A History: Exit 16

As told by Trish Berrong. This will all make sense by the end of the week, just enjoy the history for now loyal reader.

Rich Brown, theater teacher, started Libery High School's Exit 16 (pronounced one-six, not sixteen) in the fall of '97 to join the now-defunct Kansas City High School Improv League (which, not at all coincidentally, was run by current coach Trish Berrong).

Rich was a big believer in improv as a tool for "traditional" theater--but also as an art form on its own. He wanted to offer performance options for students who weren't interested in scripted theater.
The first group featured Cassie Ash, Mike Blodgett, Garrett Brown, Al Bush, Dara Knealey, Brandon Morgan, Steve Parrish, Channing Johnson and Tommy Todd. They played students from Winnetonka, Oak Park, Center, Shawnee Mission North and Hickman Mills, ultimately winning the KC High School Improv League Championship in the spring of 1998. (They also won the League Spirit Award.)

Exit 16 also began performing for standing-room-only crowds at the high school. The group's entire budget comes from ticket sales; profits have always gone back to the troupe for more training.

In 1999, Exit 16 started making annual trips to Chicago. They've studied with ImprovOlympic's Charna Halpern, Miles Stroth and Christina Gausas; Annoyance Productions' Mick Napier, Joe Bill, Susan Messing and Mark Sutton; Improv Inferno's Dan Izzo; Second City/IO's TJJagodowski; and Tim Mason, a former KC resident and member of the Second City E.T.C. Stage.

Exit 16's annual reunion show, held in December when recent alums are home from college, expanded last year to two shows and, for the first time, featured a second half directed by alum Tommy Todd.

EXIT 16 TRIVIA:
The logo was designed by BJ Snowpeck, and made its first appearance on T-shirts Rich presented to the group to wear in the Kansas City High School Improv League championship.

Below: A photo album of the performers and alum of Exit 16.

A History: Lighten Up

The history of Lighten up told by Trish Berrong.


I started as a performer at ComedySportz in 1990. I'd been playing about 5 months when Marc Garlett joined. We dated for a while, and both worked in the office at CSz--I took charge of PR efforts, with Clancy's permission, and Mark re-started high school leagues (where we met Dan Walsh and Tim Mason) and taught workshops.

Sometime that fall, Marc pissed off Clancy and got fired. I stuck around till the ComedySportz Invitational Tournament, then left as well. We considered moving to another city and trying to get a CSz license, but Chudnow was loyal to Clancy, and said he wouldn't intentionally start a new league with someone in a feud with an existing owner.

So we started Lighten Up, performing an improv game show with sketch commercials and news breaks (Play It By Ear) upstairs at Harry Starker's on the Plaza. Our auditions were in February '92; our first show was Friday, March 13. We had a mostly-new troupe to train in a month--we were lucky to have a couple of former CSz players with us, as well (including Doug McCann, Ria Stafre and Marc's brother Kyle).

We got kicked out of Starker's (audiences were too loud, apparently), so we created a non-formated show (sketch and improv) called Outside the Lines and moved to the Fine Arts.

We left the Fine Arts for a short run at Orlando's in the River Market. In an attempt to make money, they'd brought exotic dancers to the restaurant and caused a huge uproar; one of our members had a connection there and brought us in to take the heat off by doing family shows. We held a press conference, put in Play It By Ear and Outside the Lines (now sketch-free), and lasted exactly one weekend. Even then, we had to ask the bartender not to dress like a ho.

So. I wanted to rent a theater just for shows...Marc wanted to rent our own space. Our first theater was the current location of the Persona Day Spa at 74th and Wornall. We ripped up carpet, broke up tiles, built walls, installed bathrooms, put in air conditioning, covered thrift-store sofas with badly dyed sheets because we couldn't afford tables and chairs...all on my Hallmark salary, some credit cards and a couple of personal loans Marc and I took. We ran into codes issues, parking lot problems...I think we performed there for about 5-6 months before our landlords asked us to leave for making noise (a group that rented our space during the day put their speakers right up against the wall and blasted out the business next door). By then, we were happy to go.

