2013 COLUMBUS UNSCRIPTED Improv Festival Kicks Off Today

Central Ohioans will receive a huge helping of laughter today, October 24-27 during Columbus' second annual improv festival, Columbus Unscripted. Produced by Columbus Unscripted, the festival will include professional-level improvisational workshops as well as performances by over 20 local improv troupes and nationally acclaimed improvisers, Susan Messing, Megan Johns and Michael Clayton McCarthy.

Susan Messing, graduate of Northwestern University's School of Theatre, is an alumna of iO Chicago, The Second City's main stage, and founding member of Chicago's Annoyance Theatre. Susan has been an improviser for over twenty-four years. She was a recipient of the Chicago Improv Festival's "Improviser of the Year" award in 2010.

Megan Johns, a native Virginian, is trained in improvisation with iO Chicago and the Annoyance Theatre, performing in a variety of sketch, improv, and scripted original shows. She is a proud member of The New Colony, and has been in Five Lesbians Eating A Quiche, which won several awards at the 2010 Sketchbook Festival.

Michael Clayton McCarthy, a native of Cleveland, is a writer and improviser currently at Second City in Chicago. He has written for Saturday Night Live, Sesame Street, the Gilmore Girls and more. Michael also created the writing programs for iO west in LA, iO Chicago and for Second City. He will perform with his wife, Susan Messing in her signature show, Messing with a Friend as the Friday night featured performance as well as offer a sketch-writing workshop during the festival.

Improvisation is the art of spontaneous performance. Everything that happens between performers on stage is entirely spontaneous; no scripts or preparation. Scenes are character-driven, and inspired by a single suggestion from the audience. Improvisational theatres such as io Chicago, io West, The Second City, and the Annoyance Theatre, have produced many well-known comedic performers, including John Belushi, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Dan Aykroyd, and Amy Poehler.

Columbus Unscripted promotes the awareness, education and creative development of improvisational performance in Central Ohio. Please contact Bill Sabo, Producer, (614-589-2455) or visit www.columbusunscripted.com to register for workshops and/or purchase tickets online.