Hi Kevin,  We got coffee at Kayaks and talked improv.  I spaced out before discussing Five Fun Improv Festivals. 

We small talked.  You’re Kevin Hahn. I know you first of all as a funny improviser on the team, Howl.  Turns out you’re also a Committee member of the Compass Improv Festival, which happens every autumn in St Louis, Missouri.  2017 is your 5th Year Anniversary of the Compass as a Non Profit Improv Outreach & Festival.  You used to work in government administration but now work downtown for another non profit, the Boy Scouts. I spaced out.  You mentioned you had productive talks with Jonathan Pitts, the CEO of the Chicago Improv Festival.  You discussed how festivals can either be a convention, a showcase, or celebrity event.  Jonathan has done a remarkable job making CIF all three. I hope you continue to stay in touch with that maestro.  I spaced out, I felt bad not asking more about your background. But you said you had something to ask me.  So I wondered, what’s Kevin gonna ask me?

You asked what I liked about other festivals.  I asked what you appreciated most about Compass.  You were inspired by the Open Court’s invitation to community, play, & joy.  The festival’s local improv community enjoys sharing local hospitality with home cooked treats, a brunch, and quietly finding a place for everyone to stay in town.  You like the opportunity for improv players to meet, learn from and play with each other, witness new styles within the traditions of improv, and that it happens in St Louis. 

I should have gulped my coffee and tipped my cap.  I should have stood up and said, Great talking to you I must be going, the dolphins are calling.  I would have exited out the front door and walked to the Delmar Station and not seen the Rock Road Station Altercation and done nothing. I should have said nothing. Instead I asked you about the festival’s greatest challenge. Finance is a challenge we all face as artists who recognize an inherent value in what we do, yet still the bills.  I got off track and wondered out loud about a UIA crypto called Laughter. Then I remembered I wanted to talk about Five Improv Festivals.  

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Numbe Five - Dealers Choice 

Where do you want to go? Why? With who? When can you get away? This is what applicants from out of town are thinking about before deciding on any festival.  It's the part that'll happen before someone says, "Chicago, New York, Kansas City, Miami, St Louis". And it's my favorite part of the process if given the freedom to attend a few improv festivals a year.  Maybe you want to go to the east coast because you hear good things about Boston, Philadelphia, Dirty South, Spoleto, Orlando.  Maybe you've wanted to see what else is going on up north in Minneapolis, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit.  Maybe you wish to visit the Mountains of Denver, black hills of Rapid City,  deserts of Phoenix, downtown  Austin, Seattle, Portland, or San Francisco Bay. Do you want to go to Hawaii?  Miami?  Wherever you want to go, i hope you get there and discover why it should make your top five improv festivals.  Here's four more:

Four - Del Close Marathon

 

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For 17 years the UCB puts on a yearly party that overflows with improv talent.  It's  celebrity affair of improv's underground elite and successful pop stars. But it's also New York so it's Yuge!  It's Improv Vegas, Improv Venice, Improv Homage to an Icon, a Celebration of Creativity’s Achievements & Possibilities.  Pizza, Street Meat, Whiskey, and crashing in the hotel just long enough to go see the 8 am improv in Chelsea.  The Del runs 56 hours from Friday to Sunday evening in June. This year it played 7 venues, 9 stages, 1 podcast lounge, 600 shows, with thousands of improv players.   UCB is a juggernaught of gifts all year round with two theaters in New York, two more in LA, a podcast, celebrity loyalty and good social media presence.  Congrats to them and all who get a chance to attend a Del Close Marathon once in a while.  facebook/UCBComedy  .  twitter/ucbtny  .  ucbtheatre.com  

Three - Kansas City Improv Festival

 

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16 years of welcoming Improv’s Elite to KC continue in August.  They have taken many submissions but seem to keep the exclusive affair to around 30 acts over two weeks.  Hospitable and casually social, they offer classes with visiting teaching elite.  They appear to have good open relations with sponsors.  It’s like going to the Governors Ball, a special invite.  It's also right down the road from Manhattan Kansas, the birthplace of Del Close.  If you go to Manhattan and want to see Del's home or hospital, contact: On The Spot Improv at facebook.com/onthespotksu.  Now I’m just listing things.  KC’s Plaza District has sort of a walkable "West County" feel.  There’s lots of nice coffee shops.  I keep hearing about some Speak Easy Knock Knock.  Get a tattoo!  facebook/kcimprovfest  .  twitter/KCImprovFest  .  kcimprovfestival.com 

Two - Chicago Improv Festival

 

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You've already spoken to Jonathan? Stay in touch with Jonathan.  Jonathan Pitts, has been the Artistic Director of the Chicago Improv Festival for several successful years.  The Spring Festival has continued to grow over the past 20 years to include performances at 21 stages this past year. It is Chicago, the Mecca of American Improv, with other shows to enjoy if one wants improv but not so much festival. And it's still Chicago, so there's more live entertainment to see such as sketch, stand up, music, theater, and dance.  And when you wake up in the morning there's the convention of classes by world class teachers that come to this juggernaut festival. Chicago comedy celebrity roads come together by traditions call alone. It's an invitation to make a pilgrimage once in awhile to Chicago. If not for this Festival, but for the Opportunities to Witness Improv in such a liquid creative environment.  During the rest of the year they continue their work for improv through hosting a College tournament and classes.  These help remind the public of the yearly festival, just as the festival helps remind them of the improv outreach.  facebook/ChicagoImprovFestival  .  twitter/cifest  .  chicagoimprovfestival.org  

One - Compass Improv Festival in St Louis

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I'm just a regular trickster today. My number one and final festival is the Compass.  It is on the verge of something special. A watershed moment.  Though challenges continue, the Compass is committed to appreciating joy’s value in the artistic community.  For Five years they have invited interesting & invigorated teams and talent from all over the United States to participate in a Showcase of Improv's Growing Elite, a Convention of Classes,  camraderie in the city, and a celebration of live improv.  It is a non profit improv outreach team which performs and plays with nursing homes, schools, community. Sean Madden & Team, Respect.  They have a monthly entertaining live event reminder of the festival in the fall. And have an empowering relationship with the local performance venue, The Improv Shop.  
I look forward to a monthly Compass report or broadcast show.  Video or podcast or both. I dunno.  An opportunity to invite the national improv community to St Louis in September.  September or November in St Louis.  These are just suggestions.  Maybe attend a few upcoming Venture Cafe's.  I would attend with the intention of engaging someone interested in investing in a non-profit devoted to bringing more joy into the community.  Simple as that.  Improv, Joy, Community.  I said too much at coffee about a UIA called Laughter. See if there’s someone ther that’s into crypto. Just a suggestion. Have fun with a monthly broadcast show, maybe an Open Court in the Festival, keep taking care of the visiting talent in town, and building on the positives.  facebook/CompassImprov  .  twitter/compassimprov  .  compassimprov.org. 

Sorry I spaced out, I don't know how to contact celebrities, my limited advice on that is to look them up on the internet and invite them via their representation or social media.

I have shared this letter with robots. I hope that is ok. I hope some humans read it too. We’ll see.   Nice seeing you, take good care of yourself Kevin.  See you round shows.    

Jacob TS 

 

The Writings On The Walls

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STEEM ~ @jacobts

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Thank Yous