The five-day Ocean State Improv Festival brings together artists and troupes to create an interconnected community that teaches, learns, inspires, and performs together on Rhode Island’s beautiful southern coast!

- Nightly performances showcase the fantastic talents of performers from all over the world.

-  A broad slate of workshops and multi-day intensives by top-flight teachers immerse you in new experiences, passions, and a worldwide network of inspiring collaborators.

- “Mixer shows” (Theatresports, Micetro, Pirate, and the Duo Bracket Challenge) and workshop showcases let individual artists and members of troupes perform alongside new friends.

- Connect with members of the world-wide improv community!

Schedule:

Show Schedule:

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

(Wednesday's performances will be on the riverfront performance patio)

7 pm: Patio Musical: An Improvised Musical on the Patio

9 pm: Improv Jam (Watch the 7 pm show and stay for free!)

Thursday, June 9, 2022

5:30 pm: Improv 5G (RI), Magical Lying Hour (TX)

7 pm: Juliet & Juliet (MN/CA), Brotha, Brotha (MN)

9:30 pm: Pirate Improv!

Friday, June 10, 2022

5:30 pm: Galaxy View Improv Drive-In (RI), Electric City Puppets (NY), The Rumour Cauldron (CT), Kismet Marquee Team (RI)

7 pm: 3 Hours from Broadway (RI), Juliet & Juliet (MN/CA)

9:30 pm: Micetro (aka Maestro) Mixer Show

11 pm: NC-17 (TX), Bird and Friends Cosmic Unity (NY), Serious Theatre with Real Actors (RI)

Saturday, June 11, 2022

5:30 pm: Shakespeare Intensive Showcase, Whatever Fate Decides (RI), Co-Workers (GA)

7 pm: Magical Lying Hour (TX), Brotha, Brotha (MN)

9:30 pm: Theatresports Mixer Show

Sunday, June 12, 2022

1:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Duo Bracket Challenge on the Performance Patio

Workshop Schedule:

Thursday, June 9, 2022

10 am - 1 pm:

Two People Walk Into a Bar and Stand Arms Width Apart... Believable Movement in Improv with Ruby Willmann

This workshop is about BELIEVABLE MOVEMENT on stage. How come whenever we try to recreate a scene on stage, we forget where to put our hands, how we actually interact with loved ones, with friends, or with people we don't like? How come we WANDER AROUND so much on stage, when really there's not that much wandering/pacing in real life. This workshop is about bringing believability to your scenework through your movement, body placement, and physical interactions with others!

More about Ruby...

Ruby has been practicing improv for a decade and sees it as the best medium to uncover the best versions of ourselves.

2 pm - 4:45 pm:

Improvising Shakespeare (Day 1 of 2) with Meghan Wolff and Sami Haeli of Juliet & Juliet

This workshop will cover all the basics you need to improvise the Bard’s work as though you’ve stepped right out of the 16th century and into an improv scene! We’ll get familiar with Shakespeare’s work, then explore and play with some of the basic building blocks, including wild metaphors, bold monologues, and passionate characters. On the second day, we'll dig into advanced metaphor and simile, working with the historic and mythological sources Will drew from to inform both his language and his stories. From there we’ll move on to playing with the shape and tone of Shakespeare’s work, and we’ll explore how your own interests and values can shape your stories and your shows.

This workshop isn’t just for those interested in improvising Shakespeare. It’s also for anyone who wants to explore how presentation and delivery can change an audience’s experience of your show, for anyone interested in using improv to explore another art they love, or for anyone looking to shake up their improv with a new approach to scenework.

This workshop has a showcase during the festival on Saturday, June 11 at 5:30 pm!

