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PBS TALK SHOW
Staging:
Two players sit downstage left or right. A third player stands just off center.
Sample MC Set Up:
We will now take a break from our Improv. We need to film a talk show and we intend to use you as our studio audience. I need the name of a book that has NEVER been written. This is PBS, but our sign language interpreter could not make it so, (Insert name of player) will be providing interpretive dance, translating for the folks at home.
Game Play:
One player interviews the other in a mock TV show. The third player acts out EVERYTHING said as movement. Alternate translating words/phrases with acting out the story. Starty small and build.
TV HOST: Introduce yourself, the name of your show, the author and their book
For 2-3 minutes TOPS, Interview the authors. Remember, you have read the book so you can say “I love it in chapter four when the dogs chased you thru the woods” rather than empty questions like “What happens in chapter four”
Wrap the interview with where can you buy the book, what’s the next book about, what are you hobbies etc
Next time I will have (Maybe name a celebrity) as my guest. Until then BYE BYE.
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ONE (minute) to FIVE (seconds)
Staging:
Two players start off stage. MC sits just off stage.
Sample MC Set Up:
OPTIONAL: We need an audience volunteer with a watch or timer on their phone. (MC can simply time the scene as well but this adds a fun element, especially for private/interactive centric shows). Your job is to let the players and audience know when ONE minute is up. Throw your hand in the air and make a loud crazy sound. Let me see you practice that. OK GO.
Game Play:
To begin, when told to start, two or more players simply perform a one-minute scene. Make Bold WHO WHERE WHAT choices. Stop when MC or volunteer calls AND SCENE.
MC will now call for the exact same scene to play again but in HALF that time, 30-seconds. Repeat this process, doing the scene in 15, 10 and finally 5 seconds.
To get audience volunteers more involved, you can kind of mess with them on their END OF SCENE performance. Have fun but don’t make them feel bad about themselves. Keep it light, silly not mean.
The Golden Hour is a new monthly variety show happening at the Broadway Comedy Club with a “New Roaring 20s” theme! Featuring comedians, musicians, and performing artists of all kinds in a fast-paced, highly entertaining show!
Click here for tickets. Check menu links for additional shows and classes live from Times Square NYC.
EMAIL for more information regarding group sales and private events: corporate team building, college humor and K12 educational outreach. Check out menu links for additional upcoming shows and classes. See live comedy tonight in NYC.
Produced and hosted by singer/songwriter Weaux, comedian Ashley Everhart, and musician/actor Dewight Braxton Jr!
Featuring musicians Annie Nirschel, comedians Maura Mazurowski, Sarah Lazarus, Michele Lim, drag performer Brandon Peterson, and burlesque performer Alice Blair in our very first performer lineup!
Weaux (pronounced “Woah!”) is a queer popstar and actor fresh off the release of his debut album, “Weaux Is Me”, which combines elegant piano pop and glittery synths with deeply personal lyrics to take you on a journey through heartbreak to self-empowerment.
In 2021, his livestream solo musical, “Weaux Is Me Live”, told the epic coming of age story behind the album, dazzling audiences around the world with an innovative combination of live music, first-person storytelling, rainbow lights, and glitter tears. Around the city, he has performed at Young Ethel’s, My Gallery NYC, Prohibition Bar, and the Broadway Comedy Club as part of Eight Is Never Enough Improv.
Weaux first began his artistic journey as an actor, graduating with his BA in Theatre Performance at Fordham University in New York City. His love for acting still shines through in his dramatic vocals and performance style.
Ashley Everhart (she/her) is a comedian, musician, and actor based in NYC.
Ashley sold out her first one-woman character show Ashley Everhart: Only Time at The Tank Theatre in 2019. Since then, she has performed regularly with The Squirrel Comedy Theatre in ‘Characters Welcome’, in their ‘Best Of’ set at The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, and in ‘Cheap Wigs’ at Under St. Mark’s Theatre. She also performs character sets regularly at Asylum NYC, Club Cumming, The Pit, The Broadway Comedy Club, and other venues. In October of 2021, she was a finalist at the Coachella Valley Comedy Festival in Palm Springs, California. She is a cast member on the sketch team Big Apartment, part of the BoogieManja Sketch Collective. Ashley co-produces and performs in The Golden Hour, a monthly variety show at the Broadway Comedy Club.
