Secret City Improv Festival brings laughs back to Oak Ridge for the third consecutive year
Secret City Improv Festival welcomes improv comedy troupes from across America on October 6 & 7
Oak Ridge, TN – For the third year in a row, Oak Ridge, Tennessee will welcome 23 professional comedy improv troupes and three local high schools on October 6 & 7, at the Historic Grove Theater for the Secret City Improv Festival.
The festival consists of 8 unique performances featuring 23 professional improv comedy troupes, three local high schools, and workshops and masterclasses with experienced improvisers from across America. The Secret City Improv Festival will feature comedy improv troupes from 15 cities representing 10 states this year. Returning to the festival includes Knoxville troupes; Einstein Simplified and Playback Reloaded; Nashville’s Danger Junior and Louie Yes Anderson; Atlanta’s Vibe Check and Mom and Dad; Greeneville’s Blue Plate Special; Asheville’s Jolo; Houston’s Magical Lying Hour; and Improv Chattanooga.
New troupes performing at this year’s Secret City Improv Festival include Mable’s Baby from Asheville; Josh & Tom and Yearbook Committee from Atlanta; The Maybe Pile from Chattanooga; Mick & Tony from Chicago; Nashville Improv Company; TJ Mannix from NYC; Two Gils and a Row from Phoenix; Nick Condon from Portland, OR; Whatever Fate Decides from Providence, RI; Newt Work from Raleigh, NC; and Bikini Atoll from San Antonio.
Notable performers this year include Nick Condon from Portland, OR, a renowned improv instructor of over two decades who teaches at Curious Comedy and the Oregon Children’s Theater. Nick is the director of Curious Comedy; a socially relevant comedy with a cause in Portland. Nick will perform his solo improv show “Solitare! The One-Man Musical” on October 6th. TJ Mannix from New York City is a veteran improviser, actor, voice-over artist, teacher, and acting coach. TJ has appeared in numerous radio and television commercials and has had roles on “All My Children”, “As The World Turns”, “One Life to Live”, “Law and Order”, and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”. TJ was also a Mouseketeer and was an original cast member of “Blank: The Musical” off-Broadway. TJ is the director of the New York Musical Improv Festival and is a member of the faculty at the Professional Conservatory of Musical Theatre at NYFA, Circle in the Square Theatre School, and Montclair Film. and will be performing his epic one-man musical “Limboland” on October 7th.
This year’s festival will also feature an innovative program called the Slayden Intensives for the second year. These seminars will be led by professional improv instructors and allow students to hone their creativity, leadership potential, and problem-solving skills in a fun, funny, dynamic, and supportive manner. Students will have one day to prepare and perform their comedy improv show in front of a live audience at the festival on Saturday, October 7, at 5:00 p.m. The students’ shows will be family-friendly and appropriate for general audiences. The festival’s seminars honor the late William M. Slayden III, a founding member of Einstein Simplified.
For those who would like to learn from the professionals, the Secret City Improv Festival will offer two masterclasses and two workshops on October 7th. Information about the masterclasses and workshops will be released in early September. These masterclasses and workshops provide creative insights and skills for all acting ranges. Information will be on secretcityimprovfest.com and on the festival’s social media pages. Guests will be able to reserve their spots online at secretcityimprovfest.com, or attend at the scheduled time at the festival. Masterclasses will be 3 hours in length and will cost $50 and workshops will be 1.5 hours and cost $25.
Tickets for the 2023 Secret City Improv Festival will go on sale on August 12 at secretcityimprovfest.com/tickets. Tickets will be available to purchase in person starting August 24 at Gaia’s Wisdom and Calamity’s Coffee in Oak Ridge and Checkpoint Gaming in Clinton. Tickets are available for $10 per night or $20 for a weekend pass.
WHAT: 2023 Secret City Improv Festival
WHEN: Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6 & 7, 2023
WHERE: Historic Grove Theatre
123 Randolph Rd, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
About the Secret City Improv Festival
The Secret City Improv Festival is a production of Southern Fried Events. The festival is East Tennessee’s only improv festival and aims to bring together a diverse cross-section of improv styles and troupes from all over the country. The festival will host multiple shows showcasing the best in Improv Theatre and workshops over two days at the Historic Grove Theatre in scenic Oak Ridge, Tenn.