Show Your Game: An Improvised Game Show
2025-03-02 19:30 - 20:00, 2025-03-09 19:30 - 20:00, 2025-03-16 19:30 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Unexpected Productions, 1428 Post Alley at the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Ever wonder what secret skills your neighbors are hiding? That quiet person next to you on the bus might be a brain surgeon, a barbecue champion, or the only parent in town who can get their toddler to nap on time. Show Your Game is here to celebrate those everyday experts and unexpected talents!
Each night, a hilarious mix of improvisers and brave audience members go head-to-head, diving deep into the worlds of two surprising experts. They’ll tackle quirky questions and wild challenges, each crafted by the experts themselves to test just how much our contestants really know.
Love the clever chaos of QI, the unpredictable twists of Game Changer, or the absurd fun of Taskmaster? Then this is your kind of show.
So, when it’s your turn to step into someone else’s world… are you ready to Show Your Game?

Improv Student Showcase Winter 2025
2025-03-03 19:30 - 21:30 | Unexpected Productions, 1428 Post Alley at the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Join us for the Fall Student Showcase at Unexpected Productions’ Market Theater! Witness students of varying levels attempt to create intriguing improv live on stage. Our 300, 400, and 500-level class students will showcase their new skills, giving you a glimpse into the future of improv stars. You are sure to have a great time as our students dive into different formats seen in UP’s mainstage shows. After the show, you can hang out with the cast and say you knew them before they became famous!
6-7:30 – Brandon’s 300, Chazz’s 400 and Tony’s 500
8-9:30 – Cynthia’s 300, Chad’s 300, Chazz’s 400 and Mark’s 500

Improvised Song and Music Intensive with Ron Hippe
2025-03-04 19:00 - 21:30 | Unexpected Productions, 1428 Post Alley at the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
This class is an intensive study of Musical Improv that will review classic song forms in a way that relates to improv, and allow participants to learn, practice and perform in a constructive group setting. We examine rhyming, timing, counting, and “feeling” sections of a song. Using simple suggestions, we blitz-practice creating as many memorable choruses as possible. We explore how to make lyrics and content “poetic.” Learn to create songs & stories on the spot. This class runs the musical gamut; Gregorian chants, over-the-top pop songs, high-energy Broadway musicals, smoky jazz tunes, and dropped beats. No singing experience is necessary.
Date: Tuesdays, 3/4, 11 and 18
3 Classes: 7:00 pm-9:30 pm
Location: Unexpected Productions Improv School, Georgetown Studios, 650 South Orcas, Suite 101 Seattle, WA 98108 https://goo.gl/CMCRQp
Maximum: 16 Students
Price $150
Prerequisite: Must have completed 100 or equivalent
Ron Hippe joined Unexpected Productions in 1990. Since that time he has worked with a multitude of improv companies around the globe in San Francisco, L.A., Orlando, Atlanta, Vancouver, N.Y., London, and Austria. Ron has appeared in productions with the Intiman, ACT and Seattle Rep theatres and also appeared on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Kentucky Cycle. Ron is a veteran commercial and voice-over actor for radio and TV as well as video games. In addition, Ron is a musician and singer-songwriter.

700 Level Class Showcase
2025-03-05 19:00 - 19:45, 2025-03-12 19:00 - 19:45, 2025-03-19 19:00 - 19:45 | Unexpected Productions Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Witness the creation of believable characters, inspiring scenes, and some improv magic by 700 level class.

Improv 9000 Improv Showcase
2025-03-05 19:00 - 20:00 | Unexpected Productions, 1428 Post Alley at the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Prepare for the ultimate improv experiment as a new improv group, Improv 9000, takes the stage with absolutely nothing—no scripts, no pre-planned characters, just pure, spontaneous creation. In a Blank Slate improv show, every scene is unpredictable, shaped in real-time by the performers’ instincts and the audience’s energy. With no roadmap, the players must trust their creativity, emotions, and each other to craft unforgettable moments of comedy, drama, and everything in between. No rules. No limits. It’s just raw, unfiltered improv. Format created by Randy Dixon.
This Wednesday night showcase features alumni from Unexpected Productions Improv School. Each performance highlights a different alumni group, putting their training to the test with unpredictable scenes, various formats, and improvised stories. From long-form storytelling to character work, these performers explore the boundaries of improv.
But the fun doesn’t stop there! Stick around for a double feature as we roll into Seattle’s longest-running Improv Open Mic: the Duos Open Mic! Starting at 8:00 pm, this weekly showcase promises even more laughs, surprises, and improv magic.

