Portlandâs Stumptown Improv Festival turns five this year. The young fest is looking strong, well-adjusted, and chock-full of the vitamins and immunizations necessary for the health and growth of an improv comedy festival. In years past, the Mercury noted that national improv is taking notice of Portland and this cityâs terrific scene. This year, Portlandâs national draw is impossible to ignore. The Stumptown Improv fest annually outgrows its shorts due to the ante-upping nature of the festâs co-founders and hosts: the energetic trio of Leon Anderson, Jed Arkley, and Erin Jean OâRegan. [Full disclosure: OâRegan is a soccer columnist for the Mercury.] So hereâs whatâs new at Stumptown Improv this year and what is thankfully un-fucked-with.

This year, Stumptown Improv ambitiously expands to four nights, adding a Sunday show at Curious Comedy, which will feature a double bill of Oregon Children Theatreâs all-teen improv troupe Impulse and a second show for NYC hip-hop improv ânon-teensâ North Coast. Iâm sure everyone is sick of how much I love North Coast, so I will refrain from (THEYâRE THE BEST! SEE BOTH SHOWS! SEE BOTH SHOWS!) pointing out anything other than the fact that North Coast is coming at us this year with their own version of improv Hamilton, âa full, factually accurate improv set to satisfy your hunger for hip-hop history.â I canât even imagine, but only North Coast could pull something like that off.

Similarly scream-worthy are White Women, a troupe composed of Black men from of LAâs Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Former Mercury Senior Editor Megan Burbank raved about them (âWhite Womenâs improv style is near-perfectâ), after their sold-out Stumptown Improv Presents show in February. Iâm also hotly anticipating the Boston free-form âfollow the funnyâ stylings of Big Bang, who last year treated audiences to a spur-of-the-moment song about people who keep instruments on their walls but never play them.
Portlandâs own improv teams present a strong showing, per usual, with wizened and weird Broke Gravy (containing show organizer Leon Anderson) and the ridiculously fun J Names (Jed Arkleyâs in this one). Even though it only lasts four days, Stumptown Improv Fest has a surprisingly long reach and a big impact on Portlandâs improv community. Show up and support this little-fest-grown-big thatâs putting the Portland improv scene on the map.
