Meet Josh Breit

Hey everybody, I got another interview for you! Josh Breit left TSF about 3 years ago for Chicago and has been rippin it up ever since then. 

Among his many talents, Josh is known for his insane freestyle rapping ability. He showcases this talent every week at the ComedySportz theatre in The BeatBox, a show that blends hip hop and improv into an amazing spectacle of long-form improv and fast-paced high-energy rap.

See a clip of Josh rapping as Challawood...



Where are you now and what do you do for a living?

I've been living in Chicago for a little over three years. I very recently started a new career as a casting agent for a casting firm in the Loop. It's by far the best job I've ever had. 

Where are you from originally? 

I am originally from Plantation, Florida. 

Did TSF introduce you to improv? 

I was introduced to improv when I came to Chicago for a high school debate trip. We went to see a show at Second City and I fell in love with it then. I ended up going to UF, because it was free (Thanks, Bright Futures!) and was delighted to find out that there was an improv troupe there. 

How did you find out about TSF? 

I found out about TSF when I was a senior in high school from my friend Lindsey Stidham who was already in college at UF and in TSF. She told me about it at a movie theater. I danced around the lobby of the theater when I found out. 

What was TSF like when you were here? 

It's hard to describe what TSF was like when I arrived, because I have nothing else to compare it to. But I know it was a very close knit group of people who cared deeply for each other and the work they were doing. Also, we drank a lot. And some people hated each other, but most didn't. That pretty much sums up my experience in Strike Force. 

What did you study at UF? 

I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Public Relations, which I have never used. Ever. 

Were you on the exec. board? 

I was the Vice-President of TSF my sophomore year, and the President my senior year. 

What venues did you guys perform in? 

I performed mostly at the Orange and Brew (I don't know if it's called anything different now.) We also performed in the theater department's big theater for our yearly Mainstage Show. Other than that, we just did random shows here and there. My favorite show that TSF did outside of the campus, was when Sunday Group did a show for the Girl's Club of Gainesville. Those kids were an amazing audience and hysterical in their own right. 

What were some of your favorite moments while you were part of TSF? 

My favorite moment in all of TSF was during our Mainstage show my junior year. There had been a lot of protests on campus that year, mostly for stupid shit, like people protesting against Taco Bell and other meaningless shit. We wrote an opening sketch, in which the protesters crashed our show and had a sit-in on the stage. Then we dressed up Matt Devine like a super hero in spandex, had him run in, kick everyone's ass and the sketch end in myself and Derrick Aguis yelling to the crowd, "We are Theatre Strike Force, and we don't protest anything! Now let's start the fucking show!" It got a standing ovation every night. 

Who were some of the people you looked up to while in TSF? and now in Chicago? 

When I was in Strike Force, I looked up to Skyler Stone, who was the director of Sunday Group, and Natalie Sullivan, who was the president when I was VP. They were both amazing in their own right. Skyler was in a ska band called, "The Know How." I still have the t-shirt. Natalie lives up here in Chicago, and we are both performers on the ComedySportz ensemble. 

Were you in any outside troupes? 

At UF, I was in several outside troupes, including Stacy's Away Message, which once got challenged by the FSU improv group to a cagematch at FSU. We went to their school, won over their crowd, won the cagematch took their women, got drunk, and went home. The group that I was in that was most near and dear to my heart was Unlike Nav, a 3 man group with myself and the aforementioned Matt and Derrick. We performed together for 3 years, including a summer when we did shows at the Improv in Tampa. It was the most money I ever made doing improv. 

Have you been back since? 

I went back once since I moved away, to go to the Gainesville Improv Festival. It was fun, but felt amazingly old. It was depressing. 

What other alumni were in your cast back then that are still doing improv now? 

Pretty much everyone I performed with in TSF are still performing now, either in Chicago or LA. 

How was the transition to Chicago? 

The transition to was a pretty easy one. The Chicago improv scene is a very open and friendly one, and it definitely helped to already have some friends that I went to college with up here. I met my girlfriend (the lovely and talented Brooke Bagnall) through Natalie. The cold takes some getting used to, but that's what big coats are for. Whatever you do, don't get a coat with a hood covered in fur, like Dan Gordon (TSF alumnus), because we will all make fun of you. 

