Improvisation is one of the most difficult concepts in theater. The actors do not get the luxury of a script, a set, costumes, or the like. The actors get one thing…an idea. It’s their mission to turn that idea into a routine (usually comedic) that is engaging. It’s easy for things to take a wrong turn with improvisation, leaving the audience wondering if their $21 was wisely spent on tickets. Was the City Theater Company successful? With its “pub style” atmosphere (the bar was open before, during and after the performance), a highly charged opening act in the form of Max and Maggy from Figment Theater, and five improv masters in the form of the group Fearless Improv, City Theater Company hit the mark.
The evening begins with the audience entering into a pub of sorts. The bar is stocked with beer, wine and a variety of soft drinks in the back, with the stage in front and tables and chairs in the center and along the sides give the room a feel that evokes feelings of an “open mic” night. The show begins with (at least for this performance) a warm up Improv team, Max & Maggy. Hailing from Philadelphia’s Figment Theater, Max & Maggy (two young and energetic actors) leap onto the stage. They ask the audience for a suggestion of a situation and away they go. Max & Maggy are an excellent choice to warm up the venue for the headliners. It should be noted that there is a different opening act for each of the four performances. Their fast paced improvisation takes twists and turns that certainly enhance the performance.
After a brief intermission, Fearless Improv takes the stage and delights the audience with some fun improvisation games that include audience participation. Some of the games are tried and true and others were done for this first time (or relatively first time) during this performance. Fearless Improv are certainly masters of their trade providing a good hour’s worth of entertainment. Audience members that participated in this performance were good team players, and while not as versed in improvisation as Fearless Improv, they certainly held their own. The evening ended with a song (a mash up of all the activities on the stage that evening) and a group play off with all the folks that stood on the stage that evening (including openers Max & Maggy and the audience members that “volunteered”. The ensemble of Fearless Improv work so well together, blending their talents and enthusiasm into a night of side splitting comedy.
The laughs bountiful, the beverages flowing, the talent inspiring…City Theater Company’s BARELY LEGAL is an evening of entertainment worthy of the price of admission
City Theater Company’s BARELY LEGAL runs through February 7.
BARELY LEGAL
Directed by Jana Savini
January 30 – February 7, 2015
City Theater Company
4 S. Poplar Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
www.city-theater.org
