Festivals

[Holmes]

Hey Philly,
This thread is to bring up and discuss the idea of attending festivals. During college, I was lucky enough to attend Skidmore College's festival, where I learned so much and got to meet some great people.
Rare Bird Show has been lucky enough to be a part of the Del Close Marathon, the Dirty South Improv Festival, and Philly's own improv festivals.
Festivals have made probably the biggest impacts in my development as an improvisor. Getting a chance to see great groups from all over, getting a chance to meet great improvisors from all over, getting a chance to take workshops with great improvisors from all over, have all been essential to my growth.
I'd love to hear about other people's and group's experiences with improv festivals, comedy festivals, fringe festivals, why people go to festivals, why people don't go to festivals, what people want from festivals, etc.

I've written the word festival so much in the past two minutes that it's lost all meaning to me.

 

[Dritsas]

Festivals bring more audience members to your show that may not have come to see you otherwise and that is probably the best reason of all to do them. The fringe is a great example of that.

BAD HAIR just went to the Chicago Sketchfest and we had a great time. We got great press, too, without having to do a lot to get it. We met good people and came back with some new ideas.

I suppose they can have their dark side. I hear the NYC improv marathon can be a lot of fun, but also incestuous (by that I mean you're audience is just other groups). That can be both a good and a bad thing.

But the benefits outweigh most negatives, so I recommend them.

Plus, they can be a great venue for no-strings-attached "networking."

 

[Loki]

For me, it just doesn't get any better than festivals. It's the consolidation of different talents, styles, ideas all right in front of you. There's just a great spirit that happens at a festival. It's a place to see new things and be exposed to ideas, formats, transitions and approaches that you may not have considered before. I think if done well, they can be an example of group mind brought to a new level... almost a community, regional or national mind consisting of people that love this shit as much as I do and just eat it up. I just kind of devour it and let it devour me.

It's a big opportunity to suck the marrow from the improv bone.

 

[ick1019]

And when you're done with the marrow, offal and other waste trimmings can be disposed of in a number of ways, burial, animal feed, and puree and flush being just a few. Bones will dry and become brittle after being baked an oven, and can be pulverized.

http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/index.html