WIT's opening weekend recap rewind review

Yeah, ya know autumn is like my favorite freaking season right? Seriously, the weather is awesome and a welcome change to how hot it was all summer here in DC. WHOOHOO! So psyched about football, Halloween, my birthday and……..(settle down)……Autumn also marks the beginning of Washington Improv Theater’s Fall Run of Shows: Up and Autumn! HAHAHA see what they did there?? Yikes…Anyways, bad puns and my over reaction to Fall aside I had two shows with Jackie last week, including one on Saturday night for the Opening Reception

I also had the chance to see Exes and Ohs, Justin Purvis and Natasha Rothwell’s awesome two person show about relationships. Not only do they both kick ass on stage, the show has a pretty cool structure that I like alot. They establish characters at the top, getting great personal suggestions from the audience about their past lovers annoying characteristics. Then both of them take on several characters at a time using those suggestions and then interact with each other in a way that naturally heightens the story. The show Thursday night had the two lovers struggling to decide whether or not to look past their obvious flaws and stay together. Justin’s “smelly” boyfriend character was especially funny. Plus, there was “face raping” and I quote Natasha on that.

Check out Exes and Ohs this Thursday and next @ Flashpoint Theater.

So anyways, Saturday night had Jackie, Caveat and One-Sixty-One performing for our “Opening Night”. Jackie’s show was a lot of funny fun funny, with my personal favorites being the thought bubbles that came from people’s heads as they got distracted in various scenes. I am digging what we are doing now with our new show. We have incorporated “Ghost Edits” where one person begins a scene having a conversation with a “ghost”. A few lines later another person comes out to take the “ghost's” place. The best of these scenes are when we surprise each other. Example being when I was starting a scene as a stoned guy in a dorm telling someone that I wasn’t going to class, Joe later entered and took the role of my father. Nothing more was needed; just the reveal that my father was in the dorm with me. Those types of surprises are great for us.

Caveat is now down to four people after the departure of Anne and Cissy, but I feel that the four guys (Justin, Dan H., Joe and Dan) are really starting to gel great together. I was talking to them about it after the show and I have to say I am a big fan of 3-4 improv groups. I believe it helps the chemistry build quicker among the cast members, but more importantly I think it engages each cast member into the show more by having them be more involved in each scene. It doesn’t give a person a chance to rest, so the energy is always up. I know some groups that try to keep a 6-8 person minimum in case of absences, but I really feel that when a group is always incorporating new people it tends to keep the core group from clicking as best they can. Get 3-4 people who really love performing with each other and you have a kick ass show. Caveat is a testament to that.

One-Sixty-One had a great show as well and it was a smaller cast situation, too. I am telling you. There is something to be said about it. A lot of the shows this run have smaller casts (Exs and Ohs, Shrimp on a Barbie, Your Phone Company, Etc.) and they are making me laugh a bunch.

Then after show we had a reception Except for the Keg Stand Gone Wrong that I, stupidly was a part of everything went smooth and it was alot of fun. I shouldn’t come within 10 feet of someone who is upside down drinking beer. Lesson learned.

So come see Jackie this Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights! And be sure to check out the other great shows that WIT is putting up this month.
http://www.washingtonimprovtheater.com