4/13 - 5/18

Did you know that schools exist outside of Chicago? And people go to them? Strange, right?


Starting your life over again is daunting, but strangely familiar for Evelyn Mae, whose existence conflicts against the morals they were raised on. Oops! Join them and special guests for an evening of tumultuously silly testimony regarding loss, community, queerness, and fighting your way home.

5/3

Amita Rao! And Friends!

3/30

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.

8/15, 9/19, 10/17

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.

8/7 - 9/11

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.

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!

Open Run

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

2/22

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.

8/22, 9/13, 10/31

Cafe Underground, Coffee Shop by the Lake, Lounge by the Water, Sea Bass Underground. These are all things our closest friends and family have referred to our sketch comedy show, Cafe Lounge Underwater, as.

Which may make you want us to explain what the name means. But guess what! It doesn’t matter what you call it, because all you need to know is this show will make you laugh and make you have the time of your life! Start your weekend off right with us. There will be music, dancing, singing, and maybe a couple of jokes in between. You may not leave knowing what we’re called, but you will leave laughing!

4/28

The fully improvised musical podcast - LIVE in Chicago for the first time! Join Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Music Director Sam Scheidler, and drummer Chris Ditton as they create a brand new musical — completely on the fly — in a music improv experience unlike any other. Come be a part of our live taping! Welcome to the scene! Runtime: 60 minutes.

07/09 - 09/28

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.

07/09 - 09/28

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.

3/15

Comedian Cabaret is back showcasing some of Chicago's best and brightest funny people showing off their pipes! This ain't no music improv show. This is straight up musical theater. Come on out to hear some solid show tunes at Comedian Cabaret 14: Movie Musicals!

9/4 - 9/25

Just like your favorite snack, Comedy Chex Mix serves up a crunchy combo of comedy styles that keeps you coming back for more. Each show features these two dynamic high energy improv teams—Old Friends and Heya Toots!—whose sets are inspired by a guest stand-up's performance.

It’s the perfect blend of sharp local stand-up, spontaneous scenes, and that unpredictable flavor you didn’t know you needed. Every show is different, every laugh is fresh, and every bite-sized bit hits just right.

6/14

Following sold-out shows & multiple rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe and London's Off-West End Soho Theatre, comedian Ricky Sim (@rickeerick) brings ‘Coming Out To Dead People’ to Annoyance - a chaotic stand-up about growing up as a gaysian immigrant in NY, to coming out to his conservative Chinese-Malaysian mom… just as she’s diagnosed with cancer. Talk about good timing. Combining stand-up and storytelling, an autobiographical hour explores grief, cleft-palates, secrets to the grave, and why you should not be thinking about your ancestor when having gay sex. Runtime: 60mins

6/4 - 6/25

Bigfoot? Pyramids? Crop circles? All this and more will be explored in Cryptic: An improv show. Together, 11 of Chicago’s best and weirdest performers will explore how one unexplained phenomenon (as determined by the audience) affects the lives of unique and interesting characters. What did happen that night at the lake? Who saw the UFO? What’s that smell? Find out all this and more at Cryptic: An Improv Show!

8/7 - 8/28

Day of the Comet is a wild sketch show set in a world turned upside down by a mysterious comet. As it streaks across the sky, reality unravels and everyone begins to lose their minds. Relationships implode, doctors are replaced by fuzzy monsters, and family game night spirals into chaos. Drawing inspiration from John Waters, campy sci-fi, and vintage sitcoms, the show delivers a heartfelt but unhinged hour of comedy.

7/10, 8/14

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.

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.

8/8

Ghost Rats and Cat Bath teamed up once again to create a comedy variety show that is truly a party in the front and business in the back. Show starts at 10:30pm in the small stage and is only $15, which is both pleasurable and economical.

7/11

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!

6/18

Two teams will go head to head to win your hearts and laughs in the hopes to be the triumphant winner of Family Fight Night.

Come join us for a fun evening of comedic kinship! Two families will take on guessing answers through improv in the hopes to win your hearts and laughs. Watch these families test their relationship, cleverness, and improv skills in this new comedic gameshow!

8/16, 8/30 - 9/13

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.

8/23

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.

8/16 - 10/25

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.

3/5 - 4/9

Flex Improv is made up of some of the best and wildest BIPOC performers in Chicago. From heart felt laughs, physical comedy, monologues, and singing, you never know what to expect from Flex. With new openers each week, including our Lab Cast, and of course us!

6/28 - 8/9

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?

