Matt Holmes top ten picks for DCM

The Del Close Marathon is fast approaching (July 30th – August 1st) and we asked MATT HOLMES to share his top picks to help you sort through the madness of show listings.

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It’s time once again for the annual Del Close Marathon in New York City. This is a humongous improv festival that runs non-stop for three days on four stages; it’s like the Woodstock of improv. More than 150 shows from all over the country will converge to take the stage.

This is the 12th year that the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre has organized and hosted this tribute to long-form improv guru Del Close, who trained just about everyone you think is funny. A $25 wristband will get you into any show (after probably waiting in line for a while, so get there early), except for some big-name special ones that cost $12 each.
More information is available at www.delclosemarathon.com.

Here’s my TOP 10 for this year’s Marathon (in no particular order):

Improvised Shakespeare
Sat 7:15 pm at UCB Theatre (with wristband) OR Fri 7:00 pm at FIT Kate Murphy Amphitheater ($12 separate ticket)

I actually haven’t seen this yet, but it’s gotten reviews beyond rave. I know that several of the performers in the cast are extremely hilarious and talented. It’s definitely got to be worth catching, even if you’re not a Bard-lover.

Baby Wants Candy
Sun 6:00 pm at UCB Theatre (with wristband) OR Fri 8:30 pm at FIT Kate Murphy Amphitheater ($12 separate ticket)

Whether or not you’re a fan of musical comedy, you’ll like this show. It’s big, it’s brassy, it’s improvised. The cast is TBA, but some of the funniest people in improv have been in it.

Mother
Fri 9:30 pm at UCB Theatre

Mother was the UCB Theatre’s biggest act for years, Cagematch winners and holders of the primetime Saturday slot. They reunite here to perform their signature formats, the Sleepover and the Soundtrack (which uses your iPod as the suggestion).

Big Bat
Sat 1:00 am at Hudson Guild Theatre

Take a slew of brilliant, hilarious people. Put them all on stage. Turn out the lights. Watch …no, Listen as improv happens. Close your eyes for this audio-only show.

Wicked Fuckin’ Queeyah & other middle-of-the-night shows at UCB
Sat 2:30 am – 6 am at UCB Theatre

Wicked Fuckin’ Queeyah is some big-name New York improvisers pretending to be a working-class Boston improv group, complete with the accent and tons of Red Sox gear. This is meta, fourth-wall-breaking, tongue-in-cheek, Boratesque improv. Warning: you might get beer on you.

If you thought Wicked Fuckin’ Queeyah was weird, come back even later (or earlier) in the morning for more 15-minute experimental shows. These include improv done by all impressions of Bono or Jay Leno or Michael McDonald, a live improv anime show, some kind of underground crunk clown improv, and UCBW (where the improvisers are pro wrestler characters). The Saturday-into-Sunday middle-of-the-night shows include an all-Ray-Romano show, a restaurant scene with a billion waiters, a tea party improv show, and Strip-prov (you laugh, they take off an article of clothing).

What happens when improvisers do improv for improvisers? This stuff. It’s worth catching at least once in your life.

Match Game ’76
Sun 2:00 am at UCB Theatre

This show is pure insanity. If you’re not familiar with the old game show, Match Game, watch a clip on youtube. It’s a show where a ton of drunk 70s celebrities write pun punchlines with contestants. Imagine 40 or so improvisers Halloweened-out as 70s celeb charicatures trying to play a game show but ususally just devolving into chaos. If you like drag shows or that video of the blueberry-stomping reporter choking, you’ll like this show.

In the past, Jack McBrayer (30Rock’s Kenneth the page) was consistently the put-upon contestant.

onesixtyone
Sat 11:00 pm at UCB Theatre

onesixtyone are some hilarious improvisers. They’re the people who started what has become WIT (the Washington Improv Theater) in DC. They are a sure bet for some good, smart, funny improv that you and your friends will be referencing to each other for the ride home, if not for months after.

