Have a Nice Laugh: Beijing Improv’s Interactive Arts Festival

All this sunshine got you down? Yeah, me too. (Har har.) That’s why it’s a good thing the BIIAF is coming to town, which lots of gut-busting performances by groups from Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai and of course Beijing.

Improv not your thing? Well, what about success? Kicking ass at life? Becoming a multimillionaire hotshot?

Ok, maybe watching or doing improv can’t achieve all those things, but a few years back, a slew of books started touting the life-changing properties of simple improv principles:

1) Instead of saying “No“ to something, you say, “Yes, and…” so as to be positive while making things your own, and not become a doormat. Let’s practice. “Marilyn, will you go to _____ art exhibit opening?” “Why yes, and I will try to eat as many of those cake-on-a-stick things as porcinely possible.” Wow, that was easy.

2) Collaboration! So that if the crap hits the fan, there’s always someone else to blame…

3) Being a good listener: because when Jerome Sans talks about Chinese art in English with a French accent in a large exhibit hall with no amplification (wearing that tiny little scarf - how does he tie that thing?!), you don’t miss out on important information.

4) Escaping awkward, unfunny situations using physical humor, like falling on your ass. (Ok, you caught me. I made that one up. But I use it a lot...)

Anyway, all this to say that a little improvisation can do you some good, and we’re lucky that our ambitious friends over at Beijing Improv have brought in masters from all over Asia to school us on these useful techniques. The festival kicks off this Wednesday, but here are a few particular events not to be missed:

Thursday, Apr 21

Banter with the Bard at the Improvising with Shakespeare workshop. Free. 8pm. The Bookworm

Friday, Apr 22

Hong Kong People's Liberation Improv and Beijing Improv team up for a much-anticipated Bilingual Improv Group show. 7pm. Penghao Theater

Immediately following, Shanghai’s longest-running improve group Zmack tries to take on “The Harold,” a classic long-form style developed at Chicago's famous Second City troupe. One word from the audience spins out into 45 minutes of comedy. 9pm. Penghao Theater

Saturday, Apr 23

Beijing Dance/LDTX hosts an Improvised Dance Workshop. Here’s your chance to try out that interpretive dance you’ve been doing to Katy Perry’s "Firework." 2pm. Penghao Theater

The Pirates of Tokyo Bay and Beijing Improv Mainstage Players bring us a show in English. (This is the one for those of you who’ve been ditching your Chinese classes.) 9pm. Penghao Theater

Sunday, Apr 24

This day’s a toughie. You’ll have to choose between:

Improvised Cooking at the Hutong, where they lay out the ingredients and you get to cookin’. Kinda like Iron Chef, but without the millions of dollars of stainless steel equipment. 12noon. The Hutong

...and the Scratch Workshop hosted by Electric Shadows. Participants will “scratch, tear, paint, distort and otherwise destroy vintage film strips to create a unique installation, projected on the day with a bespoke electronic soundtrack.” 1pm. Penghao Theater

So there you have it, folks. Tickets cost a suggested donation of RMB 50 per show, RMB 80 for a day pass, or RMB 150 for a full festival pass. Proceeds go to Hua Dan. To find out more about tons of other events for the BIAFF, click here.