Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Mike Myers, Amy Poehler — nearly every great comic today worth his salted beer nuts has learned the fine art of improvisation at Improv Olympic. If you're fast on your feet, like the element of surprise and play well with others, the funny folks at iO West invite you to take part in the 9th Annul Los Angeles Improv Comedy Festival. Sketch and improv shows, even an improv musical, include seasoned performers from all over the country and the Good White North, as well as TV heavyweights like Drew Carey, E! host and Community's Joel McHale, The Office's Angela Kinsey and Kate Flannery and Conan writers. (Carey will be a return guest of The Armando Show, which revolves around a celeb taking audience suggestions). And if you'd like to improve your improv skills, there are more than 80 workshops on such subjects as “The Art of Mimicry and How It Leads to Nuclear War,” “Improvise Naked” and “Play To The Height Of Your Stupidity.” As always, the fest's centerpiece is the Del Close Advancement of Improv Award — named after the iO founder — this year handed out to improv group Beer Shark Mice (think David Koechner, also of The Office and Saturday Night Live).

June 6-9, 2011

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