Omelet
Sun 1:00 pm at UCB Theatre

Imagine you’re eating in a Denny’s and two old ladies at the next table are having the most interesting conversation ever. That’s this show. It’s calm, quiet, patient, and hilarious.

Derrick Comedy
Sat 8:30 pm at FIT Kate Murphy Amphitheater ($12 separate ticket)

Derrick does sketch comedy and just did a movie (www.derrickcomedy.com), but seeing them do improv is a whole other ballgame. Dominic Dierkes, DC Pierson, and Donald Glover (NBC’s Community) are UCB Theatre improvisers that can’t be described without using the word “expertise.”

Upright Citizens Brigade
Sat 6:00 pm at UCB Theatre

This is the UCB4. Maybe you watched their Comedy Central sketch show or their ASSSSCAT special on Bravo; maybe you know that Amy Poehler is one of them (she probably won’t be there) or that the one guy is Sparky Polastri from Bring It On; maybe you know that the theatre is theirs and that they trained all the other funny people performing during this festival.

These guys are improv masters; they know what they’re doing, and this is them having fun and making stuff up. It’ll probably lean more towards talking to the audience and kind of bullshitting about whatever comes to my mind (as opposed to actually doing theatrical improvised scenes and characters), but it’s definitely worth catching this show.

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Matt Holmes is a co-founder of Rare Bird Show and performs a full improv comedy set with a complete stranger from the audience as part of his project, m@&. He has also been involved with many other improv projects, including teaching workshops at improv festivals, improvising an all-audio improv show in the dark called “The Bat”, coaching improv groups, teaching with the Philly Improv Theater, and performing an mp3-infused improv project that was crowned grand champion of season 2 of Troika.

You can see Matt perform at the Del Close Marathon with Rare Bird Show Friday, July 30th, 10PM at Hudson Guild.

Comedian Profile: Mark Bringhurst

Editors Note: In this segment, we step away from the stage and take a look at comedians in the Philadelphia area… Learn a little more about where they come from, what they do while not performing and of course the question we all ask ourselves… Why do we do it?

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MARK BRINGHURST

Might have seen him in: CUBED, Ladies & Gentlemen, Delaware Comedy Theatre

Hangs his hat in: Berlin, NJ

Stomping Grounds: Berlin, NJ

Pays the Bills: Teaching 5th grade

Other Hobbies: writing, hiking, reading

Why Improv?

I have been acting since elementary school but did not discover improv until I was well into adulthood.  I was visiting Disney World’s Pleasure Island (which is now sadly only a memory) and attended my first improv show at the Comedy Warehouse.  I started out the evening thinking “This is awesome!” which later progressed to “I could do this!” which finally ended up with “I HAVE to do this!”  When I came back to New Jersey I did some internet searching and signed up for classes with ComedySportz.  After going through every level class that ComedySportz offered, I was beyond hooked and knew I had to continue.  At the time, the “closest” group that was holding auditions was Delaware Comedy Theatre in Lewes, Delaware.  The fact that I was willing to make a six-hour round trip drive to Lewes at least once a week for several years tells you that I had either found my calling or I was out of my mind…or a little of both.

Improvisational comedy is such a rewarding performance outlet.  I enjoy playing many different types of characters and experimenting with different types of physical comedy.  Anything is possible in any given show.  I am never limited by the words and stage directions someone else has written for me.  It is also rewarding to know that when you elicit any kind of reaction from an audience member…laughter…a happy sigh…a gasp…it is a result of something that you developed on stage in that moment–something that only you and your scene partner(s) brought to life.  The improv scene in Philadelphia has also allowed me to be a part of many different types of improv, from musical to premise-based, from shortform to longform, so it is always exciting, changing, growing, and completely fulfilling!

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If you know someone who you think should be profiled, we’d love to hear about them.

Comedian Profile: Kelly Jennings

Editors Note: In this segment, we step away from the stage and take a look at comedians in the Philadelphia area… Learn a little more about where they come from, what they do while not performing and of course the question we all ask ourselves… Why do we do it?

