A Burnaby performer is stepping into the spotlight for the Vancouver International Improv Festival.
Ese Atawo will be part of the fun when the 20th annual festival runs from Oct. 9 to 13 on Granville Island. The festival will give comedy fans a chance to enjoy more than 30 interactive performances, plus workshops and an opening night gala.
Atawo is a Nigerian-born, Toronto-raised improviser who started her comedy career at Second City learning improv. She’s currently a cast member of Instant Theatre, where she’s the co-creator and co-host of East Vancouver Improv League (a.k.a. EVIL Improv). She’s also part of the acclaimed local troupes Your Moms and Nasty Women.
For the Vancouver festival, Atawo will both direct and perform with The Improvisors, onstage on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Revue Stage. The troupe features POC improvisers from all over.
“We all wear different masks. Some we create by ourselves and others are created for us, whether we like it or not,” says a write-up about the group. “With a diverse cast of improvisers, The Improvisors will delve into the characters behind each mask and explore the rich lives of those who wear them.”
Atawo will also be part of an international ensemble, dubbed Ensemble Echo, that includes a diverse array of world performers with backgrounds in clown, stand-up, sketch comedy and physical theatre. That ensemble takes to the stage twice: on Thursday, Oct. 11 on the Revue Stage at 9:30 p.m., and on Saturday, Oct. 13 at Performance Works at 7:30 p.m.
Headliners of the festival include Orange Tuxedo from Los Angeles, The 1995 Chicago Bulls from Dallas and RA Power from Edmonton. Vancouver favourites including The Sunday Service, Shakespeare After Dark and Vancouver TheatreSports will also be featured.
For information and schedules, see www.vancouverimprovfest.com.
