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27-427: Improvaganza may refer to: An annual international improvisation festival by Rapid Fire Theatre Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza , an improvisational comedy television program Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Improvaganza . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

54-573: A comical "genius" and said that "real artists [like Maria] talk about things that nobody else talks about, and talk about them candidly." She remained on the series until it concluded in 2019. She appeared in the third season of Louis C.K. 's Louie . In 2014, she co-created, wrote, and starred in The Program with Melinda Hill, produced by Funny or Die . In 2014, she won the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic. In January 2016, she

81-491: A free stand-up special online as a gift to her fans. While working in voice-over shows and advertisements in Los Angeles , she was hospitalized three times over the course of 18 months for nervous breakdowns. She commented on the hospital visits by saying "it was the responsible thing to do" after she felt "suicidal" and "dispirited". In 2012 she released The Special Special Special for download through Chill.com. The special

108-470: A special Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for excellence in theatre. Rapid Fire was named Best Theatre Company by VUE Weekly readers in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 as well as Edmonton's Favourite Live Theatre Company by the Edmonton Journal in 2014. In 2013, the company also won a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Comedy Short for Internet Search History Revealed. Members of the company have performed across

135-616: A subset of obsessive–compulsive disorder . Upon graduating from high school, she attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine . In 1992, she transferred to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland at the start of her junior year. She became the first female member of the college's improvised comedy group, The Improverts . After a year in Scotland, she transferred back to her home state and enrolled at

162-612: Is surreal and incorporates voice impressions of various character types. Zach Freeman of the Chicago Tribune has noted her content and comedic style as "comically erratic" with "seemingly unrelated tangents and constantly varying vocal inflections". David Sims of The Atlantic noted her roles and voice work as having themes of "serial passivity" stemming from her "polite upbringing and own internal anxieties". Film producer Judd Apatow has described her comedic style as "complex" and "bizarre", later calling her "the funniest woman in

189-452: Is an improvisational theatre company based in Edmonton , Alberta , Canada . The origins of the company stretch to 1981, when Edmonton's Theatre Network became the third company in the world to regularly produce Keith Johnstone 's Theatresports . The Artistic Director of Theatre Network at the time, Stephen Heatley, brought the high-energy format to Edmonton, and eventually, performers from

216-507: The Talking Tom & Friends web series. Her live television work began in Louie (2012), Arrested Development (2013–2019), WordGirl (2007–2015), Big Mouth (2017–present), Flatbush Misdemeanors (2021-2022), and Human Resources (2022–2023). In 2014, she won the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic. The 2016 Netflix original series Lady Dynamite , in which she plays

243-444: The PBS educational series WordGirl . She does impersonations, including her mother and her agent. Her stand-up comedy often takes the form of vignettes rather than the standard setup-and-punchline format. Bamford was featured in the documentary series The Comedians of Comedy on Comedy Central and Showtime , and appears in short skits titled The Maria Bamford Show , broadcast on

270-675: The University of Minnesota , where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English . She began stand-up comedy in Minneapolis, Minnesota , at age 19, at Stevie Ray's Comedy Cabaret. Bamford has been in many movies and television shows, including cartoon voices. She was the voice of Shriek DuBois in Nickelodeon 's CatDog , a wide selection of secondary characters in Cartoon Network 's Adventure Time , and Mrs. Botsford, Violet, and Leslie on

297-439: The psyche . Her act is a series of monologues and mini skits performed rapid fire and often without regard for transition. Deploying a range of deadpan voices, she mimics the faux enlightened who hover around the afflicted, offering toothless platitudes, bootstrapping pep talks, or concern warped by self-interest. The humor of any given moment relies not so much on punch lines as it does on the impeccably timed swerves of her tone,

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324-1134: The 30th season of Theatresports in Edmonton with an Alumni Weekend. RFT also hosts an annual international improvisation festival, Improvaganza, which brings improv artists from across the world together every June. The festival is partially funded by the Government of Canada . Past guest artists at Improvaganza have included The Sunday Service, CRUMBS, Picnicface , The Pajama Men , Maria Bamford , Convoy ( Upright Citizens Brigade ), Neil Hamburger , Standards and Practices, Showstopper! The Improvised Musical , Moshe Kasher , Doppelganger, La Gata, The School of Night , Det Andre Teatret, Et Compagnie, Mantown, Dad's Garage Theatre Company , Die Gorillas, Iron Cobra , Loose Moose Theatre , Teater Narobov and Unexpected Productions . Musical guests have included The Magnificent Sevens, Gift of Gab , Mass Choir, Christian Hansen & The Autistics , The Famines , Doug Hoyer , Rah Rah , The Joe , Mikey Maybe, and Mitchmatic. Rapid Fire Theatre has received several awards, including

351-648: The Quest to Belong Anywhere , was released from Gallery Books . On September 24, 2023, the book entered the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction best seller list at #11. Maria Bamford is the most unique, bizarre, imaginative comedian out there right now. Bamford's unique comedic style has drawn praise from many in the comedy world. She is best known for her portrayal of her dysfunctional family and self-deprecating comedy involving jokes about depression and anxiety . Her comedy style