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KELLY JENNINGS

Might have seen her in: Cecily and Gwendolyn’s Fantastical…, Comedy Sportz, The Moops (mercenary status)

Hangs her hat in: Lansdowne, PA

Stomping Grounds: Ardmore, PA

Pays the Bills as: Actor / Director / Teaching Artist

Other Hobbies: cycling, martial arts/self defense, local government/community interest groups, big sci-fi fan, documentaries of all sorts, NPR, voracious consumption of information from disparate industries (Management, self improvement, religion, general history, native cultures, warfare and military strategy, pro football et al.)

Why Improv?

(A woman 35- 40 crosses to corner of room and picks up a large wooden box – a ‘soap box’ and stands upon it.  As she speaks people gather around, some curious, others dismissive but no one seems to leave.)

Just remember, you asked.

I came to improv as an actor recently graduated from Syracuse Univ. Drama Dept, which back then was a very reputable training program. My experience of improv at the time was only as a rehearsal tool for scripted work. The improv shows I had seen were frankly boring and felt suspiciously scripted, not at all spontaneous.

I attended the general open call for Philadelphia theaters (now known as TAGP) and I was asked to audition for Comedy Sportz. I never thought I would be cast.  When I did get cast I thought it would be something I’d do for a few months then move on. 18 years later I’m still there.

As an actor I was very in my head. In some ways I’d still say that’s my bête noir. Good improv is anything but about being in your head. So for me improv forces me to be present and in the moment. I think I am more authentically myself when I am improvising than maybe at any other time.

I love the immediacy of improv, not knowing what’s going to happen next and the interdependency one has with one’s partners on stage. It is a wonderful freedom to be able to just *be* knowing that whatever you are creating has never existed before and will never exist again quite like this.

I believe with all my heart and soul that performing of any kind be that improv or scripted theater or music or dance is a sacred act. I view myself as a 21^st century shaman. We live in a secular world for the most part. All of the mystery and wonder and ritual that cultures of the past had for experiencing/explaining/processing their lives and the world around them has for contemporary people been replaced with dry facts and scientific studies. And when we can’t use science to explain our ills we numb ourselves unconscious with food, alcohol, clubbing, TV, drugs. Anything to keep ourselves from experiencing emotions. We like our world neat, black and white, simple and free of complication.  The function of a performer as I see it is to create a place – both physical and emotional where it is safe for the audience to express themselves without being cynical or disconnected from themselves and each other.

As comedians, we allow audiences to view life with some sense superiority – they see us on the receiving side of life’s harshness. They either identify with the characters we play or the situation or they get to be objective and feel as though they would never be in that situation. We facilitate catharsis. Nowhere is that more palpably felt than in an improv show.

My interest over the past few years has drawn me away from strict short form /long form formats and led to a desire to incorporate all that energy and *danger*from improv into scripted work. Actors and directors speak so much of being *in the moment* on stage, of keeping a scene or a show *fresh*. That’s what improv is – fresh, in the moment life. Scripted theater has polished, professional, and succinct qualities that allow it to make poignant and relevant comments without the meandering feeling that can happen in improv. So what happens when you try and make a hybrid of the two?  That’s the exploration I’ve been on through pieces like Killer Pussy and Cecily and Gwendolyn’s Fantastical…

As a theater artist I have been highly influenced by the concepts of Peter Brook, the Dada and surrealist movements, classical theater, restoration era theater, and agit prop theater of the 50’s and 60’s. Also performance art – Laurie Anderson is a god!, Man Ray, Seurat, Chagall, Magritte, Phillip Glass, modern dance, professional sports, gothic novels, Saturday morning and weekday cartoons from bugs bunny to Hercules, the Justice League and Speed Racer. From Johnny Sokko and his Amazing Flying Robot, Ultraman, and Godzilla, Star Trek and Doctor Who, and a severe lack of mathematical and scientific skill despite a keen interest in both.

