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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 "Lose Your Moral Compass: Improvised Film Noir"
- Date: 10/18/2026 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
- Location: Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive
Walnut Creek, California 94596 - Introduction: A Diablo Improv Festival Workshop with Rebecca Castelli & Jennifer Simmons
About this Workshop
Down on your luck? As night falls and you give in to temptation, commit acts of desperation, and lose your moral compass, trust no one. This is FILM NOIR. Workshop participants will explore the pace, physicality, language, and cadence of the Film Noir genre, and experience the power that comes from being willing to lose. We will focus on collaborative storytelling through narration, style matching, and character development as we dive deeply into this rich genre.
Experience Level
Open to intermediate to advanced improvisers
About the Instructor
Rebecca Castelli is an actor, improviser, and teaching artist with more than 20 years of experience helping performers develop confident, expressive voices and make bold creative choices. She has taught at Berkeley Rep’s School of Theatre since 2007 and maintains a private voice studio. Rebecca is a founding member of The Incidentalists, a long-form improv ensemble with whom she has performed for more than a decade, creating fully improvised plays and musicals. She holds an MFA in Acting and brings warmth, playfulness, and practical technique to every classroom.
Jennifer Simmons has studied, performed, and taught improv in the East Bay for over 20 years. She got her start with East Bay Improv, was a founding member of Stone Soup Improv, and is now a company member of The Incidentalists, a long-from improvised theater group that embraces in-depth genre study. Jennifer’s favorite improv genre is Film Noir.
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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