Why Improv? Zach Ward (from micah philbrook)

Over 6 years ago I was interviewed by Micah Philbrook (@pHinkasaurus) in Chicago and asked, “Why Improv?”. I just watched my clip and heard my answers for the first time yesterday. I had already moved back to my hometown in North Carolina so I could start working on DSI Comedy Theater and grow the NC Comedy Arts Festival. I was back up for the week as Associate Producer for the Chicago Improv Festival.

It was an interesting look back; Try not to judge my lack of beard and my young rave kid vocabulary. Trust me, I judged myself plenty. But my content around the business of comedy and my enthusiasm for improv as an Art have not changed. The #Hustle has been with me always. And now it heads to ImprovBoston!

DSI Comedy Fans can rest assured, North Carolina will enjoy the same quality comedy classes and weekly performances that they have come to expect from DSI. My #Hustle and our local company wouldn’t have it any other way. I will stay Executive Producer, but the theater will be under new management starting this Summer. And Lord knows NCCAF (@nccomedyarts) can’t stop and won’t stop, So get ready for 2012!

We’ve already confirmed Second City and are partnering with Carolina Theatre to present Mike Birbiglia!

My publicist Carrie Gorn released the Boston news to press while I recorded a surprise curtain speech.

I know, I could have slowed down. I just didn’t have an audience and I was excited about THE ANNOUNCEMENT!

I am offline for most of the weekend, but I wanted to thank everyone for being so supportive and for all the congratulations. YES! AND! Accepting the job as Managing Director is an incredible career opening for me and a great challenge for the ZW #Hustle, it’s a critical growth move for an already successful organization like ImprovBoston and it’s a real opportunity for my company of performers, teachers and directors at DSI Comedy Theater to step up and grab leadership positions, to defy logic, exceed expectations and continue to make a significant impact on the community, audiences, students and each other.

I ended my official ImprovBoston job announcement news to DSI Company Members earlier this week with this next paragraph, and I think, if you’re from a different improv community, or maybe even a company that just operates like a family, you could change a few details and it might still be appropriate for you.

There is a world-famous comedy theater open for business on a loading dock, behind a diner and near some sketchy railroad tracks, in a small town where you would least expect it. Let’s work hard to keep it that way. For a lot of people, myself included, that place has become a second home.

I would “officially” like to thank coffee, @garyvee and #vampiremode for making this possible.

I would actually like to thank the Board of Directors and Staff at ImprovBoston, you know, for the job.

But, most of all, I would really like to thank my future wife Jessica, not only for agreeing to marry me, but for packing up her life and agreeing to move with me to Boston, so I could do what I love to do.

Do you want to register a Team?

Do you want to be a SUPERFAN?

Contact me for $25 SUPERFAN tickets. They include 2 FREE tickets for any show at the DSI Comedy Theater ($20 VALUE), FREE food and FREE beer at the Bocce Tournament on Thursday May 26th and the official pre-game party and Back Bar Comedy at Top of the Hill on Tuesday May 17th.

I want to thank Shane Smith for joining me as a BOCCE SUPERFAN!, his talented wife Jeena Dutta for her amazing video production, Vinny Valdivia for latenight camera work and Chamber Laura.

Register now, CAROLINACHAMBER.ORG