Say It With Your Chest: Improvised Songs for HUGE Emotions with Stephanie Rae

Your character has feelings - HUGE feelings. But sometimes, words just aren’t enough. Enter...music! We'll explore point of view, emotion, and desire to figure out what your character wants and why. And then, when we hit that pivotal moment of climactic emotion, you’re gonna break into song! Attendees will learn structures for improvised songs - including verse/chorus, tagline, and freeform - and transition from scenes into musical solos. We’ll also work on silent support and backline choreography. See you on the stage!

More about Stephanie...

Stephanie Rae has been teaching traditional and musical improv for seven years. She’s directed a Boyz II Men themed show for UCB's Del Close Marathon, guest played with everyone from ComedySportz to the Groundlings, and taught classes and workshops for improvisers from Louisiana to Liverpool. These days, she directs the Black Improv Alliance (performing with International Players Club, Fake Eggs, & Wakanda vs. Everybody), raps about gratitude as an ambassador for Freestyle Love Supreme Academy, and makes scenes on stages across the U.S. & all over Obama’s internet.

Friday, June 10, 2022

10 am - 1 pm:

Theme of the Scene (Day 1 of 2) with Ruby Willmann

Find the deeper agreement, the subtext, the purpose of the scene by tapping into the bigger picture of the THEME of the scene. How can scene painting paint more than just the physical picture? How can two completely different characters relate genuinely (and not just by recognizing the other one from high school). How can a group of improvisers discover the theme organically? How do we zoom this out to find the theme of the SHOW? This workshop will lend itself to more theatric, thoughtful and steady-paced work.

More about Ruby...

Ruby has been practicing improv for a decade and sees it as the best medium to uncover the best versions of ourselves.

Call Tyrone: Learn the Black Improv Alliance’s Original Musical Longform with Stephanie Rae

Are you a musical improviser who loves to sing but doesn’t always have background music? No pianist at your theater? No problem. Learn “The Tyrone,” the Black Improv Alliance’s signature musical longform, and make team-oriented musical magic - acapella. Through quick play and a mix of improvised songs, on-the-spot choreography, and hard-hitting, high-impact improv, the Black Improv Alliance has thrilled audiences all over the world with “The Tyrone.” Step up your improv game with this can’t-miss, acapella musical workshop!

More about Stephanie...

Stephanie Rae has been teaching traditional and musical improv for seven years. She’s directed a Boyz II Men themed show for UCB's Del Close Marathon, guest played with everyone from ComedySportz to the Groundlings, and taught classes and workshops for improvisers from Louisiana to Liverpool. These days, she directs the Black Improv Alliance (performing with International Players Club, Fake Eggs, & Wakanda vs. Everybody), raps about gratitude as an ambassador for Freestyle Love Supreme Academy, and makes scenes on stages across the U.S. & all over Obama’s internet.

2 pm - 4:45 pm:

Improvising Shakespeare (Day 2 of 2) with Meghan Wolff and Sami Haeli of Juliet & Juliet

This workshop will cover all the basics you need to improvise the Bard’s work as though you’ve stepped right out of the 16th century and into an improv scene! We’ll get familiar with Shakespeare’s work, then explore and play with some of the basic building blocks, including wild metaphors, bold monologues, and passionate characters. On the second day, we'll dig into advanced metaphor and simile, working with the historic and mythological sources Will drew from to inform both his language and his stories. From there we’ll move on to playing with the shape and tone of Shakespeare’s work, and we’ll explore how your own interests and values can shape your stories and your shows.

This workshop isn’t just for those interested in improvising Shakespeare. It’s also for anyone who wants to explore how presentation and delivery can change an audience’s experience of your show, for anyone interested in using improv to explore another art they love, or for anyone looking to shake up their improv with a new approach to scenework.

Bootcamp with Ruby Willmann

Sometimes, it's nice to just get ******* feedback. Do some two person scenes, and get straightforward feedback on your work immediately. Whether your offer is vague, weird, or heavy-handed, you'll hear about it. Spacework sloppy, or unbelievable? You'll hear about it. This will be a fast-paced, straightforward workshop where you'll get immediate feedback.

More about Ruby...

