Travel Information

What venue(s) will be a part of the festival?

Our primary venues are McPhetres Hall and Hangar Ballroom. Both are within easy access to area restaurants, hotels, and downtown attractions.


What lodging options are available?

The festival organizes a hotel room block at discounted rates. Last year's hotels were Four Points at Sheraton and Westmark Baranof. Room rates vary by year, but our 2018 festival rate was $99 to $109 per night, double occupancy plus tax.


What transportation options are available?

The festival provides courtesy rides to and from the airport, beginning at 9:00am. Local performers have also been known to take our guests on private tours of the area on their own time.


What dining options are available?

Two of the last three Great American Seafood Cookoff champions have come from Juneau: Lionel Uddipa (SALT) and Beau Schooler (The Rookery, In Bocce Al Lupo, The Tacqueria). In addition to these restaurants, McGiveney's is famous for their crab bisque, Coppa for their hand-crafted ice cream flavors (including an improvised flavor for the past two festivals), and a host of great coffee options.


What local events or attractions are available?

In each of the past five years, AS IF has organized an improvisor-only whale watching tour. In addition, there are many walking and hiking trails, several museums, shopping, and a visit to the Mendenhall Glacier.

The festival ends directly before the first cruise ship rolls in, but performers who wish to stay longer will be able to access the Mount Roberts Tram, zipline tours, and other seasonal excursions.

Festival Information

How much stage time will performers receive?

Ensembles will have 1 or 2 sets of roughly 20 to 25 minutes with headliners receiving 25 to 30 minutes. If you have a show that requires a longer time slot, please be upfront about your needs. An ensemble that is offered two sets will generally perform once on Thursday or Sunday and once on Friday or Saturday.

AS IF regularly offers mash-up opportunities and/or all-star shows each year.


What is the range of shows and styles the festival is seeking?

AS IF seeks a broad range of longform, narrative, and experimental improv shows. These have ranged from traditional Harolds and duo montages to apocalyptic musicals and Lovecraftian horror.

In addition, the Hangar Ballroom hosts AS IF After Dark - a series of shows restricted to audiences 21 years of age and older. AS IF After Dark has hosted History Under the Influence, The Sickest F***ing Stories Ever Told, Mr. Rogers After Dark, and The North-South Improvised Hip Hop Throwdown.

Generally, shortform ensembles are only accepted from within Alaska; however, we would welcome shortform submissions from groups that utilize a non-traditional approach.


What is the local improv scene like?

Over the past several years, Juneau-based ensembles have received a reputation for both narrative and experimental improvisation, including (but not limited to) improvised one-act plays, steampunk action-adventure, and Dada-based anti-art.


What are the festival's goals?

The Alaska State Improv Festival seeks to produce, perform, and instruct a broad range of improvisational styles within and outside of the community of Juneau, Alaska. Since beginning the festival, Alaskan ensembles have performed at the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, Seattle Festival of Improvisational Theater, Del Close Marathon, San Diego Improv Festival, and Improvaganza - The Hawaii Festival of Improvisational Theater.

In furtherance of these goals, AS IF seeks to provide its visiting improvisors with the highest quality festival experience possible. Responses to performer surveys indicate that over 95% of participants' expectations were exceeded or greatly exceeded.


What are the selection criteria for this festival?

The AS IF selection criteria are described in The Rubric on The Improv Network Blog.

http://www.theimprovnetwork.org/the-rubric/


What unique improv experiences will performers gain?

When visiting Juneau, you are surrounded by nature, with mountains, ocean, and forest surrounding you. Bald eagles are common and ravens are omnipresent. On the water, whales and sea lions are regularly spotted. AS IF provides not only an opportunity to perform, but an opportunity to experience a unique corner of the world.