Something cheery is coming to warm up winter in Bethesda, Maryland, in January: The Bethesda Improv & Comedy Festival, presented by Bethesda’s own Precipice Improv Theater. The festival features more than a dozen comedy improvisation groups and comics from the DC area. Shows will be performed at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda from January 10 to 15, 2023. Every show has a different lineup. Tickets are $15 per show and are available on Eventbrite.

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The heart of the festival features four different full-length comic plays improvised from audience suggestions by Precipice Improv Theater on January 12-14 at 8 pm and January 15 at 2 pm.

Shorter improvs will be performed by improv troupes All In Pitches!, Sistine Robot, Your Favorite Cookie, Thems Me Vices, Key City Improv, Follow the Lisa, and Thirst Trap Trio. And interspersed among some of the improv performances will be stand-up routines by comedians Davine Ker, Stacey Axler, Carlic Huynh, and Katie Dunn.

At least two improv troupes perform at each show. Each troupe has its own style. And some shows mix improv with stand-up. So each of the six shows is completely different. Tickets to individual shows are $15. But a $20 pass will become available at the end of this week on Eventbrite.com, permitting attendance at all six shows for one low ticket price.

Modern comedy improv traces its roots back to the first great improv duo, Nichols and May. Their 1960 Broadway show, An Evening With Mike Nichols and Elaine May, created a new kind of theater — fresh, witty, sophisticated but emotional, and screamingly funny. Inspired by Nichols and May, Precipice Improv Theater’s goal is to create full-length comic plays from audience suggestions that combine the energy and wit of in-the-moment spontaneity with the depth and power of a good play.

The Precipice Improv team is accompanied by a live improvised piano score created by jazz musician Paul Rosenberg on the keyboard. Here is the full schedule for Precipice Improv presents the Bethesda Improv and Comedy Festival:

Full Festival Schedule:

Tuesday, Jan. 10
“DC Comedy Takeover” is an exciting mix of DC area stand-up comics and improv groups hosted by popular DC stand-up comedian and presenter Stacey Axler.

Sharon & Darren is a crowd-pleasing improv group with Stacey Axler and Heather Marie Vitale that has performed at comedy festivals as far away as Oklahoma City.

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Thursday, Jan. 12 – 8 pm
Your Favorite Cookie improv group has been giving audience members a sugar buzz from their high-energy comedy for over four years. Two of the hottest DC Improv FIST teams joined together to form a “bad-ass cookie” team to keep bringing new flavors to the stage. Directed by Brent Buxton, a graduate of the Washington Improv Theater program. The cast members are Brent Buxton, Michael Cohen, Caroline Kelly, Ryan Knight, Nicky de Haay, Cate Minichino, David Schupak, and Luke Slominski.

Friday, Jan. 13 – 8 pm
Key City Improv – Coming to Bethesda from Frederick, MD, the members are all graduates of Maryland Ensemble Theater’s Improv program. Known for their fun audience engagement styles, their members are Shannon Way, Paul Varga, Chuck Webb, and Alexis Wilson.

Sistine Robot – The Bethesda Improv & Comedy Festival is proud to host this much-celebrated improv group from DC. Featuring Paul Hitlin, Sara Rouhi, and Joe Randazzo.

Precipice Improv is Bethesda’s own longstanding improv troupe directed by Gary Jacobs. Paul Rosenberg, on the keyboard, improvises a live score to accompany the show. The team of actors trains year-round so they can create an hour-long comic play instantly from just a few audience suggestions. The results are comedy, drama, emotion, and laugh-out-loud mayhem. Their mantra is “Never the same show twice!” Cast members are Bob Adler, Ric Andersen, Dan Mont, Sheila Thibodeau, and Alice Lipowicz, with musician Paul Rosenberg on the keyboard.

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Saturday, Jan. 14 – 8 pm
All In, Pitches! is a crew of comic and musical talents that wows the audience with their sassy stories and their perfect pitches. They recently headlined an improv show at the Studio Theater in Washington, DC, after winning fans at other major DC area comedy venues for the last several years. Musical accompaniment lives by Dylan Pfaff. The cast members are Christina Ferrari, Carlic Huynh, Thomas Lam, Shawn Logue, Andrea Mosee, Goli Samimi, Kris Vanyi, and James Zipadelli.

