By Sam Skopp
Almost 200 different improv teams performed on five stages over the course of the 14-hour-long L.A. Indie Improv Festival recently.
Improv comedy is more popular than ever – especially in Los Angeles, which is one of three major US cities noted for its large improv scene. In many cases, improv teams are affiliated with a particular theater. Santa Monica’s own Westside Comedy Theater, for example, showcases its house improv teams every Monday night.
A number of independent improv shows throughout L.A. offer teams a chance to perform without the backing of a particular theater. The Westside Comedy Theater hosts an improv jam on Thursdays allowing anybody with improv aspirations a chance to perform. It was indie improv teams, made up of improvisers both new and experienced from throughout L.A. County, that were predominantly showcased at Saturday’s daylong event.
“L.A. is brimming with comedic talent breaking ground in black box theaters and tucked-away stages every day of the week, and the LA. Indie Improv Festival was established in 2012 to celebrate these comedic voices. Once a year, we feature over 190 teams in 14 hours of improv across five stages and a party bus, and we do it all for zero dollar admission,” explained Jen Krueger, one of the event’s organizers.
The four venues chosen for the event were The Clubhouse, an indie improv theater in Los Feliz, which features two stages; the Impro Studio, a nearby improv theater; the Lyric Hyperion, a cafe in Silverlake; and the Moving Arts Theater, which hosts full theatrical productions in Silverlake.
Members of performing teams ranged from improvisers who first met in one of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater’s core classes to actors recognizable from prominent TV and film roles.
For information about improv classes and performances at the Westside Comedy Theater, visit westsidecomedy.com. For more information about the L.A. Indie Improv Festival, visit laindieimprovfestival.com.
