Ocean State Black & Funny Improv Festival Celebrates Black Joy At The Contemporary Theater Company

Looking for some laughs this fall? Look no further than The Contemporary Theater Company's 4th Annual Ocean State Black and Funny Improv Festival. The festival runs October 3-6 at the theater in Downtown Wakefield.

After three successful years, the theater is excited to bring back this festival, which focuses on Black improvisers and encourages audience members and students of all races to attend.

“What is the Black and Funny Improv Festival? It is a gathering of some of the world's greatest improv talent, featuring Black improvisers from all over the diaspora,” says this year's festival director Stephanie Rae. “It is a family reunion. It is a celebration. It is an education. It is Joy. It is love. It is affirmation. It is everything that a person of any color could want to be a part of.”

The festival features top notch performances with troupes as well as workshops open to the public and anyone who is interested in improv, whether you have years of experience or are just getting started. Audience members can buy tickets to individual shows or get festival passes to get to experience all of the performances and different styles that the festival offers.

This is the biggest festival yet, featuring more performers and shows than ever before. There are performances Thursday – Saturday at 7 pm & 8:30 pm featuring talented troupes from across the country with mixer shows at 10 pm on Friday and Saturday featuring performers from the festival. There are also shows at 5 pm on Saturday and 2 pm on Sunday. A detailed schedule will be available on the Contemporary Theater Company's website.

“I love this festival because it intentionally supports Black joy,” says John Gebretatose, co-founder of the first Black and Funny Festival who will be returning to the festival with his duo The Unprounceables. “It affirms that Black people can do improv and be good at it, from the shows to the fantastic improv workshops.”

Workshops have become a staple of the improv festivals at the Contemporary Theater Company, allowing locals to learn from teachers from across the country. Students often leave the festival saying that the workshops helped them take their improv to a new level and feel connected to others at the festival. Anyone who takes at least three workshops, gets a free All-Access Pass to see all of the performances at the festival and a free t-shirt.

“If you are black it's going to be an extra special experience because you are going to see and hear and feel yourself represented on stage in a way that we don't usually get to experience, but do not think that is a festival for only Black folks to attend and support,” says Rae. “Because just like we find ourselves immersed in white art all the time, this is an opportunity for other folks to come experience something different.”

A Community Grant from The Rhode Island Foundation is supporting the work of the festival, and helping to ensure that financial aid is available for any student who needs it to take workshops and that affordable tickets are available for all. Anyone who wants to attend shows or workshops and needs financial support can reach out to the theater at info@thecontemporarytheater.com.

Everything at this festival is made up on the spot, making the festival full of one-of-a-kind experiences that you will not want to miss!

“It is just so much fun,” says Rae. “You will laugh. You will probably cry. You will most definitely walk away changed for having attended.”

For more information about the festival, visit www.contemporarytheatercompany.com/black-and-funny-improv.

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