Tuesday, April 19, 2016

"Show X" at HUGE Theater

I experienced my first night of improv comedy last night, not including a Fringe show here or there. My friend and blogger colleague Kendra of Artfully Engaging arranged a blogger night at HUGE Theater, and a great time was had by all! "All" includes myself and Kendra, our fellow Twin Cities Theater Bloggers Laura from One Girl, Two Cities and Gina from The Room Where It Happens, and the entire Monday night audience, judging by the sounds of laughter in the room for the 90 minute two-act show. I enjoyed it even more than I expected to, and was truly impressed at the talent required for this very specific type of theater.

Every Monday night Show X performs at HUGE
Theater, which includes "Minneapolis' finest and most experienced improvisers." A few of the performers looked familiar to me, likely from Fringe (where I typically experience non-traditional theater) or Brave New Workshop. There were about a dozen performers on HUGE's tiny stage, with nothing but two chairs for props. Based on a one-word suggestion from the audience, they created a hilarious series of sketches, some of which tied together to tell a story, some of which were wonderfully random. The first act saw the appearance of Maya Angelou's ghost, the second act an awkward 12-year-old boy's birthday party and a way too attentive movie theater staff. It's incredible how these artists create a world out of nothing, with such comfort and ease and confidence, especially considering they have no script to fall back on. And such bizarrely funny worlds too! Show X improvisers are quick on their feet, clever, and hilarious.

The moral of the story is - go out and see some improv, or some kind of theater or performance you don't usually see. It's a delight to experience and enjoy artistic talent of all kinds, and the Twin Cities is a great place to live for just that sort of thing!