Last month, the longtime Milwaukee-based improv troupe Homegrown Electric Circus said it had performed its last show. But Milwaukee continues to have a vibrant improvisational comedy scene. For instance:
- Tall Boys – featuring James Boland, Robby McGhee, Lee Rowley and Erik Koconis – performs limprov at this weekend's fundraiser for the Milwaukee Comedy Festival.
- The longstanding Midnite Show improv is venturing into prime time with an appearance Friday, April 11, at the Comedy Arcade Show.
- And, for Pete's sake, Milwaukee-grown ComedySportz is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Even with all that, Milwaukee Comedy recognizes an appetite for more Milwaukeeans to study improv, so it has been offering workshops, including a session at 6:30 p.m., Monday, April 14.
The class is $10 ond focuses on the long-form improv style known as the Harold. It's taught by Amanda Eaton, a member of the Sketch Marks comedy troupe as well as The Improvised Musical and Bye Bye Liver.
From the class description:
"Character and scene work will be a focus while building on the structure. A Harold is a style of long form improv originally developed by Del Close. In his book, Truth in Comedy, (co-written by Charna Halpern), describes a "training wheels Harold" as three acts (or "beats"), each with three scenes and a group segment. With each beat, the three scenes return. By the end of the piece, the three scenes have converged."