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Improvisational comedy was a relatively obscure art form until the mid-nineties when shows like “Quik Witz” and “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?” brought it to national attention. The practice of improvisation has been around as long as the theater, though, and enjoyed moderate success with venues like Second City and Improv Olympic (now known as simply “IO West”) entertaining and educating the masses with spontaneous brilliance. Nowadays most large cities are home to a thriving, if somewhat unknown, improv community offering classes, workshops, shows and large-scale events and Phoenix is no exception.
While you can’t find the better-known training centers such as Second City or IO West in the Valley, there is certainly no shortage of venues offering anything to suit your improv fancy. From short-form games (like the ones seen on “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?”) to longer, sustained scenes, it is all here if you just know where to look.
Bill Binder is one of the founding fathers of the improv scene in Phoenix. With a background in improv that stretches back further than a decade, Bill Binder has trained and performed with many celebrated groups such as IO West and ComedySportZ. In addition, he’s played a big part in shaping and growing the burgeoning scene; he’s partly responsible for starting many workshops teaching improv and the various aspects of the art form. One such workshop was taught at his home, focusing on musical improvisation and it eventually morphed into a successful and unique troupe of its own that does improvised 45-minute musicals at shows (please see the end of the article for information on finding shows on the troupes mentioned).
The art of improvisation is being practiced and performed multiple times a week from a collection of talented troupes, all with something different to offer. But perhaps the biggest event of the year on the improv calendar is that of The Phoenix Improv Festival (or PIF as those “in the know” refer to it). Since 2002, PIF has been held in various places in and around Central Phoenix and this year it’s returning to the Viad Center on Central Avenue and McDowell. May 10th – 13th, 2007 will bring improvisers not just from Phoenix but also from all over America and will showcase seasoned and professional players along with several youth and specialty troupes.
This year, rather than focusing on one grand scheme, PIF has another objective in mind. “We are working more closely with schools,” Binder says. The goal is to get the word out about “real improvisational theatre”. Binder also adds that they at PIF want to open the collective minds of the public to all that is “improv,” beyond what they may have seen on television.
It’s also a way to instill “local pride,” Binder states. “Nationally, Phoenix has a reputation for a certain style of improv that is unique to our town and people actually come to learn that style. So we're trying to let local audience members know about not just improv as an art form, but the very cool local scene of performers here in Arizona.”
Some of those national performers include members of the highly acclaimed Cog and the award-winning Bassprov from Chicago, both of which are on the schedule for this year’s fest. A Valley favorite, Galapagos, will also be ending their national tour in Phoenix at the 2007 festival.
“The best comedy in the country will be here in Phoenix all at once,” Binder says. And for under $20 you can watch some of the best players perform – some of which have been all over the world doing the very same kind of shows. But perhaps the best reason to catch not just the Festival but also one of the local troupes is because something unique and exciting is going on right here in town and it’s getting national attention.
“Phoenix Improv is becoming a pretty popular kind of improv around the U.S,” Bill Binder states. “If people in Boston are talking about Phoenix Improv, why not check out what's going on in your own town?”
Good question, Phoenix.
RESOURCES:
Phoenix Improv Festival ( http://www.phoeniximprovfestival.com ) - Has schedule, workshop information and a chance to purchase tickets online.
Galapagos ( http://www.galapagosimprov.com ) - Valley favorite; frequents The Trunk Space on a fairly regular basis.
The Remainders ( http://www.remaindersimprov.com ) – 45-minute improvised musical; unique and probably one of my favorite examples of local improv.
Jester’Z ( http://www.theater168.com ) - Formerly the Oxymoron’Z; family-friendly, games-based shows in south Scottsdale. Four shows weekly, Friday and Saturday, 8pm & 10pm.
While you can’t find the better-known training centers such as Second City or IO West in the Valley, there is certainly no shortage of venues offering anything to suit your improv fancy. From short-form games (like the ones seen on “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?”) to longer, sustained scenes, it is all here if you just know where to look.
Bill Binder is one of the founding fathers of the improv scene in Phoenix. With a background in improv that stretches back further than a decade, Bill Binder has trained and performed with many celebrated groups such as IO West and ComedySportZ. In addition, he’s played a big part in shaping and growing the burgeoning scene; he’s partly responsible for starting many workshops teaching improv and the various aspects of the art form. One such workshop was taught at his home, focusing on musical improvisation and it eventually morphed into a successful and unique troupe of its own that does improvised 45-minute musicals at shows (please see the end of the article for information on finding shows on the troupes mentioned).
The art of improvisation is being practiced and performed multiple times a week from a collection of talented troupes, all with something different to offer. But perhaps the biggest event of the year on the improv calendar is that of The Phoenix Improv Festival (or PIF as those “in the know” refer to it). Since 2002, PIF has been held in various places in and around Central Phoenix and this year it’s returning to the Viad Center on Central Avenue and McDowell. May 10th – 13th, 2007 will bring improvisers not just from Phoenix but also from all over America and will showcase seasoned and professional players along with several youth and specialty troupes.
This year, rather than focusing on one grand scheme, PIF has another objective in mind. “We are working more closely with schools,” Binder says. The goal is to get the word out about “real improvisational theatre”. Binder also adds that they at PIF want to open the collective minds of the public to all that is “improv,” beyond what they may have seen on television.
It’s also a way to instill “local pride,” Binder states. “Nationally, Phoenix has a reputation for a certain style of improv that is unique to our town and people actually come to learn that style. So we're trying to let local audience members know about not just improv as an art form, but the very cool local scene of performers here in Arizona.”
Some of those national performers include members of the highly acclaimed Cog and the award-winning Bassprov from Chicago, both of which are on the schedule for this year’s fest. A Valley favorite, Galapagos, will also be ending their national tour in Phoenix at the 2007 festival.
“The best comedy in the country will be here in Phoenix all at once,” Binder says. And for under $20 you can watch some of the best players perform – some of which have been all over the world doing the very same kind of shows. But perhaps the best reason to catch not just the Festival but also one of the local troupes is because something unique and exciting is going on right here in town and it’s getting national attention.
“Phoenix Improv is becoming a pretty popular kind of improv around the U.S,” Bill Binder states. “If people in Boston are talking about Phoenix Improv, why not check out what's going on in your own town?”
Good question, Phoenix.
RESOURCES:
Phoenix Improv Festival ( http://www.phoeniximprovfestival.com ) - Has schedule, workshop information and a chance to purchase tickets online.
Galapagos ( http://www.galapagosimprov.com ) - Valley favorite; frequents The Trunk Space on a fairly regular basis.
The Remainders ( http://www.remaindersimprov.com ) – 45-minute improvised musical; unique and probably one of my favorite examples of local improv.
Jester’Z ( http://www.theater168.com ) - Formerly the Oxymoron’Z; family-friendly, games-based shows in south Scottsdale. Four shows weekly, Friday and Saturday, 8pm & 10pm.
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