Ruby has been practicing improv for a decade and sees it as the best medium to uncover the best versions of ourselves.

Build Your Own Midform with Stephanie Rae

Mid-form needs you! In the space between short-form and long-form, mid-form improv is the perfect place for creating mini-narratives. We’ll discuss the essentials of plot structure and techniques for editing and transitions. Then, after identifying the types of narratives you each enjoy, you and your partner(s) will create a unique format for a ten-minute, improvised show. You might stick to the rules of ‘classic improv,’ or you might use props, costumes, and music. The possibilities are endless!

Students will learn:

- The basic elements of popular long and short form pieces

- Creative scene editing

- How to build a midform

More about Stephanie...

Stephanie Rae has been teaching traditional and musical improv for seven years. She’s directed a Boyz II Men themed show for UCB's Del Close Marathon, guest played with everyone from ComedySportz to the Groundlings, and taught classes and workshops for improvisers from Louisiana to Liverpool. These days, she directs the Black Improv Alliance (performing with International Players Club, Fake Eggs, & Wakanda vs. Everybody), raps about gratitude as an ambassador for Freestyle Love Supreme Academy, and makes scenes on stages across the U.S. & all over Obama’s internet.

Saturday, June 11, 2022

10 am - 1 pm:

Introduction to Puppetry and Puppet Improv with Electric City Puppets

Join Electric City Puppets for an introduction to puppetry where you’ll learn the skills to make the most ordinary inanimate objects come to life. We’ll also share our insights on how to meet the challenges of improvising with a puppet on stage. Each student will receive a set of practice eyeballs so you can keep honing your skills after the workshop is over!

Snaps to That: An Improvised Poetry Workshop with Jada Pulley

Have you ever considered that you're a poet and you just didn't know it?

In this workshop, we will release and hone our inner artistry through the medium of improvised poetry, specifically in the style of spoken word.

In addition to selected poetic devices, we'll learn how to play with universal improv skills like presentation, point of view, and confidence, as well as letting go of the pressure to be good.

You'll leave the workshop knowing that you're definitely a poet...or at least with the ability to fake it.

More about Jada...

Jada Pulley (they/them) is a teaching and theater artist based in Minneapolis, MN. Jada is a staple of HUGE Theater, where they regularly produce and perform in improv shows, such as Bad Poets Society. They are a proud director of the Twin Cities Black and Funny Improv Festival and founder of the Queer and Funny Improv Festival, eternally dedicated to making improv an art form accessible to all people, especially those who are traditionally marginalized in theater spaces.

Theme of the Scene (Day 2 of 2) with Ruby Willmann

Find the deeper agreement, the subtext, the purpose of the scene by tapping into the bigger picture of the THEME of the scene. How can scene painting paint more than just the physical picture? How can two completely different characters relate genuinely (and not just by recognizing the other one from high school). How can a group of improvisers discover the theme organically? How do we zoom this out to find the theme of the SHOW? This workshop will lend itself to more theatric, thoughtful and steady-paced work.?

More about Ruby...

Ruby has been practicing improv for a decade and sees it as the best medium to uncover the best versions of ourselves.

2 pm - 4:45 pm:

Performing with a Purpose with John Gebretatose

This workshop speaks directly to those who want to have an in-depth conversation / create space for crafting performances to directly encounter social justice issues. We will discuss the need for both caution and bravery, the importance of trust and sensitivity, and challenge attendees to expand their understanding of what serves as a "social justice" performance. This workshop will engage attendees in how to manage both the delicate nature of sensitive topics and the brutality of truth with honesty, creativity, and freedom, all while being your hilarious self. From the silly to the serious, we will learn to express ourselves safely to a public who is feeling uncertain of their own safety.

More about John...

