Al's a new gay in Chicago looking for love in the big city when he bumps into the most beautiful man he's ever seen on the streets of Northalsted one night. Desperate to make his acquaintance, Al follows him into the legendary bathhouse Steamworks. As he makes his way through the maze of jacuzzis, slings, gloryholes, and fuck benches, Al makes a wild group of friends who help him discover what love might really mean when everyone's covered in cum.

Missed Call is a premiere Chicago comedy group that writes and performs an entirely new sketch show every Friday.

WOAH! NEW EVERY MONTH. A raucous. raunchy, sometimes juvenile but always funny sketch show that will make your daddy give your mommy a pearl necklace... to clutch. Get tickets now, they're selling faster than a Stewie doll at Spencer's. DM: @Antivirginclub proof you bought tickets and we will draw you boobs.

BABY WINE is one of Chicago's longest running LGBTQ+ comedy variety shows. Hosted by Baby Wine's core ensemble, each week a rotating lineup of queer performers open the show with a variety of acts ranging from standup to sketch to music to improv to drag. Baby Wine closes out the show with a no holds barred, long-form improv set. Come lol with us babe!

A Chicago based improv comedy show and drinking game based on the works of Alfred Hitchcock. Based on an audience suggestion, the cast weave together an intricate Hitchcock-like drama, while holding true to the amount of drinking shown in his movies. You'll barely be able to stand the suspense, and the cast will barely be able to stand.

Kentucky Dirty! A monthly revue of original sketches, video shorts, and bullet-paced blackouts. Galloping from the elegantly grounded to the downright feral, this comedy show doesn't trot, it bucks! There's no telling how this show crosses the finish line, but it's sure to be a real humdinger!

SLUT LITURGY (How Does That Make You Feel?) is a one hour solo show written and performed by Hope Brannon and directed by Max Kantor.
It follows both Hope’s time in an intensive outpatient program and with religious bipolar mania. Crude and genuine, funny and chaotic, SLUT LITURGY asks: will Hope get in to heaven after therapy? Be not afraid… unless…

Viral internet sensation Puppy Songs is coming to Chicago and bringing his Musical Journey to the Annoyance Theatre! Matt Hobbs, the creator of Puppy Songs as well as a songwriter, composer, and playwright, reveals more of the man behind the songs,the songs behind the man, and the puppies in the songs—in Puppy Songs: The Musical Journey of an Oblivious Dog Dad.

This one-man show is part musical, part retrospective, part memoir, and all love to Leni and Mar Pup, the two dogs that expanded Hobbs’s creative horizons and inspired the creation of Puppy Songs. Come sing along to the tunes you know and love, and be delighted by the stories and songs you’ve never heard before.

A Great White shark with baby teeth is overshadowed by a bigger, badder, killer shark until she's tempted to join the murderous shark's rampage. Cocaine, the Bee gees, fish from Minnesota. Who will survive and who will be the sharks' next victim?

Annoyance founder Mick Napier created the Trigger Happy form out of a desire to make improv look as slick and beautifully put together as a scripted show. Through a language invisible to the audience, the fully improvised show magically comes to life. There is truly nothing else like it. An Annoyance Signature Improv show.

Review: https://www.newcitystage.com/2015/01/31/review-trigger-happythe-annoyance-theatre/

Kath Courtney and Rockie Wenrich are: Father Figures! Two dudes with the ability to fix your car, be fuckable, and die before you really get the chance to understand them. Directed by Chelsea Matkins. Made for fathers and DILF-enjoyers everywhere.

Enjoy an evening of off-the-cuff improv with some of the best emerging talent in the Chicago area. Fire & Beer is a fully improvised comedy show that explores the dark sides of life, relationships and human beings. The show features the Annoyance House Ensemble who excel at both long- and short-form improv. You can expect lots of laughs during this unpredictable improv show.

Hitch*Cocktails, a fully improvised 90-minute comedic thriller in the style of Alfred Hitchcock, commemorates its 10-year anniversary by taking over The Annoyance on May 19 and 20, 2023. The two-day celebration will feature three special Hitch*Cocktails performances, an Alfred Hitchcock immersive pop-up, a Friday midnight DJ dance party, several specialty cocktails, surprise guests, artistic workshops and collaborations, and much more. Audiences can expect masterful improvisation made more challenging by the real cocktails that, in true 1950s fashion, actors are required to drink in every scene.

