The Kinkonauts
New season of improv starts with the end of the world
- Location: Alexandra Centre (922 9th Ave. SE)
- Price: $12 - $15
Staging another ambitious season and asking big questions—like can a rubber chicken harken the destruction of the planet—Calgary’s own improv lab celebrates 13 years with an incredible lineup of innovative, unscripted theatre.
The Kinkonauts’ new season kicks off this weekend with Launch Pad Improv on October 4 and Radio Daze: Conflict of the Cosmos on October 5—a one-night-only fully improvised radio play inspired by the War of the Worlds.
The fall lineup also includes the return of Nonsense and Sensibility: An Improvised Jane Austen and Starfleet Confidential, its loving parody of the Star Trek saga.
“We have an incredible season planned with new shows and returning favourites,” says Kinkonauts Co-Artistic Director Jess Lindal. “Improv is such an incredible art form—performing unscripted theatre collaboratively right before your eyes. At the Kinkonauts, we are always stretching the boundaries of what improvised plays can look like. A lot of our work is comedy, of course, because it’s such a great way to delight in failure. This year we’ll also try exploring improvised drama and the full range of human emotions that theatre can evoke.”
Formed in 2007, the Kinkonauts is home to more than 50 improvisers and produces over 120 one-of-a-kind live performances each year. The ambitious 2019/20 season features more than 25 unique improv troupes and a few experiments in the works. There’s even a class or two if you want to join in.
“If anyone wants to try learning improv, we also run classes through the Calgary Improv School and weekly drop in classes (only $5),” continues Lindal. “They are totally beginner friendly and a great to to try improv in safe and fun space.”
The Kinkonauts perform multiple shows a week at the Alexandra Centre (922 9th Ave. SE) in Inglewood, tickets are $12 online in advance or $15 at the door, and you can find upcoming performances at kinkonauts.com.
