Out of Bounds West is a comedy festival happening May 22-25, 2008

Here's where you'll find all the information you could ever want to know about this year's performers.
And maybe a little more than you wanted to know.

~ SATURDAY ~

In our Thursday 8pm block:

		Impro Theatre [Los Angeles, CA] Impro Theatre has been teaching and performing improv in Los Angeles since 1988. Their main focus is longform narrative or “unscripted” theatre. Among their many critically acclaimed shows are “Triple Play" (a play, a movie and a musical completely improvised in Three Acts), "Shakespeare Unscripted", "Dickens Unscripted" “Shakov” (A Chekhov and Shakespeare 2 act play) and Musicals: "The Hell Show", "Cattle Call" as well as the longest longform yet "Carnal Peaks" (A "Soap opera" which once ran for 26 weekly episodes). They've also performed Keith Johnstone’s' "Life Game", "Micetro" and the long running “Theatresports”. Their alumni include Wayne Brady, Mike McShane and Brad Sherwood of “Whose Line is it Anyway” as well as Sherry Bilsing-Graham and Ellen Plummer Executive Producers on “Friends”. IT has performed and taught in festivals and Theatresports tournaments around the world. Impro Theatre is performing an improv show Saturday at 8pm ====> BUY TICKETS NOW <==== -Reviews and Accolades- First place in New York at Freestyle Rep’s World Theatresports tournament First place at the Edmonton Fringe Festival in Rapid Fire Theatre’s Theatresports tournament First place in the North American “Iron Improviser” in Calgary, Alberta Canada First place in World Cup improv in San Francisco Artist's web site, Artist's MySpace page

CAST: Coming Soon

			Available Cupholders [Hailing from Chicago, Austin, and Los Angeles] Available Cupholders is a nationally touring improv comedy institution dedicated to expanding the horizons and expectations of what improvised theatre, film, and tv can accomplish. They have toured universities, festivals, and theatres for the past several years, gaining the respect of peers and enemies alike. They are involved in countless side projects, some enjoying great success, some are incredible failures. An Available Cupholders show is most often an experiment in form, usually designed to tell a story, and always hilarious. Fun Fact: They all went to the same high school but none of then graduated in the same year. Available Cupholders is performing an improv show Saturday at 8pm ====> BUY TICKETS NOW <==== - Reviews and Accolades - Winner Best of the Week FronteraFest 2007 Austin Chronicle Review Chicago Flame Review Artist's web site, Artist's MySpace page

CAST: Kaci Beeler, Jon Benner, Ace Manning, Jeremy Lamb, Michael Joplin, Bill Stern

			Get Up [Austin, TX] Get Up is two master improvisers from Austin, Texas presenting narrative long form at its best. Expect multiple characters, quick edits, and sophisticated comedy as they make up a complete story on the spot. Get Up is performing an improv show Saturday at 8pm ====> BUY TICKETS NOW <==== -Reviews and Accolades- Austin Chronicle Review Artist's web site, Artist's MySpace page
CAST: Shana Merlin, Shannon McCormick

And in our Saturday 10pm block:


		The Trans4merz [Los Angeles, CA] With over 500 shows and three Emmys for comedy writing under their collective belts, The Trans4merz turn any stage into a living, breathing comedy brain. One simple suggestion of an activity or movement from the audience becomes just about anything as a group of 3 to 9 players use the "transformation" form to transition from one situation to the next. These guys are legends. The Trans4merz are performing an improv show Saturday at 10pm ====> BUY TICKETS NOW <==== -Reviews and Accolades- Artist's web site
CAST: Mike Castagnola, Chris Ellis, Harry Hannigan, Jay Kogen, Ted Michaels, John Stark

		Backpack Picnic [Hailing from Austin and Los Angeles] Backpack Picnic is the latest comedy troupe/flower to evolve/blossom from the creative minds/plants that fester/sprout in the brains/humus of Mitch Baker and David Bewley, who have been performing original comedy together for 11 years. René Pinnell joined the troupe when he directed their MTV pilot in 2005, and Shannon McCormick and Jeremy Lamb have been integral players since 2003. Though Backpack Picnic's history is short, it comes from a long line of absurdist-comedy incarnations dating back to a performance in HBO's US Comedy Arts Festival in 2000. They've been compared to Kids In The Hall, Monty Python, and most recently, flowering plants. Backpack Picnic is performing a sketch show Saturday at 10pm ====> BUY TICKETS NOW <==== - Reviews and Accolades - Austin Chronicle Write-up Artist's web site, Artist's MySpace page

CAST: Mitch Baker, David Bewley, Shannon McCormick, Jeremy Lamb, Rene Pinnell

			The Knuckleball Now [Hailing from Austin and Los Angeles] Austin's The Knuckleball Now was born one night in October 2004, when the Boston Red Sox began their historic comeback against the Yankees which lead to an eventual World Series Title. Their love for baseball was great, but their love for performing improv was even greater. TKN was founded by David Modigliani (Harvard's Instant Gratification Players), Mike D'Alonzo (Gravy, Austin TheatreSports, Catch 24, Players to be Named Later), Craig Kotfas (Gravy, Austin TheatreSports, Catch 24, We Could Be Heroes), with Michael Joplin (Available Cupholders, Gravy) and Lee Eddy (Salvage Vanguard, St. Idiots Collective) adding to the mix in recent years. The Knuckleball Now is performing an improv show Saturday at 10pm ====> BUY TICKETS NOW <==== Artist's web site, Artist's MySpace page
CAST: Mike D'Alonzo, Michael Joplin, Craig Kotfas, David Modigliani, Lee Eddy

CONTACT OUT OF BOUNDS WEST