#stfimprov

Fierce Fangirl Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Jackie over at toomuchofabooknerd where you have the opportunity to do some healthy fangirling on your blog!

Whenever you have something, anything to fangirl about – whether it be a book, TV show, music, celebrities, your pet, the universe, finding your soulmate or just a recent meal that you’ve had – Fierce Fangirl Friday is your opportunity to do so! It doesn’t matter if it’s a recent obsession of yours or something you’ve been loving for a while!

The rules are simple ones, make sure you ping back to Jackie, and whenever there is a Friday that you need to fangirl, about anything, even if it’s not what your blog is usually about, have at it.

  This week, I’m going a local.

On Tuesdays from June to August since 2004, I have had the pleasure of being an audience member of the Seacoast of New Hampshire’s Premiere Improv Comedy Troupe: Stranger than Fiction.

Recently, I’ve gotten a little bit better at taking pictures, so I’ve been snapping away capturing once in a lifetime moments in one night only performances. (with permission because I know that taking pictures of stage performances is usually a big no, but they say at the start of the show that I can take pictures, so I do.)

  Improv Comedy is wonderful, getting to watch this cast grow, and create in the last 14 seasons has been so much fun. I, personally, will never get on that stage, but watching these actors every week during the summer and once a month during the rest of the year has been a privilege.

How did I get sucked into this wonderful madness? Well, I wanted ice cream and extra credit. 17-year-old Deanna had simple needs. I kept going because it took a ridiculously long time for the ice cream promise to happen. Like 6 years. It took 6 years to get my ice cream. I just wanted free ice cream, and I ended up falling in love with watching these shows and seeing these actors do things that I can’t imagine being able to do. These actors are so quick, and it’s just so fun to watch the scene play out directly from the minds of actors to stage.

While waiting for my ice cream, the shows became a cool thing that I did with my friends. There was a huge group of us that went nearly every week. For years the only show I had ever missed was the one after Harry Potter, and the Deathly Hallows came out, and I was a little sad. I would drive down from Waterville, Maine where I was going to college to see some of the shows. I love watching these amazingly talented actors.

In recently years, the troupe has been doing some amazing themes. Like horror stories, puppets, Harry Potter (both Maurders era and 19 years later) they’ve done a show dressed as historical characters, childhood toys, and American Girl dolls. I’ve seen danger improv, space improv with a robot, a show inspired by John Hughes movies, several improvised musicals. There is just no knowing what’s going to happen when you enter the theater, but you know that you’re going to leave with sore sides and unable to really describe accurately to new people.

  Stranger than Fiction is an amazing group of people that I’ve gotten to know as a fan and in some cases as friends over the years. I can honestly never say enough about how much I adore these creative and unbelievably funny people. I have loved watching the show and actors evolve over the years.

I will never ever get on that stage except to walk across it to get my seat, but I love getting to a part of this as the weird girl in the front row that takes all the pictures. STF has become a staple in my life, and I could talk about them forever. I’m so thrilled that new summers season started this week and I can’t wait to see what else is happening this summer. The summer time is when many of us get to do a lot fun stuff that we don’t get to do during the rest of year. STF and Gishwhes are my summer staples.

Is there amazing local theater near you? Did it change your life? If you haven’t seen local theater, I highly recommend that you check out the scene near you. Who knows what treasures you will find.

Until next time Internet,

Deanna