9/5

Gifted Children is a three person sketch show from AJ Hernandez-Sortore, Alex Limarzi, and Miranda Bianchi. The Gifted Children will take you on a back to school journey through St. Louis, Disney World, gay wedding venues and of course, the classroom. Make sure to take notes, we will be giving a quiz at the end! Please note: this show is not for kids, we get scared of those guys.

3/13-4/3

Happy 2 B Here presents a brand new sketch show, just for you. Carefully crafted with a sharp wit and a keen sense for dum shit, it's comedy that doesn't overstate itself. It's actually funny. It's worth your time. We're just happy 2 b here.

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.

4/20

Chaos reigns this Easter Sunday as the Faith Assembly of God attempts to put on their yearly passion play. This year, they hope to enliven the congregation with a Twilight-inspired twist. But little goes right as fights ensue about who should represent Jesus, cast members struggle with their lines, and someone's older boyfriend steps in to really get the "fun" flowing. With a soundtrack only a mother could love, Jesus of Forks is bound to knock your socks off. What does Jesus have in common with a bunch of vampires? Eternal Life.

4/1 - 4/29

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.”

6/12

Chicago’s premier under-21 drag variety hour is BACK at the Annoyance Theater! Bring your singles and buckle up for a night of lipsync, comedy, live music, and DRAG brought to you by Jules Astaire.

Open Run

You've been summoned...to laugh.

Jury Duty is a fully improvised courtroom comedy where the only thing on trial is sanity itself.

Each night, the cast creates a brand new legal disaster based on audience suggestion, questionable logic, and total chaos. Watch as the foreperson loses their mind, evidence makes things worse, and deliberations go off the rails.

No script, no rules, no justice. Just comedy

The trial is fake, the laughs are real

8/2, 9/12, 10/10

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!

8/9 - 8/30

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.

7/9 - 9/24

A new sketch show from The Annoyance Theater!

7/13 - 9/28

A new sketch show from The Annoyance Theater!

7/1 - 7/15

Lazarus: Chicago Comedian, Producer, and Double Sagittarius, has wanted to do a solo show at the Annoyance Theater soooo badly. Now he has one and it's going to be crazy! He's Everywhere is a one man show devised by the collections of obsessive wanderlust. Travel with one man through the Chicagolands as you learn what it truly means to be EVERYWHERE! Complete with a myriad of performances, characters, locations, ideas, events, and possibilities, that'll make you think. Is it even possible to be everywhere? Of course it is. It's so easy.
Directed by Lexi Hanna

9/8

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.

5/31

Join Max and Ian for a one-night only variety show where they’ll try to figure out if they’re friends.

8/15

Veteran improvisors Susan Messing and her guest TJ Jagodowski go on an uncensored romp through hell.

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!

6/11

A staged reading of a new musical in development - the byproduct of when two writing partners break-up during the most pivotal moment of their career. But can they still make it work? Determined to not lose career momentum and equally determined to not be in the same room together... and with all eyes on what they'll write next... they choose to divide and conquer their next big musical by splitting the work perfectly in half. This is that premiere. Now presenting a musical about Napoleon Dynamite... wait, no... Napoleon Bonaparte? Uh oh.

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!

7/24

Freshly debuted at Austin SketchFest, Our House Rules is a a wild, fast-paced sketch show jam-packed with chaotic families, clashing identities, and unlikely heroes. We won’t stop till you get enough…and then some.

Father Figures, a sketch and improv troupe hailing from Austin, Texas, brings their chaotic charm to the Windy City for one night only. Straight from the ColdTowne Theater, they bring a rapid-fire collection of original sketches for your viewing pleasure.

Snake Farm, another troupe born deep in the heart of the ColdTowne Theater, is now a Chicagoland mainstay and time and again bring their quick wit and sharp elbows.

Father Figures is made up of Ananya Roy, Josh Varelas, Kristy Jalbert, Logan Lasiter, Mike Nottebart, Nick D'Agostino, Sean Gubitosi, and features Allie Maldonado.

Snake Farms is made up of Preston PentEcost, Tracey Rideout, Mitch Southard, Nathan Sowell, and Olivia Logan.

6/29

Derry Queen is back for the 4th annual Annoyance Pride Party! Get your tickets for the hottest party on the day of Pride in Chicago. With programming all day starting at 3:30, your ticket gets you into all shows including the 21 & Under Pageant, Strapped featuring Dragula Season 666 Winner Asia Consent, the Lip Sync Assassin Tournament and Gag! featuring drag icon Tammie Brown. VIP tickets available for meet and greets with Asia and Tammie and gets you to cut the entrance line! Blast off to space with us, its MOTHEREDSHIP!

