NEWS

High School Students Get in Free in February, March
Posted February 12, 2012

To celebrate the upcoming launch of the inaugural Calgary High School Theatresports™ Championship, the Improv Guild is opening up the Impro Depot to any Calgary-area high school students to see either our Friday Night Improv or Saturday Night Improv shows in the months of February and March for free!

Oh, Sweet Saturdays
Posted January 23, 2012

Did you miss that blend of experimental improv, twisted litterature, and the je ne sais quoi of cozy Saturday nights at the Impro Depot? Well, pine no longer, friend. Saturday, January 28 will be the first night of the new and improved Shakespearian Experimental Good Times Night (working title). For only $5 you can come and see the latest boundries being pushed as the Improv Guild stretches their longform muscles. Same bat-time. Same bat-depot.

Drop-In Classes are Back
Posted January 23, 2012

Drop In like it's HOT Sundays are back at the Improv Guild. Every Sunday from 12:00-1:30, Mat Mailandt will be leading fundamental improv workshops.  Each week has a different theme so check out our classes section for more info.  It's only $10 per class and no experience is necessary.  Always wanted to try it out?  Looking for an alternative to church?  Or do you just want to brush up to some basic skills?  Mat's been putting the 'mental' in fundamentals since 2011. He just needs you to come down and bring the 'fun'.

Call for Volunteers
Posted January 16, 2012

Do you like improv? Do you like free shows? Do you like raising your hand before fully understanding what you're getting into? If so, you may enjoy volunteering with the Improv Guild! These past couple years have seen some very exciting upgrades to our admission system. Anyone remember the donations hard hat? Well, with great tickets comes great responsability and that's where you come in! The Improv Guild needs someone to cover the box office / drink counter from about 7:30pm to 8:15pm on show nights. In return you will get a) free admission for you and a friend to that show b) some free snacks and drinks c) our undying gratitude. If you're interested in padding your resume with artistic volunteer work, contact us at info@improvguild.com

Improv Returns Friday Jan 13
Posted January 9, 2012

They're back, baby! All of the zany characters you've grown to not-hate are back for a laughter-packed second half of the 2011-2012 season! So, come 8pm this Friday, will you be enjoying the lovely front-row couches, the cheap beverages, and the sense of wonder and mystery that can only come from watching improv in a 50 year old parking garage? Of course you will, and you'll love every damn minute of it.

Final Shows Friday Dec 2, Saturday Nov 26
Posted November 23, 2011

If the Improv Guild were a television series, these two shows would be their mid-season finales. So before you deck your halls, come pack their walls for the last two shows of 2011! Saturday Nov 26 features a threesome of improv goodness, while Friday Dec 2 invites the entire group out for a classic Improv Guild show! Expect stops to be pulled out. All of them.

Shows to return January 13th, 2012.

There will be a show on 11/11/11
Posted November 2, 2011

Despite the holiday and the long weekend, the improv continues on every Friday night. Furthermore, Improv Guild member Mat Mailandt will be celebrating his (Nov 10th) birthday at the show that night so it's bound to be a packed house of good timey fun!

Sunday Drop-In Classes Return November 6th!
Posted Monday, October 17, 2011

The Improv Guild will be offering drop in classes every Sunday at noon starting this fall. No previous experience necessary - anyone is welcome.  Each session is 90 minutes and will cover fundamental techniques such as accepting offers, advancing, character development and more.  Class fees are only $10 per class.  Try your hand at improvising today!

Two Spots Open for Rick's L1 Class
Posted Sunday, September 25, 2011

Due to a couple of last minute cancellations, two spots have opened in Rick's Level 1 class starting October 4th. These classes are usually sold out months in advance to take this awesome opportunity to get in right away and learn from one of the best.

Improv Guild Headlines Orlando Improv Festival
Posted Sunday, September 25, 2011

Just like birds migrating south for the winter, Improv Guild members Anne, Ryan and Stephen have flown to sunny Florida, USA to headline the world renowned Orlando Improv Festival! They will be shaking their funny bones onstage at 9pm tonight (Sunday, Sept. 25) so if you're in the area, check 'em out! Oh, and while you're here, check out this teaser from the Miami Herald!

Improv Season Resumes September 9th
Posted Thursday, August 25, 2011

Due mainly to the force of gravity exerted upon the Earth by the planet Jupiter, the next improv show will be Friday, September 9 @ 8:00pm. So come down, grab a seat and enjoy as many laughs as you can handle as the Improv Guild pulls out all the stops to entertain, shock and put a smile on your face. And don't be mad at Jupiter, it can't help itself.

Getting Naked For Calgary Fringe
Posted Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Generally the Improv Guild enjoys quiet summers lounging on the beach, cold beverages in hand; this year, however, we're doing something that is anything but quiet! We're getting naked! If you want to see raw improv, stripped down to the fundamentals of the art while pushing the ever-expanding boundries of spontaneous theatre, check out one of the Improv Guild's six Naked Improv shows at the Calgary Fringe Festival!

