A festival celebrating artists who work without a script and tell their stories entirely in the moment
Showcasing more than 150 performers, 20 improvised theatre groups, 5 improvised films and 15 stage shows over a 5-day festival of improvised theatre and film. Plus, workshops, panels, parties, and more!
2013 & 2012 performers (L-R): The Raving Jaynes (photo: Alberto Reyes), Reverend Raymond Nader, and Shackled.
View our latest press release!
Our Mission
We celebrate improvisational theater and film that seeks to tell a story. We aim to widen the spectrum of existing improvisational theater and bring a higher respect and awareness to the art form and the artists involved. We seek out, encourage and foster the development of diverse new works and performers that excite and inspire the next generation of theatergoers and film lovers to embrace improvisation and collaboration. Please Join Us in Celebrating Improvised Theater and Film! |
We're conveniently located in Midtown NYC
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Here we are, in our 3rd Year! Unscripted New York Improvised Theatre & Film Festival will run October 1-5, 2014, back again at Theatre 54, in Midtown NYC, around the corner from the Late Night with David Letterman theater. PLUS! This year, we are thrilled to hold our Celebration of Improvisation in Film at HBO! Yes! HBO will host our Film Festival on Friday, October 3rd, at their headquarters in Midtown Manhattan.
Unscripted New York is the only festival dedicated to showcasing films with improvisation at their core. Screening at the intimate HBO theater is a perfect match for the avant-garde, innovative filmmakers who were selected to screen at Unscripted New York. Filmmakers are flying in from Canada, the UK, and Europe to attend the festival; for most films, this is their US premier. Unscripted New York will feature both local and international shows, including some fan favorites from 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. We are so grateful for our new Film Curator, Mandy May Cheetham (see below), and are delighted to see the Film Fesitval take a step forward this year. With the help of Film Freeway for submissions, we selected 5 outstanding films and videos to showcase at HBO. And, of course, we will create a digital video, improvised from conception to screening, produced entirely during the festival. Yes And! We will offer workshops again this year, including the FABULOUS, not-to-be-missed teacher (some would say Guru) from Chicago's Second City, Michael J. Gellman. More on our workshops soon -- we have some exciting offerings coming this year! Yes And! Unscripted New York will host once again the Supreme Honorary Improvised Theater & Film Awards (SHITFAs – affectionately known as the SHITTYS). This celebratory show will feature The Unscripted Players, a collaboration of faculty, staff, and selected participants from the festival roster, who will come together for the first time ever to perform an unscripted one act play. We THANK YOU for your support and can't wait to bring you Unscripted NY 2014! Let's have some BIG FUN! Heather & Liz |
Hey, we're using a new hashtag this year: #unny -- join us in tagging and sharing news and tips on the Festival! #unnystage / #unnyfilm / #unnyevents / everything #unny
"You don't want the audience to remember you, you want them to remember character and story."
– Michael J. Gellman, Second City Director & Faculty As Festival Co-Founders, we have heard this philosophy from Michael Gellman, a Master Teacher & Director of Improvised Theatre (at Second City, AND, and elsewhere) and keep it as our mantra.
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Unscripted New York Co-Founders:
Elizabeth Quinn & Heather Smith Lutkin
Who are Liz & Heather? We have been performing together and sharing a love for improvisation for more than 15 years. We met in a longform improv troupe called Pop7, directed by both Matt Walsh & Amy Poehler (before they were UCB and beyond), and we both fell in love with character-driven, story-based, thoughtful improvised theater...improv that went beyond the games and cleverness to be more genuine and authentic collaborative storytelling. We have shared a journey that includes lots of classes, like those with well-known Second City director, teacher and performer, Michael Gellman (a regular at Unscripted New York and one of our mentors!); attending the first Master Improv Retreat sponsored by Artistic New Directions (our first fiscal sponsor); and creating unique shows that sold out at the PIT and beyond.
Our shared love for improv that seeks to tell a story led to the birth of Unscripted New York. Unlike other improvisation festivals, Unscripted New York spotlights artists who share our passion for improvised performance that is character-driven and narrative in nature. We are always looking for the freshest improvised shows, featuring performers who take their art form to new heights or explore edgy, unknown territory.
We also believe great improv extends to TV & Film and that the web of improvised filmmaking is growing. As members of the Lab Rats, we helped to create the feature-length, all-improvised film, "Unscrewed," which won Festival Awards, including "Best Comedy," and premiered in a limited run at the Quad Theater in New York City in February 2005. Unscripted New York Festival celebrates the spirit of collaborative filmmaking that uses improvisation to tell a story.
