Ian Alexander and Jacob Kozelichki rush frantically on stage repeating their one-minute scene, condensing it to a mere three seconds. Laughter erupts from the audience as gibberish instead of dialog comes from the actors’ mouths while they crash into a table instead of rolling off of it.
“Half-life” is the name of the game and it starts with audience suggestions, “ask fors,” for what a pair of Easy Baked Improv actors should accomplish in one minute. The scene is then condensed by half until it is one second long, resulting in frantic actors and a belly laughing audience.
Games like “Half-life” can be accredited to Easy Baked Improv, a student organization that entertains with pure improvisational acting.
“We’re making up everything until we leave, entertaining and interacting the whole time,” said Keith Brooks, a member of Easy Baked Improv. “It’s like we invited you into our living room.”
Though the shows are not in anyone’s living room, the free and creative environment offers the audience a chance to become part of the scenes through humor.
From left: Jordan Bowman, Jacob Kozelichki, Ian Alexander and Keith Brooks read a prompt for their next improvised scene.
Photo by Lauren Wright
Not your average recipe
Improvisation and new suggestions are what make each show a different experience. The shows may involve the same games but each show is about creating new lines for the same ideas. Brooks says it’s a form of creative advancement.
“It’s never the same show, they never do the same stuff, even when they get the same 'ask fors.' They still change it up and do something different,” said Natalie Bundschu, a regular audience participant.
A favorite of both Bundschu and Elizabeth Beatty, another Improv attendee, is a game called “Four Corners” which involves four actors in a square formation, paired to rotate through four scenes based on audience suggestions.
“You’ve got four different scenes going on and it can just get really crazy," Beatty said. "They have to remember where they left off from last time."
Spirited audience members drive the show
Though the shows are led by the members of the troupe, audience participation and reaction are equally important. The energy that the crowd brings is what provokes the Easy Baked troupe to give more of themselves to the audience.
“When they laugh, it allows us to go further. Reaction and energy allows us to go forward," Brooks said. "It’s like a game of tennis because we’re both invested and the ball keeps going back and forth."
Though Easy Baked Improv’s main goal is to entertain with humor, the group often reaches the audience on a deeper level.
“It’s 99 percent of what we do, the general or average idea is to get them to laugh, but if you can do a scene that evokes real emotion, then we’ve gotten just as good as a reaction than if the house were on the floor laughing,” said Samantha Hiner, an Easy Baked member.
The beginning
Easy Baked started in 2003 after a class on improvisational acting inspired the students to keep performing. The following fall, the students began performing on the Memorial Library steps and soon moved to the E.H. Young Theatre.
Now, four years later, the troupe has eight members and performs every other Tuesday night.
“It’s so great to have a day during the week where you can go be with your friends, de-stress and laugh your ass off," Beatty said. "It’s something to look forward to.”
Something for everyone
The Easy Baked Improv troupe is focused on providing a good time for the audience members and each other. The members of the troupe meet once a week to prepare for the following show and play improvisational games to practice.
“It’s something I could never do,” Beatty said. “They put themselves on the spot and it amazes me that they can do what they do. So when I go to a show, I already have a lot of respect for them. They are a real close knit group and you can tell they love what they do.”
Upcoming Events
- Every other Tuesday: regular shows, 11 p.m., E.H. Young Theatre, Berry College
- Jan. 25-26: 24-Hour Improvathon, E.H. Young Theatre, Berry College, $5 for "come and go as you please" entry
- Feb. 19-23: Dirty South Improv Festival, Chapel Hill, NC
- Date TBA: Fat Man Show, E.H. Young Theatre, Berry College
{E. R.}
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