Remember that song?  (I’ve attached it at the bottom of this post for your enjoyment.)  That kid in that song was NOT having a good time at camp.  Kinda like this kid:

Or maybe this kid, who obviously went to some rad 80′s camp and left her Mall Madness board game at home:

Wouldn’t it be great if you could go to camp and not have to worry if the Ouija game is real?  Or go to camp and not have to plod around with the worst case of poison ivy the infirmary has ever seen?  Wouldn’t it be great if summer camp was….I don’t know…FUN?

ComedySportz Indianapolis has a summer camp.  One week, one big goal:  LAUGHTER.  Want your kid to gain some confidence?  Cool, we can do that.  What him or her to make some new friends?  Yup, that will happen.  How about some performance skills on top of it, wouldn’t that be neato?  Look no further.

I (Claire, the writer of this blog) am the instructor for both the middle school camp and the high school camp.  They are two of my favorite weeks of the year.  Introducing young whippersnappers to the art of improv in a fun, laid-back environment?  With AIR CONDITIONING??  Yes please.  Check these groups out from last summer:

Middle School Campers 2012

High School Campers 2012

At the end of the week, campers put their new skills to use and perform in a show for their friends and families.  It’s no archery competition or basket weaving contest, but it’s lots of scenes and singing and rapping and jokes and bits on the spot, which I believe trumps camp crafts anyday.

Find info about the middle school camp here!  Dates are June 24th – 28th!

Find info about the high school camp here! Dates are July 15th – 19th!

While your kid is away at camp, you might get a letter like this:

An actual* letter from a camper!
*not true

Don’t worry about why your kid is writing you a letter from a camp that meets for half-days.  Just be glad he or she is trying something new this summer!

Give me a call at (317) 951-8499 or sign up at www.indycomedysportz.com.  I look forward to hearing from you!

One of my favorite things to do as a ComedySportz Indianapolis improviser is to do what we call “remotes“.  These are also called “road shows”.  Basically, they’re any match we do that’s not in our theatre.  Some of them take place down the street, some across town, and sometimes across state lines!  Remote shows are unpredictable and fun, because you never know what kind of crowd will be there, how they’ll respond, or how much space you’ll have.  They’re also a great opportunity to get to know your fellow CSz members and make some ridiculous memories.

A favorite moment:

-A few of us did a CSz match for a group of tourists in Bradford Woods.  I remember it being very quiet, because not only were we outside, where the sound of cheering doesn’t echo, but we were in the middle of the forest.  And interesting look at the extra energy we bring to a match with less-than-ideal (albeit beautiful) location.

I asked some CSzers to share some of their favorite remote stories.

From Allie Vollmer:  “Probably the remote with Camp Bluebird in Mooresville, which was a day-camp for adults with cancer. Everyone was participating and having fun, and afterwards a lot of people told us how nice it was to laugh and have fun like that with other people going through that battle. Almost everyone wanted to come up and talk to us after the show. They sent us a lovely card afterwards and thanked us for our time. It was a lot of fun.”

From Chad Woodward: “We did a remote in Paducah, Kentucky – this family stopped to tell us how nice it was to have their son engaging and giving suggestions. He had some learning development issues, and she was surprised that he was so participatory.”

From Jarrod Reid:  “My favorite remote story comes from a trip I made with Mookie and Woody for a Burn Camp about 5 years ago now. It was a little intimidating, not knowing what to expect, but the kids were wonderful and we had a great time. I was sent out for Five Thingz and was sent with a “Loyal Fan” who was probably about 8 or 9 and she and I chatted for a little bit – she was asking me about improv and what we did and was just a joy – it made me very proud to help bring some laughter. And I benefited, too.”

And one more from me.  We played a huge church gig about two years ago on the far north side of town.  It was a full match, so there were a lot of us, and our hosts from the church could not have been more welcoming.  They absolutely loved the performance, made us feel like rock stars, and then we had a Q & A session afterward, where they asked about what we do and why we love it.  It was so refreshing; we spend so much energy up on the field performing, and then we usually just leave in a whirlwind, with our audience going, “what was that?”  So it was great to be able to share our improv love with them.

