The IC Town Hall - In Review

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The Ups and Downs of the Pandemic - The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely hard on theatres (not to mention everyone else!). Fortunately, IC never let the virus stop our fun. Classes continued with masks. And shows moved outdoors to Clifton Plaza where we reached a wider audience with our new microphones and sound equipment (not to mention free performances!).

The pandemic also became an opportunity to connect with the international improv community. We continued our Improv Touchstones podcast with incredible guests like Jonathan Mangum from Whose Line Is It Anyway and Dave Pasquesi from Book of Boba Fett. We also had some amazing workshops with Rich Talarico from Key & Peele and improv power couple Rance Rizzutto and Tara DeFrancisco from Columbus.

We were also very happy to bring on new staff members. Our new stage manager and Queen of CCT is Colette Lindemann. Our new tech director is Brady Dunn. Our new marketing consultant is Delmar Davis. And our new mainstage coaches are Tatiana Godfrey and Chance Kilgour.

Shuttering our doors really put a crimp in our annual revenue, but we were very excited and thankful to see our community step up and join our patreon. In addition to receiving quarterly merch, our patrons receive exclusive access to workshops, drop-ins, and free tickets. It’s truly a win-win.

Student Safety - Our goal in 2021 continues into this year, and that is to improve and enhance our existing student safety protocols and procedures. We know that this is an ongoing process and that we always have opportunities to grow, but we’re happy that so much has been accomplished…

  • We clarified and improved our Safe Space Committee process for investigating and resolving reports and revised the “Report a Problem” page.

  • Jon and Colin participated in an online course, specifically geared toward making improv theatres safer.

  • The company members attended sexual violence training by Women Helping Women.

  • We created a “Bill of Rights” for students and performers, which is now posted in every room at CCT.

Getting Our House in Order: We’ve decided to make Clifton Comedy Theatre our home for a while. That being said, we need to make some upgrades to the space. Here are some of our plans…

  • A new branded awning

  • New lighted signage so people can find us more easily

  • A new refinished floor - epoxy resin on concrete.

  • A new paint job in each room of the theatre.

  • New photos on the wall

  • A new tech booth and new bar.

Coming Soon! We have some fun ideas for the upcoming year. We’ll be welcoming and announcing special guests. We’ll be having a belated New Year’s Eve (and 6 year birthday) party on April 30th. And we’re planning a variety show in the summer called Cincinnati Night Live with guest hosts, sketches, news segments, and musical acts.

Thank you for being a part of our community. As the world thaws from a two year winter and spring into the roaring twenties, we hope you come see a show, take a fun workshop, make some new friends at a 7-week class, or schedule an uplifting and lively team building event. We can’t wait to see you again!

Colin & Jon