2025 PERFORMANCE
SCHEDULE
THURSDAY 10/9
8 PM
MARIA’S BASEMENT performs half an hour town (Rhinebeck, NY)
An entire town springs to life, conjured by a one word suggestion, and in that town lives are tilted off balance in the way lives always are. Every town is full of characters with secrets, unspoken desires, and missed chances. Let’s join them in discovering who they really are.
CAST: Maria Ayoob, Charlie Owens, Alex Ashby, Jason Burke, Jennifer Lavenhar, Walt Batycki
BUS STOP ROBOT (UTICA, NY)
Utica’s first and oldest long form improv ensemble.
CAST: Cortland Cloos, Cecelia Guido, Devin Mahoney, Jason Zongrone
9 PM
BOLLIX MANOR (SCHNECTADY, NY)
If Downton Abbey and Fawlty Towers had Noel Coward's love child, that would be Bollix Manor. It's an ensemble cast, with each member playing an "upstairs" person and a "downstairs" person, improvising a farcical BBC show set in a grand English estate.
CAST: Kat Koppett, Jennifer Lavenhar, Charlie Owens, Maria Ayoub, Winnie Ashby, Sam Gorenstein
FRIDAY 10/10
6 pm
THE MANNY RODRIGUEZ SHOW (SAINT PAUL, MN)
The Manny Rodriguez Show, your favorite talk show, is in town for a live taping and Ross, the temporary stage manager, needs help setting it up! A dynamic solo improv show with audience interaction, improvised stage direction, improvised monologues, and a guest interview.
CAST: Ross Flores
SKITTLEFIT (ONEIDA, NY)
SkittleFit is a trio of improvisers who do improv for audiences of live humans who like improv. They'll be doing an original long-form called The Panini.
CAST: Deb Kinsler, Jeremy Johnston, Pete Kappesser
7 PM
ICED GRANDPA (UTICA, NY)
The Uptown’s teen long form ensemble.
CAST: Iced Grandpa
THE COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT (RICHMOND, VA)
We turn your consumer grievances into hilarious improvised scenes.
CAST: Beth Hailey and Jay Frank, joined by guests Conor Lobb and Elijah Wilkes.
8 PM
THE josh & Tamra show (new york, ny)
For 26 years, The Josh and Tamra Show, pioneers of puppet improv, have toured the U.S. and beyond, performing and teaching their unique blend of comedy. Born at the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City in 1999, their show combines puppetry with long-form improvisation. Starring seasoned long-form improvisors Josh Cohen, a Jim Henson Muppeteer and Tamra Malaga, a character actress. Each performance begins with an audience suggestion and unfolds into a hilarious, one-of-a-kind, puppet-filled adventure. (May contain adult language and situations.)
CAST: Josh Cohen, Tamra Malaga
2025 Uptown All-Stars (teacher show, NY & LA)
An all-star performance by the 2025 Uptown Improv festival visiting instructors.
CAST: Billy Soco, Brian James O’Connell, Holly Mandel Nnamdi Ngwe, Patrick Rowland
9 PM
MOUTH STUFF (BALTIMORE, MD)
Mouth Stuff performs an Armando getting using a suggestion from the audience to inspire a personal monologue and then do scenes based off of it.
CAST: Sarah Madrid, Lisa Perrin, Genevieve O'Keefe, Noelle Davis, Lindy Rhodes, Topher Darragh, Daniel Costa
SUITETOOTH (BROOKLYN, NY)
SuiteTooth is NYC’s self-proclaimed premier monoscene trio; classy in theory, unhinged in practice. We start grounded with an audience interview, then explode into a real-time riot of characters, iconic moments, and punk rock energy all in one location.
CAST: Sean C. Mako, Ky Cravens, Nic Rockwell
10 PM
POST MODERN FAMILY (UTICA, NY)
Post Modern Family is a fully improvised comedy about a recently single dad and his two college-aged kids, all trying (and failing) to navigate modern life under one roof. Each show is built entirely from audience suggestions as this off-kilter family stumbles through awkward reunions, generational clashes, and the hilariously messy art of starting over… together.
CAST: Cecelia Guido, Devin Mahoney, Jason Zongrone
saturday 10/11
6 PM
CASTLES & CREATURES (BUFFALO, NY)
Castles and Creatures is a completely-made-up-on-the-spot comedy improv show inspired by tabletop role-playing, our collective humanity, and you the audience. In one hour, our cast improvises an epic quest featuring elves, gnomes, dwarves, wizards, monsters, spells, and the nerdy humans who bring them all to life.
