In 2014, while Artistic Coordinator for the Indio Performing Arts Center, Jeanette Knight conceived of and implemented the first ever Coachella Valley Improv/Comedy Festival, hoping to shed more light on what she considered under-valued art forms. Drawing audience members from as far away as Connecticut, a grand time was had by all. When the center hired a new Executive Director with different ideas, the festival was forced to find a new home at the Hi-Desert Cultural Center in Joshua Tree. Three glorious years as the Joshua Tree Improv/Comedy festival drew competitors from Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, among other places, with creativity and laughter rattling its Blak Box Theater. Now, in its most exciting chapter yet, the festival has been adopted by the Coachella Valley Repertory Theater, which has just invested three million dollars to properly renovate the old IMAX theater in Cathedral City into a state-of-the-art performance art venue. The raked seating makes the 208 seat theater extremely intimate and perfect to showcase improv groups and stand up performances. At long last, the festival has found a home with a sustainable future that embraces the art forms of improv and stand up comedy for generations to come. The festival is a program of the Coachella Valley Repertory, a 501c3 non-profit organization.
For questions, e-mail Jeanette Knight : cvimprovfest@cvrep.org
For questions, e-mail Jeanette Knight : cvimprovfest@cvrep.org