How many troupes or projects have you been a part of in Chicago?

I am on a few different troupes up here in Chicago. I am on the ComedySportz ensemble, which is a short-form theater. The Hot Karl, which is the filthiest show I have ever been a part of. The Beatbox, which fuses long-form improv with free-style hip hop. And finally, Alpha Dog Omega, which can only be described as "frat-prov." Since I have moved up here, I have been a few Harold teams at iO Chicago and a few teams at the Playground. 

Is there anything you'd like to tell current TSF members? 

If I had any advice for TSF people now, it would be to not let the drama get out of control. I know it's there. Don't deny it. When you look back on it, you realize that it wasn't worth it and it was more a pain in the ass than anything else. Also, if you are planning on moving to Chicago, the best advice I can give you is make sure you have a heavy coat and a few grand in your bank account. Moving across the country is expensive.

New Improv Training Program to start Spring 2009!

Hey there!

Are you itching to perform comedy for a live audience? No? Just itching, then? Okay...

Hey, you! Did you catch "Captain Herpes" over there? Yeah, crazy, huh? Anyways... you look like you're interested in doing improv. You may not know it yet, but you are.  

Theatre Strike Force would like to announce its new improv training programstarting in the Spring 2009 semester! 

In these sessions, you will learn the style of improv comedy TSF performs regularly on campus. Our top performers will instruct these sessions, which will feature exercises in spontaneous performance, various improvised "games," and general improv technique and theory.

The goal? To make you a more confident comedic performer and the newest member of the Theatre Strike Force team. So if you're interested in learning and performing improv comedy at UF and joining Theatre Strike Force, this is the place for you.

This training program is FREE, and no experience is necessary. Even if you've never performed before, come out anyways. It's a ton of fun and a great way to perform comedy with an interesting group of people. 

The sessions will meet Mondays, 7 to 9 p.m., at a location TBA. 

Space is limited, so if you're interested, please contact us at via the contact pageas soon as possible to register. 

We're looking forward to working with you!

Erik

Erik Voss is the president of Theatre Strike Force. He was voted "Loudest Moo-er" in the Animal Day Parade in Ms. Miller's 1st grade class. He was 19. 

TSF is Gary

Hey there! At the height of a hotly contested election season, Theatre Strike Force would like to announce its endorsement of Gary for President in 2008!

Finally, a candidate who knows how to connect with the American people. Gary is the only person in America who knows what America really wants. He's a lunch tray full of all your favorite foods. You can hold on to the cake, Lunch Lady Liberty -- we got bowl-full of icing.

We couldn't be more excited about this guy, and neither can a growing number of Americans, according to an article in the Independent Florda Alligator. Gary has literally made his mark on UF campus. He's cozied with students in their dorm rooms via inspiring TV spots. Gary enthusiasts have rallied in Turlington Plaza shouting their support of the candidate America has been waiting for.

We are Gary from Theatre Strike Force on Vimeo.

As a climax to this exciting campaign, TSF will be presenting a political rally in support of Gary this Monday, Oct. 27, at 9 p.m. in the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom. Join us for a night of special guest speakers, inspirational videos, and a rousing speech by the messiah himself.

Political comedy, folks. It's in. The truth makes everything funnier. Scarier, but funnier.

We'll see you Monday night. We are Gary. 

Erik Voss is the president of Theatre Strike Force. He lies to his mom about getting bullied at school because he's ashamed.

Meet Jon Forsythe

Strike Force has a rich history that is really interesting to me. I love learning about alumni and where they’re at nowadays.

This past summer I had the good fortune of being in Chicago for two months and I went out of my way to meet and watch TSF alumni do their thing across the city. It was insane! All the big name improv theatres like iO, The Annoyance, The Playground, and ComedySportz had Strike Force Alumni performing and they were some of the best talent as well. It made me really proud to be a part of this organization.

I wanted to momentarily put the spotlight on one alumnus that I feel is doing a lot of great work in Chicago but has gone under the radar of modern day TSF for a while.



Jon Forsythe left Strike Force in 2000 and has made a huge impact on the Chicago improv scene. Among the many projects and accomplishments he’s been a part of include writing for the iO blog, performing as part of the legendary iO team Rattlesnake High School, and sticking his hand up his characters in the improvised puppet show at iO, FELT. I had the chance to see FELT and it was pretty hilarious. The best way I could describe it would be Sesame Street Uncensored.



