Unscripted New York proudly features both local and international shows, including some fan favorites form past years, as well as experimental new shows. We are always looking for the freshest improvised shows, featuring performers who take their art form to new heights or explore edgy, unknown territory. Our goal is to celebrate those artists who share our passion for improvised performance that is character-driven and narrative in nature.
2014 Festival Fun Facts:
2014 Festival Fun Facts:
- Improvised shows featured both first-time festival performers and award-winning veteran improvisers from cities across the U.S., Austin to L.A. & San Fran, to Chicago, to DC, and of course, hometown NYC!
- Shows range from eclectic to classic, from a full-length improvised episode of the hit British Sci-Fi series "Doctor Who" to completely improvised one-acts in the style of prominent playwrights like Tennessee Williams.
- We featured performers of all types including a troupe of English improvisers from the year 1813 and gritty cops from the 1970's.
- Shows of all genres were represented: irreverent road trip, romance, Stephen King-style thrillers, improvised dance - storytellers to make you laugh, cry, gasp and think.
2014 Show Selections
Read Press Release About 2014 UNNY Theatrical Shows
#unnybitches (New York City) Unscripted NY celebrates Women in Improvised Theater with a special show featuring top female improvisers we know and love. Ever say "Man, that is one funny bitch!"?? These are those women. Fearless. Strong. Smart. Effing funny as hell when you least expect it. These #unnybitches are: Nannette Deasey (NYC), Heather Lutkin (Detroit), Elizabeth Quinn (LA), Lorie Steele (NYC).

ANDsemble (New York City) - The ANDsemble is Artistic New Directions' own acting company. Using improvisational acting to create theatre, we bring stories to life through improvisation, sometimes based on your suggestion, sometimes directly from the emotion of the moment! Cast: TBD.
Blank Slate Improv (Washington D.C.) presents an improvised play based on a single suggestion. Cast: Tim Ward, Chris Smith, Laura Brown, Sheila Thibodeau, Irina Vayndiner, and Kelly Dorfman. Link(s): http://www.precipiceimprov.com/id20.html
Centralia (formerly Burn Manhattan) (New York City) was born in 1996 out of an election-related sketch show from the group's Second City improv roots. The group morphed into Centralia in 2004. Centralia have sold-out shows at all the hippest underground NYC improv, theater and comedy joints ever since. They've also delighted and stunned audiences at clubs and colleges around the country.
Cast: Matt Higgins, Jay Rhoderick, Kevin Scott. |

Cochise: A Fully Improvised 1970's Cop Show (Austin, TX) It’s the 1970s and Detective John Cochise (or Jane Cochise, depending on the performance) is a loose cannon scouring the streets of Metro City looking for trouble, and he won’t stop until justice is served. John and his partner will work the leads, follow the trail, shake down the witnesses, chase the bad guy, charm the ladies, and take down Mr. Big, all while giving the Chief an ulcer. You have the right to remain funky! Cast: Barrett Phelan, Emma Czarnecki, Ericka Bundy, Greg Blank, Haley Alea Erickson, Joshua Santo, Manuel Duran, Matthew Davis. Director: Marc Majcher. Assistant Director: Paul Normandin.
Link(s): https://www.facebook.com/CochiseImprov
Link(s): https://www.facebook.com/CochiseImprov

Doctor Who Live (Los Angeles, CA) Based on a suggestion from the audience, the cast of Doctor Who Live creates a full-length improvised episode of the hit British Sci-Fi series "Doctor Who". Cast: Peter Fluet, Jen Krueger, Markeia McCarty, Chris McGowan, Frank Moran, Gian Molina, Lexi Notabartolo, Andrew Pish, Chris Thompson, Lynn Trickey, Clint Verner, Daniel Weiss, Andrew Wollman. Link(s): http://www.facebook.com/DoctorWhoLiveLA, http://www.twitter.com/DoctorWhoLiveLA, http://www.DoctorWhoLiveLA.com/, http://ioimprov.com/west/io/shows/doctor-who-live