7/30 - 8/20

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

6/11, 6/25

When a piece of art leaves the mouth of its creator, does it begin to sing in a new voice? Is the project ever really complete, and is the purpose for me to be known, or understood? Pictures in my mind explores the reason for doing this, basically any of this- but specifically being an entertainer-, with a cast of drag queens and club kids telling the story they know best.

Pictures in my mind is a feature-length, fully lip-synced "drag musical" serving dually as a retrospective for a new artist--Though each song in this show has been performed by True Romance and her ensemble before, this production breathes new life into them, reimagined for the theatre and a fully immersive storytelling experience.

CAST:
MIZTHANG
KEROSENE
MISS FAGUETTE
DELTA BADHAND
RICKY RUFF
DEAR JAMIE
DEMME ONYX

3/18 - 4/22

Looking for a Stand-up Comedy Open Mic that’s a supportive room,
always a good time, AND HAS FREE PIZZA?! Look no further than the Pizza Mic. The Pizza Mic (formerly at Pizza Serio) is, first and foremost, a safe space for all. Whether you’re a seasoned comic, an improvisor who’s always wanted to try standup, or you just decided that today’s the day for your first open mic (kudos) – The Pizza Mic is a great venue to workshop your bits. The show is every Tuesday from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. Signup is online and the signup sheet is posted on Facebook & IG on Mondays. The list is emailed out a few hours before the show. Comics get 4 minutes of stage time (and a lifetime of memories.) While all are welcome, the room prioritizes BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and Femme comics. Come laugh with us!

​

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!

9/5 + 9/6

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.

9/5 + 9/6

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.

Jun 5- Jun 26

QUEERBAIT is a show where the cast is queer and you’re the bait. Follow these 6 comedians as they/she/he/it explore a multitude of queer identities via an absurdist sketch comedy lense. This show will prove once and for all that queer people are funnier. And if you disagree? You’re probably homophobic!

6/4

Hey Creeps and Geeks, are you ready for a movie party worth laughing your ass off at?! Come to Rewind ⏪ June 4th, and join Bennie Boy, with special guest performers and commentators Dolly Postpartum and Demme Onyx for ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK! Caution: we will be talking and acting like complete fools through the whole film. And one more thing, how’s your head?

​

Taking her life experience of attending an Indiana Catholic School for 12 years. Syd King looks at why she took purity culture terribly seriously; shamed friends for OWNING yoga pants, SLAPPED PEOPLE WHEN THEY CURSED, and did almost anything but love thy neighbour. Syd is now publicly atoning for her sins and hopefully making anyone else that still feels a tinge of guilt with a sip of red wine, a little better. Directed by Vannessa Jackson (SNL, Colbert, A Black Lady Sketch Show)

6/22

Do you want to have a boring night or do you want to get into some SHAANANIGANS? Bollywood stars, spelling bee champions, R&B singers, and so much more - this is a solo character show featuring the weirdos who show up on TV late at night when no one is watching. Representation matters for freaks too. Written and performed by Shaan Baig. Directed by Arik Cohen.

8/16 - 9/13

Shake the Baby is a 90-minute original sketch revue directed by Mick Napier.

The show’s cast and writers consist of Chicago’s up-and-coming comedians - Hope Brannon, Francesca Bucci, Luke Herman, Sage Huston, Max Kantor, Edgar Nevarez, Liam Reed, Mario Turner, and Rockie Wenrich. Music Direction by Justin Jacobs

10/3 - 10/24

Slay! elevates LGBT voices and challenges the community to laugh while they confront the hypocrisies and internalized homophobia that still lurks among us.The show incorporates a fundraising component for The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Come out and enjoy the show as a dynamic ensemble of queer actors serve up campy scares and killer laughs in this equally dazzling and spooky spectacle.

8/22

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…

7/11 - 7/25

Something Like A Brother (SLAB) is a two-man 50-minute comedic catastrophe starring Nathan Hatfield Eryn Rafferty. Laugh, cry, and throw tomatoes while enjoying sketches, puppets, and poorly choreographed but very earnest dance numbers. If you’ve ever wanted to see two grown men throw comedic spaghetti at a metaphorical wall for nearly an hour, now’s your chance. (Please don't throw actual tomatoes at the performers we promised them not to worry about it).

