LOUISVILLE, KY, September 29 & 30, 2017 – Local improv troupe, Damaged Goods, to host Louisville’s first ever Improv Comedy Festival at The Bard’s Town at 1801 Bardstown Rd. Metro Louisville will welcome some of the nation’s best improv comedy acts. 5 improv troupes from Louisville as well as 7 troupes from places including Chicago, St. Louis, Nashville, Detroit, and Cincinnati. This year’s Festival theme is, “If you’re alive…then you’re livin’.”

Festival performances will take place in Louisville’s best improv comedy venue, The Bard’s Town. The theater upstairs will play host to 5 shows and 2 improv workshops over 2 days.

The Dam Good Improv Festival will feature workshops for anyone interested in learning the art of improvisation, actors, non actors, inexperienced, and advance improvisers looking to hone their skills. Workshops will cover a variety of topics and be taught by the very best in the industry and are good for any experience level. Workshops will be held at The Bard’s Town upstairs theater on Sept. 30th at 11am and 1:30pm. Workshops will be $40 per person per workshop. Will last 2 to 2.5 hours a piece. Tickets are available now at www.damgoodfestival.com/workshops

The Collage Workshop by Jonathan Pitts (The Collage – Chicago, IL) 1:30pm

Taught by Chicago Improv Festival creator and producer, Jonathan Pitts, The Collage is a form that can expand or contract to the needs of the performers and the show slot, but in essence it is a long form with lots of short form options. Every style of play and player can fit into this form. The players will learn the process of The Collage as well as several of the different moves that are available to utilize in this very audience friendly form. All players need is a sense of fun and a willingness to jump into any moment as well as support every moment.

A version of The Collage is currently being performed by Chicago's Octavarius in their weekly show at ComedySportz. Back in the early '00's, The Rooftop Players set the all-time consecutive win record in iO Comedy Theatre's Cage Match by playing The Collage. Both teams learned The Collage from CIF's co-founder and executive producer Jonathan Pitts. He's also taught this workshop in Honolulu at the Improvaganza Festival and other festivals across the country.

Jonathan Pitts is an award winning international theatre artist from Chicago. He is a creator, director, improviser, performer, producer, and teacher. He co-founded the Chicago Improv Festival and produced it for 20 years. He also created and produced the College Improv Tournament for 10 years and he created and produced the Chicago Podcast Festival or the last 2 years. He taught improv at The Second City for 16 years and he is a contributing writer to The Second City’s book on improvisation. For 3 consecutive years he was selected by New City Magazine as one of Chicago’s Top 50 Theatre Players. He has performed in over 1,200 improvised shows.