Who: Aaron Mitchel is the mind behind Untitled Improv Company, which he co-founded with Chelsea Woodmansee. Last year, Untitled Improv organized the Oregon Cage Match improv competition, putting area groups against one another over two sell-out evenings. With Woodmansee now working in Chicago, Mitchel, who also teaches improv, is organizing another event bringing area improv performers together in one place — “Bend Improv All-Stars,” taking place at 8 p.m. Aug. 25 at 2nd Street Theater in Bend. During the evening, two lucky audience members will be chosen as game show contestants, picking all-star players to help them compete for the grand prize. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for the Bend Improv All-Stars game?

A: There’s so much improv in Bend, and it’s kind of segregated. I like kind of bringing the improv community and the community together for these events. Like last year, we did the Cage Match, and that was really successful. This year, rather than competing against each other, we’re kind of playing with each other to help contestants win. … So we select two contestants out of the audience, they’re on opposite sides. It’s all random. Team one will play a game, team two a game, and the audience votes on which one they like better. And then that contestant gets so many points, and it kind of goes back and forth that way.

Q: What kind of games will you guys be playing?

A: We’re going to meet next week, and everyone is going to decide. It’s just going to be like your basic “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” games. … A lot of audience participation in this one.

Q: And then at the end, the audience can get involved playing games too, right?

A: Oh yeah, at the end we do the infamous jam. A lot of people go just for the jams sometimes. They want to try getting their feet wet. It’s a way for people to say, “I’d like to do that.” Because improv is not just like, “Oh, let’s get up there and be funny.” That’s kind of the wrong approach. For a lot of people, especially the people who went through my classes, improv is very therapeutic, and a great way to interact with other people. So the jam is kind of a way for people who are interested to maybe try it.

— David Jasper, The Bulletin