Luckily for us in Gainesville, Jon Forsythe will be coming back to town this January for the annual Gainesville Improv Festival. He will be performing with his sketch group PennyBear, composed mostly of fellow TSF alumni from Chicago.

Through the wonders of Facebook I was able to interview Jon about his experiences with improv and TSF. Here’s what he had to say:

• Where are you from originally?

I’m originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I grew up in the shadow of Chicago until I was 15, which is when my family moved to Clearwater, FL. It was a move that really threw me for a loop that I never really recovered from until I found TSF. 

• Did TSF introduce you to improv?

Yes, it did.

• How did you find out about TSF?

I was taking Acting for Non-Majors through the honors program and we needed to see 5 theater department shows and write critiques on them. The first one of the semester was the Main Stage show of TSF.

I had no idea what I was going to see. I was blown away. The show was a real roller coaster of a show: hilarious short-form games put in between powerful social activist sketches. So smart and so funny.

But what I find fascinating looking back, was that it was the warm-up exercises that convinced me to join the group. Before the Main Stage show, the players were on-stage while the audience was filing in. They were on-stage doing their warm-up exercises. The exercises alone looked like a lot of fun and it made me want to be down there on stage with them.

• What was TSF like back then?

It was a fun club-like group. I think there were only 40 people in the group back then, and around 25 to 30 would show up each rehearsal. We were also broke up in only two groups: beginners and more advanced people.

Towards the end of my time at TSF was when we had to break up into three levels due to the sheer size of the group. By the way, I was in TSF from August of 1996 to August of 2000.

• What did you study at UF?

I studied microbiology. Before I found improv, I had the idea of becoming a forensic pathologist and so I entered college with the plan of being pre-med.

Once I found improv, I decided to do a minor in theater, which I did. At the end of my junior year I abandoned the medical school plan but decided to finish out the major because I didn’t want to stay at school any longer than I had to.

• Were you on the exec. board?

I was. I was the Secretary one of the years I was in TSF. I think it was my senior year. During this time the group size reached 110. I know because my main responsibility was to create the monthly troupe phone contact list.

• What venues did you guys perform in?

Which ones didn’t we perform in? We did so many shows, for numerous student organizations and clubs, for dorm areas, for a few private companies around town, and charity organizations.

We did shows at Shands, downtown, in the open air on super crappy stages with no mics, at the Orange & Brew, at the O’Connell Center for the Dance Marathon, on the collonade, in restaurants, at hotels ballrooms, and one time at a book store.

• What were some of your favorite moment/show/thing while you were part of TSF?

It’s hard to pin down due to two factors: 1) there were so many and 2) my memory is fuzzy since it’s been nearly a decade since I left Gainesville.

I loved rehearsing for the Main Stage show during January.  We would either rehearse at Constans or - in later years - at Yon Hall and the feeling of being apart of this artistic tribe/family was really powerful.

I had a lot of fun times during the Uncensored Shows at the Orange & Brew. The crowds for those shows were always huge and they’d be packed into the Brew. 

Getting to do something other than Genre Machine [short form game which I believe we call Scene 3 ways] in a show was a highlight during my first year in the group. Getting to be an understudy in the Sunday Group was another.

Finally getting into the Sunday Group as a player was great although by then it was more of a relief than anything else. Going to the Big Stinkin’ Improv Festival in Austin, TX was another great time.

• You say you were an understudy to the Sunday Group. Are you refferring to the Apprentice Group?

This was before the existence of the Apprentice Group. So I was first an understudy of the Sunday Group and we were assigned specific mentors; mine was Jason Pardo, who's in LA now. The next year they created the Apprentice Group and I was in that. I think the next year I was actually in the Sunday Group as a member.

• Were you in any outside troupes?

No, but I tried to be. In my senior year my clique within TSF started a group called Quacksalvers but we only had a handful of rehearsals and only one or two shows.

But I was around when there were 3 big independent troupes: Danger Chimps, ACII, and Cinnamon Grin. 

• Do you remember who was in Cinammon Grin?

