BAR HARBOR — ImprovAcadia opened for its ninth season of improvisational theater, bringing some of the genre’s finest talents to the little upstairs stage at 15 Cottage St.

And to think it all started in 1995 when a shy young Second City piano player and composer named Larrance Fingerhut met a not-so-shy actress from Nebraska named Jennifer Shepard in a little Chicago nightclub. They fell in love, got married and began to improvise on a dream.

Larrance had strong ties to MDI after several seasons at the Deck House Cabaret and the wonderful Unusual Cabaret. Jennifer, who was connected to the close knit Second City improv theater world in Chicago wondered if it would be possible for them to bring this rather esoteric type of theater experience to Maine and lure some its most accomplished practitioners here every summer.

This winter, as they have for the past nine years, the couple traveled to New York and Chicago to audition prospective cast members.

“We see a good 100 improvisers at these auditions,” says Ms. Shepard. “And now that we have a roster of veterans who want to return to us year after year we can be very choosy about who we pick to fill the open slots.”

Actually, she adds, this year is a bit unusual in that half, as opposed to the usual one-third, of the cast members will be new faces.

“We have some terrific new talents coming on. Larrance and I are excited to be working with them for the first time.”

For a complete show schedule and for reservations, call 288-2503. Tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for children 10 and younger. ImprovAcadia is located at 15 Cottage St., on the second floor in Bar Harbor. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

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