PIF 2002

April 13, 2002
The Phoenix Improv Festival was originally created as a one night showcase of local troupes and as an opportunity for performers to meet, work together and share ideas in a time when very little communication existed between them. ComedySportZ and The Jester'Z each performed shortform sets followed by a Harold by The Barrow Gang and an improv jam.
The Festival was held at the now defunct Metro Theatre in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Notable Events

First Improv Festival in Phoenix Area
It is believed the Barrow Gang set was the first longform performed in the Phoenix area (suggestion: mortician)

Performing Troupes

ComedySportZ Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ)
The Jester'Z (Scottsdale, AZ)
The Barrow Gang (Phoenix, AZ)

PIF 2003

April 18th-19th, 2003
The success of the first festival led to the idea of an annual event. The second year of the event moved to downtown Phoenix in The Paper Heart Art Gallery and was expanded to two days. A larger number of local troupes were involved along with the first invitations to out of state performances.

Notable Events 

First multi-night Festival
First time out of state troupes invited
Only sketch show in Festival History (Moving Targets)

Performing Troupes

Apollo 12 (Phoenix, AZ)
FLD Productions (Phoenix, AZ)
Men in Shirts (Detroit, MI)
Hovercraft Powered By Love (Phoenix, AZ)
The Moving Targets (Los Angeles, CA)
Bare (Chicago, IL)
The Barrow Gang (Phoenix, AZ)

Workshops

Bill Binder, Chuck Charbeneau, Clif Highfield

PIF 2004

April 22nd-24th, 2004
The largest shortcoming of the 2003 festival was a lack of hospitality for visiting performers. The goal of the festival was to make visitors feel welcome during their stay in Arizona. The den mother system - assigning a local performer to take care of a troupes needs while in town - was adopted and remains an integral part of the festival. The addition of a Thursday night Arizona Showcase allowed several smaller local troupes to perform for a larger audience and become more involved in the improv community. Incidents of note include the director of the festival going temporarily blind one week prior to festival and a performance of Actual Theatre by Bare that was so harsh and convincing that several audience members called the festival coordinators the following day asking if Bare was OK. Music was provided by DJ Legacy.

Notable Events

Screening of The Delmonic Interviews
Adoption of den mother system
Premiere of Arizona Showcase

Performing Troupes

Arizona Showcase
All Rights Reserved (Phoenix, AZ)
Urban Lemmings (Chandler, AZ)
PT Comedy Players (Phoenix, AZ)
Off the Cuff (Mesa, AZ)
The Charles Darwin Experience Reunion (Tucson, AZ)
The Dub-H All-Stars (Phoenix, AZ)

Mainstage
Galapagos (Phoenix, AZ)
New Kevin (Tucson, AZ)
Men in Shirts (Detroit, MI)
Apollo 12 (Phoenix, AZ)
JoKyR & Jesster (Salt Lake City, UT)
Bare (Chicago, IL)

Workshops

Chuck Charbenau, Clif Highfield, Shaun Himmerick

PIF 2005

April 14th-17th, 2005
The 2005 festival was a large leap in scale. A non-profit organization was formed within the state of Arizona to promote improv in the Phoenix area including the festival. Spnsorships, advertising and donations helped promote the event to a much larger audience along with increased press coverage. The festival relocated to the Playground in the Park Theatre in the Viad Center in downtown Phoenix, offering a full theatre setup and an increased 200 seat capacity. Through sheer luck the festival was able to book some of the more sought after shows and instructors from around the country. Bret Anderson masterfully hosted the festival.

