This summer, national headliners and regional improv troupes will descend upon Longview, Texas for two days of unpredictable laughs.
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Stephnie Weir is an actress, writer, comedian best known for her work on MADtv. She has a long list of acting credits - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Happy Together, The Comedians, Castle, Key & Peele, Veep, The Goldbergs, Modern Family, A Million Little Things, Night Court, Mighty Ducks - to name a few. She's written on numerous television shows including Raising Hope and The Millers. She is a mainstage alumni of The Second City and iO Theater in Chicago. She and her husband, Bob Dassie, have a long-running two-person improv show called "WeirDass."
Bob Dassie has traveled the world performing and teaching improvisation. He's graced the stages of The Second City, I.O. and UCB in Chicago, New York and LA. He formed the seminal improv troupes Trio, Dasariski and WeirDass. Bob's television credits include Monk, Community and HBO's Carpet Brothers. He wrote on the animated Adult Swim series "Mr. Pickles" and the Bugs Bunny reboot "Wabbit." Bob is currently teaching at the WGIS Theater in LA and can be heard as a featured guest on any number of Earwolf Comedy Podcasts.
After growing up in Mobile, Alabama, Jonathan Mangum's comedy journey began at Orlando's SAK Theatre, where he performed a staggering thirteen improv shows weekly for over two years while in college. There, he forged a creative partnership with Wayne Brady that continues to this day—including their new comedy podcast "What If" where the duo hilariously explores life's greatest hypothetical questions.
After relocating to Los Angeles with his improv troupe, Mangum quickly became a television staple. His extensive credits include "The Wayne Brady Show," "The Drew Carey Show," "Reno 911," "Pushing Daisies," "NCIS," "The Sarah Silverman Program," "Baskets," "G.L.O.W.," and "Chicago Med." Currently, he's delighting audiences in his 10th season of "Whose Line Is It, Anyway?" while serving as co-host/producer/announcer on CBS's "Let's Make a Deal," now in its 17th season.
His work with Drew Carey led to joining the "Drew Carey Improv All-Stars," performing at over 60 venues including the prestigious Carnegie Hall. Mangum has toured internationally with Wayne Brady since 2000 including a two-year, five-night a week residency at the Venetian Casino in Vegas. He recently starred in the innovative Broadway and Las Vegas production "Hyprov."
Back by popular demand after her popular musical improv showcases at our 2024 festival is Laura Hall, joined by her husband Rick Hall!
Laura Hall is best known as the improvisational pianist and Musical Director on all 21 seasons of the hit TV show, “Whose Line is it Anyway”, with both Drew Carey and Aisha Tyler hosting. Laura has toured extensively with “Drew Carey and the Improv All Stars” and performed with “Whose Line Live” at the Adelphi, the Palladium, and Royal Albert Hall in London. She is currently touring with “Whose Live Anyway”.
While at The Second City, Laura was Musical Director and Composer for the Jeff Award winning E.T.C. revue, “Channel This!” She has composed original musicals with The Annoyance Theater and Theater-A-Go-Go, and has composed scores and songs for several indie films.
To find out more about Laura, visit www.laurahall.com
Rick Hall was a founding member of Chicago’s Improv Institute. At The Second City he created and performed in two Main Stage shows, “John Paul Sartre & Ringo” and “Catch 27”. Rick uses his improv skills as a host/presenter at meetings and corporate events, as well as auditions, television shows and commercials.
Rick was a series regular on the improv-based TV show “The Factory”. He played Agent Johnson on 28 episodes of the hit Disney show “K.C. Undercover”, and has been on many other television shows including “NCIS”, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “24”, “The Middle”, “Key & Peele” and “Seinfeld”. He's been in commercials for AT&T, Centrum, Sabra Hummus and many more. Recently, Rick can be seen on the indie film circuit as Detective Chowder in “The Long Isolation”, written and directed by Deb LaCusta and Dan Castellaneta from The Simpsons.
To find out more about Rick, visit www.therickhall.com
Hullabaloo Comedy Company is Lubbock’s longest-running improv team. They specialize in short-form improv but perform a variety of show formats, including musical improv, D&D-inspired long-form, and classic short-form games.
Live. Laugh. MURDER. is a Dallas-based, all-female improvised murder mystery troupe. They perform an interactive crime procedural that allows the audience to identify and interrogate suspects, pose theories with the detectives, and vote on who they believe is the killer. The troupe features Melanie Robinson, Sarah Worsham, Alida Liberman, Liz Robinson, Shenelle Peart, Lynsey Hale, and Nono Osuji.
Metallicat is the newest team from Cats on the Block, delivering fast-paced, chaotic improv based on audience suggestions and stories. Their shows are perfect for a date night or a fun evening out with friends.
Dressed in full 18th-century garb, Jane Austin Improv channels the spirit of Jane Austen (the original rom-com) into an hour-long comedy feast that is wild, witty, and delightfully unscripted. Each performance blends the elegance of Regency-era England with the spontaneity of improv, all inspired by audience suggestions. The cast navigates costumes, horseback riding, the complexities of courtship, and the rigid social hierarchy of the early 1800s—all in pursuit of laughter.
The Understudies are a house troupe formed at a now-closed comedy theater in Tyler that shared their name. They have performed together weekly for the past two years and bring a combined 85+ years of improv experience to the stage.
500 E. Whaley St., Longview, TX 75601
The Laugh Out Longview Improv Festival is proudly hosted in beautiful Longview, Texas at the Longview Community Center located in the Downtown Cultural Arts District on East Whaley Street. Our small, but mighty city might surprise you with its cultural offerings. Enjoy craft coffee, local beer, street tacos, burgers, billiards, Thai food, and of course Texas barbeque.
Have a question, comment, or just want to say hi? Drop us a message—we’re here to help and always happy to chat!