Ashley is also an accomplished saxophonist, vocalist, and acoustic guitarist, having played venues such as 54 Below, Green Room 42, Duane Park, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as well as a variety of regional theatre contracts, clubs, venues, and on numerous studio albums. She operates a private studio and has coached many of her students to elite titles and chairs in district, state, and national competitions.
Ashley holds a B.A. in Theatre Performance from Fordham University. Her commercial representation is through Baker Management. She is seeking legit representation.
Dewight Braxton Jr is a New York based actor, singer, writer and improviser who originally hails from Detroit Michigan. Dewight studied at Wayne State University where he received his B.A in theatre with a minor in Musical theatre. Prior to this, he received his Engineering degree from Ferris State University.
Since breaking into the NY scene and signing with his agency (SW ARTISTS) he has been on the Apple TV show (Dickinson), played multiple roles for NY black arts productions “lion” (the wiz), “Simba ” (Lion King jr) and “Prince Eric” (little mermaid jr) and was in a movie on Amazon prime “Anthony” (set in motion). Dewight also booked a touring show with Vital Theatre (Owen and Mzee).
International roles include “I am -original play ” (Scotland, Fringe Festival) and “Hair” (Judd u/s, ensemble–Windsor Ontario, Canada). Regional roles include Mitch Mahoney (25th annual Putnam county spelling bee), Karl the giant ( Big Fish), Dick (Christmas carol), Brucie (Sweat) and more.
Featured performer bios:
Maura Mazurowski is a writer and comedian from Virginia. Her pilot scripts have placed in multiple competitions, including Almanack Screenwriters Colony and ScreenCraft. Her acting credits include “Dopesick” and “Tapawingo,” and her short film, “On His Knees” is currently in the festival circuit. She makes funny vids on her Instagram (@maura_maz) and would love to be your friend!
SarahLazarus is an writer, actress, comedian, producer, and self described ‘bagel on a plate full of onion rolls.’ She is a graduate of the Fordham University theatre program. Born and raised in South Florida, she started acting at the age of 10 and hasn’t stopped since. She received a musical theatre scholarship at the age of 12 to attend the American Heritage School in Plantation, Florida. https://www.sarahrlazarus.com/
She hosts a comedy/pop culture podcast called ‘Wish U Were Weird’ where she interviews iconic celebrity guests and discusses everything you’ve always wanted to know more about including but not limited to drag, politics, and pop culture. These celebrities have included Bob The Drag Queen, Carole Baskin, Laura Bell Bundy, Daniel Franzese, Brittany Broski, Miz Cracker, Peppermint, Alaska Thunderf*ck, Mary Beth Barone and many others. https://wishuwereweird.buzzsprout.com/
Annie Nirschel of Sanderling is a 5 foot tall, mild mannered Sofar Sounds artist who once flew for 16 hours roundtrip to play her 25 minute set at a coffee shop in Idaho for Sofar Boise. This was early 2020.
And then, well, you know…
In lockdown, she and her real life future husband, singer-pianist Russ Stone from Austin, TX, quickly ran out of things to talk about and formed a convoluted, theatrical indie pop duo called Sanderling. They sing straight from the soul about existential angst, 90 Day Fiancé, and their diabetic cat Sully.
Originally, the two met at an open mic in Brooklyn 100 years ago and ended up playing together in Annie’s 5 piece band “Union Street” at some of the coolest New York venues like The Bitter End and Rockwood Music Hall. When the pandemic started, the two fled to Austin and formed Sanderling in Russ’s parents’ house. They livestreamed religiously, released their first single, (“Marigolds”), and are now working on their EP.
When they’re not playing music, they’re making vegan tacos and watching reality TV.
Michele Lim is a feel good stand up comedian originally from Sydney, Australia. After the past year, she now (mostly) knows the difference between uptown and downtown like a real New Yorker. Michele’s performed stand up for over 10 years, in Australia, Taiwan and San Francisco. She’s had two sold out seasons at the Sydney Comedy Festival, a sold out season at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and sold out various Fringe Festivals seasons around Australia.
Her comedy style is observational, pretty clean and a little bit quirky often featuring a rap parody or two. She prides herself in being a feel good comedian, bringing people together through laughter instead of pointing out differences and causing divisions.
