feeds Local Feature
|
Spotlight Newspapers The Spotlight Newspapers comprise the quality weekly newspapers for the suburban communities in the Capital District. Learn More |
Local Feature  Posted on: 04/09/08 Written by: , email: Hands-on Comedy In the early 1990s, Michael Burns decided to start a local improv comedy group. There was only one problem: Improv hadn’t quite caught on in the Capital District. “There was no one with improv experience here,” Burns said. A decade and a half later, that’s changed. Improv has enjoyed a nationwide surge, and Burns’ troupe, the Mop and Bucket Co., is a frequent local performer. It just wrapped up eight well-received shows at Proctors in Schenectady. Next up are two performances in Saratoga: “An Evening with the Mop and Bucket Co.” on Saturday, April 12, and “Theatresports” on Saturday, April 26. Burns said the first show is typical of what most improv companies do. The audience supplies story and scene ideas that the company then uses to create comedy skits. There’s even a “musical about you” segment using details gleaned from an interview with someone in the crowd. “Theatresports” puts a bit of a twist on things. Again, the audience provides suggestions for material, but this time the company is split into teams. The performers create stories, games and songs, which are scored by three Olympic-style judges, with one team emerging as the winner. “It’s improv as a competitive sport,” said Kat Koppett, the Mop and Bucket Co.’s co-director. Koppett is well-versed in “Theatresports,” having performed with Theatresports companies in New York City and San Francisco. All together, she has more than 20 years of experience in improv. Burns’ improv history includes a stint in New York City, too. There, he and David Shepherd developed the Compass Institution, an improv troupe that toured senior centers and hospitals. Burns and Koppett said the way the audience gets involved with improv sets it apart from traditional theater or comedy shows. “Audience participation is putting it mildly,” Burns said. “It’s a very user-friendly type of theater experience. It really is a collaborative experience.” After all, he noted, the audience not only provides the company with ticket revenue, it essentially provides it with all of its material for the night. “We really embrace our audience,” he said. In turn, the Mop and Bucket Co. has been embraced by the local community. The crowds at the eight Proctors shows were so diverse, Burns said, that he couldn’t nail down the company’s demographic. There were older couples, young professionals, and families with children. “The trend is intelligent people who like to have a good time,” he said. “It’s smart entertainment.” About one-third to one-half of the group’s eight or so members had experience with improv before joining the Mop and Bucket Co. “We’re eclectic,” Koppett said. “We have a lot of different backgrounds. Some have theater backgrounds, some don’t.” One thing the members do have in common is an “innate talent” for improv. “We have this sort of charmed group,” Koppett said. “Everyone has a great stage presence.” Exercises designed for “creative muscles” help the members stay sharp for the constant thinking on their feet that improv requires, she added. Burns said the company’s long-term goal is to find a venue where it can perform on a continual basis -- a sort of home base where people know they can go to watch the Mop and Bucket Co. Proctors will provide something along those lines when it brings the company back for 18 shows next spring, and Burns is hoping to also find a niche in Saratoga. “We have been very successful at First Night,” he said, referring to Saratoga’s annual New Year’s Eve festival. “It’s a really friendly town for us.” As such, the company has been looking for a space in the city to rent to stage a few shows. It settled on the Epiphany Theater for its upcoming performances. Both shows start at 8 p.m., with tickets priced at $12.50 for seniors and adults and $15 for everyone else. “This is really an experiment,” Burns said. “We’ve been kind of searching for a venue that would work for us.” Those who can’t make it to either of the Saratoga performances can check out the Mop and Bucket Co. on Saturday, May 3, when it performs a benefit for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at the Linda, WAMC’s performing arts center, on Central Avenue in Albany. Ticket information for all performances can be found on www.mopco.org.You can contact with any questions. Also, feel free to post comments below. Comments powered by Disqus |
Classifieds The Spotlight Newspapers classifieds has everything you need. General Auto Employment Real Estate Services Childcare Yard and Garage Sales  Entertainment Looking for something?
|