378-664: The World Domination Theatresports Tournament presented annually in Atlanta by Dad's Garage Theatre Company . Current performers at Rapid Fire Theatre include: Players and alumni of Rapid Fire Theatre include: Maria Bamford Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970) is an American actress and stand-up comedian . Her work often uses self-deprecating and dark topics, including her dysfunctional family , depression , anxiety , suicide, and mental illness. Her first comedy album and tour

405-525: The interplay between Bamford's persona and those of all the people who don't get her. Bamford stated in an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune that she has been diagnosed with bipolar II disorder , and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). In stand-up, she describes bipolar as "the new gladiator sandal". On December 11, 2014, during her show at the Neptune Theater in Seattle , she announced that she

432-675: The lead role, is based on her life. She voiced Tito, the Anxiety Mosquito, in Big Mouth . In 2023 she released a memoir, Sure, I'll Join Your Cult . Bamford's father, Joel Bamford, served as a Navy doctor. She grew up in Duluth, Minnesota , attending Chester Park Elementary and Duluth Marshall School . She has stated that when she was younger, she was often troubled with her anxiety, depression, and what she has called " Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome",

459-401: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Improvaganza&oldid=1045953573 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Rapid Fire Theatre Rapid Fire Theatre (RFT)

486-483: The river to Zeidler Hall at the Citadel Theatre complex, as announced by Maria Bamford . In 2013 Rapid Fire Theatre launched a capital campaign with the goal of building their own theatre. RFT currently produces two weekly shows: Theatresports and the long form improv show Chimprov. Some members of Rapid Fire Theatre have produced or performed in sketch comedy shows. Other shows previously produced by RFT over

513-799: The show formed Rapid Fire Theatre, which officially became its own theatre company in 1988. Rapid Fire Theatre performed originally at the Phoenix Theatre in Downtown Edmonton until 1990 when it moved to The Chinook Theatre in Old Strathcona , which became the Varscona Theatre in 1994. Rapid Fire Theatre performed there until 2012, and was part of the Varscona Theatre Alliance, along with Teatro la Quindicina and Shadow Theatre . In September 2012, Rapid Fire Theatre moved back north of

540-568: The website Super Deluxe . She appears on the comedy compilation CD Comedy Death-Ray . Her album Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome , produced by Comedy Central Records , was released in April 2009 and includes a DVD containing The Maria Bamford Show episodes. During the Christmas 2009–2010 shopping seasons, she was featured in a series of Target commercials, portraying an overachieving shopper determined to be first in line. For Christmas 2009, she released

567-585: The world". Variety described Bamford's performance in Lady Dynamite , saying that "the actress and comedian, whose presence has rarely been used as well as it is here, manages the neat trick of being both believably guileless and winningly sharp." A 2014 New York Times profile of Bamford noted her comedic style by saying: Much of Bamford's work examines the relationship between "people" — generally well-intentioned friends and family — and those who grapple with depression or anxiety or any other challenge to

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594-493: The world, including multiple appearances at the Berlin International Improv Festival, The Wurzburger Improtheaterfestival, The Chicago Improv Festival (CIF), The Vancouver International Improv Festival (VIIF), The Winnipeg International Improv Festival (IF), The Canadian Comedy Award Showcases (Toronto), The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Theatresports Tournament hosted by Vancouver Theatresports League , and

621-511: The years have included Gorilla Theatre, Catch 23 and The 11:02 Show, as well as main stage productions like "On Being a Peon" and "The Critic", penned by RFT member Chris Craddock , as well as collaborative projects like “Fairytales Scratched” ( Kevin Gillese & Arlen Konopaki), “A Watched Pot Never Boyles” (Amy Shostak & Arlen Konopaki), and “Kiss My Bus” (Amy Shostak, Kirsten Rasmussen, and Clarice Eckford). In 2011, Rapid Fire Theatre marked

648-552: Was The Burning Bridges Tour (2003), followed by eight more albums and specials. One of her first feature films is Lucky Numbers (2000), and she voiced characters on many animated shows, including Shriek on CatDog , and many more on American Dad! , Ugly Americans , Adventure Time , and BoJack Horseman . Her film work includes Stuart Little 2 (2002), Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure (2003), Barnyard (2006), Heckler (2007), and Hell and Back (2015). She voiced Talking Ginger and Talking Becca in

675-558: Was a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , where host Stephen Colbert called her his "favorite comedian on planet Earth". In early 2016, Netflix announced an original series based on her life, called Lady Dynamite , starring her, released in May 2016. She was invited to the writing process. She did not write any episodes, but was often in the writers' room, discussing ideas and "hanging out". The writers had freedom to modify her experiences for creative purposes. In May 2017, she

702-631: Was recorded at her own home in Los Angeles with only her parents present as the audience. In 2013, she created and starred in a web series called Ask My Mom . She plays both herself and her mother, who answers questions sent in by fans. Also in 2013, she appeared as herself in one episode of the interview web series All Growz Up with Melinda Hill . She voiced Pema in Nickelodeon cartoon The Legend of Korra . In 2013, she appeared in season four of Arrested Development as Debrie Bardeaux, Tobias Fünke 's love interest. The series creator noted her as

729-551: Was the commencement speaker for the University of Minnesota 's College of Liberal Arts. During the speech, she gave a check made out to Sallie Mae for $ 5,000, her net speaking fee, to a graduate in the audience who had student loans. In April 2018, she appeared on season 13 of Worst Cooks in America . She was eliminated in the fourth episode. On September 5, 2023, her book, Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and

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