Al's a new gay in Chicago looking for love in the big city when he bumps into the most beautiful man he's ever seen on the streets of Northalsted one night. Desperate to make his acquaintance, Al follows him into the legendary bathhouse Steamworks. As he makes his way through the maze of jacuzzis, slings, gloryholes, and fuck benches, Al makes a wild group of friends who help him discover what love might really mean when everyone's covered in cum.

They take edibles. Then they improvise. There's a 'too-high' button, for when it gets too crazy.

Chicago's first annual Windy City Comedy Fest is proud to present a night of nonstop laughs featuring a stacked lineup of rising stars and seasoned pros from the local and national comedy scene. From sharp one-liners to outrageous stories, this is your chance to see some of the funniest stand-ups from across the country- all in one show!

In Full Moon, Half Brains, Late Night Shenanigans returns to the Annoyance Theatre with a new collection of sketches that mix absurd characters, physical gags, and moments of surprising honesty. The show reflects the duo’s growth as performers and writers — taking bigger swings with tone and structure while keeping the silliness intact. There are still puppets and primal yelling, but it’s all in service of something a little more considered and the result is a show that’s strange, sharp, and occasionally touching. Directed by Jayson Brooks.

c. From sharp one-liners to outrageous stories, this is your chance to see some of the funniest stand-ups from across the country- all in one show!

On March 23rd, 2012 a group of best friends attends the midnight showing of the most anticipated film of the millennium, The Hunger Games, only to find that their favorite book has been besmirched by an unfaithful adaptation. When their English class final project rolls around, they know what they must do - create a truly accurate adaptation, and restore honor to Suzanne Collins.

Eric Striffler & Scott Cramer are hitting the road to watch movies together on The DCOM Tour! And while you might think you know what that stands for, our DCOM stands for Dallas, Chicago, Orlando, & Minneapolis. Join Eric & Scott for a night of laughs, drinks, & hopefully a little Eddie!

Viral internet sensation Puppy Songs is coming to Chicago and bringing his Musical Journey to the Annoyance Theatre! Matt Hobbs, the creator of Puppy Songs as well as a songwriter, composer, and playwright, reveals more of the man behind the songs,the songs behind the man, and the puppies in the songs—in Puppy Songs: The Musical Journey of an Oblivious Dog Dad.

This one-man show is part musical, part retrospective, part memoir, and all love to Leni and Mar Pup, the two dogs that expanded Hobbs’s creative horizons and inspired the creation of Puppy Songs. Come sing along to the tunes you know and love, and be delighted by the stories and songs you’ve never heard before.

Close Quarters is an improvised comedy where every scene unfolds just a wall, hallway, or whisper away. Set in one shared location, this fast-paced, character-driven show follows multiple storylines that collide, overlap, and hilariously unravel in real time. Directed by an ensemble member of the original production, Close Quarters honors its origins while showcasing a new cast of sharp, fearless improvisers. Come see how close things can really get.

The trains are late, the apps are broken, the bees are dying, and the algorithm knows your deepest fears. So what do we do? We laugh. Loudly. Together. In a dark theater. With strangers.

Late Stage Everything isn’t just a sketch show. It’s a rebellion. A ritual. A release. It’s a group of wildly funny performers asking, What if we made joy anyway?

Set in a world that looks suspiciously like our own (if a little more cursed), this late-night fever dream explores grief, revolt, and politely disassociating in public. It’s part séance, part tantrum, part group hug, delivered with the kind of unhinged sincerity only Chicago’s comedy scene can offer.

In a time when everything feels broken, Late Stage Everything dares to build something weird and joyful from the ruins. Come scream-laugh with us. It might be the most radical thing you do all week.

Enjoy Low Standards, a two-person comedy show from Jaffe & Magy, whose work has been called “sketch comedy at its best.” For one night only, experience an hour of whip-smart original sketches, full-blown musical numbers, and the magic of friendship. Expect angsty armadillos, modern dance meltdowns, and Broadway-style belting! It’s a show about big feelings, dumb jokes, and finding joy in unexpected places.

The Miss Annoyance Pageant is founded on the commitment to uphold standards of fairness and integrity; that communities thrive once an appearance-based ranking system is introduced. The Annoyance Theatre has existed for too long without someone crowned most beautiful, most intelligent, and most gorgeous girl. This beauty pageant is recognized by the United States National Pageantry Association as "a sham" with a "net-negative effect on society" that "poses certain national security concerns." If you value beauty, knowledge, and subjective judgement - you will find it here at the 2025 Miss Annoyance Pageant.