If you're the late night type, the Improv Guild has created a special Late Night Show featuring all of your favourite Fringe artists. This late night extravaganza will be filled with good food, great drinks and more laughs than you can shake a stick at. With different Fringe artists guesting each night, the Late Night Show is sort of like the sample platter of the Fringe Festival. Bring a napkin.

You can also find both Naked Improv and Late Night Show on our Shows page.

Improv Guild Season Finale: Friday, June 24
Posted Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Improv Guild's last show of the year is always a great one and this year aims to crank that up to REMARKAMAZINGTASTIC! If you haven't been down to the Impro Depot in a while (or if you're looking for an excuse to come for the first time!) there is no better opportunity than this season finale show. With the return of longtime performer Mat Mailandt from Germany, and plenty of reason to party after the show, the house is going to be packed! So if you wanna be up close and in the action, come early (~7:30pm) and snag the good seats before they're all gone!

Shaw TV Taping Special Show June 11
Posted Wednesday, May 11, 2011

UPDATE: The Improv Guild played to a packed house and Shaw TV captured all the action with cameras, microphones and interviews. The Guild would like to send a huge thanks out to Shaw as well as to all the volunteers and audience members who helped make this night such a huge success! The full edited version of the show will be available this summer on Shaw TV. Follow @improvguild on twitter and check back on this website for the latest.

Come preview the Calgary Improv Festival in a special show that will be recorded live in the Engineered Air Theatre at 8pm on June 11 by Shaw TV. This hour and a half long improv set will feature members of the Improv Guild playing your favourite games, exploiting your suggestions and maybe even dragging one or two of you up on stage! Tickets for the event are $10 each and are are available at the door. You can also reserve tickets by emailing Rick at info@improvguild.com.

Good Friday, Great Improv
Posted Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Looking for something to do on your long weekend before you cram your face full of Turkey? Well, the Improv Guild will be presenting a special "Good Friday" edition of Friday Night Improv at 8pm April 22. And because it would be rude to serve just one course of Improv goodness, there will be a Last Scene Standing on Saturday night at 8pm as well! So come down, bring your out of town guests, and laugh about all the things polite company doesn't discuss during an Easter dinner!

Audition to Join the Improv Guild
Posted Tuesday, April 12, 2011

UPDATE: Auditions postponed. Check back in September/October for dates and times.

The Improv Guild will be holding open auditions for experienced actors/improvisers on Monday, May 2 from 7:00-9:00pm at the Impro Depot. Please bring a resume of your acting/improvisation experience and training along with a headshot (if you have one). If you have any questions, feel free to email the Improv Guild artistic director Rick Hilton at info@improvguild.com

New Website Launched!
Posted Thursday, April 8, 2011

After months of toiling in a dark room in the bowels of the Impro Depot theatre, the website which had previously only been a whisper of a dream has now come to life. As the company grew tremendously over the past few years, no longer were the modest confines of a blog-style site enough to get all that Improv Guild informationy goodness to the public.

The new website is now organized into simple sections allowing vistors to either quickly find what they need, or leasurely linger and browse all of the cool features and photos that pepper the site.

The Improv Guild was stoked to be part of the Vancouver Theatre Sports League’s 23rd Annual Valentine’s Day Massacre this year! Laura, Stephen, Rick & Heather represented the humble little city of Calgary amidst teams from Vancouver, Atlanta, Bellingham, Orlando and Seattle. The days were jam packed with improv, rain & pizza slices! All in all, an amazingly fun tournament that the Improv Guild was proud to have participated in. Huge thanks to VTSL for hosting such a world-class event!

UPDATE: Heather has shared a poem she wrote that perfectly encapsulates the experience!

While they will still gladly accept your donations, the Improv Guild is pleased to announce that beginning immediately they will be selling show tickets at the door. So before you buy a drink, take a load off on the front row couches and start discussing the merits of velcro vs laces, please stop by the ticket table and get your shinny (matte) ticket!

First, there was one show. Then, when audiences thought it couldn't get any better, there were TWO SHOWS! Now you can follow up a wildly entertaining Friday Night Improv show with an equally wildly entertaining Last Scene Standing Saturday show! The Friday night show audiences have come to know and generally approve of will continue to focus on short scenes, games, and random wonderfulness, while the Saturday show will cater to longer scenes, directed improv and whatever can be found under the rainbow of awesome.

Come check out both shows! Friday and Saturday at 8pm

The Improv Guild was selected to participate in the annual Calgary Fringe Festival July 29th to August 6th, 2011, taking place in historic Inglewood. The Guild will be using this opportunity to introduce our fast-paced, engergetic, wildly imaginative short-form style improv to the wider Calgary threatre community.

Those who have attended Friday Night Improv shows will be very familiar with the style that has graced stages across the world and entertained Calgarians for years. Expect singing (now only slightly off-key), shoving (47 days without injury), dancing, gibberish, bells, horns, costumes and everything else that makes funny funny. There may also be some serious stuff. But only a little. ;

Check out http://be.calgaryfringe.ca/ for more info on the festival!