The best part of all?  We left with a tub of homemade brownies they baked for us.

And just like that, we were on the road again.

ComedySportz Indianapolis

Contact:  Claire Wilcher                                                                                      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tel. 317-951-8499

Email:  claire@indycomedysportz.com

COMEDYSPORTZ THEATRE TO PREMIER IMPROVISED MUSICAL

The Friday late-night show at The ComedySportz Theatre is turning into a Broadway-meets-improv evening.  The 10:00 PM slot, rotating shows reserved for ages 17 and up, will play host to a brand new series called “AMUSE-ical:  The Improvised Musical.”  Produced by Way Cool Productions, Inc., the company that produces ComedySportz Indianapolis, the show opens March 8^th and runs through April 5^th.

“AMUSE-ical” will be a two-act production that is completely improvised.  Performers will take one suggestion from the audience, which result in a full-fledged 75-minute spectacle that is made up on the spot.  Throughout its five-week run, “AMUSE-ical” will feature Encore Award winner Michael Davis on piano, award-winning improvisers Rick Randjelovic, Ed Trout, Claire Wilcher, and other favorite ComedySportz performers.

“ComedySportz Indianapolis has so much musical talent in its company of players, it makes perfect sense to channel it into this format,” says Michael Davis, Music Director. “We are all so excited to be able to stretch ourselves as improvisers and really do something fresh and unique for Indianapolis audiences.”

Tickets are $14.00 and can be purchased by calling (317) 951-8499 or visiting www.indycomedysportz.com.

ABOUT COMEDYSPORTZ INDIANAPOLIS

Now in its 21st year, and as the 2011 World Comedy League Champions, ComedySportz is Indy’s only professional improvisational comedy theatre.  A member of the World Comedy League, ComedySportz Indianapolis is located in The ComedySportz Theatre in the Massachusetts Avenue Arts and Theatre District. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, ComedySportz Indianapolis presents all-ages improvisational comedy matches where two teams battle for laughs and points as they make up scenes, games, and songs on the spot.

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If you’d like more information, please contact Claire Wilcher at 317-951-8499 or claire@indycomedysportz.com

Now ask me how many pairs of high heels I have.

Maybe three?  And I probably wear two of them.  And by that I mean two shoes, a right and a left.  Listen, I just don’t like my feet hurting me.  They carry my body around on top of them all day long.  And yes, they are hot-lookin’ and can really dress up one of my many CSz t-shirts, but no matter how dressed up I am, I’m not gonna look glamorous and fab if I’m hobbling around like Willy Wonka before he does that somersault trick outside his factory.   I always said if I was granted three frivolous wishes (meaning I wasn’t allowed to wish for world peace and stuff), I would wish for 1) to be able to sleep anywhere and be comfortable, 2) to be able to do that rock-n-roll jump where you land in the splits, and 3) for every pair of high heels to feel like sneakers.

Three pretty great wishes, if you ask me.

Remember when this happened?

When Kristen Stewart wore sneakers with her evening gown on the red carpet and everyone got upset?  See, this is why I can’t 100% hate on Kristen Stewart.  I feel this.  This is my jam. Comfy shoes could mean the difference between me pouting about my stabby feet and cutting a might fine rug on a dance floor.  YOU GO, BELLA SWAN!

So what is my point, exactly?  My point is soon I will have to make some sort of important footwear decision.  You see, ComedySportz Indianapolis is celebrating its 20-year anniversary with a big gala at the Athenaeum on February 9th.  See below:

It’s a big fancy night out with a red carpet, cocktails, formal dresses, tuxes, etc.  (You can buy tickets here.) The public is invited, there’s an all-star CSz match and we’re all gonna have a fantastic time.

