Upcoming Events!

Join Help Me I’m Drowning for an hour of improv structured around a loose Harold, drawing on experimental roots. As the show progresses, relationships develop, themes emerge, and unique characters are explored. With an emphasis on theatricality, grounded emotion, and playful comedy, the show weaves together storylines and games to arrive at a satisfying emotional and comedic conclusion. Featuring: McKenzie Fleischer Ethan St. Germain Robin Fierberg  

It's like a game of Telephone, but with a movie!

Live and unplugged..

The Bagelsteins, married 32 years, have taken an improvisational comedy class and are ready to show off what they’ve learned by doing some improv. They will be joined by some of New York City’s most talented performers for an hour of fun! Starring: Sloane Miller, Zach Nelson, and guests!

15 Minutes Away is about to be New York City's premiere sketch team. Out of the ashes of UCB, BoogieManja, and the pandemic; this team is a mashup of some of the best actors and writers in the sketch scene.

There's a buzz in the air. Baby Dangerous is turning one year old and it's all anyone seems to be talking about. "How will the sketch team celebrate the momentous occasion?" asked a fan of the team, who's also a member. "How about a performance of their most distinguished AND esteemed sketches?" answered the same guy. "He's talking to himself again..." noted the therapist. Join us for an evening of laughs, and forced nostalgia, as we perform our favorite sketches from the past year!   Baby Dangerous is a sketch comedy group that features PIT writers and performers, who are up-and-coming-and-unwell. With an emphasis on finding hilarity in the lives of the mundane, Baby Dangerous presents a revue of sketches, characters, and musical performances that explore the most bizarre and downright dangerous delights of the average Joe.   Featuring: Dan Bevan, Cassandra Briskman, Brian Carrera, Desmond Conwright, Tim Daly, Sophia Giovanis, Ian Harris, Hayley Marks, Charles Rivkin, and Austin Tytel Tech: Sebastian Martinez

A full hour of aMUSEment!

Come watch Queer performers get into the “Yas, and!” spirit as they spread the LGBTQIA+ agenda through improv comedy! It’ll be a gay ole time!

Every day there is something to celebrate!

This sketch/stand-up variety spectacular finally answers the question, “why is being funny an attractive quality for men to have, but a threatening quality for women?” by giving the hottest and most threatening women in New York City the platform they deserve. No boys allowed, except in the audience where they belong <3 Featuring: Colleen Granberg Caitlyn Letterii Morgan Conley Daphne Moses Izzy Wachtel Dara Weinstein Jiayi Peng

"What does it mean to be Hispanic?"

Smarties, tums, loose peanuts: the pocket candy of Gods! This value-sized special will be sweet with delusion. Come enjoy 60 minutes of fantasy, idealism, and main character moments with Pocket Candy. Grab your favorite emotional support gobstopper and step into our weird little fever dream. And what’s a fever dream without puppets? Featuring: Alyssa DeLio, Jamee Lind, Emily Vandenblink, Swann Gruen, Brett Donovan, Sean Zorn & Ashley Grombol

After a decade of making up musicals together, veteran musical improv team Vern returns to The PIT, the place where it all started, perform a fully improvised musical. Join us for an evening of laughter, tears, and song, right out of a Sondheim fever dream.   VERN is Rachel Bouton, Daniel Tepper, Kiki Mikkelsen, Julie Feltman, Jeff Scherer, Katie Hammond, Matt Giroveanu & Mikey Montalbano with musical direction from Jody Shelton.

Each ensemble consists of exceptional improvisers working together to bring audiences the exhilarating, supportive and one of a kind experience of long form improvisation.

Each ensemble consists of exceptional improvisers working together to bring audiences the exhilarating, supportive and one of a kind experience of long form improvisation.

Each ensemble consists of exceptional improvisers working together to bring audiences the exhilarating, supportive and one of a kind experience of long form improvisation.

Each ensemble consists of exceptional improvisers working together to bring audiences the exhilarating, supportive and one of a kind experience of long form improvisation.

Court is now in session!

Mug-Mug is an improvised comedy duo consisting of comedian/writers Bethany Hall (Upright Citizens Brigade, The Chris Gethard Show) and Dion Flynn (The Tonight Show, The Moth). Mug-Mug welcomes you to have a great time at this fast-paced and hilarious three-quarters of an hour. Bethany Hall is Creative Director of Comedy Initiatives at the Center for Media & Social Impact. She's Co-Creator and Executive Producer of GoodLaugh at CMSI. Hall is the Creative Director of the Yes, And…Laughter Lab. She is a writer, producer, and comedian who spent years as a cast member on ‘The Chris Gethard Show’ on TruTV. She’s an Executive Producer on ‘By Us For Us,’ an original comedy by Color of Change. She co-created and EP’d the series, ‘Thanksgiving,’ has performed at Bonnaroo, SXSW, ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien’ and as the TGS writer, Bethany, on NBC’s ‘30 Rock’. Bethany served as the Communications Project Manager for The Atlantic Philanthropies, responsible for coordination and oversight of the foundation’s various legacy products. Hall is a graduate of Middlesex University in London. DION FLYNN: Cited by Oprah Magazine as “one of our favorite creative thinkers…”, improvisor, comedian, actor, writer and army veteran Dion Flynn, is best known as Barack Obama (and other characters) with over 100 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. As founder of “The Improvisor’s Mindset,” Dion Flynn fuses his improv background with personal development insights, offering strategies for cultivating an improvisational mindset applicable to communication, creativity, and problem-solving for business leaders.

