The Big Show

After 12 years and something like 800 performances, I may have reached the pinnacle of my improv career Friday night.

Tantrum got to perform at the annual conference of the National Collegiate Honors Council. We had a captive, energetic audience of over 1,500 people.

Our show was at The Midland, on the same stage where Jerry Seinfeld had just performed the night before.

It was the largest crowd I’ve ever entertained, and the largest and best venue I’ve ever played.



And we were ON. Just a tremendous show.

Instead of running onto a small intimate stage, we waited--music cranked--for the enormous curtain to be lifted.

Instead of entertaining a few dozen family, friends, and fellow improvisers, we were making more than 1,500 very intelligent people laugh big and laugh often.

It was quite a rush, and of course it was over too soon.

And that, in retrospect, is the bittersweet part of it. Realizing that these opportunities don’t come along very often, that we may never do such a great show for such a big room again...it’s not hyperbole to say that Friday night may have been a once-in-a-lifetime gig.

Damn, was it fun.




P.S. This happens to be my 200th post on this here blog. It took less than seven months to get through the first hundred, and almost seventeen months to get through the next hundred. Thanks to all of you who still check in, even though my output isn’t what it used to be.

Tantrum Improv Comedy with Bryn Donovan, Author of "An Experienced Mistress" - Friday @ 8pm

Date: Friday, July 16, 2010
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Westport Coffeehouse
Street: 4010 Pennsylvania
City/Town: Kansas City, MO



There's only one place to see KC's most interesting personalities live, unscripted and uncensored: the Tantrum show on Fridays at the Westport Coffeehouse. Our special guests will tell true stories based on audience suggestions, and Tantrum's team of professional improvisers will spin them into scenes.

Joining us in July:

Bryn Donovan is a poet, a writer and the newly published author of An Experienced Mistress. Her romance novel features a smart, funny painter-chick...the hot, charming ex-soldier who falls for her...and some fantastically written love scenes that make us blush if we think about them too hard. She lives in Kansas with her romantic husband and their goofy golden retrievers.

Tantrum with Bryn Donovan
Tickets: $10
Will almost certainly contain adult material.

Call 816-678-8886 for reservations.

Get to know Bryn: http://bryndonovan.blogspot.com
Get to know Tantrum: http://www.tantrumkc.com

A Very Special Tantrum: Improv Meets Bellydance, Friday, 2/12/10

This Friday, February 12th, we’re proud to present a one-of-a-kind show.

Don’t worry. Tantrum’s improvisers won’t be bellydancing. For that, we’ve got Massive Tassel—one of the city’s most critically acclaimed dance troupes.


First up, Kim Carrington (”Kimmi Tassel”) of Massive Tassel Bellydance joins our list of monologists. She’ll tell stories based on suggestions from the audience, and Tantrum will spin them into scenes made of pure hilarious.

Then the rest of Massive Tassel will join Kimmi for a performance. For those of you unfamiliar with the art, check out this video of the Sword Dance.


So we’ll see you there, right?

Tantrum with Special Guest Kim Carrington of Massive Tassel
Westport Coffeehouse
4010 Pennsylvania • 816-678-8886 for reservations
Friday, February 12 • 8pm • Tickets: $10
May contain adult material.

She's getting ready...

Tantrum + Good Weather = Plans for Friday

I think I can speak for all of us: it's a relief to FINALLY see the rivers of melted snow flowing down the street. A look at the forecast reveals high temperatures in the 37º to 50º (!) range over the next week, so those rivers will continue to run.

Speaking of weather, we were kind enough to postpone last week's Tantrum show so you good people didn't have to brave what was billed to be the coldest weather in 20 years. (It fell a bit short of that, but still--we were thinking of you.)

Now, we'll be performing on a much more pleasant evening in Westport. Come check us out!

Our special guest is Michael Byars, host of KCUR's Morning Edition. He will tell true stories based on your suggestions, which will serve as the basis for our improvised scenes.

Friday, January 15th
8pm
Westport Coffee House Theater
$10
May contain adult content
Call 913-678-8886 for reservations

Kansas City: The HORROR

Check this out, featuring local improv legends Dennis and Nikki Dupont!

How Does That Taste, Improvisers?

I was curious how local improvisers would feel about this:





Comedian Fills Big Shoes At Second City





In summary, a 21-year-old from the KC area took one improv class on a whim to fulfill an elective. Her teacher (EDIT: Brian Posen, who is actually a teacher at Second City, not Brian Posehn, who Bull correctly suggests would not be allowed near college students) suggested she try out for SECOND FREAKING CITY.

Of course, she was accepted.

After one improv class.

Now, granted, she IS a musical theater major, so she had already honed a lot of the tools that would make her a valuable commodity to Second City.

But how does that make you feel?

I admittedly rolled my eyes and thought, well yeah...she probably got accepted into the training program, or MAYBE the touring company.

But I don't know the details, and those thoughts were only to minimize her accomplishments to make me feel better.

If I'm being truthful with myself, my emotions were as follows: jealousy and resentment.

Tantrum: Friday, October 9th w/ Jonathan Bender

Tantrum’s 2nd Friday series at the Westport Coffeehouse continues this Friday at 8pm.