Duo Comedy Showcase 2025
2025-03-05 20:00 - 21:15, 2025-03-12 20:00 - 21:15, 2025-03-19 20:00 - 21:15 | Unexpected Productions Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Seattle’s one and only open mic dedicated to two-person improv teams! Watch as duos create hilarious, quick-witted, and seemingly impossible scenes right before your eyes—entirely made up on the spot. It’s comedy chaos, brilliantly constructed and spontaneously performed.At Duos, everyone gets their moment in the spotlight. Newer improvisers hone their craft while seasoned pros experiment, play, and try something new. Who knows?
All experience levels are welcome! Sign up your team and give the audience a show they’ll never forget. You could be the next Key & Peele, Tina Fey & Amy Poehler, or even a chaotic duo like Deadpool & Wolverine. email duoshowcase@gmail.com
Whether you’re performing or watching, this is Seattle’s midweek comedy fix you don’t want to miss. Come laugh, play, and discover the magic of improv!

Loose Cannons Improv 2025
2025-03-06 20:00, 2025-03-13 20:00, 2025-03-20 20:00 | Unexpected Productions Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Every show at Loose Cannons is a one-of-a-kind experience—exciting, unexpected, a little dangerous, and always ridiculously fun.
Part One: The night kicks off with a unique performance from special guest improvisers showcasing their signature style or a never-before-seen format. Your suggestions fuel the fire, and the improvisers will ignite the stage, bringing your ideas to life.
Part Two: Buckle up because anything can happen. This half begins with a single audience suggestion—and that’s where the chaos begins. Improvisers dive in, riffing, playing, and building connections through a dynamic opening game. It could be a song, a monologue, or a whirlwind group association—whatever emerges will spark the stories, scenes, and surprises that follow.
The performers are true loose cannons, and you’re the one lighting the fuse. What will they create? It’s entirely up to you. Come for the comedy, stay for the thrill—you never know what will explode onto the stage.
Unpredictable, Unfiltered, Unmissable

Theatre Unexpected: An Improvised Play
2025-03-07 19:30 - 20:45, 2025-03-08 19:30 - 20:45, 2025-03-14 19:30 - 20:45, 2025-03-15 19:30 - 20:45, 2025-03-21 19:30 - 20:45 | Unexpected Productions, 1428 Post Alley at the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Theater Unexpected offers a one-of-a-kind improvisational play experience entirely spontaneous and tailored to your suggestions. Our cast of improvisers will perform a full-length play every Friday and Saturday, using your ideas for characters, settings, and plot themes. You’ll be able to sit back and watch your personalized play unfold before your eyes, never to be repeated. Theater Unexpected—where anything can happen (and probably will).

Seattle Theatresports Improv 2025
2025-03-07 21:30 - 23:00, 2025-03-08 21:30 - 23:00, 2025-03-14 21:30 - 23:00, 2025-03-15 21:30 - 23:00 | Unexpected Productions Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Be a part of the magic of Theatresports, Seattle’s favorite improv competition for over 40 years! Join us at the iconic Gum Wall in Pike Place Market for a high-energy showdown featuring the city’s best improvisers creating hilarious scenes, songs, and games—all inspired by your suggestions.
With two teams battling, a lively host, judges you can boo, and the legendary gum wall race, this fast-paced show is packed with unforgettable moments and endless laughs.
Doors open at 9 PM every Friday and Saturday, with the show starting at 9:30 PM. Don’t miss the fun—be part of the action!
TheaterSports, all the way! They are goofy, silly, funny, unabashed, clever, witty people. I didn’t know what to expect before going but found myself laughing at practically everything they did or said. This is improv comedy at its finest. Lea A., 5 stars, Yelp

