A random audience member with zero improv experience could find themselves center stage at The Nest Theatre Mainstage this Friday, pulled into a live set alongside a performer who has done this routine in more than 25 countries. BattleAxe Fest Show 4 lands October 23 at 8:30 p.m., running until 9:45 p.m., and pairs five stand-up comedians with headliner Tara DeFrancisco's long-running improv show, defrancisCo.
The lineup includes Kitty Long and Big Guy & Shot Gun, both from Columbus, along with Sarah Cornell, who splits her time between Los Angeles and Canada, and Sari Beliak, who hails from Phoenix, Arizona, according to Columbus Underground. The show is part of the broader BattleAxe Festival, which showcases stand-ups, improvisers and storytellers from across the United States in Columbus, Ohio, per the same event listing. It all unfolds at The Nest Theatre Mainstage, located at 2643 N. High St.
The Gimmick: A Stranger Joins the Show
DeFrancisco's headlining act, defrancisCo, is built around a simple but nerve-wracking premise: a seasoned performer shares the stage with an audience member selected completely at random for a full set, according to Columbus Underground's listing. The participant might never have seen an improv show before being handed the mic, according to taradefrancisco.com. The format dates back to 2010 and, per the same source, runs on request while DeFrancisco tours and has held two residencies along the way.
Accolades for the show point in different directions depending on who's telling it. DeFrancisco's own site says defrancisCo earned a Show of the Season nod from the Tribune, while Columbus Underground's event listing credits the Chicago Sun-Times with naming it Best of Season. Either way, the format has built a reputation as DeFrancisco has carried it across her touring career.
Who Is Tara DeFrancisco?
DeFrancisco describes herself as a professional improviser, sketch performer, stand-up comedian and comedic performer, according to her website. She has toured as a headliner, speaker, keynote leader and instructor across 25 countries and more than 200 cities, and brings more than 25 years of comedy arts teaching and professorial experience to the stage, the site states. Closer to home, she serves as co-founder, artistic director, instructor and mainstage performer at The Nest Theatre, according to taraandrance.com.
Her exact performance count depends on the bio you read. DeFrancisco's own website claims more than 9,000 live shows and events to date, while a separate biography on taraandrance.com describes her as a veteran of more than 6,000 shows. The Nest Theatre itself stays busy year-round, producing more than 35 original mainstage shows and teams annually, per taraandrance.com. DeFrancisco's other touring work includes the two-person improvised musical HERE, which has played more than 20 countries and 90 cities, and PAD SET, a hybrid of stand-up and improv where audience prompts spark the scenes, according to taradefrancisco.com.
Tickets and Logistics
Presale tickets for BattleAxe Fest Show 4 run $20 through October 20, after which the price rises to $25, per Columbus Underground. Would-be attendees should also know The Nest Theatre operates as a cashless venue, accepting only card payments or exact change at the door.