My ultimate dream is to create a piece of theater that is seamless between audience and performer. Where it is impossible to determine what is improvised and what is scripted, what part is *the show* and what part is just being present. I want an audience to leave knowing that they have experienced something unique and one of a kind. I want an audience to feel excited, alive and yes, even angry and upset. I want audiences to leave *feeling* and not just looking for a quick high five and drinks at the bar.

(The woman steps down from her soap box. She picks it up and places it back in the corner. She exits.)

‘How I Came To Do Solo Improv’ by guest contributor Jill Bernard

Editors Note: From time to time, I’m honored to have guest contributions by various improvisers from across the country who are regarded as being at the top of their field. They are welcomed here to share their thoughts on comedy-related subjects they have an acute knowledge of. JILL BERNARD is the creator and star of one of the most popular and award-winning improvised solo shows around, Drum Machine. I asked her to share with us that story:

HOW I CAME TO DO SOLO IMPROV
by Jill Bernard

I like it when improv is a little bit challenging, when I’m just out in front of the headlights. When it gets dull, I look for something new. At the time I conceived of my solo show Drum Machine I was at an all-time low of dull. I was bored, I was cocky, it was not healthy. Nothing was challenging. Improv, of all things, started to feel same old same old. There was no risk in my risk.

One morning I woke up thinking ‘there should be a show called drum machine’ and went to the music store at the end of my street and bought one. “What kind would you like?” said the nice man. “I have no idea, what’s a drum machine?” I said, and he showed me the translucent blue Zoom Rhythmtrak 123 with pink light up keys that could only be for me.

I never performed Drum Machine standing up or in front of other people before it debuted. I was way too nervous! It was way too stupid an idea. I just lay in bed giggling and running through the show with the amp by my head. I had been invited to be in Melissa Burch’s Red Curtain Cabaret here in Minneapolis, and she gave me a fifteen minute slot. I didn’t last that long. I freaked out after about five minutes and said, “Thank you, good night!” and ran away. I learned you should have a beginning, middle and end. The next week I learned if you’re playing all the characters they should be distinct or you’re shooting yourself in the foot. The week after that I learned that if you interview an audience volunteer and their story is more interesting than your theatrical replay of their story, you’re doomed. So the first three weeks of Drum Machine were incredibly educational.

Jonathan Pitts asked me to be in the Chicago Improv Festival the year after that. I had submitted a duo, they asked if I’d come alone. That’s tacky, right? So tacky. We weren’t an improv duo much longer after that, but it’s okay, she’s a successful chef in Texas it worked out for everybody.

People sometimes ask how I thought up the structure. It’s an easy recipe. All I did is combine everything I love into one thing. I love improv and singing and history and romantic stories. That’s all Drum Machine is. When I was a pre-teen we moved into my grandparents house. Their bookshelves were filled with Isaac Asimov and I was also stealing my mother’s historical romance novels and watching a lot of Monty Python: throw that in a sack and shake it, you get the aesthetic of Drum Machine. The show itself consists of an interview with a member of the audience, the suggestions of a historical time period and a number to program into the drum machine. Then I do a sweepingly epic historical improvised one-woman musical. The audience always laughs when I say I’m going to do a a sweepingly epic historical improvised one-woman musical, and then I do it.

When you watch Andy Eninger perform solo improv it’s so elegant and lovely. I admire him so. He lays it all out like the most beautiful cotillion you somehow snatched an invitation to. I’m not like Andy. I just make a huge mess and see what glitters inside it. I’m never thinking ahead as an improvisor. I don’t know how it’s going to end. I throw a lot of ideas and characters up in the air and tie them all together on the way down. Set, wait twenty minutes, spike. I trust that I know how it goes even though I don’t know how it goes. I’ve trained myself to love forward momentum and extreme reactions, these are the tools I have. Curiosity, that’s another tool, the kind of curiosity that makes a cat follow a bird out onto a branch that can’t support its weight, yes, you can’t stay where it’s safe and do improv properly.

