Wing-It Productions, is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

theater company Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

based in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, Washington, United States which exclusively produces improvised theater. Wing-It operates from their theater located at 55th Avenue and

University Way University Way Northeast, colloquially The Ave (no period; pronounced ), is a major street and commercial district in the University District of Seattle, Washington, located near the University of Washington (UW) campus. Once "a department stor ...

NE in Seattle's U-District. The organization is primarily known as its main brand, Jet City Improv.

Summary of performance programming

Jet City primarily produces three shows, Jet City Improv, Twisted Flicks, and the Jet City Presents Series. Jet City Improv is shortform improv show performed three times a week, Fridays at 10:30pm, and Saturdays at 8:00pm and 10:30pm. Performances are roughly 90 minutes with an intermission. Twisted Flicks a

B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

which is played with the sound turned off. Improvisers with microphones create the dialogue and sound effects based on suggestions from the audience. Twisted Flicks features an improvising musician, who writes and performs a

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...

song to kick off the movie, then underscores the remainder of the film. Jet City Presents is a rotating improvised longform show, performed Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00pm.

History

Early days of Jet City Improv

Jet City Improv was founded in 1992 by Mike Christensen and Andrew McMasters and debuted with a free show on March 18, 1992, at the Second Story Studios (89 Yesler Way, Seattle, WA). In July 1993 Jet City Improv began performing every Friday at 11 pm at the Northwest Actors Studio, until the following October when the show moved to the Belltown Theater Center where they performed Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30pm. The 10:30pm Friday/Saturday night performance became a tradition that Jet City maintains to this day.

Creation of Wing-It /Jet City and its subsequent significant dates

In December 1994 Christensen and McMasters founded Wing-It Productions (a 501c3 Non-profit organization) to take on the production of Jet City Improv's activities. Jet City Improv's performances were relocated to the Ethnic Cultural Theater, on the University of Washington campus in 1997. In October 1997, Jet City debuted the first Twisted Flick, an improvised re-dubbing of

Creature from the Black Lagoon ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' is a 1954 American black-and-white 3D monster horror film produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold, from a screenplay by Harry Essex and Arthur Ross and a story by Maurice Zimm. It stars ...

. Jet City produced the first ever Jet City Improv New Year's Eve show on December 31, 1999, entitled the "Y2K Bash" . In June 2000 Twisted Flicks began performing for the Fremont Outdoor Movies. The following January (2001) Jet City Improv moved performances to the University Heights Center for approximately one year. Twisted Flicks moved into the Paradox Theater in September 2001. The Lost Folio, Jet City's first longform, premiered in April 2002. In February 2003 Jet City Improv took over the lease to the former Paradox Theater, thus bringing all performances into one venue. It was renamed the Historic University Theater. In February 2003 Jet City Improv co-produced the first annual Seattle Festival of Improv Theater (SFIT); a national festival of improvisational theater.

Education programming

Jet City offers a variety of Adult Continuing Education1. Jet City Improv Website, 01/16/2014, http://www.jetcityimprov.com/classes courses including Improv 101, 102, 103, 201, 202, as well as the Performance Series and a Drop-In

Dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...

. Classes are held every quarter of the year, and run for eight to twelve week sessions. Drop-In Dojo is held every Monday from 6-8:00pm and is open to anyone. Jet City also offers classes and residencies for high, middle, and elementary school students. Jet City is a leader in corporate workshops focusing on teamwork, creativity and communication.

Outreach programming

Jet City began an outreach program in early 1998 providing free performances for events, children's camps and fundraisers. This program performs annual performances for the NW Burn Foundation,

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

and other kids camps. The program was expanded in 2001 to provide free workshops for at risk and incarcerated youth in the Seattle Area. Weekly classes are taught at the Seattle Juvenile Detention facility and the Sanctuary Arts Center.

References

*Evening Magazine. "The Best of Western Washington 2013". www.best.king5.com. Retrieved 8 November 2013. {{Refend

External links

Wing-It Productions' Web site

Jet City Improv's Web site

Web site for Seattle Festival of Improv Theater
Non-profit organizations based in Seattle 501(c)(3) organizations