.Robinson
Theatre
2000-01
SEASON
UT’s Freedom Pack Vouchers
She Sloops to Conquer
by Oliver Goldsmith
November 3,4:9,10,11,12;
17,18
Dancing at Lughnasa
by Brian Friel
January 26,27;
February 1,2,3,4; 9,10
A Robinson Theatre Production
FREE PARKING
Electro
by Sophocles
April 13,14; 19,20,21,22;
27,28
Angels in America
A Gay Fantasia on
National Themes
Part I: Millennium
Approaches
byTonyKushner
May 25,26; 31,
June 1,2,3; 8,9
Evening shows at 8:00P.M. • Sunday matinees at 2:00P.M.
UO Ticket Office 346-4363 • Information 346-4190
University of Oregon V^§97fm
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Dan Brunell Emerald
Absolute Improve is a theatrical organization in its’ fifth year in Eugene. The troupe will perform at Robinson Theater all this week.
■Absolute improv members
make on-the-spot acting look
easy and inviting
By Josh Ryneal
Oregon Daily Emerald
I remember taking a few theater
classes in high school. The one ex
ercise that
still stands
out in my
mind were
the improvi
s a t i o n a 1
drills we did;
no other ac
tivity provoked as much cold-sweat
terror and uncontrollable hilarity as
those did.
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Basically, improv games involve
a group of people standing on stage
and acting off-the-cuff. Using
props or members of the audience,
the quick-witted and sharp
tongued can evoke huge laughs. I
always laughed uproariously when
I was in the audience, but when it
came my turn to get up and partici
i ( There are lots of mis
takes sometimes, but out
of that comes a lot of
good comedy.
Minnie Goode
troupe member
n
pate, I would feel the slow creep of
imminent terror wash over me. I
just don’t think on my feet very
well.
That’s why I respect the members
of Absolute Improv, a University
improvisational troupe, immense
ly. They put on numerous shows a
year, have a library of more than 60
improv games and approach their
craft with such obvious joy that it
makes me want to get back up onto
the stage again.
“There are lots of mistakes some
times, but out of that comes a lot of
good comedy,” troupe member
Minnie Goode said. “We do it to re
member where we come from.”
The troupe has been doing
shows in and around Eugene for
five years, playing venues ranging
from the Robinson Theatre to Char
lie’s Comedy Club with general
success.
“We have a strong cult follow
ing,” Kirsten Schmieding said.
Tyler Boeh, another member,
added that audience reception can
be a mixed bag.
“People either like it or are terri
fied,” he said.
Members of the troupe, many of
whom act in scripted shows at the
University, said that improvisation
al work can help them become bet
ter actors.
“I started improv to help with my
scripted work, and it really paid
off,” Luke Hamilton said. “I can re
ally see a difference.”
A large part of the Absolute Im
prov show is picking “volunteers”
from the audience and having them
act out on stage.
“Sometimes we have to force
them to speak,” Schmieding said
with a chuckle.
Don’t take my fear of thinking on
my feet as indicative of the general
improv experience. Improvisation
al comedy is fantastic to watch, and
— who knows? — you may even
have a good time on-stage.
In regard to my experiences with
improv, I eventually got up in front
of the audience enough times that
my terror boiled away, leaving only
a vague sense of enjoyment. Soon, I
didn’t even mind getting picked
out of the audience.
Absolute Improv will be per
forming at the Robinson Theatre
Sept. 29-30, and tickets are now
available at the EMU ticket office.
Tickets are $5 for University stu
dents, $8 for seniors and University
faculty and staff and $10 for the
general public. Doors open at 8
p.m.