Chicago Improv Festival Creates Ideas And Laughs Out Of Thin Air

Rachel Mason (left) and Susan Messing (right) perform with Craig Uhlir at a previous Chicago Improv Festival.
Rachel Mason (left) and Susan Messing (right) perform with Craig Uhlir at a previous Chicago Improv Festival. John Abbott / Courtesy of Chicago Improv Festival
Rachel Mason (left) and Susan Messing (right) perform with Craig Uhlir at a previous Chicago Improv Festival.
Rachel Mason (left) and Susan Messing (right) perform with Craig Uhlir at a previous Chicago Improv Festival. John Abbott / Courtesy of Chicago Improv Festival

Chicago Improv Festival Creates Ideas And Laughs Out Of Thin Air

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Everyone needs a good laugh, and Chicago is holy ground when it comes to creating laughs via the art of improv. 

If you’re a long-time fan of improv or you’re ready to dip your toes in the water, the 19th Chicago Improv Festival is the perfect place to start. 

Organizers choose the best-of-the-best from more than 250 submissions, and the whole range of improv will be played out at venues across the city. 

Two of the biggest names in improv — Susan Messing and Jonathan Pitts — join us to talk about everything from how they do it to how they teach it to women in the improv world. 

Plus, they perform a few minutes of improv based on a prompt from a Morning Shift listener.