John Gebretatose has been performing stand-up, improv, and sketch comedy in Minnesota's Twin Cities for over 10 years. He is an instructor and Director of Diversity & Inclusion at HUGE Improv Theater in Minneapolis, MN and has taught improv workshops in theaters, hospitals, corporate workspaces, K-12 schools and colleges. He has also led and facilitated diversity and inclusion programming for improv theaters all over the world through his mission to uplift all voices. John trained and worked at the Brave New Workshop and is a founding member of Blackout Improv, Late Nights Minneapolis (a sketch comedy show), and co-founder of the Black and Funny Improv Festival. He has traveled the world performing, teaching and directing improv.

Hardcore Listening with Michael Jastroch

Active listening is the single most important improv skill for making improv scenes come to life, feel lived in, and, most importantly, get laughs. And it's one that is very often completely misunderstood. Listening is about more than being able to regurgitate the details of the scene. It’s about being completely present and about reacting truthfully to every single thing that happens when the lights come up. Though our clever story beats and our jokes may fail us, solid listening will always make for engaging scene work. This workshop will apply some intense, fancy Meisner acting techniques to our improv to give our listening skills a much needed workout.

More about Michael...

Michael Jastroch is a comedic actor, writer and improv instructor, formerly based out of Texas and presently living his “Van Life” dream of traveling the country and working out of Walmart Parking lots. As one of the founders of Austin's ColdTowne Theater, Michael has taught and performed improv comedy all over the country for the last fifteen years and has been nominated and won “Best Improv Teacher” and “Best Improv Coach” a whole bunch. He can be heard performing on his improv and sketch comedy podcast Victrola! While he's a native of Connecticut, this is actually his first time in Rhode Island (unless you count passing through on his way to Boston) and he's excited to participate in the Ocean State Improv Festival!

Sunday, June 12, 2022

10 am - 1 pm:

Diagnostics with Denzel Belin

This workshop will be part diagnostics, part facilitated discussion about the way we play on stage and how we can influence an environment where we can bring 100% of ourselves to the stage. You will walk away with a better understanding about yourself as an improviser and tools that you can bring to the table in your classes, groups, and shows.

More about Denzel...

Denzel Belin (he/him) is a Black bisexual Minneapolis-based writer, director, actor, producer, and improviser. Belin is alongstanding cast member and writer at Brave New Workshop and a staff writer for AWF magazine. He serves as the Artistic Director for Threshold Theater, whose mission is to "produce fresh LGBTQ works." He currently writes and performs for “Queer Window,” an all-queer sketch show based in New York City.

Belin recently presented a long-form collection of solo sketches and storytelling, “With Love, From Washington” for the Blackness Is…Festival in Minneapolis.

Date:

June 8-12, 2022

Location:

Contemporary Theater Company,
327 Main Street,
Wakefield, RI 02879.

Festival Passes and Tickets:

Want to see shows at the festival? We've got your options covered! Passes will be available for purchase soon!

- All-Access Festival Pass: You get tickets to every performance and an Ocean State Improv Festival t-shirt! If you sign up for 9+ hours of workshops, you get an All-Access Festival Pass for free! Much like our individual tickets, we have price options for our passes to help more enjoy the festival!

$125 (Standard)/$100

- Day Pass: You can get a Day Pass to see all of the shows on a specific day of the festival. Performers get a free Day Pass for the day of their performance.

$50/$40 (Standard)/$30

(No Day Passes for Wednesday - just purchase a ticket for the 7 pm show and watch the 9 pm for free!)

- Individual Show Tickets: You can of course get tickets to each show individually if you want! Choose your own price based on our new pricing system for all of our performances. We want everyone to be able to enjoy these incredible performances!

Standard ticket price for CTC shows is $30.

$40 tickets are available for anyone who can afford to support the theater a little extra.

$20 tickets are available for folks for whom $30 is just a bit too much right now.

$10 tickets are available for anyone 25 & under and anyone who needs them.

- Performers get special deals on all passes!

Get Tickets

Get An All-Access Pass

Get A Day Pass

Click here for More Information