In our third year (2014), we expanded our production and festival support team by enhancing our film celebration with the help of our first Film Curator, Mandy May Cheetham (see below). We are so proud that HBO hosted our Celebration of Improvisation in Film and TV last fall at HBO headquarters in Midtown Manhattan. Unscripted New York is the only festival dedicated to showcasing films with improvisation at their core. Screening at the intimate HBO theater was a perfect match for the avant-garde, innovative filmmakers who were selected to screen at Unscripted New York. Filmmakers flew in from Canada, the UK and Europe to attend the festival; for most films, this was their U.S. premiere.
We continue to be excited by the energy that pulls together the BEST improvised theatre shows and films to fans, and we look forward to coming back bigger and better. Reach out if you want to donate or sponsor our mission to celebrate improvisational performers who create great improvised theatre and film.
Keep in touch and be part of our Big Fun! Contact us at [email protected]
Liz & Heather
Our shared love for improv that seeks to tell a story led to the birth of Unscripted New York. Unlike other improvisation festivals, Unscripted New York spotlights artists who share our passion for improvised performance that is character-driven and narrative in nature. We are always looking for the freshest improvised shows, featuring performers who take their art form to new heights or explore edgy, unknown territory.
We also believe great improv extends to TV & Film and that the web of improvised filmmaking is growing. As members of the Lab Rats, we helped to create the feature-length, all-improvised film, "Unscrewed," which won Festival Awards, including "Best Comedy," and premiered in a limited run at the Quad Theater in New York City in February 2005. Unscripted New York Festival celebrates the spirit of collaborative filmmaking that uses improvisation to tell a story.
In our third year (2014), we expanded our production and festival support team by enhancing our film celebration with the help of our first Film Curator, Mandy May Cheetham (see below). We are so proud that HBO hosted our Celebration of Improvisation in Film and TV last fall at HBO headquarters in Midtown Manhattan. Unscripted New York is the only festival dedicated to showcasing films with improvisation at their core. Screening at the intimate HBO theater was a perfect match for the avant-garde, innovative filmmakers who were selected to screen at Unscripted New York. Filmmakers flew in from Canada, the UK and Europe to attend the festival; for most films, this was their U.S. premiere.
We continue to be excited by the energy that pulls together the BEST improvised theatre shows and films to fans, and we look forward to coming back bigger and better. Reach out if you want to donate or sponsor our mission to celebrate improvisational performers who create great improvised theatre and film.
Keep in touch and be part of our Big Fun! Contact us at [email protected]
Liz & Heather
MORE ABOUT THE UNSCRIPTED FEST CORE TEAM
Elizabeth Quinn, Festival Co-Founder & Exec Producer
I have two creative passions: writing and improvisation. I believe story - in all of its forms - is essential to our connection to the world and to each other.
I spent the better part of my 17 years in New York City performing improvisation and studying with teachers from the Upright Citizens Brigade, Second City, The Groundlings, The Peoples Improv Theater (PIT), The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show. I also co-created "Improvised New York", a podcast devoted to interviews and discussions with members of the New York improvisation community. I just completed my MFA in Writing & Producing in TV and currently live in Los Angeles with the hopes of writing and producing television. And yes, I miss NYC!
I have been a proud member of some great improvisation troupes: The LabRats (with my co-producer, Heather Lutkin), STEELE/QUINN (female two-prov group with Lorie Steele) and The Wilhelm (PIT House Team 2008-2010). I continue to perform and teach improvisation whenever and wherever I can. I also continue to write television scripts and stories and have received awards from Scriptapalooza TV, Austin Film Festival, and the PAGE awards. I was a 2012 semi-finalist for the ABC Disney TV Writing Fellowship and my one-hour drama pilot, GOING RENO is a finalist in the 2014 Nantucket Film Festival, Showtime/Tony Cox TV Pilot Competition. I have received 2011 INNY nominations for best comedic duo (STEELE/QUINN) and best improv website (Improvised New York). I hope to see you on stage or in the audience for Unscripted New York 2014! Follow me on Twitter - @quinnwrote
I spent the better part of my 17 years in New York City performing improvisation and studying with teachers from the Upright Citizens Brigade, Second City, The Groundlings, The Peoples Improv Theater (PIT), The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show. I also co-created "Improvised New York", a podcast devoted to interviews and discussions with members of the New York improvisation community. I just completed my MFA in Writing & Producing in TV and currently live in Los Angeles with the hopes of writing and producing television. And yes, I miss NYC!
