{"id":105134,"date":"2021-02-03T22:21:57","date_gmt":"2021-02-04T03:21:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=105134"},"modified":"2021-08-20T22:59:32","modified_gmt":"2021-08-21T02:59:32","slug":"artsquest-to-produce-8th-annual-steelstacks-improv-comedy-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=105134","title":{"rendered":"ARTSQUEST TO PRODUCE 8th ANNUAL STEELSTACKS IMPROV COMEDY FESTIVAL"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><code class=\"code\">-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYWORDS-START-<\/code><br \/>\n<div class=\"su-image-carousel  su-image-carousel-columns-3 su-image-carousel-has-spacing su-image-carousel-crop su-image-carousel-crop-1-1 su-image-carousel-has-lightbox su-image-carousel-has-outline su-image-carousel-adaptive su-image-carousel-slides-style-default su-image-carousel-controls-style-dark su-image-carousel-align-none\" style=\"max-width:400px\" data-flickity-options='{\"groupCells\":true,\"cellSelector\":\".su-image-carousel-item\",\"adaptiveHeight\":false,\"cellAlign\":\"left\",\"prevNextButtons\":true,\"pageDots\":true,\"autoPlay\":5000,\"imagesLoaded\":true,\"contain\":true,\"selectedAttraction\":0.007000000000000000145716771982051795930601656436920166015625,\"friction\":0.25}' id=\"su_image_carousel_69f1fc67d5a30\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item-content\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/AstronomyClub.jpg\" data-caption=\"Astronomy Club\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-0\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/AstronomyClub-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Astronomy Club\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/AstronomyClub-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/AstronomyClub-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/AstronomyClub-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/AstronomyClub.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><span>Astronomy Club<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item-content\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/MoniqueMoses-Promo.jpg\" data-caption=\"Monique Moses\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-1\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"458\" height=\"561\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/MoniqueMoses-Promo.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Monique Moses\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/MoniqueMoses-Promo.jpg 458w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/MoniqueMoses-Promo-245x300.jpg 245w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/MoniqueMoses-Promo-300x367.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" \/><span>Monique Moses<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item-content\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Ophira.jpg\" data-caption=\"Ophira\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-2\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"474\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Ophira-1024x778.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Ophira\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Ophira-1024x778.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Ophira-300x228.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Ophira-768x584.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Ophira-1536x1167.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Ophira-2048x1556.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><span>Ophira<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><script id=\"su_image_carousel_69f1fc67d5a30_script\">if(window.SUImageCarousel){setTimeout(function() {window.SUImageCarousel.initGallery(document.getElementById(\"su_image_carousel_69f1fc67d5a30\"))}, 0);}var su_image_carousel_69f1fc67d5a30_script=document.getElementById(\"su_image_carousel_69f1fc67d5a30_script\");if(su_image_carousel_69f1fc67d5a30_script){su_image_carousel_69f1fc67d5a30_script.parentNode.removeChild(su_image_carousel_69f1fc67d5a30_script);}<\/script>\n<code class=\"code\">-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYWORDS-END-<\/code><\/p>\n<p><em>All-digital events featuring comics from across the country to happen live Feb. 25-28<\/em><\/p>\n<p>BETHLEHEM, PA \u2013 Performers who have been seen and heard on Netflix, Stephen Colbert, NPR and more are among the nationwide lineup of comedians taking part in the 8<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0annual SteelStacks Improv Comedy Festival (SSICF), to be produced exclusively on digital platforms Feb. 25-28. The 2021 edition of the SSICF will shift from its usual performance marathon format to one that focuses more on the future of comedy, featuring roundtable discussions, intimate 1-on-1 conversations and workshops. All SSICF events \u2013 except for the workshops \u2013 are free of charge and will be livestreamed via the SSICF Facebook page.<\/p>\n<p>SSICF 2021 will kick off on the night of Thurs., Feb. 25 with a keynote talk from The Astronomy Club, the first all-black house team at the Upright Citizen\u2019s Brigade Theater and the creators of a self-titled sketch show currently streaming on Netflix. Their talk will cover their shared experiences as people of color in the comedy business and offer direction on how to create the comedy participants want to see in the world. A Q&amp;A session will follow the talk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen Astronomy Club performed at SSICF in 2019, we were pleasantly surprised at the warmth that radiated from the audience,\u201d said Monique Moses, a member of Astronomy Club. \u201cIt was clear while working with the participants of our workshop that ArtsQuest has fostered a community that really cares about comedy, the arts and performance. I&#8217;m so curious to see how this energy will translate into a digital festival, but I have no doubt that it will remain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As many improv teams have adapted to performing via digital platforms, the 2021 SSICF has four shows slated, including sets from Chucho, a NYC-based Latinx team, and