Crowd influences improv act at the Red House
A couple quarreled about a love affair with an apple; a Marilyn Monroe impersonator suffered the side effects of a new vomiting drug; and the audience made apple pies with Julia Child and George Washington — not the type of performances one would usually find in an evening at the theater.
And yet this unusual theater-fare was commonplace for Red House Live, an improvisation show held Friday night at the Red House Arts Center. Beginning its fourth season, Red House Live performs once a month in a six-show season, constructing a series of games and skits in which creativity is key. The center opened in 2004 and has hosted over 500 productions, including concerts, film screenings, art shows and comedy shows.
The theater filled with laughter as four performers playing countless roles took suggestions from shouting audience members. They acted alongside music from the one-man band, Emmett Van Slyke. Syracuse radio personality, TK99’s Glenn ‘Gomez’ Adams from the ‘Gomez and Dave’ show, hosted the event and even took part in some of the skits.
‘Improv is the ultimate ensemble performance,’ said Tim Mahar, a Red House Live performer since its inception. ‘We let the characters do the work, and it’s all a team when you’re up there.’
At Red House Live, the quality of the show hinges on the liveliness of the audience. Friday night, most skits began with Adams encouraging the audience to blurt out random words or props for the cast to use. In one of the skits, the audience listed medication side effects, and the performers then acted them out.
Some audience members took the stage during certain skits. The small theater size and talkative cast created a congenial atmosphere where the spectators’ nerves seemed to disappear. A performer’s occasional burst of laughter and break in character assured that no matter where a person is — on stage or in the audience — nothing is better than a good laugh. Confusing herself for an ice cream cone at a party, one audience member complained about the heat and expressed her fear of carbonated beverages. Two other viewers served as the arms for Julia Child and George Washington as they attempted to film a cooking show.
‘In theater, the audience is always stuck behind that fourth wall. Once you break that wall and they get into it, it is wild,’ Mahar said.
‘I like the on-the-spot nature. People throw in some random things,’ said Nathan Grant, a Mattydale resident who volunteered to participate in two skits. ‘It has nothing to do with the context of the scenario, but that’s what makes it fun.’
While Red House Live promotes an amusing atmosphere, it also takes the craft very seriously. Both Mahar and Laura Austin, the founder and artistic director of Red House Arts Center, trained and worked with The Second City improv club in Chicago. The Second City alumni include Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Mike Myers.
Mahar said the first thing taught at The Second City is not to try to be funny.
‘For you as an audience, it’s painful to see someone trying to be funny,’ said Mahar. ‘So if you develop the strong characters that you saw tonight, then they do the work and it helps the other characters react.’
For Adams, who performs both improv and stand-up comedy when not on the air, improv is always full of new surprises.
‘In stand-up, most comics have a routine that they do. The audiences are different, but the material is mostly the same,’ he said. ‘With this, every time is just different.’
Published on October 3, 2010 at 12:00 pm
