Upon entering Theatre 68 I immediately noticed how full the lobby was, with people already smiling and some laughing.
I checked my phone to make sure I hadn’t missed the show, perhaps the crowd I encountered was exiting the theatre. I was wrong, thankfully, and was quickly ushered into the theatre.
The stage was set as if I was attending someone’s birthday party or the celebration of some holiday I didn’t know existed. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had been to many an improv show, some good, some not so much. Usually, the stage is completely bare, waiting for the actors to create the scene and the atmosphere for the show. In this case, the director and creator of this ensemble and show, Lauren Patrice Nadler, greeted us all and gave us the ground rules. She sat down to one side of the stage at a table and with a small silver bell. The lights went down and once they came back up, we were on a wild and thrilling ride full of razor-sharp dialogue, insanely quick character changes, and enough laughs to fill 10 improv shows.
The cast as a whole was brilliant. Each working off of each other like a well-oiled machine. It was a long-form format, which is my particular favorite, with a few expert twists and turns that I don’t want to spoil for you. This is a show that must be seen to be experienced. The various costumes and wigs used for the performance were cleverly hidden away on both sides of the stage and after a bit, I had completely forgotten were even there. The actors seemed to disappear and reappear in different costumes and in very different characters almost instantaneously.
This show gets everything right about the world of improv.
The best part for me was the skillful way the actors played the truth of the scenes instead of always going for the joke. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of jokes, but they were brilliantly weaved in and out of the dialogue and the characters. There was one particular stand out who I believe is ready for “The Not Ready For Prime Time Players.” Micky Shiloh is The Tasmanian Devil of humor, he has a bright future ahead of him.
The show is amazing and well worth your pennies and your time.
It was sadly over before I knew it and, by the sound of the audience, we all wanted more. I will most definitely follow these MaD JaCKRaTS anytime and anywhere they perform. Do yourself a huge favor and go see this show!
The show is produced once a month at Theatre 68, check their website for exact dates and times.
http://lpnsimprov.com/index.html
Directed by: Lauren Patrice Nadler
Created by: Lauren Patrice Nadler
Produced by: Christina Orloff
Starring:
Micky Shiloah, Kuali’i Wittman, Christina Orloff, Andrew Gabriel, Rachel Thundat, Ricardo Adam Zarate