Open to current, former, and prospective students, The Annoyance Improv Games Jam is an opportunity to get on stage and put what you've been learning in class into action!

And Don’t Forget to Smile is a one night only solo show by Holly Barras. Come celebrate World Bipolar Day as she explores the highs and lows of a colorful world through a character roulette grounded in big emotions of every scale. Featuring a “Sword in the Stone” motif, ala “Sword in the Brain,” at what first seems like a curse, enables the discovery of what may actually have been a secret weapon all along.

A night for Annoyance students to JAM!

Hosted by members of Tuesday Musical Improv, this free weekly jam allows anyone to try out musical improv on the Annoyance Mainstage. Sign-ups begin at 6:45--no experience necessary!

The Annoyance's very own musical ensembles. Every Tuesday at 8pm, two groups improvise brand new musicals based on audience suggestions. Featuring Musical Director Lisa McQueen and starring the Annoyance Musical Ensembles. Follow us on instagram: @tuesdaymusicalimprov

Open Stage is an opportunity for anyone to get on stage and try out whatever they're currently working on - standup, sketch, songs - you name it. At Open Stage anything can happen and it usually does!

Close Quarters is an improvised comedy where every scene unfolds just a wall, hallway, or whisper away. Set in one shared location, this fast-paced, character-driven show follows multiple storylines that collide, overlap, and hilariously unravel in real time. Directed by an ensemble member of the original production, Close Quarters honors its origins while showcasing a new cast of sharp, fearless improvisers. Come see how close things can really get.

The trains are late, the apps are broken, the bees are dying, and the algorithm knows your deepest fears. So what do we do? We laugh. Loudly. Together. In a dark theater. With strangers.

Late Stage Everything isn’t just a sketch show. It’s a rebellion. A ritual. A release. It’s a group of wildly funny performers asking, What if we made joy anyway?

Set in a world that looks suspiciously like our own (if a little more cursed), this late-night fever dream explores grief, revolt, and politely disassociating in public. It’s part séance, part tantrum, part group hug, delivered with the kind of unhinged sincerity only Chicago’s comedy scene can offer.

In a time when everything feels broken, Late Stage Everything dares to build something weird and joyful from the ruins. Come scream-laugh with us. It might be the most radical thing you do all week.

The ladies of Gag Reflex return to the Annoyance for one-night only of all new sketches and a epic send off for the one and only Sam MacNerland (Chicago’s favorite Tech Director).

This hour long, fully improvised show, features the cast of 12 Angry Improvisers acting as a jury. Peek into the deliberation room as they use improv to recreate the facts of a case (as determined by the audience). They'll reexamine the moment the defendant was caught with their hand in the cookie jar -in reverse! -with French accents! -with every line of dialogue being a question!

Treat yourself to Chicago’s most intellectual comedy show. Comedians of all kinds going on about books while sipping very high end beverages. Bring your date to impress them, or come alone to feel self important.

All the way from its one-year run in Los Angeles comes a brand new team built for Chicago! It's Asshole's Advocate, the court room show for situations that can't be taken to court. This improv show is based off the highly popular subreddit, Am I the Asshole. This long-standing online forum is where millions of people post their awkward social dilemmas or petty revenge and ask if they are the asshole in the situation. We take it a step further and bring in evidence and witnesses to prove that they are or are not the asshole.

There’s a spirit that haunts The Annoyance Theater....

Come with us on a journey where Fate is in your hands…

Every night the Petite Boy haunts a new member of our cast. We need your help to catch him!!!

Inspired by the hit TV show Traitors, party games like Mafia and Fakin’ It”, experience a fun evening of improv, drama, accusations, deception, and spooky vibes!

THE CAST: Hayley O’Toole, Alison Davis, Lily Adams, Josh Braden, Matt Hicks, Stevie McDunn

The scariest short form show in Chicago is back. Players fight for their lives to be the final girl standing, summer style. Brand new games, brand new killers, brand new TERROR!

Despite zero playing history, unproven jokesters Scott and Bryce find themselves at the pinnacle of the basketball world — the 1996 Chicago Bulls. In this untold, untrue story, they’re shoved from the shadows of the bench to the center-court spotlight, putting their game to the test. When a scam is successful, who really gets played? Straining to maintain friendship amid fraud, they’re put on defense as they try to squeeze 15 minutes of fame into 12-minute quarters.