James Whittington [director of PennyBear, director of many things in Chicago], Tony Seales [in Chicago but taking a break from improv], Darrah Barth [in Seattle, doesn't do improv I believe anymore], Justin M. [lives in NYC], Padraic Connelly [WNT and PennyBear], and maybe a few others who I'm forgetting.

• I'm curious to know how popular these outside troupes were in Gainesville. How popular was improv back then?

They were super popular within TSF. I'm not sure how popular they were outside of TSF.

Danger Chimps were the super group, CG were equally hilarious but slightly less known, and ACII were funny but definitely the more bar-prov type crowd. ACII did their shows at this one bar. CG did most of their shows at Common Grounds, and DC did there shows at various places.

I'm not sure what type of advertisements people did back then.

• What other alumni were in your cast back then that are still doing improv now?

Lots. Those still in Chicago: Danny Mora, Bill Arnett, Andre Washington, Jess Ring, Jessica Rogers, Marla Caceres, Padraic Connelly, and Natalie Sullivan. Those in New York: Dayna LaRosa. In Miami: Tom O’Donnell. Still in G’ville: Skyler Stone, Christy Shorey (though I’m not sure if she still does improv) In Tampa: Paul Soleo. In Jacksonville: John Kalinowski.

• How was the transition to Chicago?

It was pretty easy for me.  I’d lived around Chicago before so I was used to the people and the weather.  I’d been wussified by the Florida weather so the first couple of Chicago winters were a bit of an adjustment, but I’ve gotten used to them by now.

It also helped having fellow TSFers in Chicago there. We also welcome new Gators to the city. I was gone before Josh Breit, Leo & Lindsay joined TSF, but I’ve gotten to know them since they’ve moved to Chicago.

• Have you been back since?

The last time I was back was in 2004 for a wedding that was at that Chapel next to the lake. But I didn’t visit TSF when I was there.

• How many troupes or projects have you been a part of in Chicago?

First of all, the term “troupe” is only used in colleges. In Chicago the term is “group” or “team.”

I’m on team number 4 at iO; the last one, Rattlesnake High School, I was on for 3 years before we were broken up. Now I’m on a team called Shock Corridor.

I’ve been on a Playground team and we were at the Playground for 5 years before we went on “hiatus.” That group, Atticus Finch, is now doing the show Felt, which is puppet improvisation. We’ve been doing that show for over two years at iO.

I was in a two-act improvised drama many years ago and that was quite a neat experience. Low attendance, but neat nonetheless.

One independent group I was part of that I really enjoyed was called Mothproof. About five years ago I took a solo improvisation workshop and I’ve done a few solo improv shows, which are pretty challenging.

I’m currently an understudy on the show Beatbox, which is long-form meets free-style rap. Josh Breit is in that group. He and I, along with fellow Gator Jess Ring, were hired during the summer of 2007 to be apart of ComedySportz Chicago. That’s super fun; and we get paid for shows!

I’m also part of the sketch group PennyBear. We’ve been getting a lot of positive press here in Chicago and recently came back from doing shows in the NYC International Fringe Festival. We’ll be coming down for GIF.

• Is there anything you'd like to tell current TSF members?

Enjoy your time at TSF. I’m not sure how different it is nowadays, but it’s probably not too different.

The thing that I liked during my time in TSF was the push by our director, Heather Robets, to play at the height of our intelligences and adopting the Truth in Comedy philosophy. Stick to that and you’ll be fine. Also, don’t sweat it too much. After all, it’s supposed to be fun.

• Where is Heather Robets nowadays?

Last I heard, which was years ago, she was living in Connecticut. She's Heather Parady now, I believe. I may have spelled her married name wrong.

**Extra Stuff**

A movie called “Strike Force” was made in 2004. Who was the leading actor in this movie? A man by the name of William Forsythe. Any blood relation to Jon? I haven’t asked him. Let’s just say that there is one.

When the cold opening can't get hotter

Hey everyone,

What a time for strong openings!

A few weeks ago in Beijing, American Olympic athlete Lolo Jones got off to an early lead in the women’s 100 meter hurdle, just to have her foot snag the second to last hurdle. The minor stumble cost her the gold medal.

Back in June, Sen. Barack Obama’s numbers were soaring in the polls after he clinched the Democratic nomination. Now, he’s bogged down trying to explain what he meant by “lipstick on a pig.”

