The Floodwater Comedy Festival will host some of the best comedians from Iowa, the Midwest and around the country on November 14 and 15 at Willow Creek Theatre, 327 S. Gilbert St. in Iowa City. The festival focuses on standup comedy and improv, with some unexpected twists during late-night shows. The festival comprises 11 shows, spanning 24 comedians and teams, and a total of 55 performers.
“Floodwater fills an important niche in the Iowa City cultural scene,” says Festival Co-Director Bob McMurray. “The Greater Iowa City area has always had strong performing, visual and musical arts. But comedy flies under the radar . . . or in our case . . . under the water. Floodwater is here to showcase the great comedic and improvisational talent we have here in town, and to bring people together in a common spirit of laughter.”
Friday’s standup headliner is Shawna Blake from Redland, OK. Blake has brought her small town charm and cutting wit to festivals and clubs throughout the country. Ham Hammer from Chicago’s legendary iO Theater will headline the Friday night improv. Peter Collins, Clayton Margeson, and Lisa Burton of Ham Hammer are veterans of the national improv scene, having studied and performed in New York City and Chicago for the past 20 years. Bernard Bell and Chowdown from Des Moines round out the Friday night headliners.
Saturday night headliners include Mick & Tony and Bl!mp, two world-class improv teams from the iO Theater in Chicago. Eli Wilz of Madison, WI, will be the standup headliner.
Improv workshops will be held on Saturday, November 15. Ham Hammer’s Clayton Margeson will lead the “Fun Characters, Better Scenes” workshop and Peter Collins of Ham Hammer will teach “The Big Picture.”
“Improv is a fantastic way to build not just performance skills, but also life skills,” says Festival Co-Director Jan Clarke. “Improv helps build confidence, empathy, and connection… and a lot of other positive traits that can help you maneuver through work and personal relationships.” Clarke says that the Floodwater workshops will help people learn to say ‘Yes, and’ in a nonjudgmental environment, guided by some of the top artists in the nation.
Tickets are on sale now at floodwatercomedy.org/tickets. Two-day passes are $80, Friday passes are $45, and Saturday passes are $60. Single-show tickets are $15. Each workshop is $40, or participants can register for both for $70.
“As a small nonprofit operation our goal is to keep ticket prices affordable,” says McMurray. “Everyone deserves a laugh in these stressful times. Where else can you see this many world-class live performances for these prices?”
The Floodwater Comedy Festival started as a wholly student-run festival. It grew into an event run by the comedy community in Iowa City and held at a variety of venues, and today it is managed under the umbrella of the Willow Creek Theatre Company, with all events held under one roof. However, its all-volunteer team of organizers has maintained its decidedly local and indie spirit. For more information or to support the festival, visit www.floodwatercomedy.org.