We moved to a space right next door to the old ComedySportz stage at 323 West 8th Street and were there from...oh, 94-97 or 8 or so. While there, we:
--Performed Play It By Ear and Outside the Lines weekly.
--Started Spontaneous Combustion: The US Improv Festival.
--Taught Flying Leap improv workshops.
--Got a license to do Theatresports, which we used to create an "anybody can play" competitive league (where we met Jared & Ed and the rest of the Trip Fives).
--Started the KC High School Theatresports League.
--Brought in out-of-town directors like Joe Bill and Rob Reese.
--Directed some short-run shows with other local improvisers.
--Rented space to Caught in the Act, Renegade Theatre (from Lawrence), Out on a Limb, and whatever the name of Matt Rapport's group was (actually, I think that was in the Wornall space).
--Let Marc's girlfriend direct a REALLY awful Halloween show called "Blood Clot Bingo," in which they threw a ramen-noodle-gelatin-kidney-bean mixture at the audience, and it later turned to cement. (I was thankful to have talked Marc out of his original idea: using animal parts from a butcher.)

Lighten Up came to an end when Marc and I decided to part ways. The company had taken on some debt as a result of paying directors for improv festivals and getting the space up to code for an unprofitable coffee shop. We were starting to dig our way out, as a result of growing crowds for our game shows, regular sell-outs for the improvised musical in Outside the Lines, and a hugely successful high school program (which made money for us AND the school theater departments).

Over the years, Marc and I realized we had very different philosophies about the way the business should be run, and they came to a head over the debt issues. We decided to split. I left, as did the cast. He kept the theater, which closed within weeks.

It was kind of a sucky way for things to end...but man, it was fun while it lasted.

Who is Trish Berrong?

Only the person who organizes the Kansas City Improv Festival, Teaches the longest running High School Improv Troupe Exit 16, and performs in numerous groups around town. On top of that, her improv teaching, training, and performing resume is sure to make anyone else salivate with jealousy. The only way to describe her is to say that she is the Indian Chief to the improv tribe here in Kansas City. She has had a hand in training at least one member from every group in town. She is Kansas City Improv. This week, we will be focusing on her history with Improv in Kansas City. Let's face it, if it wasn't for her, we wouldn't even be here today.


Teaser, Trish started doing Improv at Comedy City, but no need to put a date here as to when...Soon after, she started her own Improv group/theater/company. More to come tomorrow.

Improv Blogger Topic for April

"What makes a good improv troupe?" was the topic this month.

Overall consensus: Be a nice person and know your basic improv $#!%.

Scroll through some of the improv bloggers on the right to find out what they think makes a good Kansas City improv troupe.

Want to learn more about Kansas City Improv? Visit the links below:



Myspace
Facebook
City3.org

Joint Shows Are The Future

2 years ago, there was one improv theater and a handful of groups performing at least once a month. Today there are two improv theaters and a dozen groups performing at least once a month. Of course, this prompted Improv Thunderdome, but something else has bubbled up.

In Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, there are improv theaters that have training centers. Within those training centers are hundreds of students forming teams. They have to have 3-4 teams perform each night so that everyone gets equal stage time.

Here in Kansas City, we don't have a training center, but each group is understanding, that in order to build up a decent audience to perform to, you should play together. Improv Thunderdome uses this theory as well. The three teams performing bring their audience, resulting in sold out shows.

This weekend, two fantastic teams are sharing the stage in what should be a fantastic improv show.

The Trip Fives & Babel Fish
April 26th, 8pm
Westport Coffeehouse Theater

Babel Fish is one of Kansas City's newest improv comedy troupes, impressing everyone that attended round two of Improv Thunderdome last February. They will present the first 30 minutes with the best short-form improv in Kansas City.

Then the two troupes will combine their powers and together perform a variation of monologues and scenes.

In the second half, The Trip Fives (Named Kansas City's "Best Improv Group" in 2006 by the Pitch) will perform a piece surrounding one single character created by the audience.

Those People

A new improv group out of Lawrence, made up of mostly Kansas University students, are putting up a show at The Granada. Some of the students have ties to some well known Kansas City improv groups as well.

The fun starts at 9 pm, Thursday April 24th at The Granada. Tickets are only $2!

Featuring:
Doug Altman
Shawn Bowers
Ryan Klamen
Spencer Lott
Tosin Morohunfola
Alex Nichols
Director: Jeff List

Video: Improv-Abilities

Inspired by Improv Everywhere, Improv-Abilities has dabbled in some Guerrilla Improv in areas of Kansas City, and for the heck of it, recorded them. Soon after there first two successful missions, KCWE asked if they could film some of the missions and use them as commercial spots. Here is a brief recap of what they have done:













For more pictures and information about Improv-Abilities Guerrilla Improv Missions go to kcimprov.com.