No Strings Attached: An Improvised Puppet Show for Grownups
2025-03-08 18:00 - 19:00 | Unexpected Productions, 1428 Post Alley at the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
At Unexpected Productions’ Market Theater, puppets let their hair down (or strings loose) in No Strings Attached—a hilarious, adults improv puppet show. After a long day entertaining the kids, these puppets are ready to play—singing bawdy songs, cracking jokes, and getting up to all kinds of outrageous fun. And the best part? You call the shots with your suggestions!
Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind comedy show at Pike Place Market. It’s puppets, it’s improv, and it’s guaranteed to make you laugh.
THIS SHOW CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT, LANGUAGE, AND SITUATIONS

The Power of Vulnerability: Turning Fears, Flaws, Feeling& Failures into Stories Intensive with Kent Whipple
2025-03-15 10:00 - 16:00 | Unexpected Productions, 1428 Post Alley at the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
The stories that truly resonate aren’t about perfection—they’re about humanity. They’re the tales of our fears, flaws, feelings, and failures, shared with raw honesty and courage. Vulnerability is the secret ingredient that transforms a good story into a powerful connection with your audience.
Great stories don’t just entertain—they connect, inspire, and leave a lasting impression. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or taking your first steps onto the storytelling stage, this immersive one-day workshop is designed to help you craft and deliver powerful narratives that captivate any audience.
In this one-day immersive workshop, we’ll dive into the heart of what makes storytelling impactful: the courage to be real. Through hands-on exercises, live feedback, and storytelling techniques, you’ll learn how to harness the messy, beautiful parts of your life to create stories that inspire, entertain, and deeply connect with your audience.
What You’ll Learn:

Owning Your Vulnerability: Explore your fears, flaws, feelings, and failures and discover how to turn them into captivating storytelling gold.
Crafting Stories with Emotional Impact: Learn to structure narratives that bring your audience into your world, using vulnerability as your most powerful tool.
Creating Authentic Connections: Discover techniques to build trust with your audience through honesty, relatability, and humor.
Balancing Heavy and Light: Find the perfect balance of emotional depth and lightness to keep your audience engaged and inspired.
Delivering with Heart: Refine your stage presence to tell your stories with confidence, authenticity, and emotional resonance.

What to Expect:

Guided exercises to uncover and shape your personal stories.
Tools to embrace and share vulnerability in a way that feels empowering.
Real-time feedback on your storytelling delivery and structure.
A safe, supportive space to explore the power of raw, honest storytelling.

Bring your fears. Bring your flaws. Bring the moments you thought you’d share. Together, we’ll transform them into stories that not only move your audience but remind them—and you—that none of us are ever truly alone.
Dates: 3/15/25 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Market Theatre 1428 Post Alley Seattle 98101
Maximum Students: 14
Cost: $130
Prerequisite: Must have completed intro to storytelling or with teacher approval.
Ages: 18+
Teacher Bio:
Kent is a masterful storyteller and teacher. He is the founder of the storytelling program at Unexpected Productions Improv School, Seattle, WA, where he serves as a narrative coach for the ensemble and teacher of intro and advanced storytelling classes; he has inspired countless students to find their unique voices and craft compelling stories. He is also the story coach for Ignite Seattle. Kent’s achievements include winning the first Moth StorySLAM he attended, being the Moth GrandSLAM winner in March 2023, and being named Best of Bawdy Storyteller for 2019 by an audience vote and a featured teller three times on the Risk podcast. In March of 2022, he was featured on the PBS show, Stories from the Stage, which illustrates the power of real stories told by masterful storytellers and is produced by WORLD Channel in collaboration with GBH. Kent is an accomplished educator and consultant with extensive experience teaching the art of storytelling to diverse audiences, including medical school students, corporate teams, and communication professionals. With a proven track record of success, he has worked with reputable organizations such as the University of Washington Medical School, Yelp, Microsoft, and WE Communications, earning accolades for his innovative teaching methods and insightful guidance. Whether delivering workshops or one-on-one coaching, Kent is dedicated to helping individuals and businesses harness the power of storytelling to achieve their goals. As the Seattle Producer for the Story Collider, he produces four shows annually, and he has taught workshops for the World Health Organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the University of Idaho – Boise.
Kent is a thought leader in the art of storytelling and has appeared on various podcasts Pre-Accident Investigations Podcast and KUOW.
He holds a B.A. in Arts Administration from the College of Santa Fe. He has mentored with Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones; studied with Larry Rosen, The Moth; Kevin Allison, Risk! Podcast; Margot Leitman, author of Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You Will Ever Need; Matthews Dicks, author of Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling; and Joan Logghe – Poet Laureate of New Mexico.
He is an active member of the storytelling community in the PNW and has performed at events such as The Moth, Story Collider, Fresh Ground Stories, the Intersections Festival, Bawdy Storytelling, Bad Date Storytelling, and Over the Rainbow Storytelling.
https://www.facebook.com/Kentstoryteller/
“Such a great telling of the story and the audience reaction was amazing.”Kevin Allison, Risk! Podcast,
“Kent Whipple is a treasure.” Paul Currington, Producer, Fresh Ground Stories
**Cancellation policy: We are unable to offer refunds.

