Kinkonauts to pull 26-hour improv all-nighter

By Aurora Anderson, February 7 2017 —

Have you ever watched an improv show you never wanted to end? Calgary improv group The Kinkonauts will provide the next best thing with their second annual Improv Marathon from 8:00 p.m. on Feb. 10 until 10:00 p.m. on Feb. 11.

The Kinkonauts are a volunteer-run organization with 45 members. The company focuses on providing the city with alternative improv theatre.

Kinkonauts artistic producer Owen Chan started the company 10 years ago when he moved to Calgary and found there wasn’t an improv company in the city using long-form improvisation techniques. Along with Stephen Kent, Chan formed The Kinkonauts.

The Improv Marathon will feature a different show every hour. The free event will also stream live on YouTube for those who can’t view it in person.

Chan says that while this is a free event, donations will be accepted to help support the company.

“A free event is great for students. But if you’re able to donate, or companies are able to donate, we’ll be accepting donations from now until the end of the marathon. [The money] will go towards rent,” says Chan.

Last year the group raised eight months’ rent and this year their goal is six months’ rent for their “new home.” The company will search for a new home at the end of February when they move from The Lab, located at 112 16 Ave. NW.

Chan says the festival during the early hours of the morning can be a good way to take a break from studying — or “if you’re bored at 4:00 in the morning.”

Some highlights attendees can expect include improv against humanity, master debaters, improvised Shakespeare and improvised soap operas.

“I’m excited just to see what happens in the morning when we’ve made it through the midnight hours,” Chan says. “The 8:00 a.m. [hour] is always the most interesting to me because all the nighttime people have gotten to the end of their rope and are not making any sense and then a bunch of other people show up and try to help them out and it’s this fun back-and-forth between people that understand what’s happening and people that just do not care anymore because they haven’t slept in 12 hours.”

The Improv Marathon will take place Feb. 10–11. Admission is free and the 26-hour event will stream live on YouTube.

For more information, visit kinkonauts.com