Carleton Improv Association

Carleton Improv Association 2011/2012

2011-09-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

The Carleton Improv Association is back, and this time it's going to be bigger, with awesomer explosions and breasts. Lots of them.

The CIA kicked off the 2011/2012 school year with a bang, knocking out two performances at Carleton's orientation week in front of crowds of 1000+ people. Not too shabby performing in front of an audience bigger than all our 2010/2011 audiences combined. Way to go Brodie, Billy, Paul, Tom, Eric and John.

As a consequence try outs the following week were packed! 20 people trying out for a coveted 12 spots on the CIA competitive team. It's going to be a tough call too, because everyone who showed up was phenomenal. A second week of auditions are being held this Saturday in the atrium from 2pm - 4pm, with more people expected to show up. Needless to say the CIA is excited to be playing and performing with some new talent this year.

Keep an eye out here and on Facebook for more information about upcoming shows, events and workshops.

OTTAWA IMPROV SUMMIT 2011

2011-03-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

Carleton is going to host it's own 2nd Annual Ottawa Improv Summit.

The event will be attended by not only the talented performers of Carleton University, but also the unparalleled talent from our friends at Ottawa U and McGill. The show looks to be a good one, and shouldn't be missed by any fans of improvised comedy.

Ottawa U, McGill and Carleton performed together last year as well at our first attempt at an improv summit. Still not quite up to McGill's watermark for improv summits, Carleton is aiming to take this year's to the next level; the show may possibly involve some of the most uncanny challenges ever issued in the history of improv.

The show's venue is still TBD but it will start at 8:00 on Saturday the 19th of March. Keep your eyes peeled for posters popping up on campus and Facebook for updates on the event.

The Ballad of the Montreal Summit Part 2

2011-03-03T17:27:00.001-08:00

Here it is ladies and gentlemen. The 2nd part of the infamous night in Montreal that led to the incarceration of several Filipino dwarves looking for revenge, a unicorn ride and a boxing match between two naked men in an abandoned hotel hallway.

Dare you listen?

The Ballad of the Montreal Summit

2011-02-22T23:32:00.000-08:00

If you want to know in more detail about the Montreal Summit, and the quasi-racist/sexist tendencies of it's current president then tune into part 1 or 2 of a podcast from the popular series The Tom Lando Files. Hear the epic tale of what REALLY transpired at the Montreal Summit as told by Tom Lando and John Piekoszewski with their gracious host Magill Foote.

Part 2 will be up next Tuesday night.

McGill Summit 2011 2nd Place!

2011-02-15T20:21:00.000-08:00

The Carleton Improv Association is officially the best university improv team in Ontario.

OK really we're not, we just had a really 'on' night, but f*ck it's a cool thing to think.

The Carleton Improv Association joined McGill, Ottawa U, UofT, Brock, Queens and UQAM to compete for the coveted Shatner Trophy, awarded to the king of improv. While the trophy went to three time consecutive champions UQAM, Carleton managed a close 2nd place, narrowly beating Queens by a point in the semi-finals, and tying them in the finals. With scenes involving a very unfortunate medical romance, a disturbingly biological spelling bee and a hockey draft pick facing his worst fear, Carleton tickled the audience's funny bones, and pulled their heart strings. Congratulations to Adrian Cronk, Ryan Lynar, Tom Lando, Paul Piekoszewski and John Piekoszewski for a successful trip. We wish the rest of the team could have been there.

The CIA will be featured soon in an upcoming TEAM VS TEAM match against Ottawa's own Insensitivity Training on Feb 27th at Yuk Yuk's comedy club on Elgin St.

Look forward to a future update about Carleton hosting its own improv summit right here in the heart of Canada's capital.

Carleton plays Pier 21, Ottawa

2011-01-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

Check out the first few images from the CIA's most recent show at Pier 21 on January 14th, 2011!

Downtown Show(s) Update!

2011-01-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

The show at Pier 21 is coming up soon!

Come see the Carleton Improv Association perform at Pier 21 on the 14th of January. The show will start at 8pm and will go on until 10pm. Afterwards stay at the bar for drinking and dancing with some of Carleton's finest improvers out there!