A Seattle Sketch Show by Seattle SketchFest
2025-03-15 18:00 - 19:00 | Unexpected Productions, 1428 Post Alley at the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
SketchFest showcases the talents of local favorites from around the Emerald City. Get ready for the most innovative and original local sketch comedy acts in Seattle at Unexpected Productions’ Market Theater. Make friends, laugh, and enjoy a drink as you watch scenes about a cool new buddy who erupts from your chest, a totally human baby, a 911 operator who has interesting priorities, and many more
Since its inception in 1999, SketchFest Seattle has pioneered sketch comedy festivals worldwide. Our mission is to elevate sketch comedy as a performing art by providing a platform for groups to showcase their talent to Seattle audiences and to facilitate networking opportunities with other performers, writers, and professionals in the comedic arts.

Improvised Shakespeare Workshop For Teens
2025-03-16 10:30 - 13:30 | Unexpected Productions Improv School ISSAQUAH/EASTSIDE, 1315 NW Mall Street, Suite 4, Issaquah, WA, 98108, United States
Think Shakespeare is just fancy old words? Nah—it’s drama, comedy, and absolute mayhem waiting to happen! In this high-energy Improvised Shakespeare Workshop, you’ll create wild scenes, deliver legendary monologues, and play improv games—all with a hilarious, Shakespearean twist. No scripts, no stress—just nonstop fun!
Whether you’re a doomed tragic hero or a hopeless romantic with bad timing, you’ll master the lingo, unleash your creativity, and bring the Bard’s world to life like never before.
Ready to rewrite history? The stage is yours!
Date: Sunday 3/16
Time: 10:30 – 1:30
Location: 650 S Orcas Suite101Seattle 98108
Maximum Students: 16
Cost: $95.00
Prerequisite: Teen Improv
Teacher Bio: Alan Hawkins Improviser/Teacher/Facilitator
Alan Hawkins is an improviser from Los Angeles and Chicago. He has been performing, directing, and teaching theater and improv since 2004. Alan is a graduate of The Second City Conservatory, The Second City Musical Conservatory, The iO West Program, The Chicago Comedysportz Training Center, and The Annoyance program. He has been fortunate enough to participate in many festivals across the US with the three-man group Extra Shelves and has been a guest player with Grand Theft Improv in London, UK. He was also an instructor and director for the Teen Comedy Festival in Chicago. Alan is an ensemble member of Unexpected Productions, the longest-running Theatersports theater in America. He’s also the author of the book “YOU CAN’T LEARN IMPROV FROM A BOO

