An opening night gala like no other! Launching at 6:30 with a social hour featuring scrumptious heavy hors d'oeuvres, desserts, and a cash bar followed at 7:30 by special guest entertainment Francesca Amari, performing YOU MAKE ME LAUGH: A Love Song to Gilda Radner. Early Bird Tix are $15-$35. (Some material may be R-rated.)
FRIDAY 7:30pm (6:30pm Bar/Social) | Blak Box Theater
YOU MAKE ME LAUGH! A musical portrait to America’s Comedic Sweetheart: Gilda Radner
Starring FRANCESCA AMARI Music Director – Wayne Abravanel
A musical biography of Gilda: her life, her loves, her peeves, her rise to stardom, her marriage to Gene Wilder, her battles … all lovingly and laughingly told through song and Gilda’s own words!
Francesca Amari has been touring the country the last 3 years with her newest cabaret show, YOU MAKE ME LAUGH: A Love Song to Gilda Radner, premiering it in 2011 at a 10- day festival for Gilda’s Club West MI, and sharing the schedule w/ Betty White, Margaret Cho & more. She has raised more than $1,000 for Gilda’s Clubs and cancer support organizations whenever she performs it. She is one of the creators and performers of a brand new, hit show called “Palm Springs JUMP!” which pays tribute to the old glamour of Palm Springs and the Hollywood stars who have lived and performed there.
An afternoon of award-winning stand-up comedy! With a new comedy act every 15 minutes, you can come enjoy them all or just those that suit your fancy. With an Early Bird $8-$10 Day Pass you may leave and return. Running from 2:30pm - 5:15pm. A no-host bar and food trucks will be available. (Some material may be R-rated.)
SATURDAY 2:30pm | 15mins | Blak Box Theater
Jared Goldstein (West Hollywood, CA) has appeared on ABC's Modern Family, TNT's Rizzoli & Isles, and the feature film It's Kind of a Funny Story starring Zach Galifianakis. Originally from Long Island, NY, he has also appeared on Saturday Night Live in a sketch written by Tina Fey featuring Jimmy Fallon as well as the Off-Broadway production of Spring Awakening and the Broadway production of A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden.
SATURDAY 2:45pm | 15mins | Blak Box Theater
Sean Hamrin (Los Angeles, CA) born in Silverlake, Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for It's Complicated (2009), Show Business (2016) and Judgmental Moose (2015). He has performed his stand up comedy routine at the San Diego Comedy Festival and Westside Comedy Festival.
SATURDAY 3:00pm | 15mins | Blak Box Theater
Tara Erickson (Los Angeles, CA) has a background in stuff like... Improv, Sketch Comedy, Acting (like for real), Driving a stick shift really well, Drinking at bars in both classy and dive-like environments and wearing Classic Rock tee's. Things we know about Tara: She likes HBO. Has invented hashtags, such as #WrapThatShitInBacon, #ItsGettinRealTwattyInHere, #RemeMyName and she does some other stuff we didn't feel worth mentioning. We hear she can be funny & charming, but the word on the street is that this b&^ch is #Legit.
SATURDAY 3:30pm | 15mins | Blak Box Theater
Ryan Stalder (Morongo Valley, CA) has been making audiences feel violated all over the country for many years with his provocative style of humor. Ryan was recently selected as a feature act for The Gundo Comedy Festival, the Bird City Comedy Festival, as well as headlining shows throughout the southwestern US. He's also the creator and producer of the Big Pine Comedy Festival in Flagstaff, AZ.
SATURDAY 3:45pm | 15mins | Blak Box Theater
Erikka Innes (Los Angeles, CA) has performed at Burbank Comedy Festival and been Emcee at Roosters as well as emcee and headlining at Flappers. She toured with 5 Funny Females, CoExist Comedy Tour and a couple of other tours. Erikka has 10 years experience doing stand-up and has 2 comedy albums with a third one out this year.
SATURDAY 4:00pm | 15mins | Blak Box Theater
Sean Grant (Inglewood, CA) was recognized as the Funniest College Kid in America by Jimmy Kimmel Live! Jimmy was really cool. Took pictures with him. Congratulated him. He felt like a star. Then the next day he was back at school in Tallahassee and none of it mattered at all. He learned that in this game the only thing that ever matters is what's next. Sean has projects in the works including a hit web series entitled Two Plus One where he plays the antagonizing yet lovable younger cousin attempting to break up his older cousin's relationship to restore their wild bachelor status.
SATURDAY 4:30pm | 15mins | Blak Box Theater
Patrick Bucher (Long Beach, CA) with over 25 years of stand up comedy experience, has entertained at an impressive list of top comedy clubs and casinos throughout the country, as well as corporate functions and cruises. Patrick says, "if you are looking for a comedian who can deliver 90 minutes of clean, smart material, give David Letterman a call. And if he can't make it, chances are I can!"
SATURDAY 4:45pm | 15mins | Blak Box Theater
Wyatt Cote (Long Beach, CA) has several years experience in stand up, and here are some events he’s participated in: Sioux Falls Sno Jam Comedy Festival, San Diego Comedy Festival, Glendale Laughs Comedy Festival, Ventura Comedy Festival, 3rd place overall Ventura Comedy Competition (over 100 comics.) Selected for the Westside Stand Up Showdown (competing for a meeting with Comedy Central), Selected and participated in taping of the TV show Laughs on Fox which will air this summer.
SATURDAY 5:00pm | 15mins | Blak Box Theater
Alan Santiago (Los Angeles, CA) has performed at the Laugh Factory, Hollywood, the San Diego Comedy Festival and at various indie shows around Los Angeles.
Enjoy an evening of headline entertainment from award-winning comedians! The Saturday night Cabaret Show will begin at 7:30PM and contain one brief intermission. A no-host full bar and refreshments will be available. Early Bird Tix are $15-$30.
