Jun. 09, 2010 - Issue #764: Hot Summer Guide 2010

Prevue

More than making it up

Improvaganza goes beyond improv

Improvaganza, as both the name and the festival's affiliation with Rapid Fire Theatre might imply, is supposed to be a celebration of the improvised arts, that magical ability that some performers have to not only create a coherent and logical story right off the top of their head, but to keep the audience laughing, and sometimes maybe even crying, right through it. And over the course of the festival's 10 days—making it the largest such event in Canada, by the way—eager audiences are certain to lap up a fair bit of improv, in a variety of styles that go from manic to soberly thoughtful and everything in between.

That said, reflective of RFT's own prodigious growth of late—perhaps you've seen them popping up on stages at local comedy clubs, or in sketches at the likes of Hangtime Comedy's bi-weekly comedy jams or online at their own website or funnyordie.com—the 10 year anniversary of Improvaganza is continuing to move beyond just improv. This year will feature, for the first time, groups combining forces into a kind of sketch workshop, and producing some tangible record of the fest in the form of filmed sketches, as well as other innovative ideas like incorporating house bands and a group ensemble into the activities.

For RFT Artistic Director Amy Shostak—heading into her first 'Ganza as boss since taking over in January—it's as reflective of Rapid Fire's own increasingly restless spirit as it is of the way comedy seems to be slowly sneaking into wider aspects of our culture.

"I think part of it's just that we're ready for it: when I started, it was still a core group, kind of like a family, but now we have so many more performers and younger people, and they want to do more and more," she explains. "But I also think comedy is experiencing a big change right now. It's changing from something that people seek out at a comedy club or watch Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and it's becoming more popular and kind of cooler to do comedy. It's not segregated anymore: it can happen at the theatre or the bar or wherever.

"And the type of comedy that's happening now, too, there's a kind of alternative comedy that's becoming more mainstream," she continues. "Besides improv, the festival is bringing some of the best alternative comedy to Edmonton, some of the stuff that you wouldn't see at the Comic Strip or something like that."

Among the more notable names in that regard are people like Halifax's Picnicface, a massive hit at last year's 'Ganza and internet stars thanks to their absurd and hilarious "Powerthirst" videos, and Convoy, from the Los Angeles chapter of the Upright Citizens' Brigade, an improv and comedy company that's become world famous for producing talent like Aziz Ansari, Derrick Comedy and a host of others who are now filling out supporting roles and writing slots on all kinds of American TV shows.
But, of course, as much as Improvaganza is tapping into some of the newer strains of comedy, it also has the traditional, but amazingly diverse and challenging, improv that it's become famous for. Classic-structured groups like Vancouver's Sunday Service will be beside the unique, multiple-performers-playing-the-same-role style of New York's 4Track, as well as the always-unique European sensibilities of Italy's Teatribu and France's Et Compagnie (who will even be leading an improv session in French).
"We always want to invite back our same favourite people, but we want new people, too," explains Shostak of the festival's diversity. "It's a toss-up where, we know we could have an awesome festival if we just invited the same people every year, but we want to see new things, too—we want to invite some people that are gambles." V