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ON THE SPOT: Instant Theatre performing at the Stumptown Improv Festival 2014.
Even after a successful first year, the Stumptown Improv Festival is still working overtime to convince Portlanders what improv isn't—a self-indulgent form of expression that solely occurs at sparsely attended comedy venues, hosting weirdly outgoing class clowns from the nearest liberal arts college.
Because, let's be honest, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of improv comedy is probably Whose Line Is it Anyway?, the tag-team, shout-and-react show. But our locally sourced improv showcase is a better brew.
"Improvisers are starting to move beyond simply thinking, 'I'm following the rules of improv. I'm all good,' to performing shows that question, 'How can this be more dynamic, smarter and funnier?'" says Jed Arkley, a member of local group Whiskey Tango, which founded the festival last year with partners Leon Anderson and Erin Jean O'Regan.
Improv has proven to be the slowest of the comedy scenes to catch fire, but that doesn't mean it isn't burning somewhere. Portland has been quietly hosting weekly showdowns like Friday Night Fights at Curious Comedy Theater and open nights at most local comedy hangouts, where performers—old and new—test their fresh and improved acts.
It doesn't take long to be convinced that the scene doesn't solely consist of boring "give me a word" jokes. Just look to local duo Bang Burn, fronted by longtime improv greats John Breen and Beau Brousseau. The pair improvises a new episode of a spy action thriller nightly, acting out an endlessly entertaining cast of made-up characters, explosions and Bruce Willises.
"I feel like Portland's improv scene is in third gear at 5,500 rpm, we're running on all cylinders and when we shift into that next gear, watch out," says Anderson, "The scene here is growing in size, and it's becoming more and more mature.â
This year, Anderson, Arkley and O'Regan have lined up 18 groups, a list of powerhouse locals that sound like Salt & Straw's new monthly menu—Bang Burn, Peachy Chicken, Whiskey Tango—along with Magnet Theater and North Coast from New York, and others from Seattle, L.A. and Minneapolis.
Importing high-level improv groups as competition will be a good thing for everyone, organizers hope. "We knew that the bar would be higher this year," says Peachy Chicken cast member Bill Cernansky, "We worked really hard to be able to show something new, something we hadn't tried before." Portland's homegrown talent is ready for that next gear. "The best we have to offer contends with the best of any city," says Bang Burn's Brousseau.
Portland's underground improv scene is simmering, and this year's Stumptown is slated to set a new high watermark. For local performers like Cernansky, this means a lot.
"Improv brought my wife and me closer together. It made me a better father and husband. It's brought me friends that I treasure. But most importantly, it gives me the chance to be a talking armadillo sheriff," he says, "What's better than that?"
SEE IT: The Stumptown Improv Festival is at Miracle Theater, 525 SE Stark St. Shows at 7:30 and 9:30 pm Thursday and 7, 8:30 and 10 pm Friday-Saturday, Aug. 13-15. $16 single show, $80 festival pass. stumptownimprov.com.
Willamette Week