Put your name on the line that is dotted

We are now accepting registrations for the festival on April 8 & 9.  You can see the link up on the menu bar for "Registration Form."  We ask that each group that plans to attend fill out the submission form with such valuable data as "how many are coming?" and "when do you want to perform?" and other hopefully not terribly invasive personal questions.

If you're coming solo, just email us at thumbsupstate@gmail.com

I'm writing this with like 103 degree fever so if it doesn't make sense, please leave a message in the comments.

You know what this festival needs? A venue.

And a venue we have!  Thanks to a stunning partnership with the Northside Urban Partnership, the 2010-11 Thumps UPstate Improv Festival will be held at the St. Clare Theater on Syracuse's North Side.


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The St. Clare Theater comes equipped with an elevated stage, sound and light equipment, folding chairs and tables, and extra space for our Saturday workshops.  What else do you need for an improv festival?  I'll tell you what: a crazy bright yellow and green lobby.

By the way, the Northside Urban Partnership goes by Northside UP.  Northside UP.  Thumbs UPstate.  Coincidence or fate?

Hey, I Added a Facebook Widget

I'm a comedian, not some kind of internet techy guy.  But that was surprisingly easy.

Save the Date!

Some time in the next 24-48 hours, literally tens of Upstate New York improv groups and personalities will be asked to clear their schedules for two days of awesome in April.  This thing is happening.  It's bigger than all of us.  We will (read: should) have confirmation on the venue some time this week.  But for now... April 8.  April 9.  That's all you need to know.

Thumps Up State Snowdown

Your intrepid Thumbs Up State organizers took to the frozen tundra of Lipe Art Park in Syracuse to promote the 2011 festival with a giant, frozen Thumbs Up at the 40 Below Public Arts Task Force's Upstate Snowdown.  Seen here first as a sort of Proto Thumb and with temperatures rapidly dropping, your organizers / amateur snow sculptors began to feel that maybe abstract was a valid promotional stratagem.

Reinforcements arrived bringing with them fresh new ideas.  Notably "fingers" and "wrist."

The final Thumbs Up began to take shape (just before my camera died).  Note the not roundness of the hand... the almost anatomically correct knucleosity going on.  Also note the manicure.

The finished product.  From left to right that's Ken, Stephen, Kayleen, Joe and Mike.

And that's Vanessa.  She dressed up like a lobster.