Improv Date Night with Sara McMahon
2025-03-16 16:00 - 18:00 | Unexpected Productions, 1428 Post Alley at the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Improv Date Night is an entertaining improv workshop and a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon as a couple! Come to Unexpected Productions’ Market Theatre in the heart of romantic Pike Place Market for a two-hour fun-filled improv workshop. Then enjoy a discounted pizza with our excellent culinary neighbor, The Alibi Room.
Learn to play fun improv games together with other couples. The fundamental concept of improv is the practice of being present and available to your scene partner, using the rule that if your scene partner looks good, you do too. This exercise in listening, creativity, and spontaneity is not only an art form but also an adventure in teamwork, communication, and hilarity. Two and a half hours of laughs and learning with your significant other for a Saturday to remember. All for just $60 for each person. Each couple will receive a pass for free to come to a show of their choice in the future at Unexpected Productions.
Learn to play fun improv games together with other couples. The fundamental concept of improv is the practice of being present and available to your scene partner, using the rule that if your scene partner looks good you do too. This exercise in listening, creativity, and spontaneity is not only an art form but also an adventure in teamwork, communication, and hilarity. Two and a half hours of laughs and learning with your significant other for a Saturday to remember.
Date: 03/16
Time: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: Unexpected Productions 1428 Post Alley Seatte 98101
Maximum Students: 10 couples
Cost: $120 per couple
Prerequisite: All levels welcome
Teacher Bio: Sara McMahon Improviser/Teacher/Facilitator
For the last 16 years, Sara has been performing and teaching around the Seattle area. She has facilitated workshops for elementary, middle, and high schools, tech companies, company retreats, parent-child improv nights, and even mock trial teams. She tailors each workshop to the needs of the attendees, maximizing fun and connection. She believes that empathy is at the heart of both great improv and great relationships.
Improv is a collaborative art form. It’s all about saying Yes, and… to your partner and making them look good. By investing your time together in this workshop, you will find pathways to deepen your bond and foster an environment of openness, listening, playfulness, creativity, and relationship resilience,” Sara McMahon.
NOTE: Please note that this class has a great deal of movement and action. Please dress accordingly and bring a bottle of water.
**Cancellation policy: We are unable to offer refunds.

Mime and Physical Improv with Jay Hitt
2025-03-20 19:00 - 21:30 | Unexpected Productions, 1428 Post Alley at the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Mimes are able to create full environments and objects using only their skill and imagination. How do they do it? This class will show you. You’ll learn the basic skills a mime uses to transform an empty space into a full world of endless possibilities.
Date: Thursday March 20
Time: 7:00pm – 9:30pm
Location: Unexpected Productions Improv School, Georgetown Studios, 650 South Orcas, Suite 217 Seattle, WA 98108 https://goo.gl/CMCRQp
Maximum Students: 20
Cost: $80.00
Prerequisite: All levels welcome
Teacher Bio:
Jay Hitt is the creator and director of Mouth Wide Shut, a completely non-verbal improvised show that uses Pantomime, Figurative mime, Corporeal mime, and various types of dance to create scenes based on the spectators’ suggestions. these suggestions are also retrieved non-verbally.
Jay is also the Managing Director of Unexpected Productions and has been with this improv company since 1993. He has performed and directed a variety of short and long-form improv shows since 1988. He created the Duo Improv Showcase in 2008. He has studied with great coaches from America and Europe and has been teaching and coaching improv since 1998. He is well known for his fearless approach to physical improv and his precision when it comes to object work and environment creation.
NOTE: Please note that this class has a great deal of movement and action. Please dress accordingly and bring a bottle of water.
Physicality is a kind of language, especially in improv. Jay’s class helped to remind me just how important, nuanced and exciting it can be and gave me the “words” to use and showed me how to “speak” them with physicality. Jay as a teacher is like a clown’s never-ending scarf bit. I’m not sure how he keeps pulling more and more interesting stuff out of his pocket, but there seems to be a never ending supply of it. James L. 9/18
Jay reminded me that physicality is the foundation of performance and he gave me the tools to get there! Randal F.
Jay was warm and welcoming. He was thoughtful in his planning and presentation. I really enjoyed getting to know him and learning more techniques to bring physicality to my practice. Theresa W.