Since I conceived of Drum Machine it’s evolved a lot. There used to be an audience participation song at the top that the audience loved but I hated. David Razowsky told me I didn’t have to do it anymore some years ago and I’m forever grateful for that permission. Those first three performances at Red Curtain Cabaret I wore business casual. One night we were eating at Little Tijuana’s, home of super-hot punk rock waitresses, and Butch Roy said aloud, “Punk girls are hot.” I thought to myself “I want to be hot” so Drum Machine featured a semi-punk aesthetic for some years after that. I recently switched over to nice dresses because I got tired of being a total poser and it feels weird singing Broadway-style songs in a short plaid skirt. Those first couple years touring to festivals I was so nervous I carried everything with me. I carried combat boots and 50′ of cable, and a mirror and a shim so the audience could see the drum machine. Now instead of cable I just carry every adapter in the world. I still carry some things that don’t make sense. I always have a Happy Fun Time clip-on tie with me at every show. You never know.

There was a time when I was going to stop doing the show. Every time I entertain that thought, the show changes. It turns a corner and I’m curious again! I have big dreams for it, I wish it was on Broadway although I’ve no idea how to make that happen. It’s one of those goals that makes you better along the way. Like Thích Nhat Hanh says, “If I lose my direction, I have to look for the North Star, and I go to the north. That does not mean I expect to arrive at the North Star. I just want to go in that direction.” Ha! I don’t think I’ve really shared that secret goal with more than three people because it makes me sound like even more of an asshole. Shhh, don’t tell anybody, Philly Improv!

If you’d like to try solo improv, I recommend you find a setting like a cabaret or an open mic or a set in between two other groups where you can go for five minutes and see what it’s like, then the piece will tell you how it wants to grow from there. I coach solo improv by email, that’s another crackpot scheme of mine.

If you’d like, the worksheet is here.

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Jill Bernard has been performing with ComedySportz-Twin Cities since 1993, and is also a founding member of HUGE Theater. Her one-woman improv piece, Drum Machine, has been featured at the Chicago Improv Festival, the Toronto Improv Jamboree, the Miami Improv Festival, Philadelphia Improv Festival, and the ComedySportz National Tournament, among others. She has taught and performed improv in Norway, Canada, and over thirty of these United States, in cities that include Juneau, AK; Spokane and Seattle, WA; Washington DC; Bowling Green, KY; Phoenix, AZ; and also on an episode of MTV “Made.” She is one-half of the duo SCRAM with Joe Bill of the Annoyance Theater. An Artistic Associate of the Chicago Improv Festival, she has studied at the Annoyance Theater, Improv Olympic, the Brave New Workshop and other organizations; and is the recipient of the 2005 Chicago Improv Festival Avery Schreiber Ambassador of Improv Award, and the 2007 Miami Improv Festival award for Best Solo Show.

HOW I CAME TO DO SOLO IMPROV

I like it when improv is a little bit challenging, when I’m just out in front of the headlights.  When it gets dull, I look for something new.  At the time I conceived of my solo show Drum Machine I was at an all-time low of dull.  I was bored, I was cocky, it was not healthy.   Nothing was challenging.  Improv, of all things, started to feel same old same old.  There was no risk in my risk.

One morning I woke up thinking ‘there should be a show called drum machine’ and went to the music store at the end of my street and bought one.  “What kind would you like?” said the nice man.  “I have no idea, what’s a drum machine?” I said, and he showed me the translucent blue Zoom Rhythmtrak 123 with pink light up keys that could only be for me.

I never performed Drum Machine standing up or in front of other people before it debuted. I was way too nervous! It was way too stupid an idea. I just lay in bed giggling and running through the show with the amp by my head.   I had been invited to be in Melissa Burch’s Red Curtain Cabaret here in Minneapolis, and she gave me a fifteen minute slot.  I didn’t last that long.  I freaked out after about five minutes and said, “Thank you, good night!” and ran away.  I learned you should have a beginning, middle and end.  The next week I learned if you’re playing all the characters they should be distinct or you’re shooting yourself in the foot.  The week after that I learned that if you interview an audience volunteer and their story is more interesting than your theatrical replay of their story, you’re doomed. So the first three weeks of Drum Machine were incredibly educational.

