Great topic. I'd be curious to know how The Big Team, Convoy, and The Smokes were formed and how they worked their way up to the spots they have. I think your point is generally a good one but can have different context for indie teams, especially in places like Chicago/NYC/LA. Good improv is enough if you were put together by one of the main hubs and/or earned a primetime weekend slot. But for an indie team trying to build an audience on a Wednesday at a lesser known venue, it's much more challenging to advertise 'good improv' and have that be enough.
I would love to do this, but sadly here in Australia and on the Fringe festival circuit it’s the hook that sells not the improv. Hopefully we’ll grow beyond this one day.
There's a dozen living room sets across the hundreds of shows I've seen that I don't remember but I remember every Tucci set. There's a tendency in improvisers to lean away from theatre and to "take cues" from stand up when it's far more theatrical than stand up. Maybe a lot of improvisers initially wanted to be stand up comedians. I'll make it out for my friends but I know for a lot of them the show is their reps and the other audience members are performers of other teams, performing their reps. It's not really about the audience. I'd like to see a little more effort in the packaging of these teams. Doesn't have to be a gimmick necessarily but give me a theme at the very least, perhaps a certain costume. "Never seen before and won't ever be seen again" is how a lot of improv is introduced. Might as well lean into that.
100% agree, as someone who is a part of a very successful gimmick based show. I think one large problem is theaters like UCB seem to only give new/up and coming improvisers a chance if they have a gimmick. I yearn for when we can go back to seeing the gimmick be the improv.
Great topic. I'd be curious to know how The Big Team, Convoy, and The Smokes were formed and how they worked their way up to the spots they have. I think your point is generally a good one but can have different context for indie teams, especially in places like Chicago/NYC/LA. Good improv is enough if you were put together by one of the main hubs and/or earned a primetime weekend slot. But for an indie team trying to build an audience on a Wednesday at a lesser known venue, it's much more challenging to advertise 'good improv' and have that be enough.
I would love to do this, but sadly here in Australia and on the Fringe festival circuit it’s the hook that sells not the improv. Hopefully we’ll grow beyond this one day.
If you make this happen next you need to get rid of suggestions!
this is going to be my next essay! then finally: no more yes-and! get right to the blackout!
There's a dozen living room sets across the hundreds of shows I've seen that I don't remember but I remember every Tucci set. There's a tendency in improvisers to lean away from theatre and to "take cues" from stand up when it's far more theatrical than stand up. Maybe a lot of improvisers initially wanted to be stand up comedians. I'll make it out for my friends but I know for a lot of them the show is their reps and the other audience members are performers of other teams, performing their reps. It's not really about the audience. I'd like to see a little more effort in the packaging of these teams. Doesn't have to be a gimmick necessarily but give me a theme at the very least, perhaps a certain costume. "Never seen before and won't ever be seen again" is how a lot of improv is introduced. Might as well lean into that.
That DC show was so damn good. It really did work!
Long form, as taught to us by Del Close, began with an audience member answering one simple question, “Why can’t I …?”
100% agree, as someone who is a part of a very successful gimmick based show. I think one large problem is theaters like UCB seem to only give new/up and coming improvisers a chance if they have a gimmick. I yearn for when we can go back to seeing the gimmick be the improv.