A History: Makeshift Militia

Makeshift Militia banded together in March of 2007. It was a brainchild of UMKC students Magie Hogan and James Nelson, who wanted a tight-knit experimental group after seeing inspirational performances from The Trip Fives and CounterClockwiseComedy at the Kansas City Improv Festival. They recruited two fellow actors in their theater program, Ryan Meharry and Grant Prewitt.

The quartet played their first public show on the UMKC campus on May 6, then played several more shows throughout the summer and fall, at venues such as the Westport Coffee House and Roving Imp Theatre. The latter, a young theatre run by John Robison, was extremely supportive to Makeshift, offering them free rent and a very generous profit split. As thanks to John, the group asked him to perform with them as a special guest during a show.

In November of 2007, MFA acting student Anthony Merchant joined the lineup, and Makeshift Militia was scheduled to appear in Improv Thunderdome. They slowed down the number of performances, and through the winter played only about once a month.

In early 2008, they made efforts to expand the team's success, including taking on new members Will Fritz and Carey MacLaren, doubling their weekly rehearsals, booking lots of on-campus shows, and continuing to develop their unique style. In March, they won the first round of Improv Thunderdome, putting them into the championship round, in which they placed second.

The future looks good for the group as they continue to play in many shows every month. They are slated to appear at the Kansas City Fringe Festival and Improv Thunderdome: Season Two.

Festival Fundraiser #1: Kickball

DON’T MISS The First Annual KC Improv Kickball Extravaganza

(And win a prize for giving it a better name.)

It's way more fun than it was in elementary school. Here's what you do:
1. Get a team together. (Minimum 8 people.)
2. Give yourselves a cool name.
3. We'll draw match-ups and play Sunday, May 18, from 1-4pm at Gillham Park.
4. And (because we're not in elementary school anymore), there will be a post-game keg party.

$10 per person gets you:
• A spot on a team!
• An invite to the party!
• A chance to win prizes for stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with athletic ability!

Families, friends, coworkers and groupies welcome. Must be 18 years old to play—21 to come to the party.

To register, send your name and roster to aron@kcimprov.com by May 10. (But don’t wait—there’s only room for 12 teams.)

All profits from the Kickball Whatever-We-Call-It and workshops will benefit 8: The KC Improv Festival. It'll play for stuff like marketing, flying in guest artists and such.

And coming in June: Improv workshops with KC’s best teachers

Presented by Improv-Abilities. Visit kcimprov.com/kcif.

Blog Roll Call

Lots of improvisers in Kansas City have blogs and love to discuss the art of improv and how it impacts there lives. (Or runs it...) Here are a few of the interesting blog posts this week:

Trish Berrong talks about how to get a press release to capture some one's attention.
John Robison has been recapping his trip to Chicago and how that is inspiring him as an owner of Roving Imp Theater.
Pete Calderone is going to Quad Cities to participate in Gilda's Club for the sixth or seventh year in a row.

Every month the Kansas City Improv Bloggers discuss a mutual topic. Last month they all discussed the best and worst things about improv in Kansas City. The topics are voted upon at City3.org. If you have an improv blog and live in the Kansas City area, then vote and join in on the discussion. The April blog topic is being voted on and will be posted around April 27th.

Spotlight: The growth of improv in Kansas City

The University of Missouri-Kansas City saw the birth of their first improv group Makeshift Militia last summer. Now, there at least 3 groups forming at the University, which is great for the community here in Kansas City. They are requesting coaches, seeing shows, and starting to put on some great shows themselves. In fact, they are all performing this weekend. More information below:

When: This Friday, April 18th, at 8:00 pm (doors open at 7:30).

Where: UMKC Campus, Grant Hall Room 306 (third floor)

What:

Come see a showcase of UMKC improv featuring the Makeshift Militia and, more excitingly, debuting two new teams to the Kansas City improv scene! There will be short form, long form, sketch, and a lot of awesomeness! The three different teams will each perform for 25 minutes in the show format introduced by Thunderdome.

If you want to see what the future of college improv is in our city, come check these teams out at the beginning of their careers!

***The show is free***

Kansas City Native: Jason Sudeikis

That's right, Saturday Night Live star Jason Sudeikis grew up and got his first taste of improv here in Kansas City. He did an interview with the apiary and talked about his time here, his move to Chicago, his audition for SNL, and his hiring.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

You can also listen to an interview podcast hosted by Second City's Musical Director Ruby Streak featuring Jason.