This is Brandon Peterson (he/him) (aka Scorpio(they/them))’s debut to the scene of drag. He has always been fascinated by androgyny and this performance is a personification of the inner femininity he has felt his entire life but concealed until now. This story is a message to his previous mentor in middle school who rejected him for being gay. The song choice, “Cure for Me” by AURORA captures the previous hurt but also the present freedom he feels when he has the opportunity to release that feminine side from inside. His/their goal is to spread kindness and love and acceptance wherever this journey may take him/them. Thank you for attending and he/they hope you enjoy the show!
Alice Blair is by day an innocent little healthcare worker, by night…. a singer, actress, dancer, burlesque performer, sword fighter, archer, and apothecary. She has an old soul and a childish heart. She loves strange friends and friendly strangers.
Join us Mother’s Day 2022 featuring an all funny ladies cast, hosted by Ivana Mendez (TV credits include playing Marty Freeman’s daughter on StartUp, additional TV, Film and theater in NYC & Puerto Rico) With Andrea Hernandez Mieres, Izzy Saks and Kourtni Beebe.
Check menu links for additional upcoming shows and classes
EMAIL for more information regarding group sales and private events: corporate team building, college humor and K12 educational outreach. Check out menu links for additional upcoming shows and classes. See live comedy tonight in NYC.
Since 2002 the troupe has delivered 7000+ shows to audiences Nationwide with their unique brand of fast paced, quick witted short form improvisation.
TAXI – YO!!!
Think Theater Sports (Comedy Sportz/Whose Line Is It Anyway) but more of an Off-Broadway Musical Sketch Comedy Revue (For example: “Forbidden Broadway”, “Newsical”, “I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change”) with flavors of MTV & Comedy Central.
Scroll down on this embedded ticketing form to the desired show date and then click TICKETS
Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ivana Méndez has been acting since she was negative 12 months old. Credits: Off-Broadway- Everything No One Should Know, Press Play. Film/TV: Start-Up (SONY Crackle), Wrecked (TBS), etc. Puerto Rico: High School Musical, Diary of Anne Frank, El Condominio, and other spanish titled plays. Proud member of SAG-AFTRA. Pace University BFA. She would like to thank her family, friends, and El Pollo Mendez.
Ivana Mendez as Marty Freeman’s daughter on STARTUP.
Andrea Hernandez Mieres
Andrea Hernandez Mieres, Member since 2019, is a Mexican & Spanish singer, actress and dancer. Originally from Mexico City where she debuted professionally on the Musical Theater scene in the Mexican Broadway versions of The Fiddler on the Roof and The Scarlet Pimpernel. Recent AMDA NY graduate, Andrea is venturing on the New York City scene. Andrea will be the head counselor this Summer at our camp and regularly teaches comedy, theater and music at our classes.
Izzy Saks
Izzy Saks is a singer, actress, AMDA alumni, and live streamer. She has been with the 8 Is Never Enough group since 2019, shortly before graduating college for musical theatre. She hopes you enjoy watching her perform, and if you don’t, she hopes you keep that opinion to yourself.
Kourtni Beebe
She was born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma. After receiving her BFA in Acting from Oklahoma City University, she moved straight to NYC. She’s studied improv and sketch writing at UCB and The PIT and now also appears regularly at the Magnet.
She loves doing improv with her indie team, See Harold Run. She also has a fun sketch series called, “Friends After Fat Camp,” on YouTube that she’s currently working on. Go check it out! Kourtni’s also on another sketch team at The PIT with her BoogieManja team, 17:38, that performs monthly at The PIT Loft.
Kourtni’s worked on different productions around the city with Above Average, Comedy Central, NBC, and more.
When she’s not performing, Kourtni can be seen around the city, asking random people if she can pet their dog.
PS How cool is it that Kourtni has a MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE WIKI PAGE CLICK HERE
Kourtni Nicole Beebe portrayed a to-be-confirmed character (Season 3 Girl on a date in Park while DD chats with priest) in Daredevil.[1]
EMAIL for more info regarding private events: corporate team building, college humor, k12 educational outreach. Shows, classes, workshops and professional develop.
ABCs or Alphabet
Staging:
Two players start off stage.
