It’s Funny Cause I’m from ___ is a sketch variety show directed by Eunji Kim, The show explores themes of what it means to be a part of this generation. We discuss themes of lust and desire, the never-ending doom scrolling, and what relationships really mean. Come learn about these students and maybe even something about yourself. From small towns of corn in Texas to booming metropolises, this show features students from across the nation. This show runs every Monday night and changes every week. All the work is created by DePaul Comedy art students with assistance from Director Eunji Kim and Assistant Director Li Angarola. Take a risk, come to laugh, cry, and tell us about where you're from, too! 

The Annoyance's very own musical ensembles. They sing funny songs. Off the top of their heads. Every Tuesday at 8.

A Random Memory is a close-up magic show about memories, connection, and bringing people together to experience magic. In this highly interactive hour of card tricks and mentalism your memories take center stage to make classics of magic more meaningful. So take a seat at the close-up table and together let’s make a magic show worth remembering. 

RPG-13 is an improv comedy company that uses the world of tabletop role playing games to create adventures with the help of the audience. We invite three different volunteer audience members onstage, one at a time, and help them create their very own character, statistics, and genre for their adventure, including which member of our cast will be portraying them. Then a completely improvised story is created by our cast of Adventurers, with our Game Master and volunteer audience member changing anything they want! But the random roll of the dice will determine how those changes go. Roll a 20, a glorious success! Roll a 1, a hilarious disaster! Join us to create your adventure onstage, where you have all the possibilities! Run time: 60 minutes

Ellen Dunn, Jess Wilson, Elaine Stewart, Shaina Stark, and Matthew Stiuso present their new form, The Insignificant Mile! Developed in the Annoyance Training Program, the form features improvisers scene painting based on audience suggestions, building out a strip mall that will become the central location for the show. Have you ever seen a shopping center with a five star restaurant, exotic pet store, and laser tag arcade? Well you’re about to, at the Insignificant Mile!

You've been summoned...to laugh.

Jury Duty is a fully improvised courtroom comedy where the only thing on trial is sanity itself.

Each night, the cast creates a brand new legal disaster based on audience suggestion, questionable logic, and total chaos. Watch as the foreperson loses their mind, evidence makes things worse, and deliberations go off the rails.

No script, no rules, no justice. Just comedy

The trial is fake, the laughs are real

Just like your favorite snack, Comedy Chex Mix serves up a crunchy combo of comedy styles that keeps you coming back for more. Each show features two dynamic high-energy improv teams whose sets are inspired by performances from two local Chicago stand-ups with Heya Toots! as your headliner every show.

Rotating improv teams Old Friends and Funny Business bring their own unique flavors to the mix, while sharp comedians like Anna Byrd, Jordan Euell, Rebecca Augustine, Yzzy Zarate, Emilia Barrosse, Nathan Matos, Becca Nix, Mary Budd, Mia Pillar, Stevie McDunn, Chloe Burns, and Evelyn Lawrence keep the stand-up lineup fresh.

It's the perfect blend of killer stand-up, spontaneous scenes, and that unpredictable flavor you didn't know you needed. Every show is different, every laugh is fresh, and every bite-sized bit hits just right.

 A new favorite of Chicago’s improv comedy scene, Super Scaries is the improvised horror musical that transforms one ordinary object into a brand-new nightmare. It’s terrifying, it’s hilarious, and it’s gone forever by the final note.

Throw out your boredom and come see Stardom Awaits! Our cast of contestants compete to be the Biggest Star of them all! Each round of short form games is an opportunity for them to Win! Stardom Awaits is sure to be the highlight of your week. Brimming with enthusiasm and entertainment!

As a Christian kid, maybe you grew up with Veggie Tales, Psalty the Singing Songbook, or The Donut Man. But what wholesome content do the kids of today have? Why, Benny Bingo and the Evangelikids of course! Become an Evangelikid and meet us at the Flamingo Club House! We'll learn all about Jesus and the Gospel through songs, stories, prescriptive gender roles, and patriarchy! But when the cameras cut, it seems like some of the kids, and perhaps even Benny Bingo himself, are starting to have questions....maybe even doubts? Watch this heartwarming and hilarious original musical that explores themes of deconstruction, queerness, and individuality within the confines of an oppressive belief system — all while unapologetically leaning into joy.

Brand new sketch comedy every week from one of Chicago's premiere sketch teams.

A Chicago based improv comedy show and drinking game based on the works of Alfred Hitchcock.

A 1 hour Stand-Up Comedy Show, showcasing 6 local comics.

See a collage of character studies, scenes, songs and maybe even some audience interaction, all written in a week by some of Chicago’s most accomplished comedians. The “Holy Fuck Comedy Hour” is a curated hour of eclectic, comedic material written in a week with no rehearsals. Featuring a powerful collective representing a wide cross-section of the Chicago comedy community, the material varies every week.

