BATS Improv to Host 19th Annual Summer Improv Festival, 8/2-31

BATS Improv presents its 19th Annual Summer Improv Festival. Five weeks of entertaining improv from the BATS Main Stage Company. The festival will run every Friday and Saturday, August 2 - 31 at 8pm at the Bayfront Theater (B350 Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA 94123).

Five weeks of amazing improv from the BATS Main Stage Company featuring a new show every weekend, including the annual SF vs. LA Theatresports Grudge Match on Saturday, August 17!

The Summer Improv Festival lineup includes:

SPLIT DECISION: August 2 -3

At one crucial point, a single story splits into two parallel stories...with unexpected results. Fully improvised and inspired by the audience, who also get to choose the critical moment where the story splits in two. A funny and sometimes dramatic look at the notion of "what if"?

THE IMPROV LAB: August 9 - 10

Experimental short form Improv from the minds of The BATS Company. Unpredictable and imaginative, The Improv Lab is cutting edge night of improv with no rules and lots of audience interaction.

SPONTANEOUS BROADWAY: August 16

Everyone has a role to play in Spontaneous Broadway. The audience are an elite, wealth investor about to invest in Broadway's next big musical! BATS cast of improvisers are fictionally-famous Broadway superstars. First, the Broadway superstars will "audition" a number of new musicals by improvising songs directly from song titles supplied by the audience. Then, the audience will vote with their (fictional) pocketbook - writing a "check" and investing in the show they most want to see. The show with the most investors is then turned into a complete musical in the second half, including a reprise of the winning song. Of course, everything is improvised!

SF VS LA THEATRESPORTS: August 17

Without a doubt, the annual "S.F. vs. L.A. Theatresports Grudge Match" is one of our most popular events of the year. The winners of this year's Spring Theatresports Tournament, The Smorgas Board, will represent San Francisco and defend her honor against BATS rivals from down south - LA's Impro Theatre. Theatresports is an improv comedy competition where two teams face off - improvising scenes, songs, and games, all based on audience suggestions - to win points from the judges and hearts of the audience. At the end of the night, the team with the most points wins - taking home the coveted SF/LA Improv Cup - and bragging rights for the next year.

DUOPROV CHAMPIONSHIP: Aug. 23-24

BATS newest improv competition! In the first half, three teams of two improvisers - each representing their favorite genre - compete for the right to have the whole cast perform their genre in the second half. Each show is completely improvised and completely unique.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: Aug. 30-31

The audience decides what characters they want BATS actors to play - an astronaut, a spy, a doctor, etc. As the story moves forward, the audience will make choices that could lead the characters to a heroic victory, or a tragic death. But don't worry, the audience can always go back and make a different choice and see how differently the story plays out. And because its improvised, the number of possible endings are limitless!

Founded in 1986, BATS has become the premier improvisational performing company and improv training school in the Bay Area, attracting more than 12,000 audience members and 1,300 workshop enrollments every year. www.improv.org

Public Information: Tickets are $17 general admission, $20 at the door, and are available through the BATS website www.improv.org or by phone (415) 47.-6776. Email - bats@improv.org/

Pictured: BATS Main Stage Players. Photo by Ben Long.