 DN Photo/DANIEL JOHNSON |
Absolunacy and National Lampoon will break out the insanity when they present the Fifth Annual Bestival Midwestival Improvisational Comedy Festival at Pruis Hall, starting at 8 p.m. Saturday.
The Festival will feature the improvisational groups Condiments Upon Request from Indiana University, Randomonium from Anderson University, Trespassers Only from Cincinnati, along with Reflex and Absolunacy from Ball State.
|
Each of the improv troupes will attend a workshop before the Saturday night show, taught by Dan Marrero, an Absolunacy alumnus. Marrero graduated from the Second City Conservatory, a theatrical program with such famous alumni as John Belushi and Bill Murray.
Absolunacy is composed of 12 members who present sketches and games similar to those seen on the television show "Whose Line is it Anyway?"
"It's kind of along those lines, but I'd like to think we get a little bit deeper into it than that," explained Wes Haney.
"I think that 'Whose Line' is really confined by the fact that they are a 30-minute TV show as opposed to a fluid performance," Ryan Gilmour said. "There's really a lot of artwork that goes into improv that the confines of TV don't really allow."
Absolunacy is in its 11th year as a troupe.
|
"It started out as a sketch comedy group. The dynamics of the troupe have changed. I really think this is the tightest that its been," said Gina Nicewonger, a third-year member.
Absolunacy members do not pre-plan any of their games, but instead practice them to work on their improvisation skills.
"In practice we'll do a lot of scenes and stuff and games, and after each game we critique each other," said Haney.
"We usually rehearse about two times a week, but during the week of a performance it's usually four or five," said Nicewonger. "We run the games that we know we are going to play."
|
"We're doing a new thing this year, the 'happy fun ball of improv,'" Nicewonger said. "We are having the audience pick who is in which games this year, because this year we are really confident that we can all play all the games. It's more exciting for us to not know which games we are going to play."
"It's a couple of hours of good, almost clean fun."
Members of Absolunacy will be promoting the show and selling tickets Friday at the Scramble Light from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
