#impromafia

This week we had the good fortune to have Robbie Ellis (Second City) play music for us at Double Shot in an all singing musical Maestro. While music is normally a part of the show, it’s maybe only ever a soundtrack scene, a couple of singing games, and background music in scenes. Last night nearly every scene involved singing in some way, and we were introduced to a few new games.

While not every beginner improviser loves the idea of getting up and singing, the cast we had last night totally threw themselves into it and didn’t once baulk from a challenge. I had an absolute dog of a time not having Luke and Rob do every scene together, thanks to the pool balls we use to randomise players being against me. Robbie was absolutely fantastic, super playful, and gave us heaps to work with. Our players had an amazing time and the audience seemed to enjoy the show as well.

Our weekly show is now Maestro in both halves, to ensure that it fulfils the aim of being a training show. Having the directors there helps get scenes back on track and prevents players from pulling back from where the scene is going.

A perpetual problem we have is that the audience is being too polite and scoring everything highly. I get not wanting to bruise our ego but in an elimination format it's hard to choose who to eliminate when everyone is tied at maximum points. It's very rare that you see so many excellent scenes worth five points at the start of the show. Part of MCing a Maestro is recognising when the audience is poorly calibrated and trying to get away with the lower score when it seems close. Let the audience know they can boo you when you lowball the score. Let them know it's okay to score a scene low.

So after my first scene, and fed up with the first two scenes of the show getting a five, I pulled the pen from the score keeper's hand and gave myself a 1. I didn't score the rest of my scene partners a one, they got whatever the audience chose, as it's not fair that my mischief ruins their night. I just took the one to make the point that we have to have a variety of scores. One of the directors even had to point out to the audience that it's an elimination format and we can't give everyone the same score.

I pulled the same stunt again after my second scene because there were still too many fives. Needless to say, I was eliminated after round three (even though the judges toyed with cutting me after round two, on two points compared to the 6-10 of most other players).

Go A*P*E on May 9th!

The times they are a-changing, and so are we! Our next event will be at the frankly magnificent Sacchyromeces Beer Cafe in South Brisbane. We would like to thank the Milk Factory for all of their help and support over the last year, and look forward to trying the ridiculously delicious beer selection SBC have on offer.

Our next event will be A*P*E, the 1976 shameless King-Kong rip off which was…

Last night we performed ImproMafia’s annual Iron Improviser format to a packed house of about 100 people at the Metro Arts theatre. The format’s based on Maestro/Micetro, where we start with 12-18 players and eliminate them a few at a time until we are left with a single winner.

Iron Improviser, as its name suggests, has its roots in the pageantry of Iron Chef. Winners have been crowned with Japanese sounding titles (Iron Improviser Cherry Blossom and Black Dragon are two examples), scores have been given on a scale of Ichi, Ni, San, Giant Monster Attack, competitors enter the stadium to a voice-over which uses a lot of grandiose language, and the musical score has been inspired by what you’d expect to hear on Iron Chef.

As our show fell on Friday 13th January we decided to go for a spooky tribute to classic horror films as well as some more modern classics. As MC I wore a Shaun of the Dead costume, complete with a foam cricket bat and a name badge with my own name on it! Our judges were a vampire, the grim reaper, and zombie Snow White. Our set and props guru, Scott, built a “Welcome to camp ImproMafia” sign and some tent fronts, our audience entered the theatre to theme songs from modern TV shows that drew from supernatural and teen horror themes.

After two rounds, and to take us to the break, our judges eliminated six players. Our make-up artist, Olivia, appeared from backstage dressed as the woman from the Ring films and killed the eliminated players, who dropped to the stage, dead. At half time they were made-up by Olivia to look like zombies, and came back to stage to eliminate the players at the end of the next round. The next eliminations came at the end of round 4 where I sent three players backstage, one at a time, to investigate that horrible thumping sound. The evidence of their deaths was Jim’s amputated hand being thrown from backstage, Lucy falling over with a bloody machete protruding from her midsection, and then Drew coming back on stage with fake blood pouring down his shirt from where he was clutching his neck. The final eliminations at the end of round 5 saw two players slashed by Scott, dressed as Jason Voorhees, while Drew and Lucy remained on stage from the previous round (and yes, players had to play around them).

Our winner, Brit, was crowned champion with a crown and sash before having a bucket of blood poured over her, a la Carrie. The elimination mechanisms and crowning blood had been kept secret from the players in the lead-up to the show, so everyone felt the shock of Brit being covered in fake blood, pouring over the edge of her crown and all down her front and on to the stage floor.

There were a lot of fun moments in the night. A “Pillars” game with two audience members providing random words for Jim and Taylor, two friends trapped in the wood with one threatening to eat the other. A submarine crew exploring the ocean depths and what it means to be a man in an “Oscar Winning Moment”. A scene inspired by the real life fear of last year’s winner, read out to the players as though it was his last will and testament. A song about falling out of love with someone because of their stinky feet. A scene featuring a puppet (from whom a leg was lost and eaten by a zombie pre-scene) suspected of defrauding Centrelink.