In Its 15Th Year Sketchfest Is Bigger Than Ever

In 2014, when famous improvisers TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi relinquished control of the Mission, the duo’s theater, Tribune critic Chris Jones all but announced sketch comedy outside of the walls of the Second City to be dead. Comedian (and artistic director of Stage 773) Brian Posen‘s brainchild, the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, disputes that notion. This year’s fest features more than 180 different sketch groups, its largest lineup yet.

In the past couple of decades that Posen has been in the biz, he has noticed a few emerging trends, like solo sketch acts and more involvement with technology—for example, the Laser Comedy Show, in which one man uses lasers to create scenery and characters. But the core of sketch comedy, just as during the days of The Carol Burnett Show, remains the same—it’s the perspective that changes. And despite what Mr. Jones had to say, there are still plenty of new, entertaining perspectives.

1/7-1/17: Thu-Sun, times vary Stage 773 1225 W. Belmontstage773.com/ChicagoSketchfest $15 per show