Travel Information

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

The festival returns for a third year to the Studio Theatre at the Ybor City campus of Hillsborough Community College (HCC). The theatre is a top-of-the-line professional facility and is run by one of the best crews around.

The venue is located in the heart of historic Ybor City, a neighborhood known for its local businesses and nightlife.

Ybor is just a quick 10-minute (9 mile) ride from Tampa International Airport.



What lodging options are available?

For those coming in from out of town, we've secured a block of rooms at the Hampton Inn Tampa/Ybor City Downtown at a very affordable rate for all three nights of the festival. The hotel's location is safe and, frankly, unbeatable; it's just a two-block walk down the street to the venue. Parking at the hotel is $10/night.




What transportation options are available?

Organizers will happily provide rides to/from the airport as needed.


What dining options are available?

Snacks (healthy and otherwise) will be provided in the green room. This year, we hope to expand that to include nightly dinners, as well.

Beyond that, Ybor City's dining options are eclectic and top-notch. We highly recommend The Bricks, our festival sponsor, for great food, coffee, and drinks.


What local events or attractions are available?

Two words: Busch Gardens.

Festival Information

How much stage time will performers receive?

Accepted teams will receive one show slot during the festival.


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

If you love small group improv, Countdown Improv Festival is the festival for you. Our event is the only national festival that caters exclusively to trios, duos, and solo acts. As a duo ourselves, we believe that improv performed in groups of one, two, and three is one of the purest expressions of the art form that exists. With trios, duos, and solo acts, there's nowhere to hide -- and we think that's a great and special thing.


What is the local improv scene like?

The improv scene in Tampa Bay is vibrant, supportive, and growing more with each passing year. This improv community is the reason we, two New Yorkers, decided to produce a festival in this city, 1200 miles away from where we live!




What are the festival's goals?

Our goal, first and foremost, is to produce an event that elevates and celebrates the best small group improv in the country and, dare we say, the world.

A critical component of that overarching goal is the prioritization of the performer experience: our mission, as producers, is to foster a welcoming, positive, supportive, and safe environment that puts our performers in prime position to do their best work. We've performed at theaters and festivals all over the country ourselves, so we know the effort and resources that it takes to get to these things, and we want people to know and feel that their efforts are seen and appreciated. We think you'd be hard pressed to find a festival that has more dedication, heart, and attention to detail than ours.


What are the selection criteria for this festival?

We're so glad you asked! Our submission guidelines are at the link below. Please take a few minutes to read them.

https://countdownimprovfestival.com/2019/02/14/submission-guidelines/


What unique improv experiences will performers gain?

In addition to three nights of shows and fun, this year's festival will once again feature workshops from some of the best instructors in the country.

Also, the fact that our numbers are small allows for the creation of what feels like a true community over the course of the festival. It's a great time!