Chicago improv icons reunite at iO Fest: What to expect

The latest: Starting Thursday, over 100 acts, featuring several iO alumni return for shows, events, workshops and parties.

• Shows include 2 Square with Peter Grosz and John Lutz, 3Peat with Lisa Beasley, alternative comic Neil Hamburger, Chicago legend Susan Messing and a 10th anniversary live taping of the "Bear Down Podcast."

State of play: For the audience, it's a great way to see famous actors like Matt Walsh from "Veep" or Chris Kattan from "SNL" return to their improv roots.

• For improvisers, it serves almost like an industry conference, giving useful tips for the trade.

What they're saying: "It's thrilling to see so many different types and styles of improv and for our giant community to come together to celebrate our artform," iO artistic director Katie Caussin tells Axios.

Zoom out: Chicago has been the epicenter of improvisation for decades, thanks to theaters like iO, The Second City and The Annoyance.

• Several alumni have gone on to star on stage and screen in Hollywood.

Flashback: Improv festivals have also been a big part of the city's comedy history. The Chicago Improv Festival was the biggest, bringing in huge shows starting in 1998 before folding in 2018.

• The iO Fest picks up where the CIF left off.

The bottom line: "Improv festivals are a great chance to cross pollinate and see people from different cities doing interesting shows and forms you might not have seen before," Former Second City performer Peter Grosz tells Axios.

• "An improv festival is basically the same feeling people get at really high class art galleries or literary festivals, just with more drinking."

If you go: Tickets range from $20 to $35 per show.

• 4-day passes are also available for $55.