On that same note, two weekends ago saw the return of two live comedy shows that had strong openings and mediocre follow-ups. Luckily, in the world of live comedy, audiences are surprisingly optimistic. One solid joke can save a good backrub’s worth of eye-rolls. And if you catch them at the start, they’re more willing to wade through the muck with you.

Example #1: Saturday, September 13, 2008, 11:35 p.m., NBC. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler ignite the blogosphere with dead-on impersonations of Sarah Palinand Hilary Clinton in the cold opener of the long-awaited season premiere ofSaturday Night Live. While Fey, through Palin’s shrill, Canuck twang, declared proudly that she could “see Russia from her house,” Poehler ironically commented that Palin’s nomination as VP truly meant “anyone” could be president.

The sketch represented the comedy show at the top of its form and gave Palin a taste of her own sarcastic medicine. However, after the opening credits rolled, one of the stagehand’s mentally handicapped cousins got loose and walked out on stage. Wait a minute… that’s 8-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps!  

Phelps, after killing a rabbit by petting it too hard.

Phelps, who thereafter graced every one of his lines with a forced, mumbled delivery, essentially did to SNL what he did to the swimmers in neighboring lanes back in Beijing. Rarely has SNL collapsed so badly from a dead-weight host.

Yet, that episode gave SNL its highest ratings in the past three years. All anyone can seem to talk about is the opening sketch. The opening, it seems, is that important.

Example #2: Friday, September 12, 2008, 10:08 p.m., Orange & Brew at theUniversity of Florida. Theatre Strike Force finally kicks back into gear with its first big show of the year. A new feature we’ve brought to our shows is an opening sketch. Pre-written lines and routines to open a show that gets laughs by making up the lines and forgoing the routine.

Ryan Moulton, sporting a lab coat, eye patch, and menacing hook as a hand, took the stage as a “closeted” supervillian who fielded reporters’ questions about his new invention, the CERN-funded Large Hadron Collider. Moulton wrote the script with the help of some of the writers from our writing team, TSF Sketch.  

Most of the jokes landed and the sketch got the show off to a strong start. From that point on, the show was about on-par with the general TSF quality: a few memorable laughs, with all the awkward moments in between quickly swept aside by a seasoned host. Physical stunts impressed the crowd enough to keep them from noticing they weren’t laughing.

And of course, our signature closer: a rapid-fire barrage of punch lines. Kamay’s“I like my men like I like my Slinky: you can adjust the length, baby!” was the closing line of the night. Hooray!

It was a show strung together between two solid bookends, specifically a strong opener. The experience of TSF and SNL was a testament to the importance of good first impressions in comedy: snag them early, worry less about losing them.

We hope we made a good first impression on you. Look out for more shows, and more sketches, over the upcoming semester. 

Take care,
Erik

Erik Voss is the president of Theatre Strike Force, but he’s not allowed to cross the street.

We want YOU for TSF!

Come one, come all!  Be apart of the excitement, education and elite of being a part of a Theatre Strike Force troupe!

Theatre Strike Force is having auditions for a number of groups, which are all excellent opportunities to learn and explore improv or sketch comedy.

First is AG and the Sunday Group.

AG and the Sunday Group are TSF's premiere long form troupes.  They focus on improvisation scenes with a focus on relationships and characters.  Anyone who would like to become better at the art of improv should attend.

No experience is necessary! The cast includes both those with improv experience and those who did their first scene at the audition!

Long form is very much like an episode of Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm. So if you enjoy watching those shows, and always thought that you should be on them, come on out to auditions.

The audition is Tuesday, September 2, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. in room G14 in the Constans Theatre Building at UF.  The only preparation you need is to bring the audition sheet: AG and Sunday Application

Next, TSF's musical troupe is looking for new talent!

Only eight months old, AM Radio is the exciting new troupe on the scene bringing laughter and music to audience's ears around Gainesville.  They use long form and music to create a half hour musical on the spot!

They recently had a hugely successful performance at the GIF Summer Shuffle, which can be seen HERE.  All those who are interested, those with musical experience and those without, are encouraged to attend.

AM Radio will have auditions Sunday, August 31, at 2 p.m.  Meet at the information desk in the Reitz Union.

Finally, TSF is having auditions for it's new sketch arm, TSF Sketch.

