As the judges were tabulating their votes for the three remaining finalists at the Chicago Improv Festival's College Tournament this past weekend, someone in the back of the theater held up a hand-painted sign which said "HAVE FUN" -- which was precisely what The Titanic Players Daddy Mags from Northwestern University, Suffolk University's Seriously Bent,and Wheaton College's Faux Posse had been doing all day...and night.

And with a final tally that will be remembered by Chicago's robust improv community for years to come, Northwestern's own Titanic Players -- whose four cast members played numerous parts in multiple stories with ingenious precision -- won the title over the seriously talented and well-coached team from Boston, Seriously Bent, 100 to 99.5.(Yes, it was that close and yes, both were that good!)

What also will be remembered -- besides the sold-out, standing room only crowds -- is that, for the first time, the College Improv Tournament(CIT) put together a webcast of all four matches, with a total live audience between 5000-7500 viewers! showbizzle co-sponsored the webcast with Chipotle and CIF Productions, a non-profit arts organization run by veteran improv guru Jonathan Pitts and his LA-based sidekick Alison Royer, who produced a terrific in-studio experience, BTW. Kudos to all involved.

And kudos must also go to all nine finalists, each of whom brought something unique to the party: New York University's Danger Box and the University of Southern California's Second Nature exuded a polished big-city hipness in their sketches while Wheaton's Faux Posse brought a fresh Midwestern energy replete with a capella singing and a philosophical bent; Oberlin's The Sunshine Scouts came out with war-paint and an impressive literacy; Improvolution from Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle) invented a charming musical out of an audience suggestion; the all-male Scatter! from the University of Houston skillfully satirized their home state's love of firearms; and the exuberant Theater Strike Force from the University of Florida seemed truly inspired knowing that a large number of teammates were watching the webcasts back in Gainesville.

For us here in the bizzle, sponsoring the College Improv Tournament with CIF Productions was a perfect way to introduce our digital showcase for emerging talent to the college creative community -- especially since we designed our web-series with the young, improvisational actor in mind.

Now CIF Productions and showbizzle.com are ready to take it to the next level with "The Hollywood Challenge" in which we ask each team to make a short video on a common Hollywood theme, chosen to allow much creative latitude. The Challenge officially starts on February 22^nd and runs until April 15, 2010.

So here's my personal challenge to any college improv team who might be reading this post: check out "The Hollywood Challenge" [post link] and know that the sooner you sign up, the sooner you can get started. Twenty of the best collegiate improv teams in the country, including many who performed in the CIT Finals, have already committed. So help showbizzle make Hollywood more user-friendly by stepping up and taking the Challenge.

Oh, one other thing: like the sign said, "HAVE FUN"!