Sample MC Set Up:
Our next game will challenge our players to 1st grade Language Arts as they do a scene with each player starting their line with the next letter of the alphabet. All we need to start is (location, household object, relationship, etc) AND What’s your name? (Point to audience guest) OK we will start with the letter (first letter of their name)
Game Play:
For beginning teams it may be easiest to start on the letter A.
Player ONE: Alright, I need to get your opinion on something
Player TWO: Bring it on, I’m here to help, mom.
Player THREE: Can you tell me if this looks infected?
Player FOUR: Dogs have better feet after a run in the park.
Continue until you get to Z. If not starting on the letter A, continue on to A, B, C after Z.
Help yourself out and orient yourself to words for the more difficult letters – Q, X, Y, Z.
Ready for a challenge and/or want to make a longer scene? Try going backwards, Z, Y, X, W etc.
Don’t forget to make strong WHO WHERE WHAT choices. And there are NO mistakes. Messing up is fun in this game.
EMAIL for more info regarding private events: corporate team building, college humor, k12 educational outreach. Shows, classes, workshops and professional develop.
FORWARD / REVERSE
Staging:
Two players start off stage. MC sits downstage left or right.
Sample MC Set Up:
I have the remote control and will be in charge of how the next scene progresses. My Remote Control allows me to play the scene forward, reverse, and a number of other functions. Give me a location with a lot of activity.
Game Play:
MC starts the scene with the words PLAY or FORWARD. Usually just one player starts. Make HUGE BOLD physical choices. As dialogue goes, LESS IS MORE for this game.
Whenever MC says FORWARD, play the scene normally.
REVERSE makes the players play the scene backwards. You don’t have to say words of a sentence backwards, however that is an option.
Other commands might be SLOW MOTION, PAUSE, FAST FORWARD, etc. have fun and get creative.
We also have an SAP button on our remote and will say, NOW do the scene in Spanish, backwards in French, etc
Columns is one of four to five interactive improv scene games we use in almost every performance of our signature show off-Broadway and at private events.
Check menu links for upcoming Improv Comedy shows and classes LIVE from times Square and touring nationwide. NOW Available worldwide via zoom as well.
EMAIL for more info regarding private events: corporate team building, college humor, k12 educational outreach. Shows, classes, workshops and professional develop.
Columns AKA Human Mad Libs, Call’Ems
Staging:
Set up one two chairs at both the downstage corners for two to four audience volunteers. Players start off stage.
Sample MC Set Up:
For this next game we two audience volunteers. Have you played the Mad Libs games/books, where you fill in the blanks with nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc? Well this is HUMAN MAD LIBS. When our players point at you, simply shout out the first word or phrase that comes to mind, and they will use it in the scene. (Often we demonstrate, giving volunteers practice time). All we need to start is (location, household object, relationship, etc)
Game Play:
Start the scene with strong WHO WHERE WHAT choices. Give each player 2-3 lines of dialogue before jumping into the gimmick of this game.
Then start to use your COLUMNS to fill in the blank. Don’t ask questions, instead lead your helpers. Point and make eye contact.
“I just came back from the ________”
“I need to buy a __________”
“Please help me _________”
“Oh know coming right towards us is a very hungry ____________”
They are often not a trained speaker/performer, so repeat everything the COLUMN says. This also gives you an extra second to process. YES AND and JUSTIFY the offer before passing back to your scene partner.
VARIATION: CALL ‘EMS Instead of volunteers on stage, players can point to ANYONE in the audience.
EMAIL for more info regarding private events: corporate team building, college humor, k12 educational outreach. Shows, classes, workshops and professional develop.
SOUND EFFECTS
Staging:
Set up one or two microphones and two chairs downstage left or right. Start scene off stage.
Sample MC Set Up:
We need two audience volunteers for the next game. In this game you will support our players by providing sound effects based on their words and actions, making this tiny little stage into a big action movie. (Give Volunteers Practice Examples, then assign each to one of the players)
Game Play:
Start the scene with strong WHO WHERE WHAT choices. You never know what you will get from your helpers. Rarely is it perfect. Expect too much or too little. So focus on great scene work rather than over-playing the gimmick.
You may need to lead the helpers a bit.
“Let me open this big heavy squeaking door”
“That’s a very angry dog barking at me”
“Jump on the back of my motorcycle and let’s run form the dinosaur”
This is an easy game but takes some practice to focus while dealing with less than great helpers.