Podcast

Jason worked at Comedy Sportz which is now Comedy City and will be headlining Kansas City Improv Festival 8 with his old Kansas City sketch comedy team, Der Monkenpickle, seen below.

Improv Thunderdome Season 2 Teams Announced

You heard it here second. Announcing the participants in Season 2: Beyond Thunderdome

Thunderdome pits nine teams of local improvisers against each other in a four month battle. Each team will get 30 minutes to prove their worthiness. Audiences will decide each month which team shall move on to the championship match in September. There is currently nothing else like this being done in Kansas City.

Saturday, June 28th
BABEL FISH - (Joe Henley & Nathan Stewart)
THE MAKESHIFT MILITIA - (Will Fritz, Magie Hogan, Ryan Meharry, Anthony, Merchant, James Nelson & Grant Prewitt)
SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES - (Allie Brown, Chris Fuston, Kristie Kirk, Laura Irwin, Amy McGiffin, Matt Messina, Elizabeth Standler, Aron Wallis & Tim White)

Saturday, July 26th
COUNTERCLOCKWISE COMEDY - (Erik Johnson, Ashley Kirk, Wade Meredith & Bess Wallerstein)
SCRIPTEASE - (Rene Boudreaux, Andrew Brant, Drew Davidson, Clayton Ingram & Tommy Todd)
The UNNAMED Aaron Bagby, Caroline Donnelly, Clay Morgan & Katie Watts Project

Saturday, August 30th
BURNIN' STERNUMS - (Trish Berrong, Pete Calderone, Keith Curtis, Rob Grabowski & Nick Rigoli)
FLUFFER NUTTER - (Niffer Honeycutt & Jessica Robins)
The UNNAMED Tim Marks, John Robison & Ryan Seymour Project

Saturday, September 27th
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

All shows are at the Westport Coffeehouse Theater and start at 9:00pm
-June/July/August tickets are $8.00
-September Championship tickets are $10.00

***Reservations for the first 3 rounds will be available June 2nd.***
***Reservations for the championship will be available September 18th.***

For more information visit:
city3.org
improv thunderdome on myspace
improv thunderdome on facebook

Roving Imp Workshops

Tell your friends!

Here's the chance for anyone age 18 and up to learn how improv works, sculpted precisely for your own level of expertise, from basic to advanced. You can get past fears of speaking in front of an audience, learn how to work better in teams, and learn quick "on your feet" thinking.

This class uses a combination of workshops and performances, so you not only learn techniques, but also get a chance to use them. You'll take classes one month at a time, so you're not locked into anything long-term.

Classes take place once or twice per week, for a total of three hours. You'll learn all the skills necessary to be a better improv actor, skills which are easily transferable to your professional life as well as to musicals and plays.

Performances will take place once per month (but not before you're ready!).

Tuition for these adult improv classes is normally $100 per month, but you get a reduction in tuition for each person you bring to your monthly show. Depending on class enrollment, you could qualify for free tuition by bringing as few as six people to see you show off your new skills!

Spring Session One starts the week of April 27.

Spring Session Two starts the week of May 19.

Classes and workshops happen at the Roving Imp Theater in Bonner Springs, the home of big comedy in a small town.

Still need convincing? Students in the improv classes get free admission to Saturday Roving Imp shows!

Classes are scheduled when people are available. If you're interested, you send a list of times when you might be available to take a class, and they schedule the classes based on the free times of the majority of schedules.

Still have more questions? Ready to sign up? Feel free to e-mail classes@rovingimp.com

Improv Thunderdome

Kansas City's first Improv Thunderdome is the best thing to happen to Kansas City Improv since the return of the festival last year. Every show sold out and the Championship round did not disappoint this weekend.


Loaded Dice came out on top as Season 1 Champions. Seen above is Charles Belle, Clay Morgan, Patrick Lindhorst, and Rob Grabowski.


Not since the festival last year has something improv related garnered so much media attention here in Kansas City. Things are looking good for the future of Improv Thunderdome. The dates have been set for season 2 for those of you who missed the inaugural season.

Improv Thunderdome Season 2: Beyond Thunderdome

Mark your calendars now!

Saturday June 28th
Saturday July 26th
Saturday August 30th
Championship Round Saturday September 27th

Teams to be announced very soon!

