Improv Salt Lake is scheduled to occupy the Alliance Theater’s black-box space at Trolley Square from Sept. 1 through Oct. 24. The Utah Arts Alliance announcement says the eight-week program includes 34 shows, three classes and three workshops, with events planned Tuesday through Saturday: Utah Arts Alliance.
What is on the calendar
The recurring performances are scheduled from Thursday through Saturday. According to FOX 13 News Utah, Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. program features light-hearted and experimental improv, including Basketcase, a competition between improv duos. Friday’s 7:30 p.m. show is designed for families and uses rotating groups for games, stories and songs. On Saturdays, a 7:30 p.m. showcase presents different improv styles and forms, followed at 9:30 p.m. by a late program that may include talk shows, drag, sketch comedy and dramatic improv. FOX 13 says the late performance is not intended for younger audiences: FOX 13 News Utah.
Classes and one-day workshops
FOX 13 News Utah’s published schedule identifies five recurring class offerings: Fundamentals of Improv on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. with Tom Shannon; Games, Patterns, and Comedy on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. with Nami Eskandarian; Advanced Scene Work on Saturdays at 10 a.m. with Calvin Dittmore; Organic Improv at 1 p.m. with Jesse Parent; and Form Exploration at 4 p.m. with Clive Iverson. The report says the classes are intended for a range of experience levels and identifies the instructors’ respective areas of focus: FOX 13 News Utah.
Improv Salt Lake’s workshop page lists three single-day offerings: the free Hot Toddy Improv Workout with Tom Shannon, Rollin’ in Riches for two-person scenework, and an Object Work Intensive with Chris Pasko on making invisible physical objects convincing onstage. The page also lists free drop-in sessions and says registration is not required for Hot Toddy: Improv Salt Lake.
The residency also includes Drag-Prov with Famke, which SLUG Magazine describes as an adults-only variety show combining drag and unscripted improv: SLUG Magazine.
The organization and venue
Improv Salt Lake is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by David Knoell. In its coverage of the residency, SLUG Magazine describes the organization as bringing together local performers and multiple comedy formats rather than operating solely as one troupe: SLUG Magazine. Salt Lake Magazine places the beginning of Salt Lake City’s formal improv scene around 1994, when the Off Broadway Theatre opened: Salt Lake Magazine.
The Alliance Theater is operated by the Utah Arts Alliance, a nonprofit founded in 2003 that manages seven cultural sites in Salt Lake City and receives Tier 1 support through Salt Lake County’s Zoo, Arts and Parks tax, according to prior Hoodline reporting. Improv Salt Lake also publishes a Code of Conduct banning romantic relationships between instructors and active students: Improv Salt Lake.
Trolley Square’s earlier history
According to Salt Lake City Council District 4, Trolley Square was built in 1908 to house the city’s street cars before becoming a shopping and dining center. Trolley Square’s history says the property was registered as a Utah historic site in 1973 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
FOX 13 directs readers to Improv Salt Lake’s website and social-media accounts for current show times, registration and ticket information: FOX 13 News Utah.