Notable Events

Screening of The Delmonic Interviews
U.S. Premiere of The World According to Keith
First television coverage

Performing Troupes

Arizona Showcase
All Rights Reserved (Phoenix, AZ)
Bootsie's Girls (Phoenix, AZ)
Ferguson (Phoenix, AZ)
Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (Tucson, AZ)
Off the Cuff (Mesa, AZ)
Urban Lemmings (Chandler, AZ)
Valley Youth Theatre (Phoenix, AZ)

Mainstage
Apollo 12 (Phoenix, AZ)
Baby Wants Candy (Chicago / Hollywood)
Bare (Chicago, IL)
COG (Hollywood, CA)
Election Show (Seattle, WA)
Galapagos (Phoenix, AZ)
Hemi & the Buzz (Salt Lake City / Detroit)
The Jester'Z (Scottsdale, AZ)
JoKyR & Jesster (Salt Lake City, UT)
Men in Shirts (Detroit, MI)
The Neutrino Project (Chicago / Seattle)
New Kevin (Tucson, AZ)
Nite Terrors (Hollywood, CA)
Scramble (Phoenix / Salt Lake / Chicago)

Workshops

Bob Dassie, Craig Cackowski, Joe Bill, Shaun Himmerick, Fuzzy Gerdes, Chuck Charbeneau, Clif Highfield

PIF 2006

April 19th-23rd, 2006
Phoenix has changed a great deal in the year since PIF 2005. New troupes, performers and styles have grown out of the experience of last year's festival. The Originals and The Remainders Musical Improv join the local scene while Apollo 12 and Galapagos return to Phoenix after touring festivals around the country. Several returning troupes and new performers will visit the festival as it stretches to five days, starting with a kick-off performance of local troupes and special guests ColdTowne Heroes.

Notable Events

First time tickets sold in Europe
During Saturday Night's Performance, A man gave his wife a wedding ring after 25 years of marraige during the intermission.
Nite Terrors had their final performance.

Performing Troupes

Arizona Showcase
Mesquite High School (Chandler, AZ)
Urban Lemmings (Chandler, AZ)
All Rights Reserved (Phoenix, AZ)
Ferguson (Phoenix, AZ)
Barren Mind (Tempe, AZ)
The Remainders (Phoenix, AZ)
Catorce (Phoenix, AZ)
Street-Prov (Tucson, AZ)

Mainstage
The Jester'Z (Scottsdale, AZ)
The Neutrino Project (Chicago / Detroit)
Apollo 12 (Phoenix, AZ)
COG (Hollywood, CA)
Nite Terrors (Hollywood, CA)
ColdTowne Heroes (Austin, TX)
Great Adventure (Los Angeles, CA)
JoKyR & Jesster (Salt Lake City, UT)
Galapagos (Phoenix, AZ)
Bare (Chicago, IL)
The Hook (Salt Lake City, UT)
The Group (Los Angeles, CA)
The Originals (Scottsdale, AZ)
Hemi & the Buzz (Salt Lake City / Detroit)
New Kevin (Tucson, AZ)
Men in Shirts (Detroit, MI)

Workshops

Dave Hill, Fuzzy Gerdes, Chuck Charbeneau & Clif Highfield, Jesse Parent & Joe Rogan

PIF 2007

May 10th-13th, 2007
Phoenix has grown exponentially in the last year with Light Rail Pirates, Mail Order Bride, Dangerville, The Shenanigans,  and others joining the growing success of The Jester'Z, The Originals, Apollo 12, Galapagos and The Remainders. Our third year at The Viad was a success

Notable Events

Final event in the Playhouse in the Park Theatre
Eric and Filup of Chevy's Livin Large Tour stop to host on their cross country trip
Mother's Day Showcase brings in lots of mom's

Performing Troupes

Arizona Showcase
Urban Lemmings (Chandler, AZ)
The Shenanigans (Scottsdale, AZ)
Barren Mind (Tempe, AZ)
The Street-Prov Theatre Collective (Tucson, AZ)
The Originals (Scottsdale, AZ)
Mail Order Bride (Phoenix, AZ)
Divine Improvidence (Sedona, AZ)
Light Rail Pirates (Phoenix, AZ)
Phoenix All Stars (Arizona)
Cornwallis (Chicago, IL)

