Start stocking up on the NoDoz, the 18th edition of the Del Close Marathon is going down June 24-26, 2016 and you aren’t going to want to miss a single second of the fest’s 56 non-stop hours of improv fun. The pool of comedic talent communing for this year’s fete is crackerjack and includes Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson of Broad City, Bobby Moynihan (SNL), Ben Schwartz (House of Lies, Parks and Recreation), Nick Kroll (The League), Gil Ozeri (Happy Endings), Cipha Sounds, Sasheer Zamata (SNL), Jason Mantzoukas (The League), Mike Birbiglia (Sleepwalk with Me, Don’t Think Twice), and more. Tickets are currently on sale for the fête’s premium shows (see below).

The Del Close Marathon is annual celebration that honors Del Close, one of the granddaddy’s of modern improvisational theater. Close led a very rich and comedic life that included performing with Mike Nichols and Elaine May, touring with the Merry Pranksters, teaching improv at Chicago’s Second City, and serving as house metaphysician at Saturday Night Live in the 1980s. Since his death in 1999, the gang at the Upright Citizens Brigade (Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts and Matt Besser) have been paying homage to the legend with a marathon of uproarious, off-the-cuff theater.

Featuring improv groups from all over the world, the 18th edition of the Del Close Marathon serves up over 650 shows at 7 venues across 10 stages at venues including UCB Theatre Chelsea, UCB Theatre East Village, Magnet Theater, Theater for the New City, SVA Theatre, FIT Haft Auditorium, and the UCB Comedy Podcast Network Lounge. Passes, which get you into all the shows space permitting, cost $35 and are available at UCB and other participating stages starting on Friday, June 24 at noon. If you’d prefer a guaranteed seat, there are a selection of premium shows happening that you can buy tickets for now. You’ll want to hurry on these:

Friday, June 24
The Curfew, 7pm at SVA Beatrice $20
Gay Pride Improv Spectacular, 7:30pm at SVA Silas $20
Fucked Up Broad City with Ilana Glazer & Abbi Jacobson, 8pm at FIT $20
Last Day of School, 8:30pm at SVA Beatrice $20
Daily Show Writers, 9:30pm at SVA Silas $20
A Favor for Bib? with Bobby Moynihan, 10pm at FIT $20
This Show is Not Funny, 10:15pm at SVA Beatrice $20
Party Over Here, 11:15pm at SVA Silas $20
We Know How You Die, 11:45pm at SVA Beatrice $10
Grandma’s Ashes: We Won’t Tell 12:45am (Saturday morning) at SVA Silas $10
Art Presents: “Me and Julio”, 1:15am (Saturday morning) at SVA Beatrice $10

Saturday, June 25
Thank You Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon, 3:30pm & 5:30pm at SVA Silas $10
Nick Kroll & Friends, 7pm at FIT $20
The Stepfathers, 7pm at SVA Beatrice $20
Take it Personal: The Hip Hop Improv Show with Cipha Sounds, 7:30pm at SVA Silas $20
JV Presents: #ThrowbackFriday, 8:30pm at SVA Beatrice $20
Gravid Water, 9pm at FIT $20
Bangarang, 9:30pm at SVA Silas $20
The Smokes, 10:15pm at SVA Beatrice $20
Search History, 11:15pm at SVA Silas $20
fwand, 11:15pm at SVA Beatrice $10
Sentimental Lady, 12:45am (Sunday morning) at SVA Silas $10
Help Us Make a Movie in a Movie, 1:15am (Sunday morning) at SVA Beatrice $10

Sunday, June 26
ASSSSCAT 3000, 7:30pm & 10pm at FIT $20

For a complete schedule of shows going on throughout the entire weekend, visit the Del Close Marathon website: www.delclosemarathon.com.

(Del Close Marathon runs June 24-26. Passes are $35 and are available at the venues starting June 24. #DCM18)