Kansas City Improv in the press

Today is a good day in Kansas City for improv. There are a record amount of groups and shows mentioned throughout the press here in Kansas City.

CounterClockwiseComedy in Ink
CounterClockwiseComedy in the Kansas City Star
Improv Thunderdome in the Pitch
Improv Thunderdome and Full Frontal Comedy in the Kansas City Star


Question of the day: Is any press good press?

Extra, Extra, Read All About It

Announcing the dates and groups for the eighth annual Kansas City Improv Festival.

National weekend:

Shows Friday and Saturday, Sept. 5-6 (All shows at Union Station's City Stage)
Workshops Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 6-7 (Instructors and venue to be announced soon)

Featuring...
—Der Monkenpickel, with SNL's Jason Sudekis, Jeremy Carter, Ed Goodman, Corey Rittmaster, and Eric Davis.
—Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show, with 30 Rock writer Kay Cannon, Jeff Drake, Tim and Erin Mason, Wendy Molyneux and Dan Walsh.
—AND Jill Bernard's DRUM MACHINE.


Local weekend:
Shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12-14 (All shows at Union Station's City Stage)
Performing troupes to be announced.

**8: KCiF is an invitational; no applications are being accepted for performers or workshops at this time. But if you're a professional troupe in Kansas City and you think that we might not know about you, please e-mail us.

For more information visit city3.org
Facebook 8:KCiF

A History: Improv Thunderdome

Back in January a couple of Kansas City improv veterans Ed Doris and Jared Brustad (From The Trip Fives) started an improv competition called: Improv Thunderdome. Each show has sold out and the championship match is this Saturday. (It sold out 2 days after the final match) Neither one of them could have predicted the success of the show and neither could we. But, it has been a success, and it will continue to be a success. (They are planning a season 2 starting in June!)

We here at Kansas City Improv wanted to know the history of Improv Thunderdome and here it is:

It all started in late 2007. Jared and Ed came up with the idea of an improvised competition and started doing some research online. They stumbled across something they really liked in Philadelphia called Troika. Where each weekend 3 teams go up against each other, each performing for 30 minutes, and at the end, the audience votes for their favorite to move on to the next round.

At first they wanted to place every Kansas City improviser in a hat and do a random drawing for teams, but there wasn't enough interest in that. So, they just had everyone create their own team. 9 teams later, they had their tournament. It was that simple. Many questions remain, will they expand? Will it ever be random? Who cares, at least the audiences are responding and the groups are putting on great shows. Most importantly, it is expanding the improv community here in Kansas City and introducing a lot of players to one another. Hooray improv! Below are pictures of each rounds winning team.

Loaded Dice

Scriptease

Makeshift Militia

Stay tuned for updates on season 2, they plan on announcing the dates and teams Saturday.

Kansas City has the word "Kansas" in it

Congratulations "Kansas" Jayhawks!

A Peek at the Week

Every Monday we will sneak a peek into the week of improv in Kansas City. Please click on the group or theater link for ticket information and location. If you have any group or theater information that we have missed, please email kansascityimprov@gmail.com Thanks.

Comedy City:

Short Form Improv
Friday: 7:30pm
Saturday: 5 & 7:30pm

CounterClockwiseComedy:

Friday and Saturday join CCC for a special screening of the movie "Hackers" with CCC in the front row armed with mics and cracking jokes. For more info go HERE and click on the movie poster.

Full Frontal Comedy:

"Funnier than a speeding bullet"
Friday and Saturday at 8pm

The show will feature short form improv in the first half. The second half of the show will feature
the long form Superhero. Two lucky audience members will see parts of their lives turned into a superhero/supervillain story right on the spot!

Improv-Abilities:

Short Form Improv at Famous Johnny's
Wednesday 8pm

Roving Imp:

Saturday
7pm: High School Showdown Round Five
9pm: Game Show: Deal or No Deal

Come for our first show to see the students of Mill Valley and Piper High Schools continue their year-long improv rivalry, as both teams face off for the semifinals. One lucky improviser will walk away with a scholarship!

Stay for the second show and play network television's sensational game show, "Deal or No Deal?" Participate as a contestant to win fabulous prizes, or slip into something slinky, and be one of our models. Either way, you're in for a whole evening of fun.

Improv Thunderdome: Sorry...this event is sold out.

