On August 20-21, 2010, Improv Festival Oklahoma—a festival celebrating improvised comedy—will be held in the Oklahoma City metro area. Red Dirt Improv, an Oklahoma City improv troupe that regularly performs at the IAO Gallery downtown, is hosting the event. There will be workshops each day and performances each night, featuring a variety of improv groups from around the state, the region, and the country.
Many people are somewhat familiar with what improv is from watching television shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway?, but they are often unaware that there are local improv groups who perform live here in Oklahoma City—making up the entire show on the spot based on suggestions from the audience. Last winter, the members of Red Dirt Improv decided they wanted to raise the profile of improv in Oklahoma, and work with other local groups like Everybody And Their Dog, O.U. Improv, and Twinprov to create a festival where they could all perform together in a large venue. From that beginning, the idea of the festival expanded to encompass a series of professional workshops for experienced improvisers, Improv 101 classes for members of the public, and a total of 12 different performances by 12 different improv groups from around the country rounded out last year's festival.