Thursday, March 28, 2024

THE FIFTEENTH ANNUAL PROVIDENCE IMPROV FESTIVAL

The 15th Annual Providence Improv Festival??

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(The P!Fteenth!) is once again?? International??and will be taking place at?? AS220 Black Box??at 95 Empire St. and ??AS220 Main Stage,??in downtown?? Providence??on?? September 13-15, 2018.????As in P!Fs past, audiences who attend this year???s offerings will enjoy favorite acts from previous Fests, as well as be treated to exciting new groups from across the continent.

The present line-up includes performers from?? Rhode Island, Connecticut, , Florida, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York??and ??Vermont???as well as?? New York City, Boston, Chicago??and, for the first time ever ???Montreal!

Over the past fifteen years, New England has experienced a growing interest and passion for improvisation ??? exploring its application for entertainment, education, and professional training purposes.??

According to P!F Artistic Director?? Tim Thibodeau??(From Pawtucket, RI), ???The great thing about improv is that is can only exist through collaboration???with team mates and scene partners, and with the audience.?? Usually the funniest scenes are the work of each partner agreeing to and building on (or as we like to say, ???Yes Anding???) a minor suggestion that ends up influencing the entire direction of the scene. Audiences are drawn to improv shows because they know that they will be a part of moments that will never be seen again.?????

Thibodeau continues ???We???re particularly excited that this year we will be hosting international talent as well up and coming writers and actors you may have seen in some of your favorite TV shows and movies.???

As with past Fest improv celebrations, the groups range in variety from the fast-paced, witty hiphop of?? North Coast Improv??(making their 4 th??appearance at P!F) to the longer formats of Upright Citizens??? Brigade?? Women and Men??(both from New York City). Also from New York City are?? Rameaka and Moe, which features Ben Rameaka, a longtime member of Fest Favorite Airwolf and Doug Moe, who has been featured on a number of comedy shows and commercials. P!F will is also excited to host?? Big Bang Improv??(from Boston, NYC & Florida), with team captain and Fest friend Will Luera. P!F will see its first team from Ann Arbor, Michigan as well :?? The League of Pointless Improvisers & Friends, is made up from some of the finest improvisers in Southeast Michigan.

Lastly, for the first time ever, P!F is welcoming a team from Montreal???s?? Les Productions de?? L???Instable,??who create a signature format that involves physical improvisation all while charming us with French accents. ??

Local Favorites include House Teams from local P!F sponsors?? WageHouse??and?? ??The Providence Improv Guild,??as well as?? Improv Jones, Bring Your Own Improv, The Bit Players, and the Providence Improv Fest Musical Improv AllStars (P!FMIA???s).

The Fest this year is also thrilled to be offering?? Workshops??by?? North Coast Improv,??and by?? Rachel Rosenthal??from Big Bang Improv and North Coast Improv,?? Will Luera??from Big Bang Improv,?? Fr??d??ric Barbusci??of Les Productions de l???Instable, and?? Chris Moody??from the League of Pointless Improvisers.

As with last year???s PIF, there will be a?? Family Friendly Show on Saturday September 15 th. The proceeds from this show will go to the Manton Avenue Project, which uses theatrical arts to serve the students of Olneyville.

P!F remains committed to keeping all shows affordable:, maintaining its traditional admission fee: $10 per show,????including headliners, national, and local acts.??

For more information, visit the PROVIDENCE IMPROV FEST website at?? www.providenceimprovfest.com.

#PIFTEEN

@pvdimprovfest

P!FTEEN???S FEATURED PERFORMERS

FROM BOSTON:

Big Bang Improv??is a group of Boston Alumni AllStars that have played festivals throughout the world and play a free-form style that feels Seamless.?? Will Luera is the teams captain and not only has he been a friend to the fest for years but he is also the Artistic Director of the Sarasota Improv Festival and one of the best instructors in the world.?? Will will be teaching a workshop on the Saturday of the fest and Rachel Rosenthal will be leading another workshop on Saturday.??

Also check out?? Dangerfield, an all female cast of improvising dynamite.??

FROM NEW YORK:

North Coast Improv??is one of the top acts in the country.?? They are based out of NYC and The People???s Improv Theater.?? It will be their fourth time in Providence. They perform improvised scenes and hip hop songs with an unreal beatboxer providing the background music.?? They will also be teaching a workshop.??

Rameaka and Moe: Doug Moe and Ben Rameaka have been collaborating on stage for more than 5 years. Leaving behind their humble beginnings in New England, they eventually found each other in the wilds of New York city where they perform together regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade theatre. You may have seen Doug on Rescue Me, Inside Amy Schumer and countless commercials. And Ben has been seen on Adam Ruins Everything, Amazon???s Alpha House and At Home with Amy Sedaris.?? They have two shows during the fest.

Ben Rameaka has ties to Rhode Island and has performed with one of the fests best acts over the years in Airwolf.????

Women & Men??is a house improv team at the Upright Citizen Brigade Theater in New York. Formed in 2014, the team quickly became a favorite of Harold Night, UCB’s weekly improv showcase. In 2017 they began headlining their own Saturday night show at UCB, Women & Men; Party Jumpin’. In 2017, they performed at Sketch Fest in San Francisco. The members of W&M have performed improv all over the country and frequently appear on TV, film and the Internet. Most members are also teachers at the UCB. In 2016 Mike Birbiglia and Keegan-Michael Key attended a performance and their admiration for the team was reported in the NY Times, where they gushed, “”There was a whimsy to their performance.”” And who doesn’t love whimsy???

Also from NYC:??

MOJO, a brother and sister duo from NYC (also has RI Ties!)

Bad People

Fight Club Sandwich.?? ??

Bird and Cosmic friends??(he creates scenes with audience members!)??

FROM MICHIGAN:

The League of Pointless Improvisers??is a rotating cast of 22 is made up of the finest improvisers in SE Michigan and have performed and taught in festivals throughout the country.??

FROM MONTREAL:
Les productions de L???Instable–Fr??d??ric Barbusci, Mathieu Lepage of in Montreal will have two shows this weekend performing two of their signature formats.??

FROM RHODE ISLAND:

Fest Sponsors Wagehouse Theater:????

Kate and Casey

Poolside

Them Fighting Nerds

Up in The Attic

Key Party
Fest Sponsors The Providence Improv Guild:

Rubber Legs

Jackpot

The Tim Alan Show

Whatever???s Cool

Three Different Savers

Almanac Drops

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The Providence Improv Fest Musical Improv AllStars (PIF MIA???s)??is a collaboration of local improvisers from different theaters that will be creating an improvised musical led by the talented?? Keith Munslow.??

Improv Jones??will be performing at the fest as the only group that has participated in all 15 fests.????

The Bit Players??from Newport will once again rock the House.??

Bring Your Own Improv??will be doing what they do best and leading a family friendly improv show on Saturday of the fest which is a pay-what-you-can event with all donations to be given to The Manton Avenue Project.??