Recognizing Improv Comedy as an Art Form

By Jeff Gudzune

Jeff writes book reviews for a variety of publishers and is active in community theater. Since 2013, Jeff has owned and operated Matrix Notary Service.

In the pantheon of theater, improv is one of the most difficult arts to master. It is not for the timid. There is no script, no set, and no director. It’s a series of extemporaneous actions; a symbiosis that requires familiarity and trust. There must be a bond among the performers for it to work. 

Fearless Improv serves as an exemplar of that bond. A frequent sight onstage as City Theater Company's traveling comedy team, this troupe has mastered the art — weaving hilarious concepts from the ether. Moreover, they have been so gracious as to share their talents with curious laymen such as myself.

Learning lines and blocking can be difficult even under the controlled circumstances of a scripted play or musical. To create a character, dialogue, and blocking based on a simple premise and then launch into a performance is deer-in-headlights terrifying! The talented array of performers at Fearless do this weekly. 

Featuring an ever-growing cast, Fearless has been a staple at CTC for almost 10 years. I recently had the opportunity to take the Intro to Improv workshop taught by Jason Langin. In just two hours, the participants went from a collection of 15 strangers too timid to give more than their names to a fully interactive group, feeding off one another’s creativity in a series of short skits and exercises. It was terrifying and exhilarating!

Fearless Improv provides an off-the-cuff and truly wondrous experience. Improv starts with a premise, a suggestion from the audience. From this premise, the performers springboard into a full-fledged comedic performance. Fearless recently added a musical component to their shows with Drew Waldron improvising musical interludes and songs as part of the show. Sadly, Drew is leaving for new opportunities at the conclusion of the season. His contributions will be missed.

Fearless Improv brings something new every time. While there is a format to the show, anything can happen. The reality of improv is to expect the unexpected. It takes talent to instantly come up with dialogue and run with it, and it takes keen observation to see where the scene is going. It’s obvious that members of this group trust one another and have developed a strong working relationship.

Fearless Improv offers regular live performances, September through May, at CTC's home at The Delaware Contemporary, as well as quarterly "18 and over" shows at Wilmington Brew Works. They also offer regular improv classes for adults, a summer youth improv camp, and professional development workshops for corporate and business groups. 

To learn more, visit city-theater.org/fearless.

Two Organizations to Call The Grand Home This Season

This post content courtesy of a press release from The Grand Opera House...

 In front of The Grand. Pictured clockwise, top left:
Melissa Bernard, actor & Fearless Improv member;
Grace Tarves, actor; Jana Savini, Fearless Improv Director;
Kerry Kristine McElrone, CTC Interim Artistic Director;
Joe Trainor, CTC Music Director. Photo by Joe del Tufo.

Mark Fields, Executive Director of The Grand, is pleased to announce the addition of two new resident companies to The Grand’s roster of artistic partners in the building. Effective immediately, City Theater Company (CTC) and The Rock Orchestra (TRO) will perform their mainstage seasons at The Grand at 818 North Market Street.

“The non-profit Grand Opera House is a shared asset that we manage on behalf of the residents and citizens that we serve,” says Fields. “Having The Grand now be the artistic home for these organizations gives us the opportunity to more fully connect to the community and share the joy of the performing arts with more members of that community.”

"The Grand Opera House has been the heart of the performing arts scene in Wilmington for as long as I can remember," says The Rock Orchestra co-founder, Matt Urban, "Having TRO present our shows in partnership with this treasured community organization is an incredible opportunity." Co-founder Joe Trainor concurs, "Not only is it an honor to perform in these spaces, but it allows us the flexibility to develop our productions into 'must-see' events and make them available to a wider audience."

"As we head into our 25th year of programming, and my first as Interim Artistic Director, I am excited for the possibilities ahead for City Theater Company as we move to a resident space within The Grand,” says Kerry Kristine McElrone, CTC’s Interim Artistic Director. “The Grand is a community built on relationships, and I'm thrilled to be renewing ours so that our patrons can continue to remain an integral part of the art we do. Our brand of up-close-and-personal theater will be well-served in Studio One, where we can create worlds that immerse our audiences in the emotion and the action right alongside our actors.”

Resident companies are local or regional performing arts groups that make The Grand their primary artistic home, sharing their art on The Grand’s stages and collaborating on marketing initiatives and other projects. City Theater Company and The Rock Orchestra join the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, First State Ballet Theatre, and Opera Delaware are all resident companies of The Grand.

“The Grand is all about partnerships,” says Fields. “We partner intensely throughout each season with numerous arts organizations, individual artists, and other types of business to advance our own mission and benefit the entire community. Our resident companies are even more in-depth partners since we share these stages and this wonderful building.”

Patrons can purchase tickets to upcoming performances of The Rock Orchestra, City Theater Company, First State Ballet Theatre and The Grand’s own music, variety, comedy and Broadway seasons:

Online at TheGrandWilmington.org • 302.652.5577 • 818 North Market Street, Wilmington.