XL Festival

Overview

The Happy Valley XL Improv Festival is a four-day longform improv comedy festival in State College, Pennsylvania, hosted by Happy Valley Improv at The Blue Brick Theatre. Now in its fifth year, the festival features 12 shows across three nights (Thursday through Saturday, 6-10pm) with up to 21 teams performing sets of 19-23 minutes each. The festival draws performers from cities across the US and welcomes hundreds of spectators.

Happy Valley Improv was founded in January 2017 by four Penn State-affiliated improvisers who started gathering weekly in a church basement. In 2021 they took over the space at 209 W Calder Way and transformed it into The Blue Brick Theatre, which now serves as the festival's home venue. Beyond the shows, the festival offers workshops, Penn State campus tours, downtown scavenger hunts, and visits to local attractions.

Workshops

Five workshops are offered across the festival, capped at 16 participants each ($60/session). 2026 instructors include Elana Fishbein (Magnet Theater, NYC), Colin Thornton (Improv Cincinnati), Navaris Darson (The Groundlings), Karla Dingle (Queen City Comedy), and Shulie Cowen (Second City/iO West). Past instructors have included Dana Powell (Modern Family) and Jaime Moyer (Bob's Burgers).

Submissions

The festival accepts long-form, short-form, and hybrid improv acts (no stand-up or sketch). The 2026 submission deadline was January 15, with decisions by February 15. A Festival Ensemble program casts 8-10 individual improvisers without existing teams. Applications are submitted via the online form.

Sources

• 2026 Happy Valley XL Improv Festival - Official Page
• XL Fest Submission Guidelines
• 2026 XL Fest Instructors
• XL Fest FAQs
• Onward State - XL Improv Festival to Return to Happy Valley
• Centre County Gazette - Fourth Annual XL Improv Festival