Open Run

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!

12/8

It’s an Old Hollywood Christmas Special hosted by the jolliest movie monsters around, Frankenstein and Bride Of Frankenstein! Join these two stars of the silver screen for an unforgettable evening of singing, dancing and appearances from their very famous friends (Phantom of the Opera, Dracula and maybe…. even Saint Nick himself?). Grab a scotch and a seat by the fire (wait, no, anything but fire!!!) and enjoy the show!

1/24, 2/21, 3/21, 4/18

A high caliber comedy variety hour for people who fuck. Cum see Chicago's top stand ups and alt-comics do their nasty little routine. NO VIRGINS ALLOWED.

Open Run

Are you and your improv team looking for another place to get on stage? We've got a warm and supportive room ready to give you laughs and claps! Bring your own team to Annoyance on Tuesday nights to get a rep in and giggle. If you don't have a team to bring, no worries! There's a mashup team and we're happy to throw you on it! Signups are at 8:30PM and we'll hit the stage at 9:00PM. See you every Tuesday!

1/31, 2/28, 3/28, 4/25

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!

Open Run

An hour long comedy show featuring some of Annoyance Theatre’s best and funniest. Show Runner: Hails Reeves

Bi-Weekly

CHIP Chats is a PowerPoint comedy show loosely based on TED Talks- but where TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, CHIP stands for Comedy, Hilarity, Insanity, and Pointlessness- and we deliver on those promises. We here at CHIP Chats can guarantee that by the end of every show you will either learn something or not! Like TED Talks, but much Worse.

2/27 - 3/6

A night with Cafe Lounge Underwater is like the best house party you’ve ever been to. There’s dancing, music, drinks, and of course, meeting strangers who quickly feel like lifelong friends. Join Caroline, Tom, and Maryrose as they invite you into their world of spontaneous friendship and nonstop fun.

After a sold-out, six-week run at Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre, Cafe Lounge Underwater is back with more of their signature clever punchlines, unforgettable characters, and inventive music videos. Known for their undeniable onstage chemistry and creative use of media, this new show will have you asking, “How have we not all been friends forever?”

If you love the absurdity of I Think You Should Leave and the sharp wit of 30 Rock, then Cafe Lounge Underwater is the perfect show for you.

2/20

A night with Cafe Lounge Underwater is like the best house party you’ve ever been to. There’s dancing, music, drinks, and of course, meeting strangers who quickly feel like lifelong friends. Join Caroline, Tom, and Maryrose as they invite you into their world of spontaneous friendship and nonstop fun.

After a sold-out, six-week run at Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre, Cafe Lounge Underwater is back with more of their signature clever punchlines, unforgettable characters, and inventive music videos. Known for their undeniable onstage chemistry and creative use of media, this new show will have you asking, “How have we not all been friends forever?”

If you love the absurdity of I Think You Should Leave and the sharp wit of 30 Rock, then Cafe Lounge Underwater is the perfect show for you.

1/21 - 2/11

A lamp is a device that makes light and heat while a HAPPY LAMP is a device that makes light and heat and happiness. If you're feeling gloomy these winter months, come see HAPPY LAMP by Communal Beverage! A 45 min sketch comedy show that'll leave you feeling warm and happy and give you a little light after the sun goes down. Communal Beverage is a six pack of sketch comedy written and performed by Paige Bourne, Sammi Callaghan, Dorothy Chen, Adam Denoyer, Matthew Ek, and Rachel Wade.

2/2 - 2/16

From military school classrooms, witness a journey of self-discovery and resilience in this one-woman dark comedy memoir. A transgender comedian shares her hilarious, poignant, and awkward tale of navigating her breaking through the shell of protection she built for herself. With laughter, she shows us how her two lives became one identity.

Bi-Weekly

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.

Open Run

See Chicago's longest-running improv team bring their unique blend of big characters and absurd situations to the stage with infectious energy. Formed in 1996, Deep Schwa has performed over a thousand shows in theaters all over Chicago and beyond. Made up of an evolving cast of ten of the city's best veteran players. Each show singular, each show electric.

1/10, 2/14, 3/14, 4/11

Hail and well met, traveler! Grab a drink, put up your cloak, and I’ll tell you a tale. Escapades is a completely improvised choose-your-own adventure. Sprinkled throughout each story are opportunities for the audience to vote on what happens next. Whether we’re riding jetpacks on Mars or a unicorn through a gumdrop forest, you’re guaranteed a night of gasps, laughs, twists, turns, and daring rescues. Excelsior!

1/23 - 2/13

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.

1/25

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.

Bi-Weekly

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.

Open Run

A two act improv show. First, Annoyance students get a chance to enter their IDs into a fishbowl to be randomly selected to perform in an improv jam with veteran Annoyance teachers and performers. Then, the night closes with a set from Sight Unseen, an Annoyance house team who, for almost the past decade, has been known for its loose narrative form and vibrant (sometimes vicious) characters.