Switch is one of our favorite games at New York Improv Theater and is part of almost every show we do. The MC and players create a funny, detail rich fast paced comedy with a very simple gimmick that allows amazing Improvisation scene work.
Check menu links for upcoming Improv Comedy shows and classes LIVE from times Square and touring nationwide. NOW Available worldwide via zoom as well.
EMAIL for more info regarding private events: corporate team building, college humor, k12 educational outreach. Shows, classes, workshops and professional develop.
Switch
Staging:
Blank stage, two or more players perform a scene. Anything goes. We recommend starting off stage and entering in character.
Sample MC Set Up:
For this game, give us your favorite book – maybe the last one you read, or even a favorite children’s story or fairy tale. Every time I yell SWITCH, the performers will switch you the last word, phrase or other aspect of their performance.
Game Play:
Let the players establish WHO WHERE WHAT before starting the gimmick. MC will then begin to yell SWITCH. Player has full discretion to change the last word, phrase, inflection and/or movement that was just previously offered.
MC can choose to offer a specific SWITCH -SWITCH Character voice, SWITCH Dance, SWITCH pathetic excuse, SWITCH reaction etc.
MAGIC THREE – we recommend calling SWITCH twice most of the time. This sets up a perfect MAGIC THREE. Then call SWITCH once or ten times. After establishing the rhythm of THREE, the change will be jarring to fun effects.
NYC Improv Comedy Show & Pizza Party is OUR MOST POPULAR PACKAGE!!!!! Looking for a fun inexpensive outing for your school, office and / or family? Then our NYC Improv Comedy Show & Pizza Party package is for you.
Check menu for upcoming public shows & classes in Times Square, touring nationwide and worldwide via virtual programming.
EMAIL us for group sales and private session requests – team building, family/friend sessions, college comedy, k12 educational outreach.
NYC Improv Comedy Show & Pizza Party
ALMOST DAILY we host day time events at our Times Square/Hells Kitchen Area theater, just a short walk from Columbus Circle and Times Square trains and buses (one block from the Colbert Stage Door). Perfect for
Corporate Team Building
College Groups
K12 Field Trips
Professional Development for Teachers
Student / Theater Tours from around the world
Girl / Boy Scouts, YMCA, JCC, PAL, Boys & Girls Club, After School Programs, etc.
Family reunions, birthday parties etc
The two hour even starts with two hot NYC slices and a soft drink (all bottled water or optional soda/juice as per your preferences). For adult groups we also have a beer & wine menu but no additional purchase is required. 30-45 minute later, depending on size of group and service needs, we present our signature interactive musical comedy show improvised based on audience suggestions and participation. Think WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY but more NYC flavored.
2022 Rates for shows before 5pm, seven days/week.
$600 up to 20ppl, $30/additional guest
$750 up to 30ppl, $25/additional guest
$1000 up to 40ppl, $20/additional guest, Max capacity 140ppl
SMALLER GROUPS Saturday/Sundays 2:30-4:30 $300 up to 10ppl at our public shows great for birthdays, scouts etc.
CORPORATE/SCHOOL/FAMILY friendly:
95% of our shows are performed for K12 schools and corporate teams demanding a G or PG or PG13 rating, so working clean is our specialty. We focus on GREAT THEATER, never bad comedy. If you prefer a more NYC comedy club experience (R-Rated Comedy) please let us know at time of booking.
ADD A WORKSHOP
Increase educational value with an improv comedy workshop starting at just $5pp extra for non profit organizations. (Regularly priced $500/teacher up to two hours for corporate groups).
Recent events for BDO, BING, JP Morgan Chase. Other recent clients include Twitter, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Master Card and dozens of smaller firms.
Improv = SEL
Improv = Psychological Safety / Team Success
Improv = Cultural Arts: Music, Theater and more
Improv = Language Arts: Story Telling, Public Speaking
Improv = Character Building: Listening, Focus, Respect etc
Simply Playing Improv Comedy games teaches skills 1000s of books and lecture mere talk about. Simply playing these games builds creativity, critical thinking, public speaking, listening, focus, self-confidence, self-awareness etc. Skills that build better students, teams, leaders, sales and service.
New York Improv Theater 
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