The title of this article sums it up perfectly. If you're a Trek fan and enjoy witty and hilarious improv, look no further than the crew of the USS Sisyphus. Born from a live improvised Star Trek show that ran from October 2009 to May 2010 at Chicago's iO Theater. "Improvised Star Trek" is a weekly podcast that takes title suggestions from their audience, and with no pre-planning aside from the recurring characters, perform a 20-25 minute show based solely on that title. We've listened to several and have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one.

The crew of the USS Sisyphus, an old Constellation class starship that doesn't get the glamorous assignments (or the scrutiny) that the Enterprise would, consists of regulars from Chicago's improv comedy scene: Griffen Eckstein as Chief Engineer Fritz Fassbinder (A dark, brilliant, avant-garde engineer whose Puck-like spirit makes him just as likely to destroy the ship as save it), Sean Kelley as Science Officer Crick Watson (a high-strung, anti-social genius embarrassed by his backwood lunar origins), Irene Marquette as Security Chief Lady Cola (A young Earth woman raised on Ferengenar who is struggling through a perpetual state of suspended adolescence), Joe Phillips as Counselor Japhy Whitman (a self-trained new age beach bum surfer from Risa), Christopher Rathjen as Cdr. Corbomite Hayes (the optimistic first officer lost in the delusion that he serves on the a great ship when he's not lost in a holodeck illusion), Nick Wagner as Ensign Ch'arles Lorem (a formerly straight-arrow joined Trill now at the mercy of his symbiote's depraved urges), and Matt Young as Captain Julius Valentine Baxter (the mercurial, reckless captain who who can bring out the best of his crew, when he can be bothered. Something of an anti-Picard, he's got all of Kirk's swagger and none of his ambition).

The crew of the USS Sisyphus

Set in the year 2371, after the end of TNG and concurrent with DS9 and Voyager, the crew regularly encounter new races, strange space anomalies, rogue Klingons, god-like beings, and strange mind control, but just as often the action can result from a ship's talent show or a chili cookoff spiraling out of control.

If you'd like to learn more (and we highly suggest you do) check out the "Improvised Star Trek" website. If you'd like to participate and suggest episode titles, you can "like" the "Improvised Star Trek" Facebook page or follow the crew on twitter. In fact, as of this writing, you can suggest a title for tomorrow's (June 19, 2011) recording here.

You can also get the weekly episodes as soon as they're available by subscribing via iTunes here.

More "Improvised Trek" links:
Official Website
Cast bios
Sisyphus crew bios
About the USS Sisyphus