 "Photo: Courtesy of Off The Cuff")
The secret to washboard abs is hysterical laughter. Anyone who has ever watched a good comedy show knows, nothing makes you feel the burn like laughing so hard your body contorts and tears stream down your cheeks.
If "pee-your-pants" comedy is what a person needs to get a rock-solid physique, it's a miracle more people in Chico aren't sporting cankles. Live comedy is rare in Chico.
Just in time to give Chico a much-needed comedy makeover, The Blue Room Theatre will be presenting "Off The Cuff!" improvisational comedy shows at 7 p.m. every Wednesday night. The series kicks off tonight with free wine and dessert before the show.
Although tickets cost only $5, audience members can expect a "quality show, good laughs and a great time," said the show's director, Nicole Danielle.
The band of 12 players have been rehearsing for the past six weeks, and Danielle is confident the group is diverse enough to entertain even the most demanding audience.
"I wanted a variety of different actors from different venues … with different ages and different interests," she said. "This group has a great array of improv talents, we have a good mix."
The youngest player performing is Annie Fischer, 18, who got involved in improvisational comedy while attending Pleasant Valley High School, she said.
"Each of us brings something different and special to the show," Fischer said. "Some of the troupe members shine at creating characters, and some are better at generating conflict."
One of the character-actors in the cast is Butte College student Kenny Kelly.
His wide variety of hilarious on-stage personas include: "really awkward guy," "overly dramatic deep-voice guy," "old man river" and "gender-confused genetically modified actor guy," he said.
These characters interact with the other players during improvisational scenario games, which can often take bizarre twists and force actors into wacky situations at a moment's notice, Danielle said.
During one of the rehearsals, Danielle instructed the players to create a scene centered on a tennis ball.
"That's all I gave them to work with," she said. "And what they came up with was totally crazy."
Fischer could barely contain her laughter as she recounted the scenario.
"We started out in a lab, creating genetically modified, pink, glowing tennis balls," she said. "Then we decided to sell them to the Russians who were trying to lure Bruce Springsteen into a cave by singing 'Born In The USA.'"
While improv games can get pretty crazy, they always seem to make perfect sense at the time, Danielle said.
Funny is all that matters when it comes to improv and even the slightest hiccup can ruin an entire show for the audience.
Chico State junior Harrison Levy knows his comedy. He watches Comedy Central standards such as "South Park," "The Daily Show" and "Reno 911," he said. Levy also enjoys stand-up comedy and "Who's Line is it Anyway," which seems most relevant to "Off The Cuff."
A comedy show hinges on the ability of the performers to "pull their weight and keep the audience engaged," Levy said.
"If I'm able to spot that guy who's not on his A-game, it ruins the vibe of the show, and it's all over," he said.
Despite his particular taste, Levy was glad to hear The Blue Room would be putting on a comedy series, he said, adding that he would like to see a better variety of comedy shows in Chico.
Although Danielle said she anticipates "Off The Cuff!" will help to infuse Chico's entertainment scene with some variety, she also has higher hopes for the show.
"With the economy the way it is, people in Chico need an escape, a place to come during the week where they can just come in and laugh and have a good time," she said. "We want 'Off The Cuff!' to be a haven from reality and a place to just have a really good time on a Wednesday night."
Elizabeth Ghiorso can be reached at
eghiorso@theorion.com
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