Thank you so much for considering auditioning for Stir Friday Night! Chicago’s longest-running non-profit Asian American Comedy Theater Organization.

Stir Friday Night! (SFN) is proud to be not only a theater organization celebrating and highlighting some of the best AAPI comedy talent in Chicago but also one of the few institutions that is frequently compensated to perform or host workshops for corporations, schools, and festivals all around the world.

In order to achieve those bookings, there is a level of professionalism and conduct that is necessary in order to meet that standard.

Consequently, if invited to join our ensemble, here are some of our baseline expectations.

SFN meets weekly on Monday Nights from 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm. If you cannot make yourself available weekly, please do not audition.

Stir Friday Night is a sketch and improv team. We won’t always be working on a sketch show, and you can choose to opt out of the sketch show. However, when in process for the show, there will be an expectation to revise sketches we’ve worked on in rehearsal at home and bring them in the next week. If you do not feel like you would be able to write/revise weekly, do not audition.

Please sign up for a slot using the following signupgenius link

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AACAA23A3F5C16-58561930-stir#/

Material to Prepare:

Please prepare a 1-minute original (written by you) solo piece. It can be stand-up, character monologue, spoken word, storytelling, or musical number. Honestly, it can be anything you wrote, so long as you can perform it and are proud of it! We love to see you shine in your element! You will also be asked to improvise.

Alternatively, if you are unable to audition in person, we are accepting digital submissions as well. Please tape at least 2-3 original, distinct comedic characters. This reel should be no longer than 4 minutes total. Upload your reel, headshot, and resume to wetransfer.com with "YOUR NAME - SFN AUDITIONS 2025" in the title and message subject line and email to stirfridaynight@gmail.com

Time Commitment:

We meet weekly on Monday nights 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Character Type/Restrictions:

We are looking for talent that identifies themselves as part of the Asian American diaspora.

SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT
If you didn’t know, SFN turns 30 this year!

To celebrate, we’re taking a look into the vault and putting together a show of the some the funniest material Stir Friday Night has written in the last three decades

Join us Friday, October 17th and 18th @ 7:30pm at the American Blues Theater for two memorable nights of AAPI Comedy Excellence

with alumni like Steve Yeun, Danny Pudi, and Mary Sohn there’s bound to be surprises in store!

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

https://americanblues.wufoo.com/forms/zivbjvp0uzp2bv/

SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT
If you didn’t know, SFN turns 30 this year!

To celebrate, we’re taking a look into the vault and putting together a show of the some the funniest material Stir Friday Night has written in the last three decades

Join us Friday, October 17th and 18th @ 7:30pm at the American Blues Theater for two memorable nights of AAPI Comedy Excellence

with alumni like Steve Yeun, Danny Pudi, and Mary Sohn there’s bound to be surprises in store!

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
https://americanblues.wufoo.com/forms/zivbjvp0uzp2bv/

The Detroit Improv Festival Proudly Presents The DIF All Stars featuring WolfTown, No Cheating, and Stir Fry Day Night!

The DIF All-Stars (All over the place) - You don't want to miss this show! Featuring some of the best improvisers from the entire festival including Susan Messing, Ithimar Enriquez, Jamie Moyer, Brett Guenell, Marc Warzecha, Issac Kessler and more!

WolfTown (Chicago, IL) - Fresh off performances at the Boom Chicago Comedy Festival in Amsterdam, Kalamazoo Improv festival, Detroit Improv Festival, Last Word Comedy Festival and soon Edinburgh Improv Festival: WolfTown was formed in 2023 at iO Theater as part of New Team Smell Season 6, coached by Creamboy's Matty Vergun.

No Cheating (Chicago, IL) - Open with Group Character Cocktail party nothing goes from there to callbacks tags / split screens

Stir Friday Night (Chicago, IL) - Stir Friday Night is a fast-paced improv show with a truthful monologist from a cast member, three grounded scenes, another monologue, followed by a run out of scenes

Purchase tickets here!

https://www.detroitimprovfestival.org/stir-friday-night

Comedy Tonight is a mix of all things comedy. Variety show feat Stand-up, characters, clowns? You never know what could happen at Comedy Tonight!

Buy Tickets Here!

Fun and Dumb is a 4-day improv festival celebrating all things improv, the silly stupid good stuff we just can't get enough of! 750 + performers. 200+ shows. 3 Stages. Workshops galore.

It might be the biggest improv festival in the world.