TSF Sketch focuses on the writing aspect of comedy.  The group will have from 6 to 10 writers who will prepare sketches for Gator Nights and other TSF events.

If you've ever laughed at Saturday Night Live and thought, "Hey, I could write that," this group is for you!

Everyone interested should fill out the application and send it to theatrestrikeforce@gmail.com by Thursday, September 4:TSF Sketch Application

Good luck to everyone!  

TSF presents: SUMMER KNIGHTS

It's summer in Gainesville, and the city is on fire. 

Gas prices keep our windows down and our wallets empty. Economic woes are making us sweat even when we're out of the heat. Some men, it seems, just want to see the world burn. 

So what do we do? Do we place our hopes in an idealist politician to clean up the streets? Do we channel our fear to fight our enemies on our own terms? Or do we simply ask...
...WHY SO SERIOUS?

Come laugh away your worries with a wild night of FREE improv comedy with Theatre Strike Force. Starting Friday night, people will laugh. 

Meet us at the auditorium (room 1064) in Weimer Hall, the journalism building that is located across the North Lawn from the Reitz Union. Show starts at 10 p.m., and seats are first come, first serve, so get there early!

(Do it for Heath. He watches you.)

Operation: Improv Storm

"Mission accomplished."  

Not since "premature ejaculation" have two words jumped the gun more.

We did it, troops! With four shows booked at dorms across  campus, I think it's safe to say we're well on our way in liberating campus residents from the hands of tyranny... the tyranny of not having enough improv shows.

Jennings area students take the celebration to the streets. (AP)

It all begins this Sunday, July 20, at 5:30 p.m., when TSF will entertain the residents of Springs Residential Complex during an afternoon barbecue. Afterwards, we'll regroup at the Beaty Towers Commons at 8 p.m. for another show for a group of high school students.

On the evening of Wednesday, July 23, we'll move into the Murphree Area to perform as part of MAC's Alcohol Awareness program, which runs from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.

A week later, on Wednesday, July 30, TSF will resurface at the Jennings Basement for a show at 8 p.m.

So tear down that statue of Albert A. Murphree! Paint those thumbs! Tighten the crotch harness on that flightsuit, because TSF's got a full-scale invasion on its hands!

Soon enough, we'll be kicking down your door in the middle of the night and screaming at you to watch us do improv. Now, you can enjoy shows that stretch on for years and years, with no real exit strategy. And if you thought Abu Ghraib was fun, just wait until you see what we'll do with our games "Moving Bodies" and "Slideshow!"

USA's got IRAQ; TSF's got IRHA. With any luck, our IR-- will like us better.

Stop on by, now.

Erik Voss is the president of Theatre Strike Force. He studied international relations from stall graffiti in dormitory bathrooms.

Nothing's scarier than ordering a pizza

About a month ago I was riding the bus home late at night with a friend when we happened to meet a girl. She was a student; reserved yet outgoingly friendly. She had the relaxed charm of a chain smoker, but she didn't smoke. And she had an accent.

...e-yah-yah-yah!

We talked with her the whole ride home, but despite our fun conversation, her subtle flirts, and the supportive set-ups from my friend, I completely stalled. The kid with noseplugs at the top of the water slide. I couldn't make a move.

Afterwards, my friend asked me why I tanked. I responded that I didn't know what to say. Knowing that I'm an improviser, he said, "Dude, you do improv. IMPROVISE!"

He had me there. One of the supposed benefits of doing improv is increased spontaneity in social situations. Many companies nowadays offer improv workshops to help employees relax in interpersonal settings and learn to communicate with others more directly. We say improv is like life -- if I can perform a scene where I'm hitting on a girl, why can't I do it in real life?

I think there's a lot of pressure on improvisers to be "masters of social situations." My family thinks I have a response to everything. Employers see "improv training" on the resume and expect a cool guy who sits in the chair backwards and can make a brick laugh. Non-improv friends expect us to be the life of the party and get lots of girls.

Is this the case? No! I'm single and I usually bore the hell out of everyone at parties by talking about improv too much. Job interviews suck for me because I immediately feel guilty whenever I say something good about myself. And I've gained ten pounds from all the times I've stuffed my mouth with food to avoid talking at family dinners.

