Sarasota Improv Festival 2014

Florida Studio Theater’s 6th annual Sarasota Improv Festival proved the best yet of its yearly performances of theater made up mostly on-the-spot. In general, the most experienced troupes showed that practice makes more perfect, and those who practiced a variety of short skits and games came off better than long-form practitioners. An exception to the latter was Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company, this year’s featured long-form troupe, cast from Chicago and NYC improv stars.

Sarasota’s own FST Improv led off the two days of short-form fun winningly. As usual, their hit was an interview between very experienced Darryl Knapp and Angel Parker being interpreted physically for the hearing-impaired by Christine Alexander joined by Patrick A. Jackson. A scene from a party of various characters (from Kanye West to Godzilla) supplied by the audience proved another winner.

Improv Boston used music to good effect but did even better re-creating a film, especially with Brian Agosta and Deana Criess. Both hip-hop and freestyle rap distinguished North Coast Improv, each of its talented actors moving to rhythms from a beat box. A suggested subject, peanut butter, moved them to a grocery store and somehow birds and lovers got mixed up there. But Rachel Rosenthal, Mark Martin, Douglas Widick, and Richie Alfson were particularly good at mixing.

Atlanta’s Dad’s Garage is justly acclaimed for questioning (here by Dan Triandiflou) of two people (Travis Sharp, Rene Dellefont) who answer as one. This year the three also pulled off a film-and-music festival, as did SAK Comedy Club’s Mike Carr, David Charles, Chris Dinger and Joel Warren with a song-and-dance finish.

Available Cupholders left behind their usual gal pal in Austin, TX, but Michael Joplin, Ace Manning, Bill Stern and Jeremy Sweetland got reasonably involved in long-form. They attempted a realistic play called “Don’t Stop Now” followed by a surrealistic version, but the second faltered in style and substance.

Like other troupes, Available Cupholders gave lessons during the Festival mornings, but this group stayed on to give more on July 15 and 16, along with a “15-Minute Hamlet Show” on July 18 and 19.

Villain Improv of Chicago got lost in an overlong “whatever,” and Tampa’s Dear Aunt Gertrude, hampered by a bad sound system, unconnected from its radio-show format. Big Bang Improv and Villain went on too long without being able to find conclusions, despite good moments.

An All-Play, which in previous years was a spontaneous get-together for improv among the Festival participants, became a scheduled feature ending at this year’s Festival. All 86 performers filled the Gompertz stage to act out suggestions under Will Luera’s management. It gave a chance to see some in action from troupes that were double scheduled at times. I have to say STACKED’s women excelled in participation and by their costuming, both much improved since last year.

All-Play proved that the crowds at FST’s venues were not all temporarily off-stage Festival participants and FST staff. So the Festival was truly a summertime draw of actual audiences. I attended from first to last performance and was impressed by that. I enjoyed the final sandwich buffet, especially the cupcakes!