January 23-24, 2026
The SteelStacks Improv Comedy Festival presents improv teams from around world in a mini-marathon-style format. Each day is packed with literal non-stop comedy. Each day once we start, we don’t stop until the very end of the day.
2026’s festival is set for January 23-24. The Friday headliner will be Connor Ratliff presents The Acting Class! Check back soon for updates about this year’s headliners, workshops, and more!
Improv Team Submissions
We’re looking for improv teams to join our mini-marathon-style festival!
Submission Deadlines:
- Regular Submission October 18th – 11:59pm. November 14th – $25
- Final Deadline: 11:59pm. November 14th
Friday Headliner: CONNOR RATLIFF presents THE ACTING CLASS
A one-person improv show disguised as an acting class, from the creator of the Dead Eyes podcast.
Professional actor (Étoile, Mean Girls 2024, Ghosts, Bob’s Burgers) and award-winning podcaster (Dead Eyes) CONNOR RATLIFF is a classically trained performer who graduated “with honours” from the prestigious Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts over a quarter of a century ago, making his professional debut on the stage of the Royal Court Theatre in London’s West End. During that same year, he also performed at Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth II. In the decades that followed, he has accumulated numerous credits as a star of stage, screen and stream, appearing in multiple Netflix Original Films as well as content on CBS, NBC, FOX, TBS, Home Box Office, Amazon Prime, and the now-defunct comedy platforms, Go90 and Seeso.
But none of that matters now.
What matters now is CONNOR RATLIFF presents THE ACTING CLASS, an unending series of workshop performances where he will, before your very eyes, demonstrate what acting truly IS.
Each performance will be slightly interactive and completely improvised, with occasional opportunities for “students” to participate (from the safety of their position in the audience.)
Defiantly self-indulgent and beyond pointless, THE ACTING CLASS is your opportunity to witness the kind of greatness – only slightly appreciated by The Industry – that has kept Connor Ratliff steadily employed for nearly half of the past 10 years.
This show will contain adult language and/or situations. Seating will be assigned by ArtsQuest staff upon arrival into the showroom. Anyone coming in between the ages of 13 and 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. No child 12 or under will be admitted. All performers and staff must adhere to our codes of conduct found here.