CAST: Caitlin Steitzer, Diego Martinez, Garret Adams, Jeffrey Jolton, Josh Verby, Mary Everhart, Melody Graczyk, Stephanie Adams, and Todd Benzin
AM 2 PM (NEW YORK, NY)
AM 2 PM will create art on stage using the lighting to illuminate deep grounded characters in their newly-created form The Insomniac. From light to darkness and back again, AM 2 PM will explore the journey of a complex relationship... when they need each other the most.
CAST: Anthony Saldana and Julian Vargas
7 PM
BEN GARDNER’S BOAT performs JEN & Kevin (COHOES, NY)
Jenn & Kevin is a format that explores the relationship of a married couple as they navigate their ordinary extraordinary life. Coming from drastically different backgrounds, Jenn and Kevin offer a unique experience of blended diversity, where being truly human can sometimes shine in the most inhuman moments.
CAST: Walt Batycki & Jennifer Lavenhar
Hot dog with mustard (philadelphia, pa)
Hot Dog with Mustard performs fast-paced long form improv that traverses different worlds and explores silly characters.
CAST: Abby Barringer, Renata Rabinovich and Julie Fosco.
8 PM
HOLLY MANDEL & BILLY SOCO (NY & LA)
Holly and Billy met at camp and have been friends ever since. Their improv show will leave you wanting s’mores.
CAST: Holly Mandel & Billy Soco
NNAMDI & PATRICK (LOS ANGELES, CA)
Two friends. One show.
CAST: Nnamdi Ngwe & Patrick Rowland
9 PM
SHOTGUN THEATER (NEW YORK, NY)
What happens when a team meets for the first time hours before they take the stage in utica? 6 highly skilled performers come together and forced to commit… for one night only to create a never-before seen narrative. anything can happen in this show of experimental theater, almost as chaotic as a shotgun wedding.
CAST: Anthony Saldana, Christine Barros, Julian vargas, Robert Bratsztein, Valentine Dhauteville and Jesse Brace
Whatever fate decides (providence, ri)
Whatever Fate Decides uses the power of improvised theatre to look deeper into the messages revealed during a special Tarot reading for an invited guest. As we explore, the show grants our invited guest both insight into their past and present as well as the mystical power to change their future in front of the audience.
CAST:Neal Leaheey, Amy Kahn, Maz Furey, Rosalie Fry, Tim Bric
10 PM
CHEESE & SLACKERS (BUFFALO, NY)
A long form indie team from Buffalo, NY who started doing a slacker format but has since evolved into their own unique form.
CAST: Kimberly White-Lopez; Crystina White-Lopez; Jeffrey Jolton; Trevor Stone; Ram Nambiar; Caitlin Canahai
SUNDAY 10/12
6 PM
JC PENNEY JAZZ CLUB (UTICA, NY)
Uptown Improv long form ensemble, performing The Slacker.
CAST: Brandon Ciotti, Sarah Bush, Derek Crossman , Holly White, Gavin Bailey, Tyler Kehl, Bill Egert
7 PM
PUNK PONIES (UTICA, NY)
Uptown long form ensemble, performing The Harold.
CAST: Cortland Cloos, Chris Surprenant, Ellen Mintzer, Jamie Smith, Jonathan Martin, Gavin Law, Milly Szmurlo
THE DICK AND THE DAME (LOS ANGELES, CA)
A two person improv team that creates a film noir based off a title suggestion from the audience. Coached by Brian O’Connell
CAST: John Conroy and Stacy Rumaker
8 PM
DECONSTRUCTION ENSEMBLE (Uptown Utica)
A performance of The Deconstruction form by member’s of Brian James O’Connell’s festival workshop.
CAST: TBA
9 PM
Yodapez (clinton, NY)
Student improv group from Hamilton College.
CAST:Yodapez
IN BAD TASTE (SYRACUSE, NY)
Short- Form Improv comedy that isn't afraid to go there. It might be filthy. It might be experimental. It might make you a little uncomfortable but it'll always be funny.
CAST: Jeremy Johnston, Crystal Pistol, Eric van der Vort, Thad Malley, Aidan Procopio
10 PM
PITCH SLAPPED (UTICA, NY)
What happens when a bunch of musical Improvisors take on the challenge of being the 1st in Utica? You get pitch slapped.
CAST:Milly Szmurlo, Adam Raymonda Ellen Mintzer, Sarah Bush, Cecelia Guido
