For starters, the 2013 Detroit Improv Festival was the first improv festival I’d ever been to. One year ago, Switch Committee was one of the opening acts for TJ & Dave at the Go Comedy Theater to a sold out house. A year later, we were returning to Detroit again making it now the 10th Festival we’ve ever been to as a group.
This year’s lineup was STACKED. There were celebrities and groups from all over the world attending the festival. I didn’t get to interact with many of them or see them perform though because our show was scheduled at the same time as Messing with a Friend (Susan Messing is awesome but you already knew that) and the D.R.O.D. (Dorff, Robinson, O’Brien, and Dratch) show. I did, however, get to talk with one of them and it was a very pleasant and humbling experience. For the record, Kevin Dorff is one of the coolest guys in the world. I’ve seen him around a bunch in Chicago (at iO) and we’ve always shared a mutual nod or acknowledgement that we’re both improvisers. We’d never actually had a conversation but always gave each other the nod. I’m a big proponent of The Nod. In fact, it was such a topic of conversation amongst myself and Switch Committee that the weekend felt like a Seinfeld episode focusing on the importance of The Nod. The Nod is just a locking of the eyes and a literal head nod in passing. When I saw him at a coffee shop in Detroit, there was a nod and then he actually walked over to our table and started conversing with us. He was so down to Earth. We talked about how we felt about the festival (how much fun we were having), how our ride was up from Chicago, and then we all collectively agreed we were dead tired, which was why we were all in a coffee shop at 8:30pm. So, in summary, he’s awesome. I did not get the nod from a few people and I complained to the guys thoroughly about it. It really was a Seinfeld episode.
Besides that, let’s breakdown some of the other things I loved about this festival.
The Atmosphere – I love the atmosphere that exists during the festival. It is a wonderful inviting town that opens its arms wide open to the improvisers traveling to the festival. There are street advertisements with improv groups attending the festival on them. Honestly, it makes you feel very special and welcome when you see a giant street ad with your group’s name on it.
The People – Everyone (improvisers and other people wandering around Ferndale) is so nice and interested in what you have going on. Meeting new people and starting conversations were very easy because we were all there for the same purpose. I talked to people at restaurants, in marketplaces, at theaters, at coffee shops, and in hotels and enjoyed every one of the conversations. At no point did I feel like I was a visitor.
The Theaters – There are 3 theaters. Well, there are 2 theaters (Go Comedy Theater and The Ringwald Theater) and then a giant marketplace (The Rust Belt) that is transformed into a theater space. I love every one of those theater spaces. I loved both playing at the Go last year and The Ringwald this year. During our show, we hurled our bodies on and off the entirety of The Ringwald stage. It was great! The next day before our workshop we went back to The Rust Belt, which had already been converted back to a marketplace, and bought things.
Trading Cards
The Annual trip to Comos – Last year we went to Comos, a pizza place, and this year we felt it necessary to go again. We shared a meal with our very cool friends from the Magnet Theater Honey, who we were also performing with later that night. I really like that pizza. That’s pretty much all I have to report. I went to Detroit and I ate pizza.
Improvisors Project – I was very happy to take part in this and was so relieved we were able to get there before it finished. The Improvisors Project is a portrait of the improv community captured through photographs of its many members by Sam Willard. You stand in front of the camera while Sam gives you a topic or character and you just get to do what you want. In other words, you improvise while he takes photos. For me, I ended up playing some Italian guy named Sal Salami who worked in the deli meats business. A lot of fun.
In conclusion, I loved the Detroit Improv Festival. For the second year in a row, I had a great time, felt welcome and invited to perform, and enjoyed meeting new people. I once again felt like I was a part of something special in a community that came together to celebrate the art of improvisation. When you feel like that, like you’re a part of something great, you know the festival has been run correctly. My hat goes off to Chris Moody and everyone who helped to put together such an amazing festival. Thank you so much and can’t wait to see you next year!
-The King of Nod