Saturday: 9 - 10:45pm

LOADED DICE -(Charley Belle, Rob Grabowski, Patrick Lindhorst & Clay Morgan)
Loaded Dice is a four man improv troupe wrought forth from the world class improvisation stylings of Comedy City. The bad boys of KC Improv bring the rapid fire quick wit that practicing short form cultivates to their new long form show. Prepare to be dazzled, amazed and titillated.
vs.
SCRIPTEASE - (Rene Boudreaux, Drew Davidson & Clayton Ingram)
Fast-paced scenes. Quick-change characters. Rene, Drew and Clay started improvising early and they've studied with the best from Chicago and beyond. The men of Scriptease have got the funny...and they know how to use it.
vs.
MAKESHIFT MILITIA - (Magie Hogan, James Nelson, Grant Prewitt & Ryan Meharry)
A refreshing break from the improv mainstream, this outrageous and irreverent quartet will deliver their trademark experimental long-form and a painfully hilarious and unforgettable performance. The Makeshift Militia is ready to stand up against the best Kansas City has to offer!

Happy Birthday: Roving Imp

Roving Imp is a theater in Bonner Springs, Kansas. It was started by John Robison on April 7th, 2007. This Saturday there is a One-Year Anniversary Spectacular Gala Event. Join the Imps for the celebration of their first year in comedy as they parody the entire Star Wars universe through a series of short and long-form improv games.

Featuring some of your favorite players from the past year of fun at the Roving Imp Theater:
Keith Curtis
Magie Hogan
Nifer Honeycutt
James Nelson
John Park
Jessica Robins
John Robison
Julie Robison
....and more!

Admission to the show is $8, or $6 for students. Twelve and under get in free when accompanied by a parent at the family-friendly 7 p.m. show, and those over 12 get into the 9 p.m. "anything goes" show for free with a paid admission to the 7 p.m. show. Group discounts are also available.

The Roving Imp Theater is located at 115 Oak St., Bonner Springs, KS 66012. For more information or for reservations, call 913-441-2309, e-mail tickets@rovingimp.com, or visit www.rovingimp.com .

Kansas City Native: Tim Mason

Tim Mason is featured in a video interview on the Second City website. He talks about his beginnings in improv in Kansas City as well as some other cool things, like his experience with improv teacher Susan Messing. Congrats on the E.T.C. stage Tim!


Tim Mason (center) pictured at Kansas City Improv Festival 7


-Tim Mason's video interview
-Tim Mason on Ruby Streaks We'll Be Right Back
-Tim's old high school improv coach was none other than Trish Berrong

This town needs an improv coach

Introducing: Scott Connerly. Throughout the Kansas City improv community, there are requests for more coaches and workshops, and Scott has stepped up to the plate. Hopefully, many more experienced players will follow his lead.

Warning! Information ahead:

This is a class for those who are beginning improvisers, those who have never improvised before, or anyone looking for a back-to-basics opportunity. It will be a low-risk environment, designed to be just for fun with nobody watching.

We will be covering fundamental skills and basic approaches to improv; we will not be playing short-form games just for their own sake. Session topics will be tailored to the students' needs, but could include improv terminology, scene initiation, environment, object work, and character development.

"I'm worried I'm not going to be funny. Is that a problem?"
Don't worry. Funny will come naturally after you learn the basics.

"I am interested in improv less for performance reasons and more for business / personal development reasons. Will this class help with that?"
It sure can. Just make it clear those are your goals when you register.

This class will have two sessions, Saturdays April 5th and April 12th, which can be attended independently or in conjunction. They will both be from 11AM-2PM at Westport Coffeehouse's theater space.

Registration is $15/class if registered a full week before the day you plan to attend, or $20/class if registered less than a week before the class. To enroll or to inquire further, email the instructor, Scott Connerly, at scott@connerly.net or call him at 515/451.9414

About the instructor:
Scott Connerly has been actively performing comedy for the last 9 years. The last 4 of those years have been primarily in improv comedy, performing in Improv-Abilities, On The Spot, and Antiprov.

Cool News

Local Kansas City Improvisers decided to blog about the same topic:

What are the best and worst things happening in KC improv?

Not surprising, some of the responses were very similar. The best thing happening is the community is coming together more often to promote shows between groups. The worst thing happening is that there is not a training center for new improvisers to get better, they have to rely on watching shows and hope to get asked to perform with more experienced improvisers.

Feel free to click on the blog links to the right to read further into every one's thoughts on the topic.

Want to learn more about Kansas City Improv? Visit the links below:

Myspace
Facebook
City3.org