Buy tickets HERE you have to buy the day pass for Friday!

LookOut is Steppenwolf’s performance series that presents the work of artists and companies across genre and form. Emerging artists and performance legends, quintessential Chicago companies and young aspiring ensembles, familiar Steppenwolf faces and new friends. Buy a ticket and support the local arts scene; the majority of each purchase goes straight to artists.

All performances take place in Steppenwolf's 1700 Theater, an intimate and flexible venue nestled behind Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks. 

For 30 years, Stir Friday Night (Chicago's longest-running AAPI comedy team) has been making people laugh. This show is no exception. As they gear up for their milestone 30th anniversary sketch revue in the fall, Stir Friday Night has roped some of their best and funniest ensemble members for Rice to the Occasion, an evening of sizzling, flavorful comedy. MSG included.

Full cast to be announced.

Tickets can be purchased here

LookOut is Steppenwolf’s performance series that presents the work of artists and companies across genre and form. Emerging artists and performance legends, quintessential Chicago companies and young aspiring ensembles, familiar Steppenwolf faces and new friends. Buy a ticket and support the local arts scene; the majority of each purchase goes straight to artists.

All performances take place in Steppenwolf's 1700 Theater, an intimate and flexible venue nestled behind Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks. 

For 30 years, Stir Friday Night (Chicago's longest-running AAPI comedy team) has been making people laugh. This show is no exception. As they gear up for their milestone 30th anniversary sketch revue in the fall, Stir Friday Night has roped some of their best and funniest ensemble members for Rice to the Occasion, an evening of sizzling, flavorful comedy. MSG included.

Full cast to be announced.

Tickets can be purchased here

Doors open at 4:30pm

5:00pm - Industry Showcase (Free Ticket!)

6:00pm - Flava Flavor Flavour, Asian Takeout, Antojitos, D.A.R.E. Dropouts and Gang Gang 

*Intermission

8:00pm - The Mermaids, The Spades Table, Stir Friday Night, Flex Improv, and Escandalo 

10:00pm - Free Patio Party!

VanDuvall & 4rd Productions, in collaboration with The iO Theater, announces a new single day BIPOC Comedy Festival: The Fest Vol. 1!

On June 19th, 2025 from 5:00 pm - 10:00pm, the festival will be held at the historic improv comedy theater’s Lincoln Park location, located at 1501 N Kingsbury St, and will feature ten of Chicago’s best improv and sketch teams featuring all performers of color!

The Fest: Vol. 1 kicks off with an industry showcase that starts at 5:00 pm where a lineup of all star POC comedians will be performing tight fives and solo material. This showcase is FREE, but reserving a ticket is highly recommended.

Then at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm Chicago’s best improv and sketch groups that feature performers of color will take the stage. Each of these show slots are $20 each and are ticketed separately. 

To end the night, we will all party and celebrate with a DJ on our outdoor patio. 

We can’t wait to see you there! 

The Fest: Vol. 1 features live performances by:

Antojitos

Asian Takeout 

D.A.R.E. Dropouts

Escandalo 

Flava Flavor Flavour

Flex Improv

Gang Gang 

Stir Friday Night

The Mermaids 

The Spades Table 

Contact info@ioimprov.com for all questions

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

The 19th annual Twin Cities Improv Festival returns to 2605 Hennepin - 4 days featuring some of the best unscripted theater and improvised comedy from the Twin Cities, across the country and around the world.  Different showtimes will feature various acts, so make sure you get the right ticket!

Thursday - June 5th 
6pm:  Soap-prov /  Sad Songs for Happy People / Mud Coven 
7:30pm: Where I Am Now / The Bearded Company / Improv Movement Project 
9pm: Babe Train / The Shrieking Harpies 
10pm:  Attenborough / Darth Hogbeaf 

Friday - June 6th
6pm: Five Man Job / the Dim Sons
7:30pm: Two's Company / poems, for each other / Oshow 
9pm: Your Co-Workers Improv Show / Asian Takeout / Stir Friday Night 
10:30pm: Give The Drummer Some / Jackie Bass 

Saturday - June 7th
5pm: Star Trek : the next improvisation
6pm: 2Zin Tarandon / the One Four Fives / FLEX 
7:30pm: The Mess / Orange Tuxedo 
9pm: Drum Machine / Wisenheimer / Devil's Daughter 

Sunday - June 8th
7pm: When Harold Met Sally / NUDGE / Again & Again / Brownies Don't Lie 

BUY TICKETS HERE

Stir Friday Night is the longest running Asian American comedy troupe with nearly three decades of existence that includes notable alumni such as Steven Yeun and Danny Pudi. Most recently performing in Amsterdam’s prestigious BOOM Comedy Festival, Stir Friday Night will perform an hour-long improv set that includes both long-form and short-form improvisation that’s fun for every age.