And people, the discussions are heating up.  Our Facebook group is full of questions about dresses, hemlines, sequins, tux or no tux, date or no date, etc. I have a fancy dress.  I feel pretty in it.  I have a plus one.  That’s nice.  And it will be a fabulous night full of friends and laughter and food and family and oh-my-gosh-my-feet-are-going-to-be-killing-me.

I’m nervous about the shoes.  Not the improvising.  Not the awards ceremony.  Or rapping onstage with Jon Colby.  The shoes.

I’ve received no less than four text messages today showing me shoe options from Mia, one of our owners.  They’re all really pretty, and they’re all out to murder my pinky toes.

How do women do it?

I’m seriously thinking of bedazzling a pair of sneakers I already have.  Or jazzing up a sandal the way Clair Huxtable did when she broke her toe and still had to look fab for a night out with Dr. Huxtable.  Remember that?

If I remember correctly, in that episode, Clair had a cane.

Which I will need if I wear heels.

Can you bedazzle a cane?  …I’ve got work to do.

TAKE ME TO THE PICTURES! ]]> http://indycomedysportz.com/csz/2013/02/06/20th-anniversary-gala/feed/ 0 http://indycomedysportz.com/csz/2013/01/07/will-you-marry-me/ http://indycomedysportz.com/csz/2013/01/07/will-you-marry-me/#comments Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:41:37 +0000 clur http://indycomedysportz.com/csz/?p=346139 The time:  New Year’s Eve.

The place:  The 7:30 ComedySportz match at the Athenaeum.

The plot:  Our stage manager, Denise, hands over a note from a Loyal Fan (we’ll call him Man on Knee) who would like us to pull his girlfriend (we’ll call her Lucky Lady) up on stage.  The instructions are for us to “give her a hard time.”

(Now this happens a lot at ComedySportz matches.  Folks will call in and tell us, “It’s _____’s birthday.  Make sure you give him a hard time.” We’ll do our best to either point out the celebration, sing a birthday song, and sometimes pull a volunteer onto the field to participate in a game.  But rarely do we give people a hard time.  We want them to be comfy.)

But then came further intentions from Denise and Tracy, who took the note in the first place:  Man on Knee wanted to propose to Lucky Lady.  So we were not only encouraged to give her a hard time, but we had to get them both up on the field so he could propose in front of 200 people.  Would we do it?  Of course!  Challenge accepted.

So as a group, we decided to play the game of Casanova.  It works like this:  audience volunteers sit center stage, with the red team lined up on one side of them, and the blue team lined up on the other.  Each team then delivers a pick-up line based on an audience suggestion, one word at a time.  (Example.  Suggestion is Play-Doh. Red team delivers: “Go. Ahead. Baby. Make. My. Clay.” Blue team delivers: “Girl. I. Am. Putty. In. Your. Hands.”)  Then the volunteers choose which team was more convincing.  Ref Rick planned to ask for a couple from the audience who would be willing to play a game up on stage.  We devised a plan to play a few rounds, and then on round three, either Todd or I (the captains) would challenge Man on Knee to do a better job of “picking up” Lucky Lady, and that would be Man on Knee’s cue to sweep Lady off her feet into Forever Land.

The problem:  we didn’t know what Man on Knee or Lucky Lady looked like; we only knew their table number.  Luckily, their table was down front.  Unluckily, there were two couples sitting at the table.  Hmm.  Okay then, since Man on Knee is in on this, he should kinda take the lead and volunteer himself and his Lucky Lady, right?  Right?  Well…

The time for the game arrived.  Ref Rick planted himself close to the table in question, and asked for a couple.  Table 7 didn’t make a peep.  A few people in the back of the room raised their hands, but NO!  We couldn’t pick those people!  Rick asked again.  Silence.  It was getting weird. One of the young women at the table pointed out the couple sitting with her.  Great!  I jumped on it and said, “Oh, this woman is pointing out this couple.” We all assumed that she had pointed out the soon-to-be-engaged couple!

They come up on stage, sit down, and introduce themselves.  Their names are not Man on Knee and Lucky Lady.