Flakey Jake (San Francisco, CA) are a two man monoscene improv team from San Francisco focused on exploring the strange and weird in comedy with a willinglessness to sacrifice life and limb for a laugh. Cast: Michael Manziello & Michael Williams. Link(s): https://www.facebook.com/FlakeyJakeSF?ref=hl&ref_

Happy Karaoke Fun Time (NYC) It’s Happy Karaoke Fun Time! A musically improvised show where Improv and Karaoke come together to create a world in which scenes explode into popular songs you’ll recognize (but lyrics you won’t)…made up entirely on the spot! Cast: Kathleen Armenti, Nikita Burdein, Jen Connor, Maya Deshmukh, Philip Markle (Creator), Kiki Mikkelson, Ali Reed, Christopher Simpson, Ross Taylor, Doug Widick.
Link(s): http://www.happykaraokefuntime.com/
Link(s): http://www.happykaraokefuntime.com/

In Our Prime (Austin, TX) are four Improvised storytellers finding the grounded and real life in our improvised tales. We explore relationships as old as time with grounded characters often unique yet everyday. Using our successful comedic Curve Ball format, we take a suggestion for a crazy location or event and play it as real as possible. Cast: Jessica Arjet, Gloria Rabil Bankler, Ryan Hill, Paul Normandin.
Link(s): http://www.inourprimeimprov.com/, https://www.facebook.com/InOurPrime
Link(s): http://www.inourprimeimprov.com/, https://www.facebook.com/InOurPrime
IRTE Presents: THE SCARY, Improvised Stephen King (New York City) Watch in terror as the twisted members of IRTE craft your suggestions into a story worthy of the KING of Horror, himself! Dare you face... THE SCARY?!! THE SCARY, directed by Pat Shay (PIT Faculty, iO and Second City Touring Companies), is a long-form improvised comedy that borrows common themes and tropes from Stephen King's most popular works and, based on audience suggestions, creates an entirely new and FUNNY LIVE horror show. Cast: Nannette Deasy, Evie Aronson, Robert Baumgardner, Irene Carroll, Curt Dixon, Jamie Maloney, Brian Michael.
Directed by Pat Shay. Link(s): http://irteinfo.wix.com/irte, https://www.facebook.com/pages/IRTE/312498052101722, Twitter: https://twitter.com/IRTE_IMPROV |
Michelin (New York City). Ever wonder what an improv show would look like, with realistic and fun male-female theatrical tension? You'll think: “I can't tell if I've been watching a show this whole time, because these really attractive people are making me feel a little awkward, but I think I’ll stay and be a voyeur.” Get in your seat and buckle in, for you are now rolling with Michelin: Gripping Improv.
Cast: Michelle Francesca Thomas, Colin McNally. Link(s): https://www.facebook.com/MichelinImprov |
On The Road (New York City) is an improvised road trip. It all takes place right in front of your very eyes. The roads taken are off the beaten path. Cast: Mehdi Barakchian, Michael Delisle, and Ronny Pascale. Link(s): http://facebook.com/knbimprov
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Pat and Mary Save Their Marriage (New York City). Pat and Mary try to do the unthinkable - stay married. They do this by strictly adhering to the help that historical couples like John and Abigail Adams, Antony and Cleopatra and Beyonce and Jay Z offer them. Every show they ask the audience for a typical marital gripe and with a little help from their "friends" they try to solve the problem and Save Their Marriage. Cast: Mary Theresa Archbold and Pat Shay.
Link(s): @dearpatandmary Facebook - dearpatandmary |

