Chuckle-Off

In keeping with the theme of my present trip, I give advance notice of the ComedySportz 25th Anniversary World Championship, coming to Milwaukee this summer.

Founded in Milwaukee circa 1984, ComedySportz crossbred the laughs of theater games with the mood of athletic competition. For the uninitiated, a match is performed before an audience with two teams of comedy ‘actletes’ competing for laughs and points, moderated by a referee who keeps things moving and calls fouls. An average of seven to twelve games are played during a match, drawn from a repertoire of over a hundred improv games. Many of you have seen something similar if you're familiar with the show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, but ComedySportz is actually funny.

Comedysportz has spread around the world, with theaters springing up from Los Angeles to New York and from Houston to Manchester, England. Starting July 6, 20 teams will gather in Milwaukee for a weeklong anniversary celebration and improv tournament. The final championship match goes down Saturday, July 11 with the winning team named ComedySportz Improv Comedy World Champion (for what that's worth).

I was with the Santa Barbara team for over five years, and even competed in one of the national tournaments...let me just say the Quad Cities area was pretty fucking beat, and I doubt much has changed in 10 years. Nonetheless, CSz rules, and I have to give props...