I have been a proud member of some great improvisation troupes: The LabRats (with my co-producer, Heather Lutkin), STEELE/QUINN (female two-prov group with Lorie Steele) and The Wilhelm (PIT House Team 2008-2010). I continue to perform and teach improvisation whenever and wherever I can. I also continue to write television scripts and stories and have received awards from Scriptapalooza TV, Austin Film Festival, and the PAGE awards. I was a 2012 semi-finalist for the ABC Disney TV Writing Fellowship and my one-hour drama pilot, GOING RENO is a finalist in the 2014 Nantucket Film Festival, Showtime/Tony Cox TV Pilot Competition. I have received 2011 INNY nominations for best comedic duo (STEELE/QUINN) and best improv website (Improvised New York). I hope to see you on stage or in the audience for Unscripted New York 2014! Follow me on Twitter - @quinnwrote
Heather Smith Lutkin, Festival Co-Founder & Exec Producer
Improvisation is a cornerstone of collaboration and creativity. I have used improvisation in everything from dog training to business consulting, and I count it as a key ingredient to any success I've had in life so far. We all improvise every day, so honing that skill into a passion helps get me through the day to day. I highly recommend it.
My eclectic background is rooted in sketch comedy, where I've performed with many well-knowns such as Chris Farley and Dave Koeckner at The Second City in Chicago, and in a very short-lived troupe with Stephen Colbert, to name a few. And my heart is totally devoted to improvisational theater and film. I've done the US-touring thing, with improvisational sketch group Wavelength, and I've played with several NYC troupes; TheaterSports, Pop7, the LabRats, the Next Door Neighbors are a few of my faves. In film and video, I was lucky to be part of UNSCREWED, an award-winning, all-improvised indie film, which won some cool reviews in Variety, and other mags, plus appearances in fun film fests in San Fran, Montreal, among others, where we won some comedy awards. Recent favorite all-improvised works include The Infinite Need, an improvised web series about casting, paying and playing. And I have LOVED producing and being part of both all-improvised films we made at Unscripted NY: Actuality and That Time. Bringing together a group of artists to collaborate and come up with and create a finished video in the span of the Fest is quite a kick.
I also hold an Honorary Clown degree from Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey's Clown College, as well as a Bachelors degree in Communication from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). Check out my Tumblr blog or website if you want to know more about me... I am THRILLED and PROUD to be bringing the Unscripted New York Improvised Theater and Film Festival to you! The SHITTYs are one of my favorite ways we celebrate improv artists -- thanks to ALL who help make Unscripted New York happen each year.
Heather's Tumblr blog Twitter @commsartist and @improvactress
My eclectic background is rooted in sketch comedy, where I've performed with many well-knowns such as Chris Farley and Dave Koeckner at The Second City in Chicago, and in a very short-lived troupe with Stephen Colbert, to name a few. And my heart is totally devoted to improvisational theater and film. I've done the US-touring thing, with improvisational sketch group Wavelength, and I've played with several NYC troupes; TheaterSports, Pop7, the LabRats, the Next Door Neighbors are a few of my faves. In film and video, I was lucky to be part of UNSCREWED, an award-winning, all-improvised indie film, which won some cool reviews in Variety, and other mags, plus appearances in fun film fests in San Fran, Montreal, among others, where we won some comedy awards. Recent favorite all-improvised works include The Infinite Need, an improvised web series about casting, paying and playing. And I have LOVED producing and being part of both all-improvised films we made at Unscripted NY: Actuality and That Time. Bringing together a group of artists to collaborate and come up with and create a finished video in the span of the Fest is quite a kick.
I also hold an Honorary Clown degree from Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey's Clown College, as well as a Bachelors degree in Communication from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). Check out my Tumblr blog or website if you want to know more about me... I am THRILLED and PROUD to be bringing the Unscripted New York Improvised Theater and Film Festival to you! The SHITTYs are one of my favorite ways we celebrate improv artists -- thanks to ALL who help make Unscripted New York happen each year.
Heather's Tumblr blog Twitter @commsartist and @improvactress
Mandy May Cheetham, Film Festival Curator
I am honoured (yes, I’m Canadian), to be a part of the Unscripted New York team and to be working with the dynamic duo - Heather and Liz. My love of improv began at The Second City in Toronto and blossomed at UCB NY. I have been fortunate to work with many talented improvisers in the creation of film and webseries projects - including The Infinite Need, a webseries about casting workshops which I co-created with Ben Hauck - a frequent performer at Unscripted NY. I am the proud recipient of a SHITTY award in 2013 for International Achievement in Improvised Film, and I look forward to supporting the best films in the improv world this season.
More on Mandy May Cheetham. Twitter: @MandaMayC
More on Mandy May Cheetham. Twitter: @MandaMayC
