The San Francisco Improv Alliance

rdf:langString The San Francisco Improv Alliance

rdf:langString The San Francisco Improv Alliance is a group of actors dedicated to improvisational theater. It was started in 2005 by Shaun Landry, artistic director of Oui Be Negroes. The Alliance offers master class workshops and national ensembles, co-production of pre-established ensembles, performance opportunities for upcoming ensembles, staging of self-produced shows, and community outreach in the field of improvisational theatre. The San Francisco Improv Talent Pool also offers improvisational actors a chance at paying work in the craft of improvisational theater through educational, corporate, film, radio and television events. In 2007 the Alliance has expanded out its community resources to improvisers with the city of San Francisco, The County of Alameda for work with The San Francisco Family Festival and Public Service Announcements for The Department of Public Health, providing talented improvisers for these worthy organizations. The Alliance has also doubled its corporate and film bookings in 2007 with major institutions including Major League Baseball. The Improv Alliance is also the producer of The San Francisco Improv Festival. Beginning in 2003 (with improviser Sam Shaw), the SFIF has had thousands of audience members attend improvisational theater and learn from master class teachers including Mick Napier, David Razowsky, and Ian Roberts. It is one of the few improvisational Theater Festivals that pays its ensembles to perform. Starting as a 12-week event, The festival now runs over a seven-week span, making it still "The Longest Running Improv Festival in the Country". Sam Shaw left the San Francisco Improv Festival in June 2005 giving all rights and entities to the business of The San Francisco Improv Festival (SFIF) to Landry. In 2007, Clay Robeson and Hans Summers are now Associate Producers along with Ms. Landry.