Conlan-Williams, a duo originally from Colorado that splits time between New York and Los Angeles and features Nicole Conlan, a staff writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Two improv jams will be hosted by Staycation, a Lehigh Valley-based team made up of ArtsQuest-trained performers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe see a unique opportunity in producing the 2021 SSICF in this way,\u201d said Ryan Hill, the Director of the SSICF and ArtsQuest\u2019s Programming Director. \u201cWe can bring performers, producers and fans of comedy from across the country in a way that helps everyone envision a way forward through not just the pandemic, but the seismic shifts in the live comedy landscape that have occurred over the past few years. Hopefully this year\u2019s SSICF will give people the knowledge and confidence to turn those visions into reality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There are three roundtable events geared towards turning those visions into actions to be produced as part of the 2021 SSICF: Where Do We Go From Here?, gauging how to move forward past the pandemic and the effect the shutdown of big-name improv theaters across the country has had on the comedy landscape; Healthier Improv Communities, addressing how theaters can ensure their spaces are safe and welcoming to all; and An Improv Career (And How to Have One), helping improvisers to figure out how to apply their improv skills to a career in the arts.<\/p>\n<p>Ophira Eisenberg, the host of NPR\u2019s Ask Me Another, regular panelist on Hulu\u2019s new late-night show Up Early Tonight and a veteran standup comedian and storyteller, will also be speaking to performers trying to figure out where they fit when she sits down for an informal talk with Hill entitled How to Have an Unfocused Comedy Career (and Succeed!).<\/p>\n<p>The current schedule of events for the 2021 SSICF follows (more events will be added as they are confirmed):<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Thurs, Feb. 25<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>8 p.m.: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Keynote Talk \u2013 Comedy in the Age of Wokeness with The Astronomy Club<\/p>\n<p>9:30 p.m.: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Improv Jam with Staycation<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Fri, Feb. 26<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m.: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SSICF Roundtable \u2013 Where Do We Go From Here? with panelists Raymond Cordova, Lou Gonzalez, Martiza Montanez and Melissa Ulloa<\/p>\n<p>9:30 p.m.: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SSICF Show \u2013 Chucho + team TBD<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Sat, Feb. 27<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1:30 p.m.: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SSICF Workshop \u2013 Sketches That Say Something with Astronomy Club\u2019s Monique Moses and Keisha Zollar*<\/p>\n<p>5 p.m.: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SSICF Talk \u2013 How to Have an Unfocused Comedy Career (and Succeed!) with Ophira Eisenberg<\/p>\n<p>7 p.m.: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SSICF Roundtable \u2013 An Improv Career (And How to Have One) with panelists Nicole Conlan, Monique Moses, Rachel Rosenthal and Tovah Silbermann<\/p>\n<p>9 p.m.: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SSICF Show \u2013 Conlan-Williams + team TBD<\/p>\n<p>10:30 p.m.: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Improv Jam with Staycation<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Sun, Feb. 28<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 p.m.: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SSICF Workshop \u2013 Make Online Improv Fun with Donald Chang of Asian AF*<\/p>\n<p>4 p.m.: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SSICF Roundtable \u2013 Healthy Improv Communities with panelists Donald Chang, Amey Goerlich and Glo Tavarez<\/p>\n<p><em>*Denotes price points of $29 \/ $26 ArtsQuest Member; all other events are free of charge.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The ArtsQuest Comedy program, in existence since the opening of the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in April 2011, includes the Lehigh Valley\u2019s only year-round comedy class program (currently on hiatus due to the pandemic), the SteelStacks Improv Comedy Festival, and 100-150 free and ticketed shows a year. It is overseen by Programming Director Ryan Hill and Cinema and Comedy Coordinator Addyson Young, who serve as Festival Director and Assistant Festival Director, respectively, for the SSICF.<\/p>\n<p>Information provided to TVL by:<br \/>\nGabriela L. Laracca, ArtsQuest<br \/>\nPublic Relations Coordinator<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.artsquest.org\/\">http:\/\/www.artsquest.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYWORDS-START- -AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYWORDS-END- All-digital events featuring comics from across the country to happen live Feb. 25-28 BETHLEHEM, PA \u2013 Performers who have been seen and heard on Netflix, Stephen Colbert, NPR &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=105134\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">ARTSQUEST TO PRODUCE 8th ANNUAL STEELSTACKS IMPROV COMEDY FESTIVAL<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":105135,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5715,5717,1024,69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artsquest","category-bethlehem","category-entertainment","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/improv-comedy.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105134"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=105134"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105134\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/105135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=105134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=105134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=105134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}