Hell, I can't even order a pizza on the phone without a script.

"Hello, this is Five Star, is this for delivery or pickup?"
"I... don't... know..." 
Click.

A lot of us do improv precisely because it isn't real. We play pretend on stage, and if we're lucky, people laugh at us. I know I'm never going to be a badass surgeon who performs a heart transplant while wearing a leather jacket and making out with the nurses. (Is a leather jacket still cool? It's not exactly environmentally-friendly.) But I can totally do that in a scene if I want to. There's a safety net on stage where it's okay to make mistakes, to look ridiculous.

On the bus, making mistakes is a bad thing. (Unless this is the Magic Schoolbus. Remember, Ms. Frizzle is a teacher, not a lover.) "Funny" and "quirky" do not necessarily mean "sexy." Every line, every gesture, every nervous tick at the corner of your mouth counts, and anything can make or break the situation. Sexy foreign girls are typically less forgiving than an audience who wants to be entertained.

Improvisers are not by definition "cool people." Many cool people do improv, sure, but so do many weirdos.

We aren't jaded by being in front of audiences all the time. Our hearts pound just as fast as the heart of the shy girl who's reading her love poem in front of her 7th grade English class, with the poem's subject sitting in the front row. We're just normal people who try to do something extraordinary.

In the end, though, we're still just normal people.

Erik Voss is the president of Theatre Strike Force, but can't use the potty by himself.

Trivia Trial

There are a few hobbies among improvisers that are universal.

The most popular seem to be an interest in past and present comedy happenings, an ethereal admiration for movies and a wealthy posession of random facts.  That mishmash of information has one night where it can recieve the spotlight it deserves: Trivia Night.

Every Tuesday, a few of us unite to test our trivial prowress at ******'*, and for three hours we grapple with the greater questions of society today.  Questions like, "What 80s TV show dared to do a sixth season after losing most of its cast and writers?" or "How many pieces of flair were required at the restaurant Jennifer Aniston worked at in Office Space, and how many did she have?"

We celebrate with predicted joy at every correct answer.  At every wrong answer, exclamations of "Noo!" pierce the night air, upset eyes swing toward whoever supplied that answer and mental scores are quickly tabulated to determine the leader.  Why so serious?  The stakes: steaks.

"What fictional TV character drives an ice cream truck covered in human skulls, sweats Gatorade and once saw scissor-kicked Angela Lansbury?"

That's right.  The winners of the knowledge bout get their tabs picked up for free by night's end.  So steaks and margaritas are deliciously downed yet cautiously.  Despite large lead margin, everyone fears the sudden shift in points when their free meal becomes a $50 burden.

"What 80s horror movie had the tag line, 'Be afraid.  Be very afraid.'?"

A period of dangerous suspicion always arises around the 2-hour mark when teams begin to enter the home stretch.  On the surface, players are generally friendly and polite.  In actuality, they create conspiracies of cheating by backroom booths and curse quietly when others pull closer.

"What 1968 Rex Harrison movie musical was remade in 1998 to an Eddie Murphy comedy?"

Our paranoia is relaxed by one of the trivia helpers who bears a striking resemblance to Rashida Jones, who plays Karen Filippelli on The Office.  She's frequently beating every team playing, even though she can't legally play (probably).   Her tacit nature offsets the the gaudy male emcee who reminds me of Steve Harwell, lead singer of Smashmouth, for some reason.

"Where was Oceanic flight 815 headed before it crashed?"

I enjoy the danger of losing the free check.  Others fret and stop ordering when the lead is called into question.  So far we've never had to pay the consequence of over confidence.  We've won every time.

"From the TV show Scrubs, what is Dr. Turk's first name?"

So, come Tuesday, we'll gather our Gainesvegas forces again to defend our trivia title.  It is becoming an excellent way to pass the summer.  Who ever said improv wouldn't win you free things?

Trivia Answers:
1. ǝʌıl ʇɥƃıu ʎɐpɹnʇɐs
2. uǝǝʇɟıɟ & uǝǝʇɟıɟ
3. ʎʞsɐɹq llıq
4. ʎlɟ ǝɥʇ
5. ǝlʇʇılop˙ɹp
6. sǝlǝƃuɐ sol
7. ɹǝɥdoʇsıɹɥɔ