Ocean State Black & Funny Improv Festival to Return to The Contemporary Theater Company

Looking for some laughs Labor Day Weekend? Look no further than The Contemporary Theater Company's 3rd Annual Ocean State Black and Funny Improv Festival. The festival runs August 31 – September 3 at the theater in Downtown Wakefield.

 

After two 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.

 

“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.”

The festival will feature groups and performers from across the country, including 3Peat, The Unpronouncables, Wakanda vs Everybody, Tezz's Jam: One Man Band, Branded Silk, Poems for Each Other, and Rochelle McConico.

 

This is the first Ocean State Black and Funny Improv Festival appearance for 3Peat, a critically acclaimed and award-winning Improv/Sketch/Stand Up group. They are particularly known for their viral Comedy Central video sketches including "The Blackening", which was turned into a feature film in 2022.

 

There are performances Thursday – Saturday at 7 pm featuring these talented troupes, followed by all-star mixer shows at 9 pm that are always a highlight of the festival. The festival closes with a 2 pm show on Sunday. A detailed schedule can be found on the Contemporary Theater Company website.

 

There will be workshops open to the public taught by headliners at the festival. 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.

 

“The festival is beautiful because it's open for all races to watch and take workshops from wonderfully talented Black people,” says Gebretatose.

 

The workshops are on topics ranging from musical improv to stand up to putting stories from your life onstage. 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.

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!

For more information about tickets and registration for workshops, visit www.contemporarytheatercompany.com/black-and-funny-improv.

 

Calendar of Events

Ocean State Black and Funny Improv Festival

Aug 31 – Sept 3

The Ocean State Black and Funny Improv Festival's goal is to create an improv world where all are welcome to celebrate ourselves, learn from our differences, and build each other up while sharing in a space that is respectful and generous to all. The festival will feature nightly headliner performances, guest troupes, mixer shows, workshops, parties, and more.

Tickets: $30 (Choose your price between $10-$40)

Box Office: 401-218-0282, Website: http://contemporarytheatercompany.com, Email: info@thecontemporarytheater.com, The Contemporary Theater Company, 327 Main Street, Wakefield, RI 02879

 

Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play

by Anne Washburn, Score by Michael Friedman, Lyrics by Anne Washburn

Previews: Sept 8-9, Shows: Sept 15-16, 21-23, 28-30 at 7 pm

What remains when civilization has crumbled? Stories. In a post-apocalyptic near-future, survivors gather around the campfire to recall an episode of The Simpsons and hold on to the memory of the way the world was. Mr. Burns is a dark comedy that takes us through a century to discover how a memory becomes a story that becomes a myth and how we rebuild our world together.

Tickets: $30 (Choose your price between $10-$40)

Box Office: 401-218-0282, Website: http://contemporarytheatercompany.com, Email: info@thecontemporarytheater.com, The Contemporary Theater Company Performance Patio, 321 Main Street, Wakefield, RI 02879

 

Much Ado About Nothing

by William Shakespeare

Previews: Oct 20-21 Shows: Oct 27-28, Nov 3-4, 10-11, 12*, 16-18 at 7 pm

(*2 pm Matinee)

There's a fine line between love and hate in one of Shakespeare's wittiest comedies. Beatrice and Benedict trade barbs while true loves Hero and Claudio are torn apart by lies. Will all be right by the wedding?

Tickets: $30 (Choose your price between $10-$40)

Box Office: 401-218-0282, Website: http://contemporarytheatercompany.com, Email: info@thecontemporarytheater.com, The Contemporary Theater Company, 327 Main Street, Wakefield, RI 02879

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