And time stops for a moment when all eight players and one ref silently realize that this is not the couple.  Lucky Lady, having no idea what was going on, volunteered her friends!  We CSzers, having no idea what was going on, assumed that these were the right people!  We then commenced to talking to each other, out of the sides of our mouths, lips barely moving, “This isn’t the couple.  Wrong people. What do we do?” all the while laughing and joking with the WRONG COUPLE.

Ref Rick played it cool.  He played a few rounds with the couple onstage, then announced, “And now let’s get another couple!”  He ushered the wrong ones off, and he basically demanded the other couple from Table 7 join us onstage.  We breathed a sigh of relief.  This was the right couple! We played a couple of rounds, and after a few jokes, Todd challenged Man on Knee accordingly…

….and then waited….

….and waited…

Finally, Man on Knee asked for Todd’s gold jacket.  Todd gave it up to him.  I took off my gold spangled sweater and gave it to Lucky Lady.  And after pacing a bit, Man on Knee got down on said knee and pulled out a ring.  Lucky Lady was completely blindsided.  She said yes with no hesitation.  And the place went nuts.

Hard time?  Ha.  More like fantastic time.  Happy New Year, everyone!

This will be a holiday themed ComedySportz match with a countdown to the New Year at the end.   We will have an early match at 7:30 and a late match at 10:30.   Both matches are appropriate for all ages!    There will be a cash bar available and a limited appetizer and sandwich menu will be available from the Rathskeller.

We will supply the party hats and noise makers!   You bring suggestions and friends and family!

For Tickets call:  317-951-8499 or purchase online at www.indycomedysportz.com

“Happy New Year, Dad!!” *Noisemakers making noise*

“…wha…?  Happy New Yezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz….”

“Dad?….Dad?….Wake up!” *Oh sweet new year, the noisemakers again*

No way!  Not this year!  CSz Indy is taking the show down Mass Ave to the Athenaeum for a huge New Year’s Eve night out!  Two shows on December 31^st will ring in the new year with super-sized fun in a super-sized theatre.  The 7:30 performance will end with a countdown to 9:00pm.  It may not be midnight in Indy yet, but it’s midnight in Greenland, so we’re celebrating for that country!  Then the SUPER SWEET 10:30 show will end with a countdown to midnight!  Both shows include a show, hats, noisemakers, and a sparkling juice toast!  Not into the juice? There’s a bar available so you can clink your glasses the boozy way.

Just call the theatre at (317) 951-8499 or go to our website to order seats.  Tickets are $15.00 for students and seniors, $20.00 for adults!  See you there!

You know you wanna come party with us. Like it’s 2013. Because it will be.

Oh, I want to take Bean Bunny home with me!  I know he’s just cloth and a hand, but he wouldn’t have to be so cold in the trash heap if he just….okay, okay, I’ll stop.

Just like the many film versions of the classic story, Indianapolis is teeming with interpretations of “A Christmas Carol”, and all of them lovely and touching and filled with rich emotional swells.

Well…every one of them…except the one playing at The ComedySportz Theatre on Fridays throughout the holiday season.

Sure, ComedySportz is known for its fast and furious, all-ages improv comedy, and has been for the last 20 years.  But between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the theater is on the naughty list with “A Christmas Carol, Unscripted.”  This late-night Friday show is the most popular of the series, where there’s no brown bag foul, no referee, and the audience provides suggestions and lines of dialogue throughout the performance.  What if Scrooge was not a moneylender, but one of those guys trying to give you lotion samples at Circle Centre Mall?  What if Tiny Tim’s illness was a constantly twitching left elbow and an affinity for shouting the word “pickles”? At “A Christmas Carol, Unscripted”, anything goes.  It’s guaranteed to be rowdy, raucous, and a little raunchy.  That’s why you’ve gotta be 17 or older to get in.

So leave the kids at home!  Bring your beer money and your creative suggestions.  We’ll see you at The ComedySportz Theatre this Friday.  Only five shows remain!  You won’t want to miss this alternative holiday tradition.