2/27 - 4/17

¡Latinos bienvenidos a la fiesta! English speakers, do your best.

1/19 - 1/26

Originally created and performed by the legendary improv team The Family (featuring Adam McKay, Miles Stroth, and others), the Deconstruction ("decon") is a mother sauce form that revolves around a central source scene - from which resulting scenes, some comedic, some surreal, some a slice of life - are spun off, deconstructing the basic reality. Methodical, clever, and fast, all in one single-act unwritten play about the dark comedy of the human experience.

Harpoon is one of Chicago's longest running independent improv teams. Formed in 2018, Harpoon has performed at every improv theater in town, and was a featured performer at the 2024 Endurance Festival in Madison, WI. Harpoon has a monthly short-form show at the Bughouse, Game Time!, and its members have taught and performed at festivals and venues across the country. They also happen to think you're just terrific, and hope to see you at their show.

Open Run

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.

Open Run

See a collage of character studies, scenes, songs and maybe even some audience interaction, all written in a week by some of Chicago’s most accomplished comedians. The “Holy Fuck Comedy Hour” is a curated hour of eclectic, comedic material written in a week with no rehearsals. Featuring a powerful collective representing a wide cross-section of the Chicago comedy community, the material varies every week.

1/25 - 2/15

Who would make a deal with the devil to end the housing crisis? What kind of rock band uses only text messages to communicate? Where is a box large enough to fit the entire moon? These answers, and fewer, in IRRELEPHANT…

IRRELEPHANT is an hour-long collection of brand-new sketch comedy from some of Chicago’s brightest comedic minds, just in time for Valentine’s Day. In a world where everything matters, nothing is IRRELEPHANT.

Written By & Featuring Corey Bradberry, Will Ferris, Kim Florian, Lily Gaddis, Drew Montgomery, Molly Olson, AJ Regalado, Brian Scot, & Tim Sullivan. Directed by Corey Bradberry.

12/11 - 12/18

A classic tale...retold by an improv ensemble that sends it up like with brilliant wit and irreverance.

1/10, 1/24, 1/31

Welcome to a fully improvised dimension beyond that which is known to man. Join us in a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity, the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition. In our show we will dive into the pit of your fears and the summit of your knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination.This is an area which we call The Twilight Zone.

1/21 - 2/25

Welcome to "Juicy," the unapologetically sassy three-act experience where the only thing hotter than the gossip, is the cast. Consider this your warning: what goes down in this room, STAYS in this room. So buckle up. Our fierce host starts by leading a panel, where the cast dishes up their weekly dramas. The audience gets to join in via QR codes by sending in their wildest scandals and seek real-time advice. Next up, we turn to the “hot seat” where we spotlight a badass standup comedian, serving up a set that’s perfectly tailored for our raw, unfiltered vibe. And just when you think it can’t get any wilder, we dive into an improv explosion, using stories as our launchpad to the craziest, most feral tangents imaginable. Get ready to laugh, gasp, and spill your guts — this is "Juicy.”

1/3, 2/7, 3/7, 4/4

Lil Weenie Salad is a WACKY improv show where we create the teams LIVE in front of the audience by spinning a HUGE wheel! All teams consist of four people and under and feature a brand new cast every week with Chicago's BEST comedians! The teams then combine together to create a MEGA team and more hilarity ensues! You aren't going to want to miss this!

2/7 - 2/28

Paige Turner (Miriel Martinez) and Jack Lumbre (Elsa Roeber) fell in love during the "real" Hallmark romcom, Live Laugh Love. Now, the town of Butcherton is besieged by a serial killer. Can Detective Sheryl Locke (Paula Harrington) solve the case? Or will Paige, Jack, and their friend, Jelly (Jax Remus), need to take matters into their own hands? The "lesbian romcom with axe murder" is back at The Annoyance this February. Also starring Danny Wightkin and Brandon Drap. Directed by Lauren Rivas.

2/19 - 3/12

Magic Boy is a solo show by Christina Hilliard. Vulnerable, devastating, and soul-punching, Christina bares it all in an hour of despair and hopelessness. Think Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts crossed with The Pianist, this show will stick with you for a really really really really long time.

2/20 - 3/6

Emerging from the tortured mind of Miles Chaney, show is filled to the brim with the characters and insanity that have made Miles one of Chicago’s rising character performers. Follow along with Miles as they take you through busted mattress salesmen, the inner workings of the Amazon Naming Committee, and what REALLY happens in the YMCA communal showers.

Open Run

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

Open Run

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!

Open Run

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!