Jonathan Pitts asked me to be in the Chicago Improv Festival the year after that.  I had submitted a duo, they asked if I’d come alone.  That’s tacky, right?  So tacky.  We weren’t an improv duo much longer after that, but it’s okay, she’s a successful chef in Texas it worked out for everybody.

People sometimes ask how I thought up the structure.  It’s an easy recipe. All I did is combine everything I love into one thing.   I love improv and singing and history and romantic stories.  That’s all Drum Machine is.  When I was a pre-teen we moved into my grandparents house.  Their bookshelves were filled with Isaac Asimov and I was also stealing my mother’s historical romance novels and watching a lot of Monty Python: throw that in a sack and shake it, you get the aesthetic of Drum Machine. The show itself consists of an interview with a member of the audience, the suggestions of a historical time period and a number to program into the drum machine.  Then I do a sweepingly epic historical improvised one-woman musical.  The audience always laughs when I say I’m going to do a  a sweepingly epic historical improvised one-woman musical, and then I do it.

When you watch Andy Eninger perform solo improv it’s so elegant and lovely.  I admire him so.  He lays it all out like the most beautiful cotillion you somehow snatched an invitation to.  I’m not like  Andy.  I just make a huge mess and see what glitters inside it.  I’m never thinking ahead as an improvisor.  I don’t know how it’s going to end.  I throw a lot of ideas and characters up in the air and tie them all together on the way down. Set, wait twenty minutes, spike. I trust that I know how it goes even though I don’t know how it goes. I’ve trained myself to love forward momentum and extreme reactions, these are the tools I have.  Curiosity, that’s another tool, the kind of curiosity that makes a cat follow a bird out onto a branch that can’t support its weight, yes, you can’t stay where it’s safe and do improv properly.

Since I conceived of Drum Machine it’s evolved a lot.  There used to be an audience participation song at the top that the audience loved but I hated. David Razowsky told me I didn’t have to do it anymore some years ago and I’m forever grateful for that permission.  Those first three performances at Red Curtain Cabaret I wore business casual. One night we were eating at Little Tijuana’s, home of super-hot punk rock waitresses, and Butch Roy said aloud, “Punk girls are hot.” I thought to myself “I want to be hot” so Drum Machine featured a semi-punk aesthetic for some years after that.  I recently switched over to nice dresses because I got tired of being a total poser and it feels weird singing Broadway-style songs in a short plaid skirt. Those first couple years touring to festivals I was so nervous I carried everything with me.  I carried combat boots and 50′ of cable, and a mirror and a shim so the audience could see the drum machine. Now instead of cable I just carry every adapter in the world. I still carry some things that don’t make sense.  I always have a Happy Fun Time clip-on tie with me at every show.  You never know.

There was a time when I was going to stop doing the show.  Every time I entertain that thought, the show changes.  It turns a corner and I’m curious again! I have big dreams for it, I wish it was on Broadway although I’ve no idea how to make that happen.  It’s one of those goals that makes you better along the way.  Like Thích Nhat Hanh says, “If I lose my direction, I have to look for the North Star, and I go to the north. That does not mean I expect to arrive at the North Star. I just want to go in that direction.” Ha! I don’t think I’ve really shared that secret goal with more than three people because it makes me sound like even more of an asshole.  Shhh, don’t tell anybody, Philly Improv!

