They're looking to put more bums in the seats, but they've got to take care of the seats part of the equation first.

Starting Friday, Port Coquitlam's Second Storey Theatre will play host to its inaugural Summer Heat Arts Festival, a three-day fundraiser featuring comedy, one-man shows, improv theatre, musicals and a rock opera.

Organized by the local improv group table23, it's hoped that the weekend's events will help finance the purchase of about 40 new chairs for the theatre.

"We've been constantly upgrading the theatre to make it feel like a real venue and we've been looking at getting real theatre seats in there, but knowing they range around $400 to $500 each, we knew it was going to be really expensive," said festival co-ordinator and table23 member Russ Brummer.

Brummer's group began running the Port Coquitlam-based theatre about a year ago, and set the wheels in motion for its current fundraiser back in June. At that time, Brummer and Co. put the call out to a handful of contacts and those in the local theatre community. As it turns out, the responses -- and diversity of interested parties -- were almost overwhelming.

"We started with our own contacts -- people who have been using Second Storey Theatre and people we've been building relationships with -- and then people just really started spreading the word. I was getting phone calls from people who I'd never met saying, 'Hey I heard about what you're trying to do and we want to be involved.' That was the coolest thing, especially given that it was from people involved in dance and other things that we've never had in the theatre yet, but definitely look forward to having."

What's more, all of this weekend's performers will be lending their artistic talents for free, as any money raised goes straight towards the purchase of chairs.

The weekend kicks off with Vancouver-based talent in the form of online sketch comedy group Manhussy, and will also feature Darren Boquist's one-man show.

That said, there is a healthy dose of Tri-Cities flavour involved in the three-day event, including the two-person comedy show known as Nate and Troy Present the Little Things.

Featuring Coquitlam's Nathan Kelly alongside Port Moody native Troy Cherkowski, the part-improv, part-planned show will delve into each person's background to show how it's shaped who they've become.

"It's a collection of stories and tales that have made us who were are, and why everyone in the world should take time to remember the small and important things and not get caught up in the kerfuffle in everyday life," said Kelly, 22. "It's two different stories that come from two very different backgrounds that both come to the same end point. We both end up on the same stage, so it's two remarkably different routes to get to the same place."

According to Cherkowski, however, the anecdotes and jokes the pair decides to rattle off will be decided largely once they are on stage and have a chance to gauge the sentiment of the audience before them.

"It's going to be influenced by the evening -- the stories we tell aren't set in stone," he said. "It is a bit on the philosophical side, but the truth is, life is funnier than anything a person can write."

The Summer Heat Arts Festival gets underway Friday, Aug. 13, with the first performance slated for 8 p.m. Tickets for each show are $10, and the festival costs $80 for the full weekend. Tickets are available at www.secondstoreytheatre.com. The theatre is located at 201-2550 Shaughnessy St.

jkurucz@thenownews.com