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…Because Improv is Art, Dammit. The Annual Theatre Sports Improv show is worth seeing twice.
Lights! Sound! Action! The seventh annual Theatre Sports Improv show was a hit. The multi-aged crowd assembled in anticipation. One member of the crowd held a giant sign supporting his favorite team while howling, “Whoo hoo!” It was a full-house. The energy was intense. Members of the crowd were singing along with the music before the show off-key, off-beat, and loving it.
As the twinkling lights around the gridfloor of the mock football field came on with “The Final Countdown” playing, the anticipation erupted. The crowd shouted and screamed in excitement. The host, Eric Auld, rushed to the stage, attempted to place the very large trophy on top of the sound booth, and failed, leaving it on the ground. Finally, he greeted the crowd exclaiming that it was going to be “an evening more entertaining than the Cold War itself.” After some ridiculously silly jokes, he described the show as being something like “Whose line is it anyway?” just classier. The show is set up like a competition, but the director, Ken Roberts, clarified that the competition is only used to give the audience a better show. It is not emphasized as important. However, the competition gives essential structure to the show and allows it to flow. Basically, two teams match up and play an improv game, and the winner's pick the next game. Two judges and the audience score each game on a scale from zero to seven, and then the next two teams head off. Like all sporting events, there was a referee. Mak El-Hassan, who played the Scottish referee complete with kilt, was hilarious. His job was to put a paper bag on the head of anyone who became too naughty or vulgar.
As with other teams, they showed their pride in matching uniforms. One team, named "In the Bag," showed off the power of pink with matching pink tops, while the team called the "Hungry Hungry Hippies" swayed in tie-dye t-shirts. The team called "One of These Things is Not Like the Other" attempted to intimidate in black t-shirts, while the “You Have Been Poked by an Improv Team” team completed the full house in self-designed blue t-shirts with individual Facebook-esque sayings on them. (Facebook is a social networking website popular among college students.) There were many great moments. One of the highlights included an improv game named “Director” where George Trevlakis directed three of his teammates. As the goofy and crazy director with a ridiculous sounding smarty-pants accent, he inspired one of his actors to be a squirrel filled with cream cheese and another to pretend to be a near-death Father Time, who no one likes. The actors' gestures, accents, and movements were all exaggerated to satisfy the insane directions the best they could. The audience responded in huge applause and perfect scores overall. A fake talk show discussing the events in the Disney movie “Bambi” was also a hit. An actress played Bambi and another played the hunter who killed her mother. The host asked the hunter if she felt guilty. She replied that she didn't hunt does. An actor masquerading as an audience member decided to be a member of the National Rifle Association (NRA) with a southern accent. He proceeded to raid the stage and hold up his hands behind the head of the actress playing Bambi while shouting, “Shoot! She's got antlers. Shoot!” The crowd went wild and perfect marks followed. Great character acting graced the stage as well. Priceless impressions were done by Brady Hirschhorn playing Flavor Flav and Cristina Velez playing Shakira. Whether the actors were asked by the crowd to play a toaster, a squirrel on acid or Arnold Schwarzenegger, they put their all into it.
It was clear the crowd had a fun time going hoarse with laughter and yelling out their choices for the improv game. The audience had such a good time the first night that many went the second night to make another full house. The second night ended the fun with the “You Have Been Poked by an Improv Team” team being announced as the winners of the improv championship. Their names are now adhered to the large, impressive trophy with a label. After the show, the crowd gathered and chatted in groups amongst the art pieces on the first floor of Myers loudly re-enacting what they had seen. The mood of the crowd was light. The actors and actresses received much acclaim from their friends, family, and complete strangers. There wasn't a frown to be seen. The show has been pleasing crowds for seven years. For many community members, alumni, and students it is a Plattsburgh tradition. With creative spontaneity, brave actors/actresses and wild crowd participation, who wouldn't want to enjoy two evenings of fun frivolity? Check it out yourself next year and prepare to sit back and laugh. |
The 7th Annual Theatre Sports Improv September 15-16, 2006 Hartman Theatre – Myers Fine Arts Building Director
– Ken Roberts Set – Production Labs and Ben Wright Sound – Ken Roberts Stage Manager – Carrie Chapman Runners/Scorekeepers – Chris Klein and Bridget Dunigan The Teams In the Bag J. Lodgic, Nikki Plyem, Jen Melnick, Katie Marcinko, Tony Gallucci, and Sabattis Twichell Hungry Hungry Hippies Brady Hirschhorn, Robby Venne, Sarah Wall, Chris Ryder, Ian Carney, and Leanne Wilensky One of These Things Is Not Like The Other Tyler Nye, Whitney Robarge, George Trevlakis, Lanie Ryan, Kallie Torrance, and Cristina Velez The “You Have Been Poked By An Improv Team” Team Hannah Cronin, Marisa Gore, Morgan Avenia, Megan MacDonald, Anya Maillaro, and Jimmy O'Neill *This program is sponsored in part by the Student Association through the Campus Arts Council and Theatre Department.
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