ComedySportz

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ComedySportz (CSz) is an improv comedy group started in 1984 in Milwaukee by local performers including Dick Chudnow, Karen Kolberg, Bob Orvis, and Brian Green. In a CSz match, two teams improvise scenes and games while a referee and the audience score the action. The winner is decided by the audience, and penalties keep things fair. The style is clean and family-friendly, similar to Whose Line Is It Anyway?, but CSz is a more competitive version of the Theatresports format.

CSz is licensed by World Comedy League Incorporated, with more than 28 licensed cities, mostly in the United States. The Manchester, England team began in Chorley. Venues range from dedicated CSz arenas to theatres or nightclubs; some shows include a bar or restaurant, and crews often handle sound and lights.

CSz groups perform thousands of shows for corporate events, colleges, churches, schools, and other groups, and many offer team-building workshops. Some cities also run ComedySportz leagues for high school and middle school students.

The World Championship is held annually and moves among member cities. Milwaukee won the first championship in 1988. In 2004, Milwaukee hosted the championship to open the new CSz Arena at 420 South 1st Street. Milwaukee also hosted in 2009 for the 25th anniversary and in 2014 for the 30th anniversary with a new logo. Before 2004, the event was called the ComedySportz National Tournament. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the championship went online in 2020 and 2021. It was not held in 2023, but returned to Milwaukee in 2024 for CSz’s 40th anniversary.