ComedySportz scores big by bringing its
nationally recognized improvisational
style to downtown Eugene.
By Yael Menahem
Oregon Daily Emerald
The “pro wrestling of comedy” is how
Kent “Touch This” McCarty defines his lo
cal improvisational troupe, Comedy Sportz.
Ten months ago, McCarty and his part
ner in crime, Rob “Schoolhouse” Rock, in
troduced Eugene to ComedySportz, a na
tional comedy movement.
The weekly performances at Rosewa
ter’s Deli in downtown Eugene continue
to build an audience, while attracting lo
cal community members who join Come
dySportz teams with names like the Hult
Center Fielders and the Beltline Sus
penders.
ComedySportz is a national comedy or
ganization with groups in 26 U.S. cities,
one of which is the Portland group that
McCarty helped found. He answered an
open call in the paper to join and because
he was already involved in theater sports
— another form of improvisational comedy
— he decided to take ComedySportz work
shops to learn the rules of this new game.
McCarty met Rock six years ago in Port
land, when the latter comedian joined that
city’s troupe. The two are trying to make
this weekly event a permanent part of Eu
gene’s entertainment scene.
For the uninitiated, ComedySportz in
volves audience participation, talented co
medians and a scoring format.
In a typical show, the referee — McCar
ty’s role — asks audience members for
suggestions, perhaps a line from a movie
or a title of an unpublished book. Those
comments lead to different games where
the performers, through their improvisa
tional skills, attempt to make the audience
laugh. The referee can call a “groaner
foul” or “delay of game” if the skit isn’t
funny.
All photos by Erin O’Connell for the Emerald
(above) Referee Kent McCarty watches over a skit involving Melissa Heilman and Rob Davidson, (below) Mc
Carty leads Davidson, Craig McCarty and Miranda Prince in a medley of songs, (left) Prince during a skit.
The performances are different every
time and the fan. 28 show was no excep
tion.
Unlike similar improvisational shows,
ComedySportz has some house rules. A
main one, which must be followed by the
players and the audience, is to keep the
language clean. Fail and you get a “brown
bag foul” called on you, which entails a
brown bag put on your head.
Although McCarty said that Eugene au
diences normally “don’t go for the low
brow humor,” there were some attendees
with just that in mind.
vvnue warming up me
patrons, McCarty began
explaining the rules of the
game and asked for some
one to yell out a number.
A man sitting in the front
yelled “69” and was im
mediately brown-bagged.
Comedy Sportz is a
family show and appeals
to all ages, McCarty
points out, and he admits
that it’s easier for the au
dience and the perform
ers to reach for bad lan
guage. It’s more of a
challenge and requires
sophisticated creativity,
however, to keep the lan
guage clean.
As the game progressed,
the audience and the play
ers warmed up and the
^performance took on a life
of its own.
An audience favorite
called “Five Things” re
quired a team to step out
of the warm deli into the
freezing Eugene evening
while the audience con
jured up difficult sports
activities using odd in
struments. Once the play
ers stepped back into the
playing area, the fun be
gan.
One team member was required to guess
the activities while the other two described
the activity. Participants used their hands,
legs and body, but had little help from ver
bal cues.
Although the comedians don’t remain
completely silent — they use words like
“dabba do” — it’s a challenging and funny
game.
The high point came when time ran out
and the team member on the receiving end
of the guessing game attempted to name
the sports. Somehow, she guessed three of
4 % Unlike similar improvisational
shows, ComedySportz has some
house rules. A main one, whichmust
be followed by the players and theaudi
ence, isto keep the language clean. Fail
rownbagputonyourhead.
the five correctly.
One was skiing on orange juice with flip
per skis. A more challenging one — which
she didn’t guess — was performing tai chi,
with Richard Nixon as her instructor, in a
marshmallow-padded cup.
Sound complicated? It is, but that’s what
makes ComedySportz fun.
ComedySportz appears in Eugene every
Friday night at Rosewater’s Deli, located
downtown at 44 W. Broadway beginning at
8 p.m.
Tickets are $8 at the door or $6 with a
can of food for Food for Lane County.
Reservations are recommended and can be
made by calling 302-9782.
If you’re interested in taking some work
shops to learn this type of improv, e-mail
Comedy Sportz at eugene@comedys
portz.com.