Re(turn) to /Re(cap) of /Re(covery) from TCIF

The Twin Cities Improv Festival was a great success, again. I want to tip my hat to Five Man Job, Jill Bernard, the staff at the BNW, and all the improvisers who put great effort into making this past weekend a memorable event.

I was fortunate enough to be apart of it all as a performer with Larynx, Stevie Ray's, and as an audience member.

Our Larynx set, with out a doubt, had to be our strongest to date. After a couple of rough rehearsals before show time, we managed to pull a strong set that opened the TCIF festival. Needless to say, I was very proud of the product we put up. Both Dave Kappellhoff and Josh Eakright were on their game, and i felt like we hit the sweet spot of improvising. A big part of that success also came from the keys that underscored us, graciously provided by Jen Scott. Her talent really helped us shine and push into some new areas. Thanks to the three of them for giving me an improvisational high to kick off the festival.

The Stevie Ray's set came an hour later, and was just as fun. I hung back a little more in this set, mostly due to still trying to come off my ride with Larynx. Without naming all the performers, everyone on the team brought some strong scenes to present what a fun, funny, and professional troupe that we are. Stevie had the crowd from the start and before we knew it, it was over. As always, Michael Erickson provided the keys which is a strong backbone to our success. Thanks you guys for making my lack of jumping less noticeable by your ownership of stage.

The rest of the weekend felt like a blur of improvisation. Some highlights for me...
SCRAM, amazing for the depth of characters. Five Man Job, bringing a real sensibility of play. Pimprov for the over the top characters. Brave New Workshop for screwing with each other. Bassprov for experiencing the nuances. Neutrino for making it look easy. Mustache Rangers for the range of patience. Lastly, Buddy Daddy, just for the cuteness of a dog(come on, a puppy on stage, you cant lose).

The after party at the CC Club on Saturday was great as well. Was nice to meet so many other players, and catch up with friends. It felt like a rare chance to have our improv community together to bond. I think it is something we should strive to happen more outside of a festival. Maybe a quarterly party for Twin Cities Improvisers?? Maybe that is an undertaking to consider. Ill make note of it.

Lastly, i want to thank Vitamin Water. Not only was it provided free to us by Coke, but it was awesome to have a product become the inside joke for the whole festival. Way to go sugar water.