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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: Performance!
- Date: 10/17/2026 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive
Walnut Creek, California 94596 - Introduction: with SECRET IMPROV SOCIETY, WINE AND WEASELS, & EMOTIONAL OVERTONES
About this Performance
For over 19 years Secret Improv Society has entertained audiences every Friday and Saturday night at the historic Shelton Theater in downtown San Francisco with their unique brand of short-form improvisation. The show involves audience suggestions, games, music, and even the opportunity to come on stage and play. With hundreds of 5 star reviews, the cast delivers on the hilarious central promise of improv: everything is made up on the spot.
Wine and Weasels are the Bay Area Improv Duo of Susie Sargent and Jerry Ruoti. Together they have nearly 40 years of improv experience and have performed together at the BATS Improv, Un-Scripted Theater Company and All Out Comedy Theater. Wine and Weasels has also performed at improv festivals across the United States. Most recently they performed at SaviFest, Rise Comedy Festival, Orange County Improv Festival, Countdown Improv Festival and Third Coast Improv Festival.
The Emotional Overtones: Featuring a group of folks from wildly different walks of life, this ensemble unites under one shared mission: to sing very seriously about very ridiculous things. The Emotional Overtones bring the party complete with their orange leis. What starts as two words that should not go together, quickly spirals into an unpredictable, high-energy show packed with absurd dance breaks, over-the-top antics, and surprisingly catchy, made-up songs. Expect big swings, bigger characters, and at least one moment where everyone commits way too hard to something that probably shouldn’t be a song. It’s chaotic, it’s heartfelt, and it’s a one-of-a-kind musical that will never happen again! They perform a "community" narrative where multiple story arcs develop, but mostly the characters all connect and interact in a world they create. There will indeed be drama and a whole lot of singing and dancing.
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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