We were in the paper. We were on the radio. We were on television. We were on stage. 3/4 of those things couldn’t have happened without our incredible publicists, Lauren Rinker and Matt Harrington. I mean, check out our awesome coverage:

• RICHMOND DOT COM “Richmond Improv Festival Part Deux”
• NBC12 “Funny Comes to Downtown”
• MORE NBC12
• RICHMOND INSIDE OUT “RIF Hijacks Downtown”
• RICHMOND GRID
• RICHMOND BIZ SENSE “Funny Part Deux”

…And that’s not even half of it.

Lauren and Matt are BOTH available FOR HIRE in the River City. They are rockstars and we couldn’t have done this festival without them. Lauren lives in Richmond and is starting her career as a freelance writer and editor (AND rockstar publicist). Matt, too, in addition to being a rockstar publicist, is a freelance writer, media designer, bass guitar novice and long-suffering Bills/Sabres fan. We love them and you will too.

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The RIF has been AWESOME. Improvisers from all over the country are RIGHT HERE in the River City… as we speak! Comedy ROCKED Thursday night at Capital Ale House. So many hilarious bits TORE UP the stage Friday night at CenterStage – Rhythm Hall. Oh, and we even had some GREAT workshops. (Because you can never stop learning, right?)

Well, it’s almost over. But don’t be sad, because we have one more ROCKING night of comedy left. Check the details:

4PM – CenterStage Rhythm Hall -

COMEDYSPORTZ BAILOUT SHOW. $10 for adults. $5 for students. Awesome? We think so.

7PM – CenterStage Rhythm Hall -

Cubed (Philadelphia)
Pound for Pound (Carrboro)
Einstein Meets Elvis (Atlanta)

9PM – CenterStage Rhythm Hall -

Superbest (Washington, DC)
iProv (Richmond)
Fritter Kings (Carrboro/Chicago)

Get your tickets NOW.

But wait, the COMEDY doesn’t stop there. The Richmond Comedy Coalition (@RVAcomedy) will be hosting a MIDNIGHT IMPROV JAM at Capital Ale House downtown. $5 for the general public, but FREE if you present a ticket stub from ANY RIF show. Awesome, right? Get up on stage and JAM with the improvisers… and then do some karaoke.

Improv + Drinks + Karaoke = A real good time.

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Tickets! TICKETS! Get Your Tickets! You can smell the comedy and feel the laughter already. So, you want to see some comedy, do you? Here’s how…

Performances on Thursday, November 5th are scheduled at the Capital Alehouse in Downtown Richmond. Tickets are $10 and admission to the 8pm show grants audience access to the 10pm show. Opening Night party at the Alehouse after shows. Tickets are available ONLY at the door. There is no online purchase for Capital Alehouse tickets. So get there early, grab a drink, and get ready to laugh.

THURSDAY 8PM
Heavy Wet Sectional (Baltimore)
Fusebox (Richmond)
Danny Canoe (Durham/Raleigh)
Full Contact (Richmond)

THURSDAY 10PM
Deuce (Richmond)
Death by Improv (New York)
Made of Bees (Richmond)

Performances on Friday November 6th and Saturday November 7th are scheduled at the newly renovated CenterStage in Downtown Richmond. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door ($2 discount for students). Don’t forget about the SPECIAL BAIL OUT PERFORMANCE: Saturday 4PM tickets are $12 for adults, $6.50 for students. Plus, You can buy tickets for the CenterStage shows ONLINE.

And you probably should.

Click here to purchase tickets IN ADVANCE for shows at CenterStage.

FRIDAY 7PM
ComedySportz, Benefit for Camp Virginia Jaycee
** $5 from every ticket goes to benefit the Camp.

FRIDAY 9PM
The Lodge (Washington, DC)
The N Crowd (Philadelphia)
Road Trip (Carrboro)
Dr Fantastic (Washington, DC)

SATURDAY 4PM
ComedySportz, Bails Out the River City

SATURDAY 7PM
Cubed (Philadelphia)
Pound for Pound (Carrboro)
Einstein Meets Elvis (Altanta)

SATURDAY 9PM
Superbest (Washington, DC)
iProv (Richmond)
Fritter Kings (Carrboro/Chicago)

SATURDAY Midnight
Improv Jam, Hosted by the Richmond Comedy Coalition. PLEASE NOTE: Our Saturday Midnight show is presented at the Capital Alehouse. Tickets are ONLY $5, Fans with a ticket stub from any other festival show will receive FREE admission.

So get excited. Get your CenterStage tickets in advance.

Or get them at the door at Capital Alehouse. Get ready to Laugh Out Loud.

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We’re Famous! We are PUMPED to have had ComedySportz Artistic Director Dave Gau featured on NBC12 this past Friday to give all the juicy details on this year’s Richmond Improv Festival. And it was AWESOME (watch the clip). We want to thank NBC12 and all the other media outlets for supporting and promoting the improv scene in downtown Richmond. There is so much talent in the River City and we are honored to showcase our homegrown comedy alongside talent from all over the country.

