Festival director Amber Dernbach needs a suggestion.

The most important rule of improv is having a “Yes, and …” attitude. For example, if another performer points and says, “Freeze, I have a gun,” acknowledge that his index finger is indeed a gun, and say something like, “The gun I gave you for Christmas! You bastard!” (OK, I stole that from Tina Fey, but you get the idea.) Being a good improv audience member is similar. If someone suggests you go to the Eau Claire Improv Fest, the right responses is, “Yes, and I’ll go every night!” As someone who both attended and took the stage at last year’s inaugural fest – which was packed to bursting with hilarity – I can guarantee audiences are in for uproarious laughter (and perhaps the occasional awkward silence when yours truly is up there). The brainchild of Memorial High School improv impresario Amber Dernbach, this year’s fest features improv teams from throughout the Midwest and beyond; special appearances by featured artist Rick Andrews of Magnet Theater in New York; and a host of free workshops for aspiring improvisers. It kicks off at 7pm Thursday, Dec. 12, at the Volume One Gallery with an edition of “Let’s Be Honest,” Volume One’s new grown-up storytelling series. At 7pm Friday, Memorial High School’s Little Theatre will be packed with five improv teams, including those from Memorial and UW-Eau Claire; at 7pm Saturday, the action moves downtown to The Plus (formerly Pizza Plus), where the bill includes local groups Shambles, the Improv Lab, and Glassworks Improv, as well as performers from Phoenix, Chicago, and New York. Improv is irreproducible, which means this year’s Improv Fest is literally a once-in-a-lifetime experience. All you have to do to experience it is to say, “Yes, and …”

Second Annual Eau Claire Improv Fest • Dec. 12-14 • various times and locations, see Full Slate for details • www.facebook.com/ecimprovfest