March 27th
Wednesday
SHOW: House Team Hoopla 7-8:40p
Headliner: Rat People
Feature: Inner Booty
Guest: Animatronics
Opener: 3 Bits Deep
SHOW: Local Laughs 9-10:40p
Headliner: Teenage Heartthrobs
Feature: Stolen Identity
Opener: Scolding Chair
March 28th
Thursday
SHOW: Local Laughs Part Deux 7-8:40p
Headliner: Ladies of the Unknown
Feature: Hold My Torch
Guest: HS2
Opener: Hell is Other People
SHOW: Comedy Game Show 9-10:40p
Join us for a special Dogwood Comedy Festival version of The Comedy Game Show! If you blended Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show with the Price is Right and threw in a sprinkling of David Lynch's weirdness, you’d get something that resembles the Comedy Game Show! It features top local comedians not only performing stellar stand-up, but battling it out in such notable games as “Press Your Duck,” “Mitten Cups,” “Bad Actors Studio,” and the “Staircase Showdown.”
March 29th
Friday
SHOW: Friday Night Laughs 8-9:40p
Headliner: Diabolical Fishbank
Feature: Vatican City Navy
Guest: BABE
Opener: Mom's Adhesive
SHOW: Late Night Laughs 10-11:40p
Headliner: Man vs. Movie
Feature: Newt Work
Guest: Mom's New Boyfriend
Opener: Jesse & Joe
March 30th
Saturday
WORKSHOP: Starting Scenes Stronger 10a-12:30p
Starting out a scene strong helps the players align all their forces and work in the same direction and, most importantly, having set up a firm foundation, it gives them the space and liberty to play and have fun...and that’s what it’s really all about, isn’t it? In this class, veteran improviser Paul Vaillancourt is going to share a collection of his favorite and most effective time tested techniques for getting scenes off to the strongest starts possible. Ever had a hard time getting a scene going or struggled to start a scene and then had struggle the whole way through? Have you hesitated to initiate scenes because you have that “not sure” feeling? Do you just want to focus on those initial moments of the scene and make your approach stronger? If you said "yes" to any of those questions, then this workshop is for you!
WORKSHOP: The Improvised Movie 1:30-4p
In this class, taught by veteran improviser Paul Vaillancourt, you are going to learn everything you need to know to improvise fun, exciting, on-the-fly movies in front of an audience; story structure for coherent narratives; using camera angles to help tell (and sell) the story; working with the ensemble; techniques for making your characters more dynamic and engaging; and how to bring special effects to life on stage.
This workshop is for you if:
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You are an improviser and a fan of movies
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You are interested in narrative improv of any sort
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You are an improviser looking to really round out your education in improv
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You are a screenwriter looking for a new way to loosen up, try new ideas, and have fun
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You love telling stories
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You are looking to expand your improv work in a way that no other longform will
SHOW: Dogwood Comedy Festival's
Improv Jam 4-5:40p
It's an improv Jam, hosted by Newt Work Comedy! Come see some fabulous improvisers create fun new realities. Or join them on stage yourself - we welcome audience participation at our jams! When else will you get the chance to perform with such amazing improvisers? Don't miss the fun!
SHOW: Dogwood Comedy Festival's
Capital City Culture Club 6-7:40p
Join us for a very special edition of Capital City Culture Club, featuring improvisers from multiple teams. Special guest monologist Paul Vaillancourt will regale the audience with short stories. The players will then bring the short stories to life in unique, heartfelt, and hilarious ways!
SHOW: Saturday Sillies 8-9:40p
Headliner: Now Are the Foxes featuring Paul Vaillancourt
Feature: Mmm Hmm
Guest: Knievel
Opener: Man Candy
SHOW: Late Night Laughs Part Deux 10-11:40p
Headliner: Pineapple-Shaped Lamps
Feature: Bianchi & Byland
Guest: Syndication
Opener: Ham Family
March 31st
Sunday
WORKSHOP: The Triangle of the Scene 10a-1p
In this class, appropriate for beginners and experienced improvisers alike, veteran improviser and improv teacher Paul Vaillancourt will teach you the approach known as the Triangle of the Scene. By using this approach, improvisers will become more connected to their character, their partner, and the environment around them. They will learn how to powerfully wield this trio of tools to build better, more grounded, and ultimately funnier scenes. This class is built on the belief that the foundation of any great improv scene is not saying funny things or acting crazy, but rather the relationship between the characters in the scene, and that everything else - the dialog, the plot, the premise, even the environment of the scene - is connected to and grows out of that relationship.
WORKSHOP: Where Am I and What Am I Holding? 2-4p
Are your scenes flat and two dimensional? Are they just two people standing still talking at each other? Are you looking for a way to add more dimension (and fun) to your scenes? In this class, veteran improviser and improv teacher Paul Vaillancourt will help you dig into environment and spacework to bring your scenes from two dimensional to three dimensional. You will learn easy-to-use techniques that will help you fill out the space and environment of the scene in a powerful and dynamic way that will allow you to use subtext, deepen your onstage relationships, create characters that are more interesting and memorable, and make your scenes more fun to watch (and do).
SHOW: The Last Laugh 5-6:40p
Featuring ComedyWorx's premier longform youth improv troupe, Nuclear Family, and a special showcase for students who took all four workshops with Paul Vaillancourt!