The 2009 Richmond Improv Festival runs from Thursday, November 5th through Saturday, November 7th. Come see us. Support Your Local Comedy.

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Have you ever said, “Man! Improv looks like SO MUCH FUN. I wish I could do that!” Guess what? You can! SATURDAY November 7th, The Richmond Improv Festival, presented by ComedySportz Improv Theatre and the Richmond Jaycees, is sponsoring a FREE Public Improv Workshop for Loyal Fans and the people of Richmond.

What?: FREE Improv Comedy Workshop

Who?: ANYONE, No Experience Necessary

Where?: CenterStage, Rhythm Hall (600 E Grace St. Richmond, VA)

When?: Saturday, November 7th

Time: 1pm – 3pm

(Students should arrive by 12:45pm, No entry after we start)

Why?: Improv skills are fundamental to Active Listening, Communication, Team Work and Leadership. Oh yeah, and it helps you Be REAL funny.

What else?: It’s gonna be AWESOME!

Come out. Bring a friend. Bring 10 friends.

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We’re excited to have the Richmond Jaycees as a PLATINUM sponsor of the 2nd Annual Richmond Improv Festival. And as a way of thanking the Jaycees, Friday 7PM ComedySportz at Center Stage has been designated a BENEFIT FUNDRAISER for Camp Virginia Jaycee. Camp Virginia Jaycee is a year round residential outdoor recreation and educational facility for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Children and adults with special needs can be helped physically, mentally, and emotionally by an outdoor education and recreation experience. We are honored to support such a great cause. And You can help.

$5 from every ComedySportz ticket will go directly to the Camp.

Come out to see ComedySportz Friday Nov 6th and support Camp Virginia Jaycee.

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YEAH! Our festival makes a splash (or maybe an Artistic splat) on the Downtown Arts Scene in less than Two Weeks. Our 2009 design was created by David Pijor and are gonna be printed Black ink on Red American Apparel short sleeve shirts. Look out for these shirts around Downtown Richmond November 5th – 7th. These are the funny improv people. Hug them. But PLEASE, Do Not ask them to say something funny.

You might get a slap (or maybe a splat).

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It’s Einstein Meets Elvis (JaCKPie – Atlanta) This award-winning JaCKPie touring team brings together an all-star cast to rock your socks off! (EmE is not responsible for lost socks.) What do you get when Einstein Meets Elvis? ROCKET FUELED improv!! EmE features Mike Brune, Jen Caldwell, Damian Dunn and Chris Nik and has recently hit the festival circuit with a BOOM, destroying the Charleston Comedy Festvial, North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival (where EmE returns February 2010), Black Box Improv Festival, Southeastern Comedy Arts Festival, Spontaneous Combustion, So ILL Improv Festival, Hawaii Improv Festival, and the Richmond Improv Festival — YAY RVA!

We are excited to have Einstein Meets Elvis back to the RIF! EmE takes the stage Saturday November 7th at 7pm, Tickets are $15, $12 when purchased in advance.

You should be there.

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That could be you. A Last Minute Sponsor.

And you would be in Great Company. We are currently being sponsored by and/or have partnered with The Richmond Jaycees (PRESENTING SPONSOR), Y101 (Radio Partner), Hilton Garden-Inn (Hotel Partner), Capital Ale House (Venue Partner), Pijornification (Design Partner), Molly Buckley (Marketing Partner).

PLATINUM/PRESENTING Sponsor — $3000 (SOLD OUT)

GOLD Sponsor — $1000 (3 TOTAL)

• Your logo with links on the Festival website
• Mentions at all Festival shows and events
• Mentions in all press materials and media alerts
• Ability to have flyers (produced by Sponsor) at all shows
• 4 unlimited Festival passes

SILVER Sponsor — $600 (8 TOTAL)

• Text links on the Festival website
• Mentions once per Festival show
• Ability to have flyers (produced by Sponsor) at all shows
• 2 unlimited Festival passes

COMMUNITY Partner — $250 (15 TOTAL)

• Text links on the Festival website
• Ability to have flyers (produced by Sponsor) at all shows
• 2 tickets to any show

If you or your organization are interested in Last-minute Sponsorship opportunities please contact Molly Buckley (molly@dsicomedy.com) to talk about Levels of Sponsorship and we can set you up. We are also interested in food partners and in-kind donations as sponsorship options so that we can provide our visiting Improv Artists with the best River City experience possible. Support Your Local Comedy.

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We are pumped to announce the return of Superbest. From the Washington Improv Theater, Superbest had the RIF audience in tears in 2008 as they kept up the comedy while moving seemlessly in-and-out of gameplay. And not improv “game” but virtual character-based “gameplay” – Amazing. You can check out a couple Superbest clips here. Superbest takes the stage at Center Stage on Saturday Nov 7th at 9pm.

More teams and FULL scheduled announced later this week.

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