3 Peat
More than three-dozen improv comedy troupes from around Asheville, the greater Southeast and beyond are making it all up — completely on the spot — for four nights this spring as the Asheville Improv Festival returns for a second year. Along with several nationally-known headlining acts, the festival spotlights an unprecedented variety of homegrown talent from local improv schools and producers.
“There’s more improv in Asheville now — and more really good improv — than this town has ever seen,” says George Awad, an Asheville improviser and co-director of the festival’s producer, Double Dip Productions.
Tom Chalmers
“Coming out of Hurricane Helene, we were so excited to show off what makes Asheville unique, and one of those things is improv,” says Awad. “A lot of experienced improvers have moved here, and some have opened schools that have developed dozens of amazing performers. Every troupe auditioned to get into the festival, and it was really hard to narrow it down to this year’s lineup.”
Invited headliners include the musical troupe Baby Wants Candy, one of the most popular, globally-touring and critically acclaimed comedy ensembles in the world. Closing the festival, they’ll performing two separate hour-long improvised musicals, including the Hamilton-inspired Shamilton. Sharing the marquee with are: Logan Square Improv,from Chicago; Dan O’Connor, founder of Los Angeles’ Impro Theatre; and Greg Tavares, founding director of Charleston, SC’s, Theatre 99 and an improv author with decades of coast-to-coast teaching credentials.
“There are so many different styles and forms of improv — musical, narrative, dramatic, abstract, spoofs on specific genres — and you’ll see examples of all of that this year,” Awad says. “It’s going to be an amazing showcase.”
The festival opens with a slate of performances May 6 and two sets of shows May 7 at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. The festival then moves to NC Stage for three separate lineups May 8, and wraps up May 9 with three shows at The Orange Peel.
Tickets are on sale for all headline performances, along with all-you-can-see passes. The festival’s complete performance lineup and schedule will be announced the first week of April. Visiting headline artists are also teaching nine improv workshops during the festival.
For more information and tickets, visit AshevilleImprovFestival.com.
