Exciting news arrived in my inbox a few days ago: I’ve been selected to teach my Beginning Improvised Bard workshop at ImprovCon this August in San Diego.
This is exciting for a lot of reasons, but first and foremost, I get to be part of something brand new.
ImprovCon is being presented as something more than a festival. In fact, they are pretty adamant about not calling it a festival at all. And honestly, I understand why.
Don’t get me wrong—I love a good improv festival. I’ve attended everything from scrappy little festivals just finding their footing to massive events like the Chicago Improv Festival. Festivals have been an important part of my improv life for more than twenty years.
But I also think the model is showing its age.
As improvisers, we talk about adaptability, innovation, and embracing change. Yet the way we gather, learn, and celebrate our art form hasn’t changed much in decades.
That’s what intrigues me about ImprovCon.
Rather than being spread across multiple venues throughout a city, ImprovCon is taking over the Town & Country Resort in San Diego. It’s being organized more like a retreat or a professional convention than a traditional festival. The idea is to bring together some of the most experienced minds in improv alongside emerging voices and create a space where people can learn from one another, share ideas, and build lasting connections.
For me, that’s the most exciting part.
At a traditional festival, you’re often sprinting from venue to venue. You take a workshop, rush to your show, catch part of another performance, grab a quick meal, and then realize you’ve only had a five-minute conversation with someone you haven’t seen in three years.
By the time you’re dragging yourself through the airport on the way home, all those opportunities for deeper connection have slipped away.
You still had a great time. That’s why we do this.
But many of the conversations that could have happened in person end up happening online weeks later.
The Chicago Improv Festival was a perfect example. It was magical. It was massive. It brought together incredible performers, teachers, and directors from around the world. Every year I looked forward to it and dreaded it at the same time because it was equal parts inspiring and exhausting.
When the pandemic brought CIF to an end, it left a hole in the improv world that has never really been filled.
I think ImprovCon has the opportunity to become that new tent pole.
The event has already attracted an impressive lineup of performers, teachers, and innovators from across the improv world. But beyond the talent, what excites me is the environment. This is a place where people can bring their families, enjoy San Diego, and still fully participate in the convention experience.
My wife and daughters are supportive of my improv adventures, but they’ve also spent plenty of years hearing me talk about rehearsals, workshops, festivals, and late-night shows. The moment they heard about the Town & Country Resort—with its pools, waterslides, and family-friendly atmosphere—the conversation changed.
Suddenly, this wasn’t just another improv trip.
It became a family vacation.
I do have concerns about affordability. Let’s be honest: actors and improvisers are not always known for having deep pockets. But every new event starts somewhere. Building something ambitious takes time, and I believe Chris and his team genuinely want to create something that grows, evolves, and becomes more accessible over time.
What I appreciate most is the vision.
A vision centered on learning, community, creativity, and play.
Most of all, I’m excited to share my love of Shakespeare-inspired improvisation with people I might never otherwise have the chance to work with. I’ve spent years developing this workshop, teaching it to students, actors, improvisers, and recently at the Washington State Thespian Festival. Now I get to bring it to a national stage.
That’s a pretty amazing feeling.
I hope to see you in San Diego this August.
— Alan Hawkins
PRESS RELEASE
Alan Hawkins Selected to Teach “Beginning Improvised Bard” at ImprovCon 2026
SEATTLE, WA — Improviser, educator, director, and author Alan Hawkins has been selected to teach his workshop, Beginning Improvised Bard, at ImprovCon 2026, taking place August 20–23 at the Town & Country Resort in San Diego, California.
ImprovCon is a first-of-its-kind convention dedicated to celebrating improvisational theater through performances, workshops, panels, and community connection. The inaugural event will feature more than 100 shows, 128 workshops, and 45 panels, bringing together performers, teachers, students, fans, and industry professionals from around the world.
“Improv has influenced television, film, theater, education, business, and so many aspects of modern culture, yet there has never been a convention designed to celebrate the entire community,” said Chris “Jazz” Colthurst, founder and executive producer of ImprovCon. “We wanted to create a place where people could learn from the best, discover new voices, make meaningful connections, and have an incredible amount of fun. San Diego felt like the perfect home for that vision.”
Hawkins’ workshop, Beginning Improvised Bard, introduces performers to Shakespeare-inspired improvisation through character relationships, status, emotional honesty, heightened language, and theatrical storytelling. Designed for both experienced improvisers and newcomers alike, the workshop focuses on creating emotionally grounded scenes rather than literary accuracy.
“I’ve always believed that you don’t need to know Shakespeare to play Shakespeare,” Hawkins said. “What matters is the relationship, the emotion, and the willingness to commit. I’m thrilled to share that approach with improvisers from around the world.”
Hawkins has been teaching improvisation since 2004 and has worked with thousands of students through theaters, festivals, schools, and arts education programs across the United States. He is an ensemble member and teacher with Unexpected Productions, the home of the longest-running Theatresports program in the United States, and is the author of You Can’t Learn Improv from a Book.
Recent teaching engagements include the Washington State Thespian Festival, Tennessee Arts Academy, and workshops throughout the Pacific Northwest.
For more information about Alan Hawkins and upcoming workshops, visit: