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Williamsburg’s first-ever Last Word Comedy Festival is a celebration of community connections and shared ties, according to organizers.
“Part of the comedy festival is just trying to cultivate a community within comedy – people that are learning the craft and working their way up,” said Liz Sykes with AVAdventures Production, one of the organizers working with the city.
The city of Williamsburg partners with the company to produce festivals throughout the year. A comedy one was a new idea.
Williamsburg contracted with AVAdventures in October to conceptualize, plan and manage five to seven events a year for the next three years, including the Ampersand International Arts Festival.
“We talked with City Council and the city manager's office about different ideas for events that we thought would work in the community and draw people; and comedy was a really popular idea,” Sykes said.
Part of building community is including emerging comedy groups, including college comedians from William & Mary, Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University and the University of South Carolina.
Including college groups gives performers a chance to hone their craft, Sykes said, which was an important feature of the festival.
William & Mary’s Improvisational Theatre group already hosts workshops for comedians even younger than the college years.. They partner with local Bruton High School’s School of the Arts to introduce high school students to improvisational comedy.
“What I love about improv especially is just how unexpected the shows tend to be,” Sykes said. “It starts with an audience suggestion, so you're not even sure how the show starts, and then you hear the suggestion, then you're kind of along for a ride as the show unfolds.”
As for stand up, which makes up the non-improv portion of the schedule, Sykes said “it's just nice to hear things that you encounter all the time in a new way or kind of a lighter twist on something that might be a little heavy.”
The Last Word Comedy Festival’s full schedule and ticket information can be found online. Stand-up shows are free admission; all improv shows and workshops are ticketed. The festival takes place across several local venues including Culture Cafe, The Last Word Theater, Precarious Beer Project and the Williamsburg Regional Library.