Precipice Improv is Bethesda’s own longstanding improv troupe directed by Gary Jacobs. Paul Rosenberg, on the keyboard, improvises a live score to accompany the show. The team of actors trains year-round so they can create an hour-long comic play instantly from just a few audience suggestions. The results are comedy, drama, emotion, and laugh-out-loud mayhem. Their mantra is “Never the same show twice!” Cast members are Bob Adler, Ric Andersen, Dan Mont, Sheila Thibodeau, and Alice Lipowicz, with musician Paul Rosenberg on the keyboard.

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Sunday, Jan. 15 (2 pm show)
Them’s Me Vices improv group asks audience members, “What are your vices?” They get rave reviews at DC venues where they perform their hilarious improv shows, exploring the 7 major vices and many more. They use the “Dusty” innovative improv format. The cast members are Sabrina Shahmir, Kevin Eggleston, Ted Harrison, Michael Kopalek, Michael Lawrence, Colin McIntire, and Molly Scott.

Precipice Improv is Bethesda’s own longstanding improv troupe directed by Gary Jacobs. Paul Rosenberg, on the keyboard, improvises a live score to accompany the show. The team of actors trains year-round so they can create an hour-long comic play instantly from just a few audience suggestions. The results are comedy, drama, emotion, and laugh-out-loud mayhem. Their mantra is “Never the same show twice!” Cast members are Bob Adler, Ric Andersen, Dan Mont, Sheila Thibodeau, and Alice Lipowicz, with musician Paul Rosenberg on the keyboard.

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Jazz Musician, Paul Rosenberg
Accompanist for Precipice Improv Theater

Sunday Night, Jan 15 – 7 pm
“Winter Fresh Comedy Night”
Hosted by Katie Dunn - Comic performer Katie Dunn hosts this jam-packed show of improv and stand-up. As a longtime improviser, improv trainer, solo performer, and member of the Door #3 Musical improv group, Katie has been active on local stages as a multi-talented performer. If you’re nice, she may even make a naughty Mae West impression.

Thirst Trap Trio – This up-and-coming DC improv group has been wooing audiences in DC and Baltimore since 2020 and is excited to bring the show to Bethesda. Cast members are AJ Minite, Steve Raetzman and Tarun Sinha.

Two Baboushkas improv team members practically grew up wearing baboushka scarves under their chins, and it obviously left a deep impression! Improvisers Alice Lipowicz and Irina Vayndiner explore their cultural heritage in this imaginative show about women in the old country and the new. With Paul Rosenberg on guitar.

Carlic Huynh – Carlic, the improviser, recently was a smash hit in the 2022 Improvapalooza show hosted by Washington Improv Theater at the Source Theater. Tonight Carlic will bring his stand-up comedy game, which is sharp, edgy, and sometimes veers way off the politeness cliff. You’ll see what I mean.

Follow the Lisa improv team is rapidly gaining a reputation around DC for their quirky and unpredictable improv comedy. Follow this team to a fun show! Cast members are Elise Buckley, Grace Campion, Courtney Chinn, Andy Detweiler, Morgan Fykes, Tim Little, Lisa Schreihart, John Sener and Lisa Silverman.

Comedian Davine Ker – Our headliner performer will thrill you, shock you, make you laugh, and convince you to immediately add her to your list of favorite comedians. Davine Ker is a trilingual stand-up comedian and multidisciplinary artist. Her art emerges from thought-provoking jokes, left-field concepts, and unique storytelling that bridges culture, comedy, music, and storytelling. She headlines throughout the DC area and in comedy clubs and festivals from NYC to LA and Montreal, Canada. She has been featured on Amazon Prime’s Comics Watching Comics and has been a Moth StorySlam winner. She also has performed at the International Lady Laughs Comedy Festival, Lincoln Theatre, the Kennedy Center, Funny Bones, DC Improv, and Comedy Nest, among other venues.

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