If you’d like to try solo improv, I recommend you find a setting like a cabaret or an open mic or a set in between two other groups where you can go for five minutes and see what it’s like, then the piece will tell you how it wants to grow from there.  I coach solo improv by email, that’s another crackpot scheme of mine.  If you’d like, the worksheet is here: http://tinyurl.com/soloimprovworksheet

From Around the Blogs

A few interesting reads from around the improv blogs…

• Renowned improviser JILL BERNARD shares her insight into one of the most common questions she’s asked… Why Minneapolis? (via Last Jew Standing)

• Chicago improviser BEN BOWMAN shares his thoughts on the fall of iO team Whiskey Rebellion and what makes excellent improv teams soar. (via The Boiling Point)

• Nearly a decade after introducing ZENPROV to the Players Workshop of Second City, MARSHALL STERN and NANCY HOWLAND WALKER will be adapting their philosophy-turned-podcast into a book. Catch a quick preview on the Art of the Now. (via YesAnd.com)

City Council Bill 100267 and what it means for comedy

Since it was introduced to City Council on April 22nd, Bill 100267 has created quite a stir in many entertainment circles. Introduced by Councilmen Bill Greenlee and Darrell Clarke, the bill calls for promoters of special events to apply for a free permit from the Philadelphia Police Department 30 days prior to each event.

According to Greenlee, it’s an attempt to curb event-driven distruptions throughout the city. While the bill hits promoters and is clearly targeted at nightclub events and similar social gatherings, the language of the bill could cause repercussions within performing arts communities.

Reviewing the bill, we see that permits will be needed by the entities promoting and producing events, and those that look to profit from them. It exempts paid media outlets, ticket sellers (off premises), performers (paid strictly to perform), agents, politicians, political committees, non-profits and of course the City of Philadelphia itself. It also allows PDD to deny a permit up to 10 days prior to the event, and without cause.

The area that we as comedians need to look most carefully at is how the bill classifies an “event.” It’s simply described as “any activity requiring a special assembly occupancy license.” The COP website states that a license is required for restaurants, bars, catering halls, night clubs and other gathering places with dancing and a lawful occupancy of over 50 people. The site also notes that they exclude theaters with fixed seating. So while we may not feel that we fit within the definition of a dancing establishment, the presence of an exclusion for fixed-seat theaters means the city thinks otherwise.

It’s also important to note that although they do not make the distinction, lawful occupancy is different from seating… so while your venue may not seat 50 people, it could potentially be occupied by that many. Public entertainment venues that are up to code should have some sort of official signage that notifies you as to the legal maximum occupancy.

As comedians commonly producing our own events, we are constantly striving to simply fill our houses; barely able to imagine our audiences overflowing to the point of causing civil unrest. Even though the thought of breaking down our folding chairs and busting out an unauthorized dance party a la Footloose is unlikely if not hoped for (I’m looking at you Kristen), Greenlee and the bill sponsors appear to be sticking to their guns. Which means that without defeat of the bill, as soon as June standard venues like the Shubin, Ric Rac and the Playground may need to make some adjustments in their operations or face extreme bureaucratic red tape (e.g. ComedySportz filing for over 100 permits a year) – all while under risk of being shut down anyway.

Who is in the clear?

• Theaters with fixed seating
• Non-profits producing & promoting their own events
• Venues with a legal occupancy under 50

Who is potentially at risk?

• Larger venues that utilize folding chairs for patron seating
• For-profit producers & promoters
• Regular entertainment venues unlicensed or not compliant with city code
• Comedians who perform under at-risk producers and promoters
• Venues that financially depend on revenue from independently-produced events

How can I be heard?

Reach out to the sponsors of the bill, as well as the Council President, and let them know your thoughts on this matter. If we can’t stamp it out all together, demand the language be amended to exclude seated performances, raise the lawful occupancy maximum or otherwise adjust the bill to no longer include low-risk events of a theatrical nature. Emails can be directed to:

• Bill Greenlee (co-sponsor) | bill.greenlee@phila.gov
• Darrell Clarke (co-sponsor) | darrell.clarke@phila.gov
• Anna Verna (City Council President) | anna.verna@phila.gov

You can also sign the petition at PetitionSpot.

What can I do if the bill is enacted and I’m at risk?

