College Improv Tournament
The College Improv Tournament (often abbreviated CIT) is an annual, competitive, and nation-wide festival of collegiate improvisation curated by Chicago Improv Productions. It began in 2007.
Structure
CIT begins with regional competitions, wherein college improv teams compete against their local counterparts. The winner of this preliminary leg of the tournament is determined by judges - professional improvisers from the hosting local theater - and the winner is then invited to the finals in Chicago. The eventual winner of this final round is invited to perform in the Chicago Improv Festival.
Any brand of improvisation is welcomed. According to the CIT website: "Teams can do all short form games, a long form, a mix of short and long form, narrative, puppets, musical… you name it. As long as it is improvised, we want to see it!"
Past winners
| Year | Winning Team | School |
|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | CANCELED: COVID | N/A |
| 2020/21 | CANCELED: COVID | N/A |
| 2019/20 | Pasadena Golf Club | New York University |
| 2018/19 | The Loaf | Shenandoah University |
| 2017/18 | 45 Kings | Loyola University |
| 2016/17 | Cat Booty | Columbia College Chicago |
| 2015/16 | Paperback Rhino | University of Iowa |
| 2014/15 | Feral Christine | Sarah Lawrence College |
| 2013/14 | Tall, Grande, Venti | California Institute of the Arts |
| 2012/13 | Glaundor! | University of Houston |
| 2011/12 | Dropping $cience | Columbia College, Chicago |
| 2010/11 | Dead Parrots Society | Western Washington University |
| 2009/10 | Daddy Mags | Northwestern University |
| 2008/09 | Improv Mafia | Illinois State University |
| 2007/08 | Old Tom Jar | Northwestern University |
Regional locations
In 2014, the following regionals were held:
- Heartland Regional @ Comedy City (Prelims) and The Kick Comedy Theatre (Finals) in Kansas City, MO
- New England Regional @ Improv Boston in Cambridge, MA
- Big Apple Regional @ The Magnet Theatre in New York City, NY
- Upper Midwest Regional @ HUGE Theater in Minneapolis, MN
- West Coast Regional @ The Improv Space in Los Angeles, CA
- Lower Midwest Regional @ ComedySportz Chicago in Chicago, IL
- Northwest Regional @ Jet City Improv in Seattle, WA
- Liberty Bell Regional @ Philly Improv Theater in Philadelphia, PA
- Chicago Open Regional @ ComedySportz Chicago in Chicago, IL
- Golden Gate Regional @ Un-Scripted Theatre in San Francisco, CA
- South Regional @ Whole World Improv Theater in Atlanta, GA
- Southwest Regional @ Station Theater in Houston, TX
- Windy City Regional @ ComedySportz Chicago in Chicago, IL
The Chicago Open Regional is open to any and all college improv teams wishing to perform in Chicago, regardless of where their college is geographically. In 2015, CIT will partner with the NYC Student Improv Jam to host a jam for all participating teams prior to the competition.
Mission
From the official CIT website:
CIT is a celebration of college improv disguised as a competition. We aim to foster the growth of the art form for college improvisers as players and as teams. We aim to help foster a sense of community among college improvisers both on a regional and national level. We also aim to help get college improvisers seen by professional improv directors and producers.
