Kansas City is just around the corner and submissions are wrapping up soon. If you don’t know much about the festival, I got to talk to Ashley Osborn about what visitors might get to experience this year. And it sounds pretty amazing.

Kansas City is geographically in a great spot. It’s kind of a hub for so many improv cities. What’s the improv scene in Kansas City like right now. What kinds of shows are really growing?

KC’s improv scene just keeps growing, it’s a pretty exciting time. We have three different theaters producing shows every week and more and more troupes lining up to play. Long form shows, including competition shows, house teams and class shows, and harold teams have helped to increase audiences at the Kick Comedy Theater and the Uptown Arts Bar while short form has expanded with more shows per week at ComedyCity in the past year. Sketch has also brought in a new crowd that we want to keep too.

The festival is a great opportunity to showcase different kinds of improv to your audiences. what do you hope to showcase at the festival for local audiences?

We want to show our local audiences what all is out there in the improv scenes across the country so they stay hooked and grow along with us. We also want to show them that we have a stellar scene ourselves by showcasing our local troupes that fill our theaters every weekend. We work hard to keep getting better and the festival is a great opportunity to both learn from our visitors and appreciate our locals.

Will there be any headliners or workshops this year?

Yes! We just aren’t quite ready to announce them yet! As soon as we have all the details locked down, we’ll get it out there.

What are some of the things performers can do while they are in Kansas City?

KC is awesome , we’ve got stuff to keep you busy. Take a tour of Boulevard Brewery or just go drink a few in Westport, the Country Club Plaza, or in the Power & Light District. Check out our signature bbq burnt ends at Joe’s Kansas City, Jack Stack, or any one of our many bbq joints around town. We’ve got museums, live music, Sporting Kansas City soccer and the Kansas City Royals. You won’t be bored.

What will the venue be like this year?

We have two venues this year, same as last year. Our first weekend the festival will be held at the Kick Comedy Theater in Westport, home to the KC Improv Company, the producers of the festival. It is an intimate theater connected to the best burger and beer spot in town, the Green Room, so its basically perfect for improv. Our second weekend will be held at Musical Theater Heritage in Crown Center, an absolute experience to play in with seating on three sides of the stage.

If a performer has never played in KC before, why would you tell them to come?

Come to our festival, you’ll be glad you did. We “treat” our visitors as much as we can, truly inviting you to enjoy our festival. Meet our improvisers, enjoy our audiences, partake at our afterparties. Go Royals.

Submissions are open now. Please check out this great festival.

Currently Bill is an instructor at The Torch Theatre and producer for the Phoenix Improv Festival. He tours teaching and performing across North America.