All ages are welcome.

This event is free to the public.

All information can be found here!

The first evening of the Asian Persuasion Comedy Variety Show, May 4 -- is fast approaching! Come experience Chicago's top tier comedians while dining on delicious Japanese cuisine from Kamehachi Sushi and celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with us! Space is limited, so get your tickets at HERE😸🍣

M.I.L.F. (Mach Improv LA Festival) is back, this time as a TWO-DAY festival featuring the best indie comedy in Los Angeles and special visiting guests!

Running April 25th and 26th at The Clubhouse, and joined this year by W.G.I.S. and The Pack, this fest features a lineup of 100+ comedy acts! Including: improv, music, stand-up, characters, bit shows, unhinged screeds, and more.

The Show is FREE first come first served!

More information about the festival can be found here

Join us for a night of long-form improv with some of the best improv teams in the city! Hosted by improv team, Holy Goat!

Doors Open  7:30 PM
Show 8:00 PM - 9:20 PM
Cost $5

Tickets can be purchased online and at the door as well. 
We are a small, open seating venue and encourage groups to arrive 15 minutes before show time to find seats together.
We are also BYOB! (Bring your own beverage)

Purchase Tickets HERE

Flex Improv is made up of some of the best and wildest BIPOC performers in Chicago. From heart felt laughs, physical comedy, monologues, and singing, you never know what to expect from Flex. With new openers each week, including our Lab Cast, and of course us!

Tickets can be purchased HERE

Come see DEEP DISHIN’ on the last Wednesday of every month at 7:00pm at The Den Theater in Theatre 2A.

Deep Dishin’ is a piping hot monthly variety show featuring juicy, sizzling improvisation... thick, thick stand-up comedy... slurpy musical comedy... drippy, gooey solo characters... and more... all on a crisp, buttery sketch comedy crust. Every month, you’ll get to see all-new sketches and all new guest performers. We’ll announce our monthly line-ups here and you can make reservations at this link. Eat up!

Real Angels presents a weekly show with guests performing improv, sketch, short plays and music*. Not all of these are guaranteed but a good time always is.

Real Angels is an improv team made up of Mike Brunlieb, Jenelle Cheyne, and Lindsey Smith.

Doors Open  9:00 PM
Show 9:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Cost $5

Tickets can be purchased online and at the door as well. 
We are a small, open seating venue and encourage groups to arrive 15 minutes before show time to find seats together.
We are also BYOB! (Bring your own beverage)

Purchase Tickets HERE

Lil Weenie Salad is a WACKY improv show where we create the teams LIVE in front of the audience by spinning a HUGE wheel! All teams consist of four people and under and feature a brand new cast every week with Chicago's BEST comedians! The teams then combine together to create a MEGA team and more hilarity ensues! You aren't going to want to miss this! 

Purchase Tickets HERE

A weekly comedy show featuring some of the best improv, standup, and sketch in the city!

Doors Open  7:30 PM
Show 8:00 PM - 9:20 PM
Cost $5

Tickets can be purchased online and at the door as well. 
We are a small, open seating venue and encourage groups to arrive 15 minutes before show time to find seats together.
We are also BYOB! (Bring your own beverage)

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

On January 17th, the gates of hell burst open for Devil Fest, a one-night-only demonic bacchanalia of comedy at iO Theater hosted by Devil’s Daughter. This is not your typical comedy festival--this is a descent into pure madness.

Imagine all of your favorite comedy teams--those stalwarts of the Harold, musical improv, and short form games--completely unleashed from their usual forms. What chaotic theatrical experiments will they perform? What mind bending evil performances might they conjure? At Devil Fest, expect the unexpected and prepare to have your sense of reality forever warped.

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” - Mary Kate Olsen.

Featuring:

22 Improv

BirdLady

Duluth

Escandalo

Fizz

FLEX

High Stakes Productions

Improvised Jane Austen

Megalodonna

The Mermaids

Spellbound

Stir Friday Night

Trigger Happy

Voila

Wet Pizza

Whimsy Lohan

Tickets can be purchased HERE