If it feels like a long time since the make-em-up fest hit the Windy City, that’s because…it has been. The annual CIF has been rescheduled to go up a month later than it did last year (Monday 2–June 8). Also, the mainstage home has moved from the Athenaeum to the increasingly popular Lakeshore Theater. We applaud the new venue—something about the Athenaeum’s acoustics never sounded right—but Jonathan Pitts et al. have never competed with post–Memorial Day beachfront fun. Judging by this year’s lineup, it may not be a problem: It’s heavy on 30 Rock cast members; if you’re a superfan, you’re probably not the outdoorsy type anyways.

The majority of CIF’s programming kicks off June 5, but early in the week is the best chance to taste the goods without fighting the crowds. Visit chicagoimprovfestival.org for tickets.

Monday 2
Scheer & McBrayer
Lakeshore Theater (3175 N Broadway, 773-472-3492). 8pm, $20.
Holy geez, we’re excited for this one. Paul Scheer’s a member of the giddily fun Human Giant sketch group; Jack McBrayer is Kenneth the page on 30 Rock. The two will be performing raw UCB-style improv—if you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like if the doe-eyed Kenneth were an improviser, now’s your chance to find out. Most of McBrayer’s characters are reminiscent of the naïveté he displays on the show—and we just can’t get enough. Virgin Daiquiri, an all-women Chicago troupe, kicks things off with a Harold.

Tuesday 3
Messing with a Friend
Lakeshore Theater (3175 N Broadway, 773-472-3492). 8pm, $20.
Anyone who caught Susan Messing’s self-described “uncensored and joyous romp through hell” with Ike Barinholtz at last year’s fest will have two words for you: Holy crap. It was that good—Messing not only pushed the envelope, she pretty much shat all over it. Finding Barinholtz’s pops and yelling, “I want to fuck your dad so hard” over and over? They don’t do it like that over at the Playground. This year she’s joined by Mick Napier (who’s just as much a delightfully hateful improviser as she is) and 30 Rock’s Scott Adsit, making a grand homecoming. The opener is Bassprov—two men on a fishing boat, featuring CIF artistic director Mark Sutton.

Wednesday 4
Chicago Night
Lakeshore Theater (3175 N Broadway, 773-472-3492). 7:30pm, $20.
In an ongoing effort to include locals in the mix, CIF sponsors annual showcases of Chi-town talent. But honestly? You can see these guys anytime. But just in case…the lineup features, in order, Dirty Water, Wing Night, Cornwallis, pHamily the Musical and Revolver.

FrankenMatt
Second City e.t.c. (1608 N Wells St, 312-337-3992). 8:30pm, $15.
A few years back, Matt Craig and Frank Caeti dominated the e.t.c. stage with Show Title Deemed Indecent. But then Caeti was cast on MadTV, and Craig had a stint on the mainstage before moving on to Los Angeles for acting projects of his own. Their return to SC promises to be a balanced affair—Caeti brings outrageous physical humor; Craig, the logic and dialogue to drive a scene. Case in point: One memorable e.t.c. moment had Craig fumbling with a video camera, trying to capture Baby’s first step, while Caeti pranced around in a diaper. Brian Gallivan, a recent L.A. runaway whose brainy humor is sorely missed on the current mainstage, opens with his one-man act.

— Steve Heisler