Blak Box Theater
Los Angeles-based comedy duo Very Nick and Zach (Zach Fairless and Nick Luciano) are returning to the Joshua Tree International Improv/Comedy Festival with 30 minutes of chill sketch comedy that will raise your vibration. Nick and Zach are former UCB Sketch Showdown champs and have performed numerous shows at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles including The Very Nick and Zach Show: Now Is Tight, a July 4 theme show entitled Is America Tight? and NBCUniversal's The UCB Show Season 2 streaming on Seeso.
Blak Box Theater
Melanie Chartoff performs the world premier of her one-woman show, ODD WOMAN OUT! | Music by Doug Katsaros
MELANIE CHARTOFF is an improviser and inventor of stories and characters for the page, stage, and screen, including many roles she created “On” and “Off” Broadway, on ABC’s late night comedy Fridays, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, The Newhart Show, Wiseguy, Ally McBeal, Touched by an Angel, Seinfeld, and Desperate Housewives. She is heard daily voicing Didi and Minka on Nickelodeon's Rugrats and is a columnist for The Huffington Post, The Jewish Journal, the Funny Times, Defenestration Magazine, and Oneforthetable.com. Chartoff currently teaches charismatic presence by means of improv. Rated PG-16.
An afternoon and evening of award-winning improv and sketch comedy performances — ending with the festival awards! With a new improv or sketch comedy act every 30 minutes, you can come enjoy them all or just those that suit your fancy. With an Early Bird $8-$10 Day Pass you may leave and return. Performances running from 2:30-6:45pm, followed by the festival awards. A no-host bar and food trucks will be available. (Some material may be R-rated and not suitable for children.)
SUNDAY 2:30pm | 30mins | Blak Box Theater
Jetzo (Studio City, CA) is unlike anything you'll find on the improv scene. Equal parts performance art, clown and improv, Chad Damiani and Juzo Yoshida perform in costume as a father and son from a small fishing village. Every show is their debut in America. They break every rule of improv and heavily involve the audience. They are always accompanied by a "musical cousin" — who might be playing anything from a guitar to bongos to a harp.
SUNDAY 3:00pm | 30mins | Blak Box Theater
The Audience (Santa Monica, CA) was a House Team at Mi's Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica, CA, performing twice/month for 2.5 years. Since then, they've been playing indie shows all over Los Angeles and last year they took their show on the road to Joshua Tree and Honolulu, Hawaii. The players are Chelsea Hogan, Amelia Clover, David Malki, Talley Tals, and Derek Shelby Jones.
SUNDAY 3:45pm | 30mins | Blak Box Theater
Hammer Toad (Mark McCracken & Brandon Gibson) has quite a pedigree. Together they have toured nationally as stand-up comics, working with greats from Sinbad to Robin Williams. Their improv chops are pretty formidable, having performed at venues from Second City to LA’s renowned Comedy Sportz. They teach at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood. Film credits include sharing acting chops with Stanley Tucci, Roy Scheider and Mel Gibson. Directors like Joe Dante and Ernest Dickerson have exploited their talents for fun and profit. And they’ve been seen cavorting about from Ellen to Black-ish, to name but a couple of shows. In addition to their current commitments, they are also currently writing, directing and producing an original comedy for the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2017.
SUNDAY 4:15pm | 30mins | Blak Box Theater
The Improvables of the Desert (Palm Springs, CA) are David Brooks, Mike McGinty, Lin Phillippi, Deb Sales, Kate Ullman and Michele Weiss. Prior Experience/Performances include: Joshua Tree Improv Festival 2016, Wendy’s Hide-Out Palm Springs; Tolerance Center, Rancho Mirage; The Desert Rose, Rancho Mirage; and the Center for Spiritual Living, Palm Springs.
SUNDAY 5:00pm | 30mins | Blak Box Theater
Peach Pit (Oakland, CA) has been performing since 2015 entertaining at festivals and venues in the Bay Area. Festivals include two improv showcases at SF Sketchfest 2017 and Femprovisor Fest 2016. They recently have been accepted to perform again at the 2017 Femprovisor Fest.
Other performances: Peach Pit performs regularly at PianoFight Bar, the Exit Theater, 9th Street Independent Film Center, Unscripted Theater, and Brava! Theater. There are five performers that include Stacie Blanke, Casey Busher, Rocio Mancia, Jess Marinelli, and Jess Matthews.
SUNDAY 5:30pm | 30mins | Blak Box Theater
Kindred Throats (Los Angeles, CA) is the musical comedy duo, Kevin Stafford and Todd Risenmay. Two throats, two guitars, one unforgettable bromance. Kevin and Todd perform original comedy songs while incorporating improvisation and audience participation to get you singing along, clapping to the beat, and possibly becoming the subject of an uncomfortably intimate serenading.
SUNDAY 6:15pm | 30mins | Blak Box Theater
The Gay Trauma Archives (Minneapolis, MN) Bradley Hildebrandt and Cullen Arbaugh make up The Gay Trauma Archives. They are two classically-trained actors from the Twin Cities who left Chekhov and Shakespeare behind to write their very own gay, dark, absurd sketch show as their senior thesis. Both Cullen and Bradley enjoy making people laugh through their character-driven, neurotic musings on life, relationships, and behavioral norms.
A CASH BAR will be available during ALL performances.
On-site FOOD VENDORS will be available during the festival on Saturday & Sunday.
HI-DESERT CULTURAL CENTER | 61231 Hwy 62 | Joshua Tree, CA 92252
BOX OFFICE: 760.366.3777 x1
CONTACT: Festival Director Jeanette Knight | jknight@hidesertculturalcenter.org