Melanie PennStaff

Thursday, April 23, 2026

Happy Earth Day, Improv Shop! 🌏 And happy birthdays to Maddie Janoch, Ben Acland, Jesse McClure, and everyone else celebrating birthdays this week! 🎂🎂 Here's what's around the corner: ELECTIVES UPDATES - There are some limited spots left in the following May-July session electives: The Armando Workshop on Wednesdays 7-9pm Yoga for Improvisers on Saturdays 10-11:30am Poetry for Improvisers on Sundays 12-2pm The Harold Workshop on Sundays 2:15-4:15pm ...plus a very special one-off Improv to Sketch with Leslie Symonds on May 2nd 12-3pm ...plus an all-new six-week High School Level A starting June 6th on Saturdays 12-2pm THURSDAY PROGRAMMING - Today, Thursday April 23rd, is gunna be a fun one: House Team Night at 7:00 in mainstage with BRAINWORMS!, GameBoyz, and Some Black People The Menagerie at 7:00 in sidestage with Floorplay, Nameless, Echoes, and Loitering The Merry-Go-Round at 9:00 in sidestage with Nine Kids in a Trenchcoat, The Uncrustables, Airplane Bathroom, and Humpback Wail ...plus BLANK & ANDY at 9:00 in mainstage! Blank & Andy is a lottery-style show where anyone in the audience can add their name to a list to get called up and play a two-person set with Andy; usually two sets total. We're hoping to make this a monthly tradition, so consider playing and/or coming out to cheer your friends on! FRIDAY PROGRAMMING - This Friday April 24th is another full night: THE ASTERISK* at 7:00 in mainstage ~ this week's theme is April showers 🌦️ The Gift at 7:00 in sidestage with Bankrupt, C-Sweet, and Whoever This Is Cagematch at 9:00 in mainstage with new champions Mid-Tantrum vs. challenger Campy 🏕️ Arbor Day Celebration with Worms at 9:00 in sidestage 🪱 KNOTTY BY NATURE - The fiber arts craft club Knotty By Nature meets again this Saturday April 25th, at Espresso Yourself Coffee & Cafe! Bring a craft project and/or relax with friends between 10:00 and 2:00, and contact Cassie Ema at crepn2@gmail.com for more information! 🧶 OPEN WINDOW - This Saturday April 25th is another opportunity to participate in the monthly storytelling event Open Window, 4:00-6:00 in sidestage! Participants are encouraged (but not required) to share stories inspired by a series of prompts: this month's prompts are 1️⃣ A time when you went through a hard time and came out the other side with something good (the rainbow after the storm), 2️⃣ Are you a spring cleaner? A story about the chores you love and hate to do, 3️⃣ Are you a prankster or not? Hit us with your story of pranks or when you’ve been pranked, or 4️⃣ Are you a poet, and didn’t know it? Share a poem you like and why, or your own! Also, attendees are not required to share stories; this is a free community event for folks to chat, share, listen, and enjoy a potluck provided by the event's organizer Nathan Engle. Big thanks to Nathan for coordinating; see his post here for information! 🪟 SATURDAY PROGRAMMING - Some really fun special shows to celebrate this Saturday April 25th: The Springtime Shortform Jamboree - Musical Edition! at 7:00 in mainstage ~ it's a seasonal sampler of shortform improvisation, this time with all musical games by the current Musical Improv Level 2 cohort Oogly Boogly and some totally optional low-pressure audience participation. 💐 Base Reality Check: Agents at 7:00 in sidestage ~ it's a James Bond parody TTRPG liveplay 🎲 The Funeral: Death by Bangers and Mash at 9:00 in mainstage with Nine Fair Ladies and a proper London sendoff 🇬🇧 RUNNING CLUB meets this Sunday April 26th at Queeny Park! Runners and joggers and casual striders meet up around 10:15-10:30 at the Mason Road entrance. Fingers crossed for sunshine but a little rain on a spring day ain't gonna hurt us either. 🌦️ MONDAY JAMS - Come out for more miniworkshops this Monday April 27th, 6:00-6:50-ish: Student Jam with Megs Davis! Grad Jam with Chase Pierce! Big thanks to Megs and Chase for facilitating, and big thanks to you all who participate! MONDAY PROGRAMMING - It’s week #5 of this cycle of student showcases - only three more until graduation! Teams Level 2 Student Showcases at 7:00 in mainstage Teams Level 1 Student Showcases at 7:00 in sidestage ...plus an additional special showcase by students of last session's Monoscene Workshop in sidestage! LOOKING AHEAD - There's also a couple community events to check out in the following weeks too: 🎭 KTK COMEDY NIGHTS - KTK Productions is hosting another Improv Comedy Night at their venue 3519 N. 14th Street next Friday May 1st and Saturday May 2nd, both at 7:00! If you have a team you'd like to submit, contact Kati Giblin at kati.giblin13@gmail.com for more information! 😽 KITTEN RETREAT - Attention animal lovers! There's another kitten yoga fundraiser event for Rescue Movement Alliance happening Saturday May 9th, 11:00am-3:00pm! Follow the RSVP link for more information and an event itinerary; big thanks to Elizabeth Lindburg for coordinating! Ok that puts a bow on this week, fam. 💝 Keep up the good work; maybe set an intention this week to talk to someone that you haven’t talked to a bunch yet, idk, could be fun. 💁 Much love and gratitude, Melanie Penn