Playing With Reality: Quartet (New York City). Vic and Terry have been blessed with a picture-perfect romance and are now minutes away from walking down the aisle. But, before they do, their love will have to survive the schemes and designs of Barry, Vic's womanizing best man, and Lisa, Terry's drama/diva maid of honor. In each show, the roles of soon-to-be-wed couple are played by audience volunteers. Cast: Alyssa Kim, Shea Elmore. Director: Jeff Wirth.
Link(s): www.playingwithreality.org, https://www.facebook.com/playingwithreality, https://twitter.com/playingwreality
Link(s): www.playingwithreality.org, https://www.facebook.com/playingwithreality, https://twitter.com/playingwreality
Story Story (New York City) is the newest installment of the Magnet Theater's Director Series, a series of performances wherein a director selects a cast and presents a different improvised form. Sometimes you find that people have a lot more in common than you might think. "Story Story" blurs the line between fact and fiction, using stories from the actor's own lives to lead us into a world of pretend and back again. Cast: Charlie Nicholson, Matt Alspaugh, Woody Fu, Perri Gross, Carolyn Burns, Kate Koch, Rebecca Robles, Rob Penty. Directed by Louis Kornfeld.
Link(s): http://www.magnettheater.com/shows/43397-The-Director-Series-Story-Story |

Storybox Unscripted Theatre presented by Chicago Improv Productions (Chicago, IL). Storybox Unscripted Theatre is a ritualistic and epic multi-narrative ensemble based improvisational storytelling performance featuring innovative theatrical values. After getting suggestions from the audience, the talented cast uses sticks, cloths, and a variety of artistic disciplines to create the story of a protagonist and then transform that lead character's arc into a full-length play. Jonathan Pitts - creator/director, Jeremy Garrett - assistant director & David Knoell - musical director. Current Company members include: Alyse Ahmad, Mitch Conti, Lizzie Daniels, Liz Dillard, Justin Hamby, Scott Hanada, Ricky Haschemeyer, Thomas Herman, Amanda Jennings, Mike Keeney, Nick Klahs, Leah Martin, Jonathan Pitts, Freddie Ramos, Jason Raymer, Fiona Stephens, Miguel Villa, and Jordan Williams.
Link(s): http://storyboxtheatre.org/, http:www.chicagoimprovproductions.org, http:www.facebook.com/chicagoimprovproductions
Link(s): http://storyboxtheatre.org/, http:www.chicagoimprovproductions.org, http:www.facebook.com/chicagoimprovproductions
The Austen Family Improv Players (New York City) are a troupe of English improvisers from 1813 who will dazzle you with a montage of such characters and scenes as are certain to divert you famously. Cast: The Austen Family Improv Players are Miss Martha Cipolla, Miss Emily Johnson, Miss Frankie Johnson, Mr. Samuel Palmer, Mr. Daniel Pozmanter, and Miss Kelly Rockwell.
Link(s): https://www.facebook.com/austenfamilyimprov/ |
The Improvised Play (New York City) performs completely improvised one-acts in the style of prominent playwrights and genres, spontaneously generating an original and hilarious work of theater right before your eyes! Every night promises an entirely new theatrical experience! Playwrights include Tennessee Williams, Sam Shepard, Harold Pinter, Arthur Miller, Anton Chekhov, and more!) Cast: Gia Ingram, Jackie Jennings, Carrie McCrossen, Vincent Moore, Hunter Nelson, Elizabeth Noth, Chris Principe, Zack Willis. Link(s): http://theimprovisedplay.com/about-us/
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The Raving Jaynes (New York City) combine dance and improv to tell stories. Characters, settings, atmosphere and abstract imagery emerge from the simple seeds of skillful movement. Two unique characters go on a journey that gradually reveals itself amidst a collage of accompanying scenes. The audience gets to make its own surprising discoveries in a made-up story--one that's much stranger than it at first appears. The dancers become actors and back again--dialogue into movement, movement into dialogue. The sacred and profane, natural and fantastic, flawed, ridiculous and hopeful mingle in a field of play. Cast: Amy Larimer, Jamie Graham. Link(s): amylarimer.org, https://www.facebook.com/TheRavingJaynes

Trick Baby (New York City) is a fully improvised monoscene that take finds humor in the small details and big opinions. The performance is character and relationship driven. Cast: Diego Martinez, Eric Goldberg.
Link(s): http://trickbaby.improvteams.com/
Link(s): http://trickbaby.improvteams.com/