February 21, 2001
Actors improvise situations with comedic flair
Playhouse holds Sunday improv sessions
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
The lines flew fast and furious as the improv session at the Old Town Playhouse swung into action. Cracking jokes, twisting plots, staying in character and following one another's lead, the seven participants fine-tuned their improvisational and comedic skills.
There is never a dull moment during the two-hour session. In that time, the group works through a variety of skits, scenarios and games - constantly varying the setting and characters - to practice their craft. For example, a recent session featured a skit about an encounter in Wal-Mart played from the angle of a political thriller and then a spaghetti western.
Another exercise had all participants write down a phrase, any phrase, on a scrap of paper; all scraps were gathered in a bowl. Then two-person teams worked through a scene and, at a crucial point, pulled out a scrap and used that line for the dialog.
Many of the games or exercises may be familiar to followers of Second City or the popular television show, Whose Line is it Anyway. However, the hallmark of improv is variety and even a small, amateur group can be just as exciting as professional groups.
"Improv is always different - it doesn't matter what the scene is, every time it occurs, it comes out differently," said Al Lein, who has studied some with Second City in Chicago. "Improv is always dynamic because either by changing the location or someone's attitude or emotions, everything changes."
The core of the improv group has been meeting together since Second City came to town two summers ago to give some improv seminars. Each week, other players come and go, only adding to the surprises of the evening.
The participants in the improv group are not necessarily actors or theater groupies - they just want to have some fun with other like-minded people. Not to mention quickly losing shyness about being creative or wacky in a public setting.
"Improv breaks down the inhibitions because you are laughing at people and a few minutes later they are laughing at you," said Lein, one of the facilitators of the Improv at the Old Town Playhouse. "You can't be embarrassed because everyone else is doing it."
Lein has also seen how improv can build confidence among participants.
"After doing improv, some people have gone to audition for shows because they broke the barrier," he said.
Even for people without dreams of being on stage, the chance to hang around other funny people who will keep the mind humming at top speed is a big draw.
"Improv sharpens your mind," said Dave Ouellette, who recently moved to Traverse City and came to the improv sessions as a way to meet people. "Now that I'm retired, it would be awfully easy to turn into a vegetative state."
A former high school principal and college professor, Ouellette had previously been part of an improv group at Olivet College that used a humorous approach to teach responsibility to students there. He really enjoyed the chance to be on stage and get a message across without following a script.
Never knowing what is going to happen next and always having different people to work with keeps him coming back to the Improv sessions at the Playhouse.
"To me, spontaneous humor is so much better than scripted humor," he said. "During improv, you never know what you are going to say, the lines just come."
Improv at the Old Town Playhouse meets weekly on Sundays at 6 p.m. These drop-in sessions are free and open to any interested participant; for more information, call 947-2210.