We're big fans of the Totally Looped improv troupe that performs every Thursday night up on Melrose in West Hollywood, in the building next to the Improv. I admit to bias: I'm friends with the director and many of his players but so what? They're still funny, still marvelously creative.
The whole field of improv comedy took an odd turn when Saturday Night Live became a smash. Around the time Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner began getting multi-million dollar movie offers, every up-'n'-coming actor in the country suddenly thought, "Aha! That's the new route to stardom." Suddenly, everyone was taking improv comedy lessons and trying to get into troupes so they could get discovered for SNL or one of its many clones. I would guess maybe 20% of those folks really got the idea of how to improvise on stage. The rest seemed to think it meant you have to quickly write your own script, which is not what improv is all about. Around 1984, I was an occasional substitute teacher for one local improv class and of the thirty or so people in the room, I think maybe three really wanted to use it as anything more than a stepping stone to Eddie Murphy's career. The whole art of improv has suffered as a result…less so in the last decade but the damage has still not been undone.
So I love to see real improv, where the performers are performing in the moment and are almost as surprised by what comes out of their mouth as is the audience. Totally Looped is real improv.
Director Vince Waldron selects video and movie clips…and I can assure you there's nothing prearranged with the cast. They have no idea what Vince has picked before they're called upon to dub in new dialogue live, right on the spot. Every time I've been to the show, there have been some amazing bits of on-the-fly brilliance. If you don't believe me, go some Thursday night. The details are over at their website.
I'm not sure this clip does justice to the show but it'll give you the idea. And if you like what you see, you'll really like seeing it in person.
