Want to play on our stage?
We love having indie teams perform at FCI and we showcase 6-10 teams almost every weekend. See the form below to get on our show calendar!
Guidelines for Performers
As a guest team or organization performing a show at our theatre, and we want to welcome you and familiarize you with some guidelines we expect of all of our players. Also, please have all of your team members review our Community Standards of Conduct.
Dress for the Show
Please invite the audience to see your bits on stage, not your naughty bits that should be under your clothing. Wear clothing that is appropriate for the show. Shorts, low cut tops, old or stained t-shirts, torn or ripped clothes, banana hammocks, or other excessively revealing clothes are distracting. If you’re wearing a skirt or dress, please make sure to wear tights or leggings or something (protect your bits). Wear shoes (yes, for real) and let’s go ahead and see those feet covered (no flip flops or high heels, please.) In short, if the audience is thinking about what you were wearing, or knows what color your underwear is, you’re wearing the wrong thing. As proud as you might be about your rock hard abs, save it for your photoshoot for the Sexy Improvisers of San Diego Calendar.
Show up for the Show
If you are here as part of a previously arranged show with an established rehearsal schedule, you and your team are expected to be on time and present for all rehearsal times. In all cases, you and your team should be present and ready to go for all established show call times. We wanted to write this one down, even though we think it’s pretty obvious.
Say Something
This is improvisation, we get it. It may take you to strange and bizarre places, some of which may be considered “blue” or “off-color”. You are invited and encouraged to play to the top of your intelligence.
There’s a whole world of things going on out there beyond boners, gynecologists offices and smoking ganja. Get inspired/agitated/joyful/confused and bring a point of view to the stage. Respect yourself and your fellow players. We are an inclusive and diverse group and welcome all to our theatre. Respect the audience. Denigrating social groups just makes you look like a ding dong. Not the yummy chocolaty kind.
Mean It
We, of course, encourage all performers to seek out every available performance opportunity. That said, when you have been scheduled for shows at FCI, we consider that a handshake. Once we shake on it, we’re counting on you. Don’t leave us hanging. That’s just not cool to your ensemble or the theatre.
It’s that easy!
If you have any questions, ask. We hope that our relationship with you is a long-lasting and mutually beneficial one. Most importantly–have fun, and keep striving to produce the finest, highest quality shows out there for our audiences.
Return Booking Criteria
Audience reaction and engagement — Is the audience engaged in your performance? Are they laughing? This is observed by the Finest City Improv Stage Managers and reported to staff members regularly based on a rating scale. Finest City Improv staff members also regularly attend performances in order to gauge audience reaction.
Attendance — Did a new guest team bring a lot of guests? Do guests continue to attend performances on a regular basis? Is this a team we can tell our patrons want to continue seeing based on attendance?
Professionalism — Every guest team should have a team captain who is responsible for professionally communicating with Finest City Improv staff members, including our Stage Managers. Team captains should respond to emails in a professional and timely manner, particularly emails that relate to logistics and scheduling. Team captains are also responsible for communicating any technological needs to our Stage Managers in advance of their performance. Teams should arrive for performances on time and as scheduled. Teams should dress professionally. Teams should maintain a positive, constructive attitude and contribute to the overall positive environment of Finest City Improv.
Submit Your Show
We are currently accepting teams for Q1 of 2025.
Please use this form to submit the details of your show to us. We enjoy providing space for improv teams (and some solo shows, storytelling, or other “fringe” acts) to perform for our awesome community. Please note that we do not have the budget to pay guest performers but we also do not charge teams to play.
In addition, we operate a Visiting Artist Program, in which we invite well-established performers that also work as professional teaching artists from other cities. These artists may be invited to teach a workshop in conjunction with their show and receive a portion of the workshop revenue. We host one Visiting Artist per quarter and we schedule these at least 4 months in advance. Please make a note in your application if you are interested in and qualified for this program.
Once this form is received, it is reviewed by the Artistic Directors. Your first performance is typically at one of our Cage Matches or an Indie Night. Guest teams are then booked based on the success of this first performance and are continued to be booked based on a combination of criteria.
Please communicate team updates, changes, issues, etc (after submitting your online form) to INFO@FINESTCITYIMPROV.COM. Day of show issues should be addressed via phone call to the box office at (619) 306-6047. We cannot respond to FB Messages.
We hope you can join us! We try to respond to all requests within 3 weeks. If you don’t hear back from us by then, feel free to contact us at info@finestcityimprov.com.
Need rehearsal space?
Call 619-306-6047 or email info@finestcityimprov.com to book our classroom for rehearsals. Just $25 an hour for improv teams.