Thursday, April 25, 2024

Geek Week's website promises the spring event will be “comedy by people who get you.”

Remember the song you wrote about zombies, or your Buffy-themed stand-up act? Stop pretending you don’t. The fifth annual Geek Week runs April 27 to May 1 at Central Square’s ImprovBoston theater, and executive producer Kevin Harrington is asking geeks to share their talents with an audience.

Groups and individuals may submit multiple improv and stand-up acts, sketches, music videos and other acts with “geeky flavor,” Harrington said. Submissions are accepted through Saturday, with the submission fee increasing after Tuesday.

Harrington, an improv instructor at the theater, said organizers are trying to gather a variety of acts by integrating technology, increasing video content and encouraging musicians to apply.

“We’re looking to expand,” Harrington said. “ImprovBoston would be the hub and other satellite venues would be dedicated to stand-up or music.” A live feed from clubs such as T.T. the Bear’s Place and The Middle East would link those acts to ImprovBoston, making it “more of a festival,” Harrington said.

There are already plans for Geek Week to join forces with the equally nerdy ROFLCon, an Internet culture conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that overlapped with the festival last year. Harrington said Geek Week will provide nighttime entertainment for ROFLCon participants.

The improv instructor also hopes to develop the local comedy scene by inviting bigger acts to participate in Geek Week and reaching out to college students, who “don’t interact with the scene out of their schools,” Harrington said. “We want to get them seen by people in comedy.”

It’s an opportunity for students to get involved and network with other comedians like the chance  Harrington got when he was studying at Boston College. He went to an ImprovBoston show, was called onstage to play and soon became a full-time participant, he said.

Inclusiveness is the spirit of Geek Week. The festival brings together people with similar niche interests, and Harrington said he finds participants and audience members grateful for the chance to express their geekdom.

“Finally,” he said, “a festival for us.”

Interested people may submit applications at geekweekcomedy.com. The submission fee is $25 until Tuesday and $35 afterward, with Saturday being the last day submissions will be accepted. Once accepted, individual participants get a registration link. There is a one-time fee of $20 to register.