Birmingham Improv Theatre to Host Bards & Brews for First Time November 1

Birmingham Improv Theatre is hosting Bards & Brews on Friday, November 1   
What: Bards & Brews Open Mic
When: Friday, November 1, 6:30–9:00 p.m.
Where: Birmingham Improv Theatre, 2208 7th Avenue South
Details: Bards & Brews is the Birmingham Public Library’s spoken word poetry/craft beer event.

The Birmingham Improv Theatre is hosting the Birmingham Public Library’s popular spoken word poetry-craft beer event this Friday for the first time. Bards & Brews Open Mic will take place from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, November 1.

Birmingham Improv Theatre is located at 2208 7th Avenue South on Birmingham’s Southside.

Entertainment by featured artist Suave Da Preacha will begin at 6:30 p.m., and open mic poetry will flow from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Voice Porter will again serve as host and emcee.


Bards & Brews is free to attendees 18 and older, but you must be 21 or older to drink beer samples.

Suave Da Preacha is a Birmingham-based hip-hop artist. Sample his album by clicking here.

Beer samples are being provided by Interstellar Ginger Beer and Exploration Co. of Alabaster.

The Birmingham Improv Theatre is co-owned by Austin Odum and David Grissom. A Birmingham native, Grissom trained with Second City of Chicago, a nationally known improv group. Upon opening in February of this year, Birmingham Improv Theatre became Alabama’s first improv theater venue.

Birmingham Improv Theatre (follow its Facebook page) is also the new permanent home of Positively Funny, a Birmingham-based improv comedy company.

Birmingham Improv Theatre actors perform a comedy routine 

When Central Library Outreach Librarian Candice Hardy reached out to Odum about hosting Bards & Brews, Birmingham Improv Theatre felt it was “a perfect fit.” Positively Funny did an improv performance at Bards & Brews last year. Birmingham Improv Theatre will also host Bards & Brews in February 2020.

“We love partnering with the Birmingham Public Library, helping spread the word about improv to a new audience, and supporting local artists,” Odum said.

So what is improv comedy? It is a type of comedy made up on the spot. “We take suggestions from the audience and come up with a script, totally unplanned,” Odum said.

Besides Positively Funny, another improv group—Ugly Baby—does weekly comedy shows at Birmingham Improv Theatre. Friday night at 9:30 p.m. after Bards & Brews ends, Ugly Baby will give its last performance of 2019, Odum said.

In addition to hosting comedy shows and other events, Birmingham Improv Theatre provides s corporate training and several classes— standard improv, master improve, musical classes, stand-up comedy classes, and more. The venue also has a gallery featuring Birmingham area artists.

“We are like the Second City of the South—they do corporate training and classes like we do,” Grissom said.

For more information, follow Bards & Brews on Facebook. Bards & Brews is made possible by a generous donation from the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library.

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