ComedySportz

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ComedySportz® is an improvisational comedy organization started in 1984 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by Dick Chudnow.

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[edit] Format

The traditional format of a ComedySportz (CSz) show features two teams of improvisational performers (Actletes), competing in various improv games and performing scenes with audience members judging the results and awarding points. In every show, a CSz referee monitors the action, awarding points and administering fouls as necessary. The flavor is very much like the television show Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

ComedySportz penalties (put in place for the audience's benefit) include:

  • the "Waffling Foul" (or "Delay of Game Foul"), called whenever the Actletes move the scene along too slowly.
  • the "Brown Bag Foul", called when an Actlete uses explicit language or refers to something crass or off-color. The Brown Bag Foul is infamously punished by making the offender wear a brown paper bag over their head for the remainder of the scene, even if the offender is an audience member. (In some ComedySportz venues, this has been replaced with the "Potty Mouth" foul, and the brown paper bag has been replaced with a toilet seat.) This foul is the "bagged" mentioned in the ComedySportz theme song.
  • the "Groaner Foul," whereby an Actlete who speaks a pun bad enough to make the audience groan loses at least one point for their team, unless their apology to the audience is heartfelt enough.
  • the "High-Schticking Foul" is called when an Actlete says a joke that "goes over" the audience's head. The offending player then has to step forward and explain the joke.

Although the image of competition is maintained, the teams are often dynamic, with rosters depending on which Actletes (many of whom have "day jobs" or are attending school) are available for a match at any given time.

ComedySportz is licensed by the World Comedy League Incorporated. There are over 20 cities with licensed ComedySportz organizations, most in the United States. In recent years, ComedySportz has been licensed in Manchester, UK and Dublin, Ireland, although Dublin's organization has since ceased operations. Teams meet annually at the ComedySportz World Championship for a competitive tournament, training and exchange of artistic, marketing and organizational ideas. The location of the tournament rotates among the member cities. The 2005 tournament was held in Los Angeles, California. The 2006 tournament was hosted and won by the San Jose, California team. The 2007 CSz World Championship will be decided in the Quad Cities.

Most ComedySportz cities operate their own "arenas", some with theatre type settings, others as nightclubs. The clean content and audience focused nature of the ComedySportz show allows the most successful CSz groups to perform thousands of road shows for corporate, college, church, school and association clients each year; most CSz groups also lead corporate teambuilding workshops. In additition, Playerz from some groups coach ComedySportz High School League teams, in which high school students perform in a show very similar to that seen at the professional level.

Alumni of ComedySportz include Frank Caeti (MADtv), Liz Cackowski (writer, Saturday Night Live), Jason Sudeikis (cast, Saturday Night Live), and Jeff Davis (Whose Line Is It Anyway?).

[edit] Theme Song

This song is based on and is sung to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".

Take me out to see improv
Take me to CSz
Buy me a beer or a soda pop (alt. version one: Buy me a drink and a souvenir; alt. version two: Buy me some cake or a pizza pie; alt. version three: Buy me some candy and soda pop)
I don't care if I laugh 'til I drop (alt. one: I'll raise my hand and i'll volunteer; alt. two: I don't care if I laugh till I die; alt. three: Too bad this place doesn't sell any beer.)
For I'll yell out all my suggestions
I hope I never get bagged
For it's Ha! ha! ha ha ha ha!
As we laugh 'til we gag!

[edit] Locations

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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