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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2000)
■ The WYMPROV! improv comedy group celebrates the end of this year’s tax season Rory Carroll Oregon Daily Emerald If your federal income tax re turn makes you cry, then you can count on the WYMPROV!’s re turn to the WOW Hall on Satur day, April 15, to turn those tears into cheers. That’s right, those four wacky women of WYMPROV! will be back at it again, this time fight ing the Internal Revenue Service blues with their unique style of improv comedy. “I’m really excited because I’ve always wanted to do a tax show. We looked at the calendar and thought, ‘what a great opportuni ty,”’ WYMPROVI’s group leader Vicki Silvers said. The group originated when they met at an improv workshop and in stantly felt a comic chemistry. Their first performance was in 1991, and they have been humoring the North west ever since. The group doesn’t harbor much anxiety going into a performance because with improv there really is no formal preparation, accord ing to some group members. "The more mistakes you make, the better,” member Sally Shek low said. “It’s not like a theatrical performance. If it looks perfect, then there is no fun in making it up. We don’t have many worries." Opening the show will be Laff Off 2000 champion Jennifer Self, who will perform a half hour of stand-up before the improv troupe takes the stage. Self, who is also part-time manager of the WYM PROV! troupe, encourages people to expect to be involved and to laugh a lot. “Be prepared to travel all over the world of your imagination,” Self said. The troupe relies on sugges tions from the audience as fodder for their show, so they encourage attendants to come ready to par ticipate. “Be ready to shout out your fa vorite food or to suggest a char acter,” Sheklow said. Although the WYM (( The more mistakes you make, the bet ter. It’s not like a theatrical perfomance. If it looks perfect, then there is no fun in mak ing it up. Sally Sheklow WYMPROV! member _n JV! PROV! troupe is made up of women, it has acquired a diverse following. Women and men, young and old alike come out to enjoy the troupe’s act. “Some of our biggest fans are kids,” Sheklow said. “They are great to have in the audience be cause they are so free with their suggestions.” Group member Silvers agrees. “We have kids who stuff their backpacks full of things in case we ask for them,” Silvers said. Dynamics are an essential ele ment to any performing group, and the individuals that make up WYMPROV! each bring a differ ent strength to the collective. “Debby Martin is really wacky and off the wall. You wouldn’t ex pect it from looking at her,” Sil vers said. “Sally is really wordy and comes up with witty, smart rhymes easily. Enid Lefton is the consummate professional. She drives us to improve. And I’m the youngest of the group and can play off of everybody.” The troupe members said having the group entirely made up of fe males makes their job more chal lenging, but it doesn’t limit them to having to do only female charac ters. “If someone calls out, ‘sailor,’ we have to take that on,” Sheklow said. “You have to be able to be anyone. The joke of switching gender isn’t there.” The troupe is raising funds to help pay for a trip to Chicago for a female improv festival at the end of August, Silvers said. courtesy of WYMPROV! Debby Martin, Vicki Silvers, Enid Lefton and Sally Sheklow make up WYMPROV! Go ahead, taste a slice of the good life; indulge in the flavors of an old world pizzeria. At Bene Gourmet Pizza, you can relax with a good friend or a good book, while you savor gourmet pizza made by one of the world’s most accomplished chefs. We invite you to visit us and experience old world pizzas and salads, enchanting atmosphere and impeccable service. 225 WEST Broadway, EUGENE, OR 97401 • Phone: 541.284.2700
