Laughter by the Lake: Maritime Improv Crew Offers Up "Belly Laughs" for the Whole Family

Maritime Improv Crew, in uniform. (Publicity still)

This past week I was invited to attend a rehearsal of the Maritime Improv Crew as they prepared for their next gig, the Belly Laughs Improv Comedy Show, July 6.

The rehearsal was underway when I arrived at the Spirit of the North Theater and took a seat. Tami Siebert, of Siebert Event Consulting Management, is producer of the shows which have been a feature here for three years now.

The team was working through an initial warmup activity that appears designed to help them think on their feet. It reminded me of the routines a choir might go through to loosen their voices before a performance, or a basketball team getting ready for a big game.

Siebert explained to me how they began doing these improv shows. There are a few places in town where one can catch stand up comedy in the Twin Ports, and there have been improv shows at Teatro Zuccone for some time, but these latter  shows begin at 10:00 and while sizzling fun for the crowd they serve, it's not necessarily family fare, nor is it family friendly hours.

Warm ups.

Being aware of the need for fun comedy that is easy to be enjoyed without being too blue, or as Siebert puts it, "Wholesome comedy at a reasonable hour," led to Maritime Improv Crew.

Sharon Dixon Obst was asked to direct, but her schedule is such that it seemed imperative to have a pair of directors. Her co-director is Ted Carlson-Webster from the College of St. Scholastica who has also been active with the Rubber Chicken Theater.

"Tours here (at Fitgers) always resulted in someone saying they wish we had something like this earlier," Siebert said. "Ted and I held auditions. We wanted to do a different form of improv." Ted will be in the upcoming Dracula show later this year.

Fun and games. Fun for all.

"The size of the crew enables them to do shows when some folks are out of town," Siebert added. "The shows are once a month, which is fun, and not too much pressure."

Siebert shared how the audience gets invited to be involved so that it creates immersive experiences. “We want the audience to feel like they are part of the show. In our last show, for example, we had a six-year-old boy come up on stage and be Batman."

One of the routines the crew practiced was a game called Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? A variation of charades, one player leaves the room while all the others are assigned roles to play. When the main player returns he is told what the event is. In this case it was a bachelor party or some such thing. He had to then create the scene, identifying objects like a desk, dart board and such. The party animals knocked on the door and acted their various parts (One, for example, was Dr. Spock) while the main player guessed their identities. Correct guess, and you die. It was fun.

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?

Afterwards I connected with Sharon Obst for a few more details about the Maritime Improv Crew and what they are doing.

EN: Freud and many others have attempted to analyze humor. What is it that makes people laugh? And what is it that makes Improv especially fun?

Sharon Dixon Obst: People laugh at what makes them uncomfortable or scares them, or things that are just ridiculous. I like improv because it's unpredictable. I never know what is going to happen until it does. In that way, it mimics life. We are all improv actors, we just don't realize it.

EN: Your events are family friendly. How is it that so much standup comedy is so off-color?

SDO: We are a family friendly show. Some stand up is off color because it's easy to go for the cheap laugh by using language or situations that appeal to that part of the human experience. It's harder and smarter to stay clean. It just takes more work, but in the end, it's worth it because the humor is more cerebral. Also, with long form improv, we are more of storytellers. We have to be able to come back to the scenes we create. Keeping the scenes more realistic and clean means there is more of a through line for telling a story.

Sharon Obst (R) with Ted Carlson-Webster (L)
and a portion of their crew in the background

EN: How did you become a co-director of the Maritime Improv Crew?

SDO: Brian Matuszak contacted me about Tami looking to start an improv group to perform once a month at Fitger's. I used to perform with Renegade and Rubber Chicken and have done workshops and private performances for many years. I was intrigued by the possibility of having the opportunity to create a new experience for the area in long-form from the ground up. Since I teach full time and have other obligations, I knew I would need someone to come in as a co-director, not assistant director. I wanted to make certain that we were working together and that the cast knew we were equals, even though Ted is much younger than me. Ted grew up doing improv and has a lot of experience. So once he said he would co-lead the team, we were both in.

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 BELLY LAUGHS IMPROV COMEDY SHOW

Saturday July 6 @7 p.m.
3rd Floor Fitgers Spirit of the North Theater

TICKETS:  $15/adults, $10 students @the door
Early Bird  online tickets at Eventbrite

Maritime Improv Crew page on Facebook

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While we're on the subject of comedy

Here's a Reminder that This Thursday 

RUBBER CHICKEN THEATER 

PRESENTS

7:30 p.m. @ THE UNDERGROUND 

DETAILS HERE