1/22 - 2/26

Back for season 3 with all new improvised CW-Style Pilots, this winter there's an anonymous gossip blogger spreading drama throughout the lives of these adults playing teens on tv. From frenemies, to love triangles, and secrets to be revealed...we'll need the audience's help to come up with the wacky ingredients to improvise a new pilot episode that we will most definitely be pitching to the CW network....

2/1 - 2/22

Shortly after the invention of time travel, best friends Wayne and Ralph reconnect post-college as newly hired employees at the Quando Time Travel Association. This duo’s tension along with unforeseen malfunctions in the time travel department threaten their time in the present. Can Wayne and Ralph overcome a glitch in the space-time continuum and salvage their friendship at the same time?

Open Run

Riff City is the epicenter of crowd work. Five of Chicago's top stand-up comics explore conversations with the audience and riff on them, making their jokes up on the spot. No two shows will ever be the same. Come be a part of an unpredictable night of standup. Everyone else will be there. Entry constitutes consent to be filmed and recorded for all media purposes.

1/23 - 2/13

It may be cold outside, but it's always summer for the sisterhood! Bask in the warmth of a one-hour improvised musical inspired by The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books and movies. You get to pick the summer plans for each of the four sisters, then sit back and watch the hilarity unfold as they share the same pair of magic pants. Revel in the gorgeous music, stellar scene work, and early 2000s nostalgia. Get your tickets, today!

Open Run

Super Human is an improv team that tore into Chicago’s comedy scene in 2012 at The Upstairs Gallery (RIP). Since then, Super Human has become synonymous with bold, hilarious, fearless and fun comedy. Described as a “splash zone of women,” Super Human prides itself on the team’s diverse personalities and playing styles, with an unmistakable focus on creating inclusive learning and performance spaces. They are Super Human and SO ARE YOU!

2/5 - 2/12

Andy Hoffman takes you on an unhinged drive in circles through the Indiana Walmart parking lot that is his brain. An alt comedy solo show, you will experience chaotic characters, brain rot videos, soda, middle school level stand up, and worst of all, interpretive dance!

1/25 - 2/22

Introducing the Annoyance Variety Hour! Featuring performances from Chicago's best comedians, musicians, magicians, circus performers, puppeteers, and everything in between! A true everything goes show reminiscent of classic programs like the Ed Sullivan Show and the Gong Show, its sure to surprise and amaze even the most seasoned of theater goers. Hosted by one of Chicago's best alternative comedians, Michael Serio, an international headliner and regular at major comedy venues all across the city, and live music played every night by the soulful stylings of the musical comedy duo sensation So Far So Good, the only thing you'll be disappointed by is that you didn't go see it sooner.

Entertaining audiences every Saturday Night at 10:00, only on the Annoyance Mainstage!

Bi-Weekly

A night of Roman fuckery. Watch philosophers roast each other, improv gladiators battle, and kneel to Cesar in this truly unruly night of alt-comedy.

1/23 - 2/13

“BITCHFACE” is a 45 minute, two person sketch revue under the direction of Rachael Mason. This show is written and performed by The Good-Time Girls; best friends, roommates, and enemies. “BITCHFACE” will take you on a rollercoaster ride as the duo explore themes of destruction, violence, and female friendships. With a wide range of scenes, Ansley and Cadence transform themselves and your expectations through audience interaction, absurd characters, and physical comedy. They will sing, dance, and kill each other to make you laugh. It’s a guaranteed good time.

1/20

“BITCHFACE” is a 45 minute, two person sketch revue under the direction of Rachael Mason. This show is written and performed by The Good-Time Girls; best friends, roommates, and enemies. “BITCHFACE” will take you on a rollercoaster ride as the duo explore themes of destruction, violence, and female friendships. With a wide range of scenes, Ansley and Cadence transform themselves and your expectations through audience interaction, absurd characters, and physical comedy. They will sing, dance, and kill each other to make you laugh. It’s a guaranteed good time.

Open Run

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/

Open Run

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 Run

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

1/22 - 2/26

Welcome to Wolf Town! We like it here, and we think you will too!

Every show, a delightful cast of characters improvise the nooks and crannies of Wolf Town, and show you what makes our town unique. They’ll navigate the unpredictable landscape that may or may not resemble your little town.

You pick a spot on the map and we’ll show you that part of town, complete with brand new characters and relationships!

Join us for a playful and exciting exploration of the rich tapestry that makes our town truly one of a kind.

1/24

Cooper Nolan cordially invites you to celebrate his 25th birthday at the historic Annoyance Theater. Join the birthday boy for a night of strangeness and jubilation. He plans to celebrate the only way he knows how: a show with a perfect mixture of "clowning", "standup", "characters", and "improv" to keep you perfectly balanced between "What is happening?" and "Have I ever had this much fun?"

2/20

A tight-knit group of friends lean on each other through every 90’s New Year’s Eve – but a secret midnight kiss puts their friendships to the test.