Who Prov - one piece of chocolate

Improv is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get. Each wrapped very similar, tasting different. Today I stumbled on a good piece. You treat it as your last one you will ever bite into, because you never know when the next delightful one will come. Could be the next piece. Could be the next box. Could be . . .

Who Prov tonight was splendid. A good piece of Doctor Who in the center, with the outer coating of improv one could only imagine. They were short staffed with actors this time because of the holiday. That did not slow them down. And when you thought that might have slowed it down, the effect was funnier.

Laura (I hope) - The Guest Travelor

Tonight's episode given to us by - Laura! (above photo - hopefully I have the correct person and name).  Improv is more difficult than the general public realizes. To pull it off takes a lot of "time in the saddle" by the actors. Nothing is rehearsed. There is not a script. It is all fly by the seat of the pants, fresh off the mouth of an audience member like Laura. It is so raw it will either stink, or gel. With the proper training, like at The Second City, it will never stink. (Okay, a writer may never end a sentence with the work Stink. I have. I do not claim to be a writer.)

Also realize that audience feedback is important to the improvs. By that I mean, they cannot see us grinning ear-to-ear because of the bright stage lights. They may be able to see a few fleeting moments of an audience expression of the front stage row. They may hear a couple positive comments from further back. What they do need to hear is us clap, laugh, boo (in good taste), enjoy what ever tickles us during the improv. This will only help to improve your improv experience.

"I don't follow rules . . . I make them." A few in the audience got it because this was the line (or close to it) in the Doctor Who Christmas special. A couple of laughs did come from that.

Just found this next one funny.

Okay, the photography was way out of the light balance range, so I converted to black and white . . .

The Doctor was changed into a frog. His voice could be heard. Worked well when there was only one person on stage . . .

With more people on stage, and no visual on who is doing what, it makes it hard to improv from behind the wall. So with her special glasses on, Laura was able to see the doctor in both real life and in the temporary converted frog form. Amazing how improvs work themselves back into a recurring scene. Gotta love it!

Okay, switching back to black and white because of the red stage lighting after the show. Red light and imaging do not work well together.

This was nearly a sold out show. Next week, January 3rd, is the closing night for Who Prov. I do expect a sold out show. If you have been wanting to go, this is you last chance, so click "here" to buy your tickets now. (Only $13 each.) Please, please, please, show your appreciation of Doctor Who and this Improv team by dressing up in your most happy Doctor Who costume this last Friday!!!!!

An observation I have made of Doctor Who (new series), is it has attracted the younger generation again. As I mentioned in a conversation with Ray Vlcek, yes the original series did with out generation, however, I think to have continued the original series would have been the death of Doctor Who. The new series has made it okay, even proud, to be a geeky, nerdy, in liking Doctor Who. The new series has brought the glory of Doctor Who to the new life styles of this generation of young adults. Yes, I will always cherish the original series. That is me. My upbringing. My history. It is what defines me. I have met many of the actors from the original series and feel connected to them, the actors, their art. I have even met a couple from the new series. Oh, and actors, producers of Doctor Who audios at Big Finish too!

There is brilliance in the creation and acting in the new series. I never had a favorite Doctor. Perhaps swaying towards David Tennant when he became the Doctor. Not considering Matt Smith when he became the Doctor. Now Matt Smith hands down. Matt Smith grew as a person on the show. The audience grew with him. He made such a deep connection with all of us, in many different ways. The Doctor is one. Each is remembered. Good bye Raggedy Man. I would not have ended it any other way. (Thanks to BBC One as well.)

Why do I bring this up? Okay, I will tell you, so open you eyes and listen (get it?). These actors of Who Prov are no different than the actors of Doctor Who. In the improv case, each improv they show their new characters and personas and develop them on-the-spot. The actors of Doctor Who keep building on their persona, many times over, each time they are on set. Both exerting their energy to provide us their version of Doctor Who. Both very deserving of our recognition.

Hope you enjoyed the blog!

Who Prov

This Coming Friday at 7:30

January 3, 2014

(closing performance)

Donny's Skybox

1608 N Wells St.

Chicago, IL 60610

(312) 337-3992

$13 for tickets

The Second City

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You can check out my Chicago Tardis 2013 blog by clicking "here".  Who Prov was there!!!

For more happenings around Chicago, check out . . .

Chicago Comedy Tonight

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