Improv Round-Up
Comedy critic Amy Martin checks in with improv happenings around town.
by Amy Martin
published Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Dallas — Here’s the latest report from Chief Comedy Critic Amy Martin about improv and comedy happenings around town:
The Big Guy
Fun House Theatre and Filmr presents Woody Allen’s philosophical comedy God with Matt Lyle at the directorial helm on October 2 through 10. Hepatitis and Diabetes set out in search of the truth, free will, and a way to conclude their play. Chinese takeout, anyone?
To double the fun of this one-act existential fantasy, the show is paired with a set by Unicorn Clearance improvisers drawn from the Fun House ranks. The under-17 performers have been working with each other for years, making for clever repartee.
Improv Death Ice Age
Stephanie Hubbard, director of Documentary Insider consulting and coaching firm, once trained with ImprovOlympics in Los Angeles. She’s combined the two parts of her life into a short documentary, Improv Death Ice Age, that follows a troupe called USS Rock & Roll. The film will have its premier screening at Dallas VideoFest in October. The screening will feature performances by a couple of local improv troupes.
The Laugh Supper
The Laugh Supper has been picking up steam, selling out their fourth main-stage show. Formed in 2014 from mainly of Baylor graduates, it has been consistently growing in popularity. Now performing at Dallas Contemporary Theater, the short-form game-style improv group is sort of a cross between Second City and Whose Line Is It Anyway?
“So far every show that we’ve put on has sold out despite adding additional seats each time, which we are pretty excited about,” says leader DeAndre Upshaw. “We’ve moved to a bigger venue (Contemporary Theater of Dallas) that can seat more people, so we’re working on harnessing that momentum and making sure we can keep up with demand. The group offers free shows through the Dallas Public Library, and have branched into corporate performance.
Short Bits
Shut Up and Prance has been rockin’ their shows at The Grotto in Fort Worth, especially the Wondercrust Movie Watchers Club every last Thursday where they ridicule old movies — shades of MST3000.
Want to try your hand at improv? Step into the Dallas Comedy House any Tuesday at 8 pm for a free improv jam. The uber popular Improvised Horror Movie returns for every Saturday night in October. Ticket up early; it always sells out.
Zingerz Comedy Club, a roving family-friendly comedy production house that works the mid-cities area, has branched off into improv.
Stranger Danger is an ensemble drawn from several improv communities by the Alternative Comedy Theater a couple times a year. The next show is on Nov. 8 at the Pocket Sandwich Theater.
Improv Classes
Improv Dallas offers “Improv for TV, Film and Commercial Actors” in October, along with intermediate improv.
Fall improv classes at Dallas Comedy House have already kicked off, but a couple of specialty classes will be held in late September and October
A new round of Improv Mechanics, a 6-week class on the building blocks of improv, has started at the Alternative Comedy Theater. They’ve begun presenting more guest teachers such as Michael Jastroch from Coldtowne Theater in Austin, Tyler Bryce formerly of OKC Improv and now in Austin, and Rory Scholl of NYC for musical improv.
Original post at: http://www.theaterjones.com/ntx/news/20150923130340/2015-09-23/Improv-Round-Up
