Virtual Indie Festival Organization Panel

As our communities are re-emerging and our artform is growing with experience, our panelists all have experience creating their own improv festivals from scratch in recent years. They’ve experienced marketing through all the various methods & means, creating partnerships with theaters & communities, fostering experiences & hosting talent from around the globe. Most of all they’ve attacked creating a sustainable annual event that can return and grow with our artform.  Our panel will share the highs and lows of starting your own festival!

Panelists:

Our expert panel will share their insights, followed by a short Q&A.

John Gebretatose (he/him). He has traveled the world performing and directing improv along with teaching workshops and producing shows, all the while making improv inclusive and welcoming to all people, especially the underrepresented folks. John is a founding member of one of the hottest new improv groups, Blackout. He is the co-creator of the Black and Funny Improv Festival, which started in Minneapolis and now has chapters all over the world.

James Tierney is a founding member and the business manager for the Blue Brick Theatre–home of Happy Valley Improv– located in State College, PA. James has been performing and teaching improv since 2006, being a member of both short and long-form troupes across the country. When not doing improv, you can find James in the classroom teaching entrepreneurship or running his academic coaching company Tierney Education. He also volunteers his time throughout the State College community. He lives with his amazing wife and their two wonderful rescue pups, Penny and Dakota.

Tashika Campbell is a coach, teacher and workshop facilitator from Baltimore, Maryland. She has taught classes and workshops with Highwire Improv, Queen City Comedy, and Bird City theater. A member of the award-winning troupe Cake Walk, she has performed in festivals across the United States. Tashika serves as the lead coordinator of F.A.M Fest, an Improv festival dedicated to celebrating Black and Brown Improvisers and is currently working on a documentary highlighting the historical and current contributions of Black Improvisers across the globe. 

Wendy Penrod is a founding member of OTC Comedy and the current Artistic Director. She has been studying and performing improvisational theatre for over 15 years. She is also a member of Pawn Takes Queen and has performed internationally. Wendy co-founded both the Red Rocks Improv Festival and Ye Olde Improv Competition and serves on the board of Improv Utopia. She is currently one of OTC Comedy’s instructors and has taught improv to people of all ages for over 10 years.