Theatresports™ is the fast-paced improv show where two teams of improvisers will compete against each other, taking your suggestions to perform hilarious scenes, songs, games and more! YOU may even be brought up on stage to help them out! Boo the Judges as they score each teams scene and bring them farther or closer to winning the night! At the end of the show, one team will be crowned the winner based on the judges total scores. This show has been done all around the world and is a perfect way to start your Night in New York!

Frizzled: A Magic School Bus Musical Parody is a brand new adventure for the kids from Walkerville!

Your Intrusive Thoughts are at it again with an improvised set that is sure to flood your brain. Get ready for improv, standup, characters, and more!

From the creator of the ultimate sketch comedy competition "Bragging Rights" comes the comedy gauntlet, where actors find themselves having to flex their comedy muscles by earning enough points in sketch, improv and standup games and scenes to outlast their competitors. Can YOU survive the gauntlet?    

Baby Bumper Cars is not afraid to make it BIG and take it FAR!

Comic Sans now enters its tenth year of goofing around.

Welcome to Murder at the Game Show!

Sketch comedy that changes shape every show!

JERICHO is the supernatural being that you get when you mash together the talents of young bucks Brandon Seidman, Jake Wallace, and Cole Ortiz-Mackes. Jericho performs an improvised one act play filled with hilarity, vulnerability, DRAMA, and bravado, all stemming from a quote given by the audience. The trio met while studying at the PIT and are now lifelong friends. Striving for truth and relationship focused, Jericho brings real acting and theatrical elements to add weight and purpose behind the goofy fun that will ensue. You don’t want to miss the Jericho experience. Come watch Austin Tytel & Kyle Shamblin perform a completely improvised movie! Inspired by your suggestions, they will make up a movie right in front of your eyes that would make Roger Ebert give two thumbs up from his grave. They’ve made every type of movie, from Westerns to Musical Biopics to Aaron Sorkin inspired films.

Improv team, Definitely Employed, takes the audience along a feverishly funny improvised dream sequence!   Featuring: Colby Blangiardo, Zara Hannaford, Parker Fritts, Sean Luca, Daniel Golden, Christine Betts, Delaney Sciascia, Violette Devieille

Join the current faculty of the Peoples Improv Theater as they showcase their skills on improv, stand-up, sketch, and so much more!

Matt Higgins (Andy Kaufman Award finalist, Burn Manhattan/Centralia Spontaneous Theater) delivers 45 minutes of singular comedy and improvisation.

His off-beat standup is the calm before the fully improvised storm.

Image artwork by Barry Simon

Two of NYC's finest improv teams go head-to-head in 4 rounds of comedy combat with one victor tasting improv comedy glory! Thrills! Chills! Kills! The M.I.C. has it all--BE THERE!

"One of the most impressive and absurd long-form improv routines in the city." - TimeOut NY

In "Bird and Friends - Cosmic Unity", seasoned improv veteran Michael Bird takes the stage solo and crafts an exhilarating improv show in collaboration with the audience. The experience transcends the conventional improv show as anyone watching, regardless of number, can jump into the performance at any time - and yes, that includes YOU! Bird takes all choices made by the audience and weaves them into the show in real-time creating a fully cohesive long-form show, leading to the ultimate cosmic unity of PLAY.   For this very special, 200th performance of the show, Bird is bringing in the Cosmic Unity Band! This talented ensemble of musicians will be improvising mesmerizing background music and original songs with the audience throughout the entire show. The result is an unforgettable night where improv, music, and love intertwine, breaking down the barriers between performer and spectator in a celebration of play and connection. Starring: Michael Bird and the Cosmic Unity Band

Join us in the Loft for a night of new character material by upcoming comedians in NYC.  

Exploring new frontiers of comedy with two all-female teams. *Redshirts take to the stars with a fully improvised Star Trek: TNG musical. The Enterprise has never been this N'Sync! *B-Side uses your favorite song lyrics to inspire their improv. Singing isn't guaranteed, but it's been known to happen with this lot.    