Back by popular demand, this original comedy by Deana Velandra is for reality television lovers and haters alike. In this play, a popular television network will take eight lucky certified Hot People, put them on an island, and make them do stuff. Through a series of unexpected twists, the Hot People are left to figure out the difference between truth and reality. Based on reality television staples like Love Island, Survivor, and Traitors, this absurd Hot comedy is sure to keep Hot audiences guessing til the very end.  

Mentalism meets improv comedy in the entirely unique form created by Annoyance founder Mick Napier. There is truly nothing else like it.

Football: Four quarters and 100 yards of American Dream. And nowhere is the dream more alive than Tacoma Washington High School. This musical takes you through the raunchy highs and tragic lows of high school football. The season isn’t over til the whistle blows and we didn’t hear no whistle. Saturdays at 7:30 January 31st through March 7th. Limited Sunday show run tickets available. 

Book & lyrics by Christian Pitsch 

Music by Lisa McQueen 

Directed by Edgar Nevarez 

Choreography by Sheena Laird

Enjoy an evening of off-the-cuff improv with some of the best emerging talent in the Chicago area. Fire & Beer is a fully improvised comedy show that explores the dark sides of life, relationships and human beings. The show features the Annoyance House Ensemble who excel at both long- and short-form improv. You can expect lots of laughs during this unpredictable improv show.

Napier & Estlin

Date:

Saturday, February 14

Time:

8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Center for Inquiry West

2535 West Temple Street

Los Angeles, CA 90026 United States

Get Directions

Organized by:

Center for Inquiry West

Phone: (323) 666-9797

Email: info@cfiwest.org

Description:

NOTE: This Saturday evening show is in place of the third Sunday Feed Your Brain program.

Famous mentalists like Banacheck and Oz Pearlman regularly wow audiences by seemly revealing things they couldn’t possibly know. But even performers who are better known for other talents can put the secrets of mentalism to work to wow and entertain a general audience. Join us for a special performance of the age-old art of mentalism by two veteran performers.

Napier & Estlin are Mick Napier and Jennifer Estlin, a husband-and-wife team who bring decades of theatrical and comedy experience to the art of mentalism.

Mick Napier is the founder and Artistic Director of Chicago’s acclaimed Annoyance Theatre, an international authority on improvisation, and an award-winning director at The Second City. He is the author of two influential books on performance: Improvise. Scene from the Inside Out, Behind the Scenes: Improvising Longform. His latest work, The God Lens: A Satirical Guide to Biblical Morality was recently published on Amazon.

Jennifer Estlin is Executive Producer and owner of the Annoyance Theatre, a Northwestern University graduate who toured with Second City’s National Touring Company, and an accomplished actress whose work spans stage, film, and television, including recurring roles on Law & Order and Proven Innocent and a starring role in the newly released feature film, Everything Fun You Could Possibly Do in Aledo, Illinois.

Napier & Estlin have performed at the Annoyance Theatre, the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts in Asheville, NC, Chicago Magic Lounge, for WBEZ Chicago Public Radio, The Hideout Theatre in Austin, and at some swanky hotel somewhere in Mexico.

An hour long comedy show featuring some of Annoyance Theatre’s best and funniest.

A bunch of grown-ass adults get high and play make believe.

Football: Four quarters and 100 yards of American Dream. And nowhere is the dream more alive than Tacoma Washington High School. This musical takes you through the raunchy highs and tragic lows of high school football. The season isn’t over til the whistle blows and we didn’t hear no whistle. Saturdays at 7:30 January 31st through March 7th. Limited Sunday show run tickets available. 

Book & lyrics by Christian Pitsch 

Music by Lisa McQueen 

Directed by Edgar Nevarez 

Choreography by Sheena Laird

Guerrilla Press is a Chicago-based progressive independent media company founded by comedians and best friends, EJ Cameron and Nick Hausman. Every Sunday night, they take over The Annoyance to record their flagship podcast! 

Each episode features Cameron and Hausman making jokes and having "partially educated conversations" about the week's top news, before welcoming special guests for interviews and games. 

For more information about upcoming guests, please visit Guerrilla-Press.com or check out their Instagram page @Guerrilla_Press.

Every episode of Guerrilla Press is available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

Will two young couples find their true soulmates? What is it like to date Lin-Manuel Miranda? Is there something strange about Carol's pet? All of this and more will be answered in tonight's episode of... Can Jimmy Foreplay?, the new sketch romcom show from Can Jimmy Play?

BUTTERFACE is a two-person sketch show extravaganza exploring themes of compassion, love, empathy, and cringe. Written and performed through the vessels of Brady Barrow and Ollie Grishaber, these two will bring the beauty of HOPE back to comedy by doing the unspeakable: being two women with okay faces. Sure, the sketches are really good...but her face!