Mainstage
The Jester'Z (Scottsdale, AZ)
The Phoenix Neutrino Project (Phoenix, AZ)
The Originals (Scottsdale, AZ)
The Scramble (Chicago/Phoenix)
Apollo 12 (Phoenix, AZ)
Trophy Wife (Hollywood, CA)
Bare (Chicago, IL)
Bassprov (Chicago, IL)
ColdTowne (Austin, TX)
Switchboard (Chicago, IL)
Mod 27 (Gainesville, FL)
Underbelly (Los Angeles, CA)
The AV Club (Hollywood, CA)
Cog (Hollywood, CA)
Galapagos (Phoenix, AZ)
The Billy Miles (Hollywood, CA)
JoKyR & Jesster (Salt Lake City, UT)
Men in Shirts (Detroit, Michigan)
Vile Henchmen (Los Angeles, CA)
Cupcake (Seattle, WA)

Workshops

Chuck Charbeneau & Clif Highfield, Jesse Parent, Rebecca Sohn, Deb Downing Grosz, Jean Villepique, Craig  Cackowski, Miles Stroth, Mark Sutton and Joe Bill

PIF 2008

April 4th-6th, 2008

PIF puts a focus on local troupes as it moves into it's new home at The Herberger Theatre Center. The new venue opened up many new ways to reach new audience members and bring visiting performers to a top tier event. The 2008 Festival was named "Reader's Choice Arts Festival of the Year" by azcentral.com.

Notable Events

First year in The Herberger Theater Center.
Named "Arts Festival of the Year" by azcentral.com

Performing Troupes

Arizona Showcase
All Rights Reserved (Paradise Valley, AZ)
Urban Lemmings (Chandler, AZ)
The Mixed Nuts (Peoria, AZ)
The Originals (Scottsdale, AZ)
The Street-Prov Theatre Collective (Tucson, AZ)
Pacto Suicido (Phoenix / Los Angeles)
Tumbleweeds (Chicago, IL)

Mainstage
The Phoenix Neutrino Project (Phoenix, AZ)
ColdTowne (Austin, TX)
Zumpf (Hollywood, CA)
Apollo 12 (Phoenix, AZ)
BillyHawk (Hollywood, CA)
Light Rail Pirates (Phoenix, AZ)
COG (Hollywood, CA)
The Remainders (Phoenix, AZ)
The Mighty Stumps (Los Angeles, CA)
T.J. and Pete (Chicago, IL)
Galapagos (Phoenix, AZ)
JoKyR & Jesster (Salt Lake City, UT)
Mail Order Bride (Phoenix, AZ)
Trophy Wife (Hollywood, CA)

Workshops

T.J. Jagadowski, Pete Grosz, Miles Stroth, Dan Bakkedahl

PIF 2009

April 16th-18th, 2009

PIF returns to The Herberger for its second year and continues to grow with the local community

Notable Events

Listed as Top 10 Things to Do in Phoenix
Increased television and print coverage

Performing Troupes

Arizona Showcase
Apollo 12 (Phoenix, AZ)
The Jester'Z (Scottsdale, AZ)
Umlautilde (Phoenix, AZ)
EXiT 185 (Casa Grande, AZ)
The foundation (Phoenix, AZ)
NCT Phoenix (Mesa, AZ)
Pacto Suicido (Phoenix / LA)
The Mixed Nuts (Peoria, AZ)

Mainstage
The Phoenix Neutrino Project (Phoenix, AZ)
BillyHawk (Hollywood, CA)
Trophy Wife (Hollywood, CA)
Mail Order Bride (Phoenix, AZ)
ToySoup (Salt Lake City, UT)
Tumbleweeds (Phoenix / Chicago)
COG (Hollywood, CA)
Galapagos (Phoenix, AZ)
Kind Strangers (Los Angeles, CA)
WeirDass (Los Angeles, CA)
The Remainders (Phoenix, AZ)
Murphy (Austin, TX)
Light Rail Pirates (Phoenix, AZ)
Bare (Chicago, IL)

Workshops

Craig Cackowski, Bob Dassie, Jesse Parent, Joe Rogan, Chuck Charbeneau