It’s no Whose Line is it Anyway, but Theatre XTra will be improvising long form stories for their first production of the season, “The Free Fall Improv Ensemble,” which runs Sept. 27-29 in the David Spinks Theatre.
Director Andrew Legg is preparing a hilarious repast of long form comedy, including liberal doses of action, eight talented actors and a couple tickle trunks full of props to whet the palate of any good theatre patron not only looking for a laugh but a story as well. The missing ingredient? The audience and their ideas.
“I’m big person for stories, so these aren’t games, these are forms. They don’t go so much for laughs as we go for the story,” noted Legg, who is directing this production as part of his MFA.
“Though there are laughs to be had,” laughed cast member Rafaela DaCruz or Raffi.
“It’s never been done before,” added Legg of doing an improv show for THeatre XTra. The first two shows of the season will be all original works as the second plays, “1,000 names” which runs Nov. 1-3, is also a student produced piece which won second place in the 2012 Playwright Prize competition.
There are several familiar faces in the ensemble cast including Craig McCue and Andrew Merrigan who have been part of many University of Lethbridge productions as well as a couple Playgoers of Lethbridge productions.
Makambe K Simamba has also been part of several university productions, while DaCruz and Milo Smith have been big part of the University of Lethbridge improv class. Smith also founded the University of Lethbridge’s improv club.
You may have seen Meredith Pritchard participating in the summer production of Shakespere’s Midsummer’s Night’s Dream in Galt Gardens this summer. Daniel Howard and Colin Dingwall round out the cast.
The four forms the group will be performing are “Harold,” “La Ronde,”“Micro-opera” and “character”
“Harold,” is an improv form during which the cast will improvise a story after brainstorming on a word provided from the audience.
“It’s the exploration of a single idea,” Legg explained.
La Rond, or the circle is a circular improv form in which the create a story by having characters A and B have a scene together, then B and C, then D and E then A and E.
DaCruz and Smith are both looking forward to and reading Micro-Opera, the shortest form in which they will create a musical and opera based on suggestions from the audience.
“It’s scary because we sing — sort of. It’s the most terrifying,” Da Cruz said.
“It’s a big, cheesy and melodramatic like an opera or a musical,” Smith added.
They are all looking forward to the last form — character.
“The idea for this is it’s a story that is punctuated by two narrators,” Legg said.
“We come up with something the character really wants, like ice cream,” Da Cruz enthused.
“Or love,” Smith added.
“And the story is about how the character either gets or doesn’t get what they really want,” Legg finished.
“It’s just a lot of fun,” DaCruz said.”
“It’s exciting but terrifying,” she continued as Legg echoed the thought.
“ I just like improvising. I really enjoyed the improv class and I was improvising even when i wasn’t in class. It’s just fun to be involved and you don’t have to memorize any script,” DaCruz giggled.
“ I formed the improv club and was told I had to audition or else suffer a beating in an alley and I wanted to avoid that,” deadpanned Smith adding they mostly did the short form “Whose Line Is it Anyway” style one liner improv games, so this show is a departure for him.
“I’m looking forward to the audience and feeding off their energy,” Smith added.
“It’s more exciting,” Legg said.
“Every night it’s a new show,” Legg said adding preparing for a show that is completely improvised is a little challenging.
“The best metaphor for this is it is like the Iron Chef, where everybody can produce the recipe, but we have no idea what the ingredients will be. We don’t know the nature of the sugary, sweet fun,” Legg said.
The final ingredient is the audience. The show begins at 8 p.m, Sept. 27-30, plus there will be a 2 p.m. matinee on Sept. 29. Tickets are $11 regular, $7 for students and seniors.
— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
