Detour: Improv Theater Festival

Come refuel after workshops! Meet other people, improvisers, and invited troupes! Food and refreshments will be served (first come first serve).

Recommended Experience Level: Intermediate Improv Experience Theater (Musical Background Helpful)

Dive into the exhilarating world of longform musical improvisation where stories unfold through melody, harmony, and lyrical exploration. This workshop focuses on the unique challenges and opportunities of sustaining musical narratives beyond single songs or scenes.Through guided exercises, we'll practice the delicate balance of knowing when to speak and when to sing, how to initiate songs that advance the story rather than stall it, and methods for crafting satisfying musical conclusions. We'll also explore practical approaches to musical support, including basic accompaniment patterns, non-verbal underscoring, and creating instant choruses that the whole cast can join. Suitable for improvisers comfortable with basic singing who want to expand their musical storytelling capabilities.

Topic: Musical Longform Improvisation

Please arrive at least 5 minutes early and check in with the NPP representative in front of the workshop location. If you can't make it, please cancel your reservation to allow others to register due to limited space. Thank you!

Recommended Experience Level: Intermediate Improv or Theater

You've probably heard the term "grounded scene", but what does that really mean? Great scenes come from strong roots, and this workshop will focus on the art of slow, patient scene work. You'll learn how to embrace silence, let your characters grow organically, and find the truth in the scene. If you've got some experience in improv, but want to learn how to play with more honesty, this is the class for you.

Topic: Emotionally Grounded Scenes

Please arrive at least 5 minutes early and check in with the NPP representative in front of the workshop location. If you can't make it, please cancel your reservation to allow others to register due to limited space. Thank you!

Recommended skill level: Advanced Improv Experience
In longform improvisation, the biggest breakthroughs often come not from what we add, but from what we notice. This workshop explores the art of active listening and pattern recognition that enables improvisers to weave meaning from independent scenes. Through focused exercises and guided play, participants will develop their ability to track thematic threads, recognize emerging patterns, and make bold choices that honor what we discover on stage. We'll work on identifying and amplifying the subtle offers that appear in scenes, practicing the patience to let connections reveal themselves naturally, and building the confidence to follow non-literal threads to surprising and satisfying conclusions. Suitable for improvisers comfortable with basic scene work who want to deepen their understanding of longform structure.

Topic: Longform

Please arrive at least 5 minutes early and check in with the NPP representative in front of the workshop location. If you can't make it, please cancel your reservation to allow others to register due to limited space. Thank you!

Recommended Experience Level: All

Improvisation teaches skills of communication, influence, collaboration, creativity, and empathy by way of three foundational principles: “Be Present,” “Make Your Partner Look Brilliant,” and “Yes, And.” Anchoring back to these foundational principles, this workshop will present exercises that shine a light on the benefits of improv training. These exercises will include group games, structured conversations, and playing through scenarios in pairs. All are welcome: people with no experience with improv who want to see what it’s all about, as well as experienced performance improvisers who want to see how their improv practice can benefit their life and relationships more broadly.

Topic: Practical Life Skills

Please arrive at least 5 minutes early and check in with the NPP representative in front of the workshop location. If you can't make it, please cancel your reservation to allow others to register due to limited space. Thank you!

Come see the closing night Detour performance! The performance will be filled with both short-form and long-form; most importantly, the show features the Detour workshop participants leveraging newly-gained skills learned in the earlier professional improv workshops! During the last two hours, there will be an improv Jam for anyone who wants to try their hand at performing a scene or two!

No ticketing for the show; just bring yourself and get ready for a show you've never seen before (and will never see again)!

Recommended Experience Level: Basic Theater Experience

Every moment on stage contains the seed of a story waiting to be discovered. This workshop introduces the fundamental principles of narrative structure through the lens of improvisation, teaching participants how to recognize and develop the dramatic potential in any scene. Through a combination of structured exercises and guided scene work, you'll learn to identify dramatic stakes, character wants, and narrative tension as they emerge organically through play. We'll explore how to build narrative momentum while staying present and truthful in scenes, and develop compelling story arcs that engage both performers and audience. Perfect for theater practitioners looking to expand their toolkit and improvisers wanting to strengthen their storytelling foundations.

Topic: Narrative Structure & Scene Development

Please arrive at least 5 minutes early and check in with the NPP representative in front of the workshop location. If you can't make it, please cancel your reservation to allow others to register due to limited space. Thank you!

Recommended Experience Level: Basic Theater (Musical Background Helpful)

Discover the joy of spontaneous singing and unlock your musical instincts in this energetic workshop focused on shortform musical games and structures. Participants will learn practical approaches to generating melodies, embracing rhyme, and building simple song structures that support rather than obstruct their scenes.We'll explore classic musical shortform games, techniques for establishing rhythm and style, and methods for creating memorable hooks and choruses on the spot. Suitable for improvisers with some performance experience who want to add musical elements to their toolkit, as well as singers interested in applying their skills to comedy and improvisation.

Topic: Musical Games & Song Structure

Please arrive at least 5 minutes early and check in with the NPP representative in front of the workshop location. If you can't make it, please cancel your reservation to allow others to register due to limited space. Thank you!

Recommended skill level: Basic improv experience

Everything we need is right in front of us, we just need to notice it to use it. This workshop will teach you how to use the details - your scene partner's choices, your own choices, the environment, the dynamics - to shape and deepen your character's point of view. Whether you're just starting out or want to brush up on your listening skills, this workshop is useful to improvisers of all levels.

Topic: Character Point of View

Please arrive at least 5 minutes early and check in with the NPP representative in front of the workshop location. If you can't make it, please cancel your reservation to allow others to register due to limited space. Thank you!

Recommended Experience Level: Intermediate Improv or Theater

For all the talk about game, why can improvising feel like work? If you want to get out of your head, free yourself, and play with other people collaboratively, this workshop is for you. Based on principles of movement and joy from physical theater, participants will prioritize their own and their audience’s delight through a series of guided exercises and structured scenes. You’ll leave with more confidence in your own performative instincts, and tools for how to find and create engaging comedy on stage by following the fun, listening to the audience, and committing without knowing what’s going to happen. This workshop will be physical, playful, and highly interactive. Moderate improv experience is recommended but not required. Come ready to be active and have fun.

Topic: Playful Improvisation

Please arrive at least 5 minutes early and check in with the NPP representative in front of the workshop location. If you can't make it, please cancel your reservation to allow others to register due to limited space. Thank you!

Come see award-winning improvisers from across the U.S. perform in a fun improv performance for everyone! The performers are also the instructors for the Saturday improv workshops; by coming, you'll also get a sneak peak of the forms they'll be teaching. No ticketing for the show; just bring yourself and get ready for a show you've never seen before (and will never see again)!