Tickets will be on sale soon in the University Center Atrium and keep your eyes peeled for posters around campus!

More details or questions? Check out the facebook event:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=158091537571400

In other news the CIA will also be performing at Yuk Yuks on the 27th of February with local Ottawa team Insensitivity Training in a head to head improv-off! More details on that show to come.

See you there!

CIA's First Downtown Show!

2010-12-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

The Carleton Improv Association is going to perform its first downtown bar show this January!

The event will be taking place at Pier 21 on the 14th of January, the start time is still to be determined. The event will be, I assume, 19+ but anyone who comes can get drunk with the team afterwards. Who knows, maybe some lucky lady will take home one of the CIA's most desired men Tom Lando and Chris Henn? It's all in the hair.

Tickets will be available soon and information on how to get them will go up ASAP! Stay tuned!

Our existence is Improv-ing

2010-11-23T21:15:00.000-08:00

Improv is making a name for itself at Carleton.

Besides a rocky first show and not really picking up our heels when it comes to getting out there, the Carleton Improv Association is finally coming into it's own.

Suffering from relative obscurity outside of our friend groups, the Improv Association is a hard thing to find if you don't know where to look. We're not an official CUSA club and so don't appear on the official list of clubs and societies at Carleton. Despite this, things are looking up.

The CIA will finally be on the Co-Curricular Record website which will allow members to add us to their transcript, and it will make us easier for other people to find. Membership has increased by 4 in the past 2 weeks which is an increase of almost 25%.

Aside from our regular shows (which I mean to make happen every month from now on) the Improv Association has enjoyed a brief but fun and enlightening experiment in merging Improv and Architecture. This experiment may prove to change the way our shows are conducted from now on.

The CIA is also enjoying two new positions: Vice President - External and Videographer. These positions are as of yet unfilled but recognition will be made in the near future. Do not be surprised to see advertisements around campus shortly.

As always Improv is a blast even just in practice, and I encourage everyone to come and try their hand. If not come check out our shows, each one different and more interesting than the next.

NEW YEAR!

2010-08-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

So.

The time has come at last that a new year starts at Carleton University, which means a whole new year of improv. I'm expecting a really good turnout of new members this year. Last year we had 9 or 10 regulars who came every week, and I think that was a great number for shows and to get to know each other really well.

I would however love more people! The more the merrier as they say. I'm always looking to learn new games, new styles and new people. Having grown up doing improv in Amsterdam I am personally not as familiar with such styles as the CIG or Mon-prov (Montreal Improv) and people looking for that style of improv may be disappointed at first with our little rag-tag group of improvers. HOWEVER, fear not. The Carleton Improv Association is always looking to learn and incorporate any new kinds of improv to our club.

Dangerprov seemed to go over really well last year (my apologies to Paul and Scott).

At any rate, practices will continue to be every Saturday from 2pm - 4pm. We meet in the Atrium (top floor of University Center) and generally relocate to a vacant classroom. Our first practice for returning members will be this Saturday, the 4th of September so we can all catch up and discuss the direction of the team for next year. Our first open practice will be the following week, September the 11th.... hmmm...

As I was saying the first open meeting will be on the 11th and will go from 2pm to 5pm. A little longer than usual but that gives us more time to get to know each other and of course have fun.

A last minute disclaimer. Our team is not what you would call politically correct. This isn't to say we are racist or intolerant in any way, quite the opposite. So long as you're not slinging racial slurs around it's alright by us.

Thank Blade we have a website

2010-06-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

HOLY CRAP.

I found out last week from a prospective member that we have a website. I was astonished.
I was handed the keys to the Carleton Improv Association at the end of the 2008/2009 school year. I had NO IDEA we had a website, and as such it hasn't been updated in 2 years. But now it will be.

As a way to advertise shows and attract new members or even people who just want to try their hand at improv once to get a feel for it, the website will be updated more frequently. I can't say it'll be a weekly thing but if there's big news then rest assured it'll be on here.

So just to recap, the Carleton Improv Association IS still around and we WILL be having practices starting in the new 2010/2011 school year. I am also considering having a few summer pracitces for (prospective) members that are in Ottawa during the month of July.

Looking forward to the new year!

John