Open Run

A night for Annoyance students to JAM!

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!

9/19 - 10/24

Super Scaries: The Improvised Teen Horror Musical will have you screaming for your life -
and singing along! Inspired by everyone's favorite nostalgic teen horror book series, the cast will
improvise a fully original musical based on an audience suggestion of one unusual object that
causes havoc around their weird little town. A haunted eyelash curler that melts faces? A
possessed film projector that shows you your own demise (with a jazz backing track)? A quilt whose seams will tie you in knots? Whatever the culprit, you'll be stunned at the twists and turns. Reader Beware!

3/23

What do you get when you let four clowns loose on a stage? A very big mess, and a very funny show. Fortunately for you, we’ll handle the mess! Super Fun Happy Awesome Hour is a celebration of the circus arts and all things clown. This family friendly, hour-long, clown-centric variety show will introduce children, parents, and childless comedy fans to basic (and not-so-basic) principles of clowning through variety acts too fantastical to describe with words. And after the show, an optional clowning workshop will give kids and the young at heart a chance to learn some of the skills they’ve just seen and practice them onstage under the supervision of a highly trained clown named Tim.

7/9 - 7/23

Swig. Prezents: Too Brain Cells is a two-woman sketch show that serves up bite-sized brilliance, heartfelt hot takes, and a surprising number of churro-related metaphors for modern America. Smart sketch. Dumb choices. Big heart. If you’ve ever felt feelings in a Taco Bell parking lot, this show is for you.

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.

8/4

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.

7/5

The Journey before the Journey! Following the success of their hit
show, The Illiad, renowned theatre troupe Homer, get to work on their
next play. But as anyone who's experienced success knows, it's not
easy to repeat. Will Homer navigate the ire of the Gods, the blending
of personal and professional relationships, and creative bankruptcy to
create a classic that will outlive everyone and change storytelling
for the rest of time? Feels like a lot of pressure. Presented by Ants
in the Hall, a Detroit based comedy troupe that specializes in
semi-scripted, mostly improvised live performances, you can look
forward to a classic Greek comedy told in a way it's never been told
before. From the point of view of the actors, producers and writers
who made it exist. The Odyssey of Homer is an out of the box comedy
about the double edged sword that is creative success.

​

The Pendejos: a comedic talent show, brings Chicago's funniest character comedians and makes them showcase their absurd talent to "compete" for the title of Pendejo of the Month. Hosted by Chicago's resident Pedejos, Keiter (The Mermaids, Big Deborah, Escandalo) & Lorena ( Casa de Lore, Burlesque is More, Escandalo).

From the producers of Improvised Survivor & The Chicago Comedy, K8R Productions presents a new chaotic show to the Annoyance Theatre. The Pendejos: a comedic talent show, brings Chicago's funniest character comedians and makes them showcase their absurd talent to "compete" for the title of Pendejo of the Month. Hosted by Chicago's resident Pedejos, Keiter (The Mermaids, Big Deborah, Escandalo) & Lorena ( Casa de Lore, Burlesque is More, Escandalo). Be part of the estupidez every last Thursday of the month at 7pm ONLY at the Annoyance Theatre.

1/26-3/9

A multimedia standup show about Sabrina, a third year Comedy Arts major with a lot of stories and antidotes she wants to tell.

7/2 - 7/30

What if people talked to each other on the CTA?

If you’ve ever sat on public transport thinking “I wonder what that person’s life is like,” The Sunshine Bus is for you! This cast of hilarious improvisers create a wholesome, brand new, improv show each week exploring the lives of commuters and how we might all find moments of connection with strangers and friends.

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

6/1

"Van Turns 40" is a live standup performance, combining comedy, story-telling and a stage reading of "The Key To Life: In 365 Quotes" - The greatest book on Western civilization and culture, and the closest thing we have to magic right now.

Van Trinh is one of the fastest rising stars on the Canadian comedy stage. Hailing from Hamilton Ontario, (by way of Vietnam) his comedic style can only be described as self-deprecating and absurd. He is a life-long martial artist, computer programmer, standup comic and is currently on tour promoting his new book "The Key To Life: In 365 Quotes."

Open Run

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

7/28

“Wet Willie Goes To Karate” is a brilliantly crafted solo comedy that weaves humor and heartache as it follows a man navigating the emotional turmoil of a broken heart. He’s encouraged to try an unconventional counseling method that leads to both laugh-out-loud moments and profound insights, showcasing the absurdity and resilience of the human spirit in the face of heartbreak.