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This fall, spontaneity, laughter, and connection take center stage at the second annual Diablo Improv Festival (DIF), a three-day celebration of unscripted theater at the Lesher Center for the Arts in downtown Walnut Creek.
Whether you're a seasoned improviser, a comedy fan, or simply improv curious, DIF is an opportunity to see great live improv, try it for yourself, and become part of a welcoming creative community. No experience is necessary. Just a willingness to play!
COME FOR A SHOW. STAY FOR THE WEEKEND.
You don't have to be an improviser to enjoy the Diablo Improv Festival. Come see a show, take a workshop, jump into a jam, or make a weekend of it.
Special festival packages make it easy to experience more while saving money.
WATCH IT. LEARN IT. PLAY IT
The Diablo Improv Festival is presented by Spontaneous Mind, DKW Productions, Synergy Theater and The Lesher Center for the Arts.
CHECK OUT OUR ENTIRE WEEKEND LINEUP OF SHOWS, WORKSHOPS, AND JAMS!
Diablo Improv Festival: Workshop "What Kind of Improviser are You?"
- Date: 10/17/2026 11:10 AM - 1:10 PM
- Location: Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive
Walnut Creek, California 94596 - Introduction: A Diablo Improv Festival Workshop with Amber Dyson and Mark Duncanson
About this Workshop
This two hour workshop reviews various areas of strength and growth an improviser could potentially have. Participants will receive feedback and coaching in real-time. The hidden objective and potential of familiar games will be revealed as participants cultivate their improv identity. Expect to leave the class with an affirmation of your improv assets, practical tools to support your challenges, and language to communicate better as a coach or with your fellow players.
Experience Level
Open to all!
About the Instructor
Mark is a BATS School of Improv graduate who started his improv career in Liquid Soap, an episodic improvised soap opera. Mark’s played with BATS Improv, How We First Met, Un-Scripted Theater Company, Leela, Center Rep, and more. In addition to being a permanent company member with the internationally renowned Improv Playhouse of San Francisco. Mark is also an improv teaching artist and director in the Tri-Valley at California High School, T.E.A.M. Theatre in Pleasanton, and SPARC Theater in Livermore. Mark is currently the Cultural Arts Supervisor at The City of Tracy’s Grand Theatre Center for the Arts.
Amber Dyson (she/her) is a lifelong performer who experienced a profound feeling of homecoming in her first improv class, which changed the trajectory of her life. After teaching improv to incarcerated teens as a volunteer, she left her day job in 2004 to pursue a career in theatre education. She worked at Bay Area Children's Theatre for fourteen years in the roles of teaching artist, curriculum specialist, and finally, academy director. She has received numerous awards for her work, most notably, the Freddie Gershon Fellowship for Excellence in Musical Theatre Education. As an improviser, Amber created the Doo-Wop-Ner format, an improvised small claims musical. In 2025, she guested in Amalgam's Sci-Prov (improv scenes inspired by a live interview of scientists) and Tripocalypse at Leela. She currently performs improv with Special Surprise and is the Head of School at BATS Improv.
Prepare to be inspired, delighted, and entertained at the Diablo Improv Festival. Laugh while you learn at improv workshops designed for all ages and experience levels, meet new friends, cultivate creative collaborations, and enjoy unforgettable performances from top-notch improvisers who take the craft to the next level.
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