Improv and comedy fans are in for a treat this July!
SPIT (Silly People's Improv Theatre) will mount the Manila Improv Festival 2015. A total of 19 improv groups from all over the Philippines and the globe will converge at the PETA Theater in New Manila, Quezon City from July 8-12 for five days of improv performances, workshops, and exhibits. Leading up to the festival, the first Tropical Improv Camp will be held in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental from July 2-5.
Improv groups from different parts of the world in the festival line-up include 3 Dudes Improv from Hong Kong, Impromafia from Australia, Pip Show from Poland, and The Pirates of Tokyo Bay from Japan. Local groups are also well represented through the Bacolod Improv Group, Dulaang Atenista from Cagayan de Oro, One and Half Men, Switch Improv, and SPIT all from Manila.
Now on its third run, this self-produced and self-funded festival is done for the love of the craft. Speaking to PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) during festival’s press launch, SPIT founder Gabe Mercado said, “We’re really hoping for the audience to come and watch. It’s comedy that’s for the most part intelligent, clean, and enjoyable for all ages.”
A growing niche in the country, improvisational theater or improv is a form of theater where scenes are co-created by the audience and the actors—called improvisers—in real-time, with no benefit of a script or prior rehearsals. It’s a real test of wit and quick thinking, and the need for inserting humor in each spiel is a testament to the talent needed for this non-conventional approach to comedy.
That is why SPIT has partnered with Silliman University for the Tropical Improv Camp in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental from July 2-5, 2015. The camp will feature talks and workshops on improvisation as performance art and its non-performance applications like team building activities, disaster preparedness, and even responsible citizenship. The camp will also showcase the beauty of Dumaguete, with a walking exploration of the University town and tour of the seaport, and a private boat to Apo Island to see the protected marine reserve and swim with giant sea turtles.
For tickets and workshop inquiries, interested participants may contact Jay Tipayan of PETA Theater Center at Tel. No. (632) 726-6244 / 0927-3917379 or follow SPIT on www.facebook.com/spitmanila
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
July 2 – 5 Thursday to Sunday
Tropical Improv Camp, Dumaguete
July 8 Wednesday
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Festival Opening and Improv Performances
July 9 Thursday
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Improv Performances
July 10 Friday
8:00 am – 12:00 pm Workshops
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Improv Performances
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Improv Performances
10:15 pm – 11:45 pm Improv Performances
July 11 Saturday
8:00 am – 5:00 pm Workshops
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Improv Performances
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Improv Performances
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Improv Performances
10:15 pm – 11:45 pm Improv Performances
July 12 Sunday
8:00 am – 12:00 pm Workshops
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Improv Performances
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Improv Performances
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