Stage
Fearless innovator. Dance idol. Idiot provocateur. These are all phrases that legendary improviser Chad Damiani has used to describe himself. Chad Damiani returns to SFIF in his solo show In Process! SFIF 2018 darlings The Purdy Twins bring their mix of down-home, sideshow, deeply funny gee-whiz-ness back to the Bay with their Variety Show full of death defying acts of mystery, wonder and intrigue! More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door. VIP tickets available.
Adsit & Eveleth and Betse & Burns [**SOLD OUT**]
Saturday, September 21, 9:00PM – Main Theater
Your second and last chance to take in the theatrical treat that is Adsit & Eveleth – don’t miss it. But wait – that’s not all – you also get the signature lunacy of Betse & Burns; craziness and chaos tempered with emotional depth & honesty. Back in SF after blowing away audiences at Femprovisor Fest earlier this year! More information…
TICKETS: $25 pre-sale/$30 at the door. VIP tickets available.
Murder Murder & The Nancy Boys
Saturday, September 21, 9:30PM – Second Stage
Find out which character won’t make it to the next beat with LA’s Murder Murder performing a monoscene murder mystery, followed by husband & husband couple Nick and Justin Condon returning as Frank and Joe Nancy, solving another mystery improvisationally, with every clue discovered along with the audience, building to a climax when The Nancy Boys inevitably get down to the bottom of it! More information…
TICKETS: $20 pre-sale/$25 at the door. VIP tickets available.
Final SFIF Mystery Jam and Party
Saturday, September 21, 11:00PM – Main Theater
The San Francisco Improv Fest’s closing improv jam features the last chance for improvisers to mix it up onstage. Make scenes and new friends and enjoy the many splendors of PianoFight. Enjoy the final bit of fest! More information…