Florida Studio Theatre to Present 15th Annual Sarasota Improv Festival

Florida Studio Theatre has unveiled the lineup for its 15th annual Sarasota Improv Festival, a high-energy celebration of spontaneous comedy featuring 16 top improv companies from across the U.S. and Canada. The festival will take place July 18–19, 2025, at FST's downtown Sarasota campus.

This two-day event delivers nonstop laughter, bold performances, and unforgettable moments — brought to life by more than 60 of the most exciting improvisers on stage. Performances will span a wide variety of formats, including musical improv, long form, short form, hip-hop improv, and genre-based comedy.

Founded in 2009 by FST Managing Director Rebecca Hopkins, the Sarasota Improv Festival has become one of the largest and most respected events of its kind in the Southeastern United States, attracting thousands of audience members each year.

“The Sarasota Improv Festival is always a highlight of the summer at FST,” said Hopkins. “We have put together an eclectic mix of returning favorites and some of the most exciting new voices in the field. It's a jam-packed weekend of comic shenanigans — and every year, it's even more jam-packed.”

Headlining the event is S@!#zprobe, a New York-based company that creates fully improvised musicals based entirely on audience suggestions. The show's music is also improvised live, with no pre-written score or script.

Troupes making their festival debut include The Sounds Funny Players (New York, N.Y.), Forgotten Broadway (Orlando, Fla.), SAND (Chicago, Ill.), Ivories Guy (Naples, Fla.), Hell Yeah Brother (Apopka, Fla.), and UnAuthorized (New York, N.Y.).

Returning troupes include Parallelogramophonograph (Austin, Texas), North Coast (New York, N.Y.), 2-MAN NO-SHOW (Ontario, Canada), Dad's Garage (Atlanta, Ga.), SAK Comedy Lab (Orlando, Fla.), HERE (Columbus, Ohio), The Commodore (Tampa, Fla.), Swan City Improv (Lakeland, Fla.), and FST Improv, Florida Studio Theatre's resident company.

Also returning is Available Cupholders (Austin, Texas), described as “Sarasota favorites” by the Herald-Tribune. The group has performed at festivals across the country and abroad, including the prestigious Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal.

“This is my fifth year being a part of the Sarasota Improv Festival, and every year it reminds me why I love this art form,” said Sarah Durham, FST's Associate Director of Improvisation. “There's something truly magical about bringing together performers from across the world to create something completely in the moment — no script, no safety net, just pure creative connection. The energy is electric, the laughter is contagious, and the sense of community is unlike anything else.”

The festival opens Friday evening with performances by a mix of new and returning acts and concludes with the Improv All Stars showcase, a collaborative performance featuring select artists from various troupes. Saturday's schedule includes dozens of 40-minute performances, two Florida-themed showcases spotlighting local talent, and the weekend's finale, the All Play, a high-energy, unscripted performance featuring the full festival ensemble.

Improv workshops led by guest performers will also be offered on Saturday, July 19. Highlights include Intro to Improvised Musical Theater with S@!#zprobe and The Scenic Connection with Dad's Garage.

Festival passes, single tickets, and workshop registration for the 15th annual Sarasota Improv Festival, running July 18–19, 2025, are now available at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or by calling the FST Box Office at (941) 366-9000.

Festival Pass Pricing

Two Day Pass - $75

Saturday Pass - $59

Friday Pass - $49

Single tickets will go on sale the week of June 16, 2025.

FULL FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Friday, July 18

6PM – FST Improv (Sarasota, FL)

7PM – Dad's Garage (Atlanta, GA)

7PM – Parallelogramophonograph (Austin, TX)

7PM – Forgotten Broadway (Orlando, FL)

8PM – HERE (Columbus, OH)

8PM – North Coast (New York, NY)

8PM – SAND (Chicago, IL)

9PM – Available Cupholders (Austin, TX)

9PM – The Sounds Funny Players (New York, NY)

9PM – 2-MAN NO-SHOW (Ontario, Canada)

10PM – Improv All Stars

Saturday, July 19

10AM – Family Show

4PM – I-4Ever: Swan City Improv (Lakeland, FL) & Hell Yeah Brother (Apopka, FL)

4PM – UnAuthorized (New York, NY)

4PM – S@!#zprobe (New York, NY)

5PM – Tropical Punchlines: Ivories Guy (Naples, FL) & The Commodore (Tampa, FL)

5PM – Forgotten Broadway (Orlando, FL)

5PM – 2-MAN NO-SHOW (Ontario, Canada)

6PM – North Coast (New York, NY)

6PM – Available Cupholders (Austin, TX)

6PM – SAND (Chicago, IL)

7PM – UnAuthorized (New York, NY)

7PM – Dad's Garage (Atlanta, GA)

7PM – HERE (Columbus, OH)

8PM – Parallelogramophonograph (Austin, TX)

8PM – SAK (Orlando, FL)

8PM – The Sounds Funny Players (New York, NY)

9PM – Headliner: S@!#zprobe (New York, NY)

10:30PM – All Play

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