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

The Peoples Improv Theater is proud to announce the return of NYC Sketchfest 2023!

QueerProv NYC: Come watch Queer performers get into the “Yas, and!” spirit as they spread the LGBTQIA+ agenda through improv comedy! It’ll be a gay ole time! Fool Party: Short Form Improv Short form improv returns to the PIT Loft! Fool Party brings together some of the best improvisers in New York City for an hour of games, songs, weird characters, bad jokes, and, most importantly, laughs! FEATURING THE FOOL PARTY PLAYERS: Surriya Ahmad, Michele Lim, Matt Pozzuolo, Kristin Elliott, Valerie Sachs, Mark Viera & Eric Buscher, with musical accompaniment by Amber Reynolds

Welcome to the improvised documentary — a longform improv show filled with talking heads, found footage, re-enactments, and more! Join the performers of Super 8 as they create a never-before-seen doc on the spot, taking cues from classic tropes of the genre.

PIT instructors Jenny Bareilles and Patrick McCartney improvise together as a duo.  

Come enjoy a night of comedy with lots of monsters, treats and maybe tricks.

A willing audience member gets a Tarot reading from the cast, which inspires a fully improvised one-act play full of witchy things. Maybe even a real spell of laughter and joy will be put on the audience! Featuring: Sunny Atwal Jenny Bareilles Langston Belton Lex Bondoc Nick Carrillo Steph Jacobson Jake Keefe Dana Shulman

A little bit of this, and a little bit of that! HEMLOCK, an all-female, indie improv team is inviting you as their date to their next event. A wedding? A baby shower? The coronation of the next Queen of Scotland? It's up to you where we're going! The Party City Kazoos are a quirky, fun, lovable indie improv team doing a classic Harold with some twists!

At long last…the Bjjörks are back!!

A set of brand new sketches from your fellow Katz! Join us for a night of laughter & #goodvibez.

Breaking the Internet LIVE! with Summer Moran is a high-energy musical improvised game show bringing some of the Internet’s most loved trends to the stage! From the “Try Not To Laugh” game to the messy “Eat It Or Wear It” challenge, there is no shortage of fun during this interactive event. And who knows? You might just go viral!  

GIVE THANKS, because LEE HALL is BACK at the PIT, just in time for the Holidays! Join us for our live movie set, an improvised homage to your favorite summer blockbusters, pulse-pounding thrillers, and heart-swelling romances! Action, Drama, and Laughs all inspired by audience suggestion! Featuring performances from some of the city's finest up and coming comedians! Lee Hall is Connie Thompson, Lindsay Clancy, Manus Clancy, and Melissa Lodge.

Watch your friends from Pie Town play short form games with special guests!

A playlist of sketches. Each show in this series is inspired by a musical theme – the playlist could be any genre, from punk, to country, to gospel, to the Original Broadway Cast recording of your favorite musical. Come hear what musically inspired sketches “College Radio” has composed this month!

Your Father and I would like to show you something.

Christian Flynn leads a merry band of zoomers through three experimental improv sets in the most based show at the People’s Improv Theater.

This solo show is about how to give up your dreams, but in a fun way!!! It tells the story of an aspiring dancer's journey through the ups and downs of show biz, ultimately leading her to question her own identity. This show is for anyone who has made a career shift, experienced an existential crisis, or just loves comedy!

I Mostly Blame Myself is a live sketch comedy show running for almost 2 years in NYC & LA. It's a series of dark, weird, hilarious sketches ranging from Disney parodies to historical musicals, to some slightly controversial topics you've always wanted to address. Every show is brand new, completely original, and absolutely absurd. The recommended age of the show is 18+. Come check it out for yourself!    

All asses are encouraged to take a seat at the PIT and join us for A CHEEKY Sketch Show!

Backdoor Barbecue is a critically acclaimed* NYC-based sketch comedy group that serves up high-energy and tightly-structured shows. Featuring musical performances, character bits, topical monologue joke segments, and more, Backdoor Barbecue cooks up a new sketch revue with some of the funniest folks in New York! ABOUT THE TEAM: Backdoor Barbecue is a NYC-based sketch comedy group that serves up high-energy shows that makes audiences say, “That was a comedy show.” Since its founding in 2016, they have been one of the PIT's long-standing sketch comedy teams, and have been featured in New York City SketchFest, The Second City Network, The PIT’s Pilot Season and House Teams, and NYC SketchBlock, and have hosted a number of podcasts across the vast interweb. Backdoor Barbecue is Mike Brian, Paul Cohen and Chris Migliaccio.

Candy canes, sugar plums, loose peanut brittle: it’s holiday pocket candy! This value-sized special will be a sweet variety show. Come enjoy 60 minutes of fantasy, idealism, and sparkling surprises with Pocket Candy. And what’s a holiday without puppets?