So you love improv shows and you go out to see Held2gether whenever you can, but you're sad that we never take your suggestions and you're determined to change that at Spiked! tonight? Awww. Obviously, audience suggestions are an integral part of an improv comedy show – we base all of our scenes on YOUR ideas, after all – but what's the difference between a good suggestion and one the host pretends not to hear? Well, I'll tell you. Cause that's just how I roll.
Typically, we'll ask the audience for a location, a relationship for the characters or an activity that the characters are doing, or a genre of a book, play or movie.
Let's start with location, shall we?
Host: Okay, let's get a location for these two.
Audience Member #1: Tijuana
Audience Member #2: Bathroom at Sizzler
Audience Member #3: Vampire
From these stellar choices, we're going to go with bathroom at Sizzler. Tijuana, while technically a location, is too broad. It's not quite as broad as suggesting, say, Earth, but still. What we want is a place that people can sort of visualize. Like a public restroom. Or Starbucks or a hotel lobby or a funeral home or the post office or a food truck.
Vampire is not a location, people.
Relationships are pretty easy, and I don't think we need to explain them except to say that "vampire and zombie" is not actually a relationship.
Activities are things that you do. Playing basketball, washing dishes, robbing a bank, sewing, getting dressed and gardening are examples of things you do. Television, fire truck, and vampire are not.
Genres of books, plays and movies can get tricky. I mean, there are plenty of western books and movies, but not so many western plays. But that's okay, we'll take western as a genre of a play. We've taken Epic Gangsta Romance, for pete's sake. So we're pretty lax on this one. But to help you out, I'll give you a few examples of genres: thriller, whodunit, comedy, farce, action-adventure, mystery, fairy tale, romance. Notice what's not on the list? Vampire.
See you tonight! Held2gether presents Spiked! 7 p.m., Elise's Tea Room, 3924 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach.
