ComedySportz Los Angeles
ComedySportz Los Angeles (sometimes abbreviated CSzLA) is a shortform improv company currently performing a mix of shortform and longform shows at the National Comedy Theatre in Hollywood. It was founded in 1988 by James Thomas Bailey, making 2013 its 25th year. It is one of the most successful ComedySportz cities.
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History
ComedySportz first opened at West Coast Ensemble Theatre in Hollywood in 1988. In 1992 it moved to the Tamarind Theatre (also in Hollywood), and was hosted there until from 2002. The company now maintains its own performance space, the National Comedy Theater. In 1998, ComedySportz Los Angeles also produced Ticket Takers at Universal Studios, performing improvisation and sketch comedy at CityWalk. Many of the theatre's performers also work as coaches and referees in the theater's High School League, a youth improv training program that the theater curates. The league currently includes over seventy schools from San Diego to Thousand Oaks. Many High School League performers have gone on to join the Main Company.
Education
ComedySportz LA specializes in shortform improv classes. They offer occasional longform classes, as well as regular stand up classes and "Master Classes" for things like musical improv, character work, and improv specifically for television. The High School League is the theater's largest education program.
Shows
The competitive shortform format of ComedySportz is the signature show of ComedySportz LA, but the company also produces a variety of improvised shows. Some of these include U-sical, a longform musical about an audience member; Chickspeare, a Shakespearean longform performed entirely by women; The High, a spoof of teen soap operas; and Mannerhouse Manor, a longform show in the style of Downtown Abbey.
Main Company
The Main Company performs ComedySportz on Fridays at 8 pm and on Saturdays at both 8 and 10:30 pm.
Performers
Jose Acain, Maurissa Afanador, Konstantine Anthony, Abel Arias, Natasha Arnold, Zheryk Badugu, James Thomas Bailey, Jennifer Bascom, Brett Bayonne, Joe Bereta, Grace Blakeman, Kylie Brakeman, Tom Clark, Luis Cortes, Andy Crocker, Cat Davis, Paul Detrick, Holly Gray, Bryan Green, Katie Green, Sami Haeli, Em Hantke, Paul Hungerford, Matt Lusk, Ryan Marsico, Chris Mathieu, Adam McArthur, Tess Mccarthy, Amanda McCann, Derek Mears, David Miller, Jason Murphy, David Neale, Brian Nichols, Michelle Nussey, Myles Nye, Scott Palmason, Saurabh Pande, Sarah Parga, Scott Passarella, Lauren Pritchard, Eddie Quintana, Rob Rock, Robyn Roth, Michael Santell, Zanon Schmidt, Kurt Scholler, Alexis Simpson, Kiehl Smit, Kristen Smith, Joe Spence, Rick Steadman, Andrew Stubblefield, Paige Tierney, Brendan Weinhold, Eric Wood, and Silvie Zamora
Sunday Team
The Sunday Team performs ComedySportz every Sunday at 7 pm. It is directed by Lauren Pritchard.
Performers
Michael Barryte, Roger Garcia III, Aaron Graham, Kurt Maloney, Joy Mamey, Peter Pasco, Logan Stein, Justin Michael Terry, Steve Young, Eric Zipper
College Team
Directed by Natasha Arnold and Bryan Green, the College Team performs format on Thursday nights at 8 pm. They also perform regular longform shows on Monday nights (Secret Lab, directed by Eddie Quintana) and host annual improvathons.
Performers
Ashlee Abernethy, Katie Barbaro, Kimia Behpoornia, Georgia Button, Jacky Chan, Erin Colicchio, Drew Cullinan, Ryan Curran, Jeff Echegoyen, Alex Faciane, Colton Harker, Bekah Hinds, Tiffany Katz, Rachel Kottkamp, Nika Mabson, Sean McSweeney, Kirstie Newman, Tyler Phillips, Tyler Prado, Alex Queen, Victor Quispe, Arielle Schwitkis, Ari Stidham, Jordan Stidham, Andrew Tippin, Jacob Wysocki
The Impromptones
ComedySportz Los Angeles played a large role in producing The Impromptones, a musical improv quartet consisting of Bailey, Whose Line Is It Anyway? regular Jeff Davis, Joe Whyte, and pianist Michael Pollock. The Impromptones improvised songs in a wide variety of styles and formats, and performed regularly at Cinegrill Cabaret Lounge in Hollywood for 26 weeks. They released a recording of a collection of their shows entitled Steamy Monday in 1999.
Alumni
According to the company's site, ComedySportz LA alumni have appeared on MADtv, Saturday Night Live, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, The Sarah Silverman Program, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Some notable alumni include:
- Jonathan Mangum - Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza, Fast and Loose, Trust Us With Your Life, Let's Make a Deal, The Wayne Brady Show
- Eric Price - MadTV, Reno 911!
- Chris Tallman - Chocolate News, Crossballs: The Debate Show, Reno 911!, The Sarah Silverman Program, Thank God You're Here
- Jessica Williams - The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
