Trying to write a review about an improv comedy press run is a sure set-up for failure. Unlike a theater production performance, there is no set script or directions for the performers. Rather, spontaneity and off-the-cuff humor is employed in lieu of choreographed, well-rehearsed scenes and dialogue. This makes it impossible to write a preview for this year’s Improvfest, considering that the performers don’t even know what they’re going to do until they do it.
Improvfest is a yearly collection of improv troupes, with this year’s lineup features G-PIG, a Georgetown improv group, a troup from the University of Virginia, and Littleman, a professional improv group. This year’s Improvfest also features a number of special events, such as a Seniors Night on Friday with discounted tickets for seniors, and an afterparty at Georgetown Billiards on Saturday night for the troupes and audience members to meet and hang out after the show. Another planned event is an audience participation segment towards the end of Friday’s show, where audience members are invited to perform with members of the various troupes.
Littleman, a professional improv troup formed by Georgetown alumns living in New York, was definitely the highlight of last year’s Improvfest. A few minutes of onstage free association gave them a list of topics to peruse, which they then parlayed into a hilarious 30-minute bit on the plight of a chicken factory in the USSR, complete with subplots, dramatic rise and fall and the mandatory punchlines. In addition to Littleman, this year’s lineup includes a University of Virgiania comedy troupe, and G-PIG, Georgetown’s own improv comedy troupe.
Anyone familiar with television shows like “Whose Line is it Anyway?” (a popular improv show hosted by Drew Carey) should be familiar with the basic style and format of improv comedy, which often relies on different games and audience suggestion for ideas upon which to base the skit.
Many improv comedy groups take comedy seriously, During rehearsal, G-PIG stopped one of the acts because they didn’t like where it was going, trying to focus on staying within the parameters of the game and not letting the humor get too obscure.
“We try to be fairly analytical about it and to help each other out … After some scenes we’ll talk to each other about what we thought about how they handled a scene and what they can do to improve,” said Mike Lavoie (CAS ‘03), one of the co-directors of the troupe.
G-PIG’s approach to improv comedy is based on the “yes, and?” idea, where someone in a scene proposes an idea, the other person agrees and builds on it, adding new information as they go. This way, the troupe can organically build a scenario from something as simple as a word or location. It also involves playing off of one another’s comedic styles and learning to work together and to think as a group instead of as individual comics in order to set one another up for jokes and punchlines. With only eight members, the group is sizeable enough for a variety of different comedic styles and influences without being too unwieldy.
“Everyone uses improv in normal conversation, or when joking around with your friends.” says Mike Lavoie. This year’s Improvfest should be a good chance to see people who have honed their improv technique perform. You might just learn something. Or you might think it’s funny.