• If you rent or sublet, ensure the venue meets the exclusionary standards
• If you’re bordering on occupancy limits, renegotiate your lease to exclude non-essential areas
• If you’re venue doesn’t work, find one that does
• If you produce regular shows, consider a non-profit tax status
• Discuss creating a non-profit production/promotion entity with other groups
• Consult legal council specializing in entertainment… I’m no expert
• Stop doing comedy… You’re clearly too dangerous

Do This Now: Join the IRC and Speak Up

Many of you are probably quite familiar with the IMPROV RESOURCE CENTER message boards.  For those of you that aren’t, get over there right now and join up. The IRC is a site developed by NYC’s Kevin Mullaney that boast numerable features, the most popular of which is the message boards.

Several years ago, the Philly chatter was through the roof and we got Mullaney to add a Philly based regional board. And more recently, a sub-forum was added called Philly Cafe to discuss non-improv related miscellany.

Posts on the board have dwindled in the past six months or so, but as of late they’re back with a small fervor… Local comedians are bringing up some pretty interesting topics and folks are chiming in. Here are a couple of trending topics to keep an eye on:

• The thread entitled Name Two Things asks local improvisers to tout two things they think our local scene does well and two things that are wanton for improvement. There are some nice kudos that make people feel great and appreciated, but even more valuable is some of the insight and recommendations on what can stand some revamping.
• A very recent thread asks improvisers to share their Improv Mantra. It’s a simple question with a hundred complicated answers. When you spend years pulling nuggets of wisdom from a myriad of sources, how do you boil it down to the marrow of what makes your improv tick?
• It’s been said that there about three dozen improv games and 300 names for them. Certainly you can base most games and exercises on a handful of key objectives… things like character work, platform, energy, physicality, object work, initiations and emotional honesty. How you get there can take many more paths. Share some of your Favorite Exercises and Games with local improvisers, or find a new twist on an old favorite to keep practice fresh.

We may all get different things out of our improv, but in the end, hopefully it’s fun and rewarding. The IRC is a fantastic place to commune with those of like minds and talk shop.

Audition advice from Improvoker

It’s time again for Harold Team auditions at UCBT-NY, and Ben Whitehouse at Improvoker offers up some advice to the comedic hopefuls. Included are a few tips that are usable not just for jumping through the flaming hoops of their selective process, but any time :

“One of my favorite teachers Christina Gausas always says “An improviser shows their personal style by ‘anding’.” This is extremely true for auditions situations. remember how you “and” is your signature. Only you “and” the way you do, because let’s face it “Yessing” is just agreeing with your partner’s “and.” Be sure to give really jusicy “ands.”

Listen Up: Mastering the mixtape of scorn

Last Thursday host Dave Walk welcomed Rob Baniewicz to the C vs A Radio Hour to discuss techniques of making a proper mix tape when you’ve been cheated on…

rob_mixtape.mp3

The C vs A Radio Hour airs every Thursday from 8-9PM at Gtownradio

From the Sidelines: Five Questions with Eoin O’Shea

Local improviser (ComedySportz, Tongue & Groove) and all around fun guy Eoin O’Shea and his wife Anne Marie have just welcomed a beautiful little girl into their family. In celebration of all things O’Shea, we dig down into the archives to present a special From the Sidelines…

What is your approach to improv?

My approach is to “jump in”. I mean to say that I don’t want to think about it. I trust myself to listen and to build on what’s given. I also trust whoever is on stage; you have to.

Is there anything in particular that you find informs or inspires your scenework?

Depends on what show I am doing, but I try to use what I see and hear everyday. I like to observe people and use them. I have a long list of beings that dwell within me. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but I use them for stage. Mood will always inform me.

Are there any pre-show warmups or rituals that you do?

I try to relax. I try to clear my thoughts and allow myself to just be open. Wow, I should study Kung-Fu or something. The best thing is to breathe and be present. That works good for life too, but I can only do it on stage. Which is why I love to be on stage.

What is something that’s proven to be a significant challenge in improving your work?

Getting over myself is the biggest challenge. Simply put, I ain’t all that and I should work harder.

What advice would you give to those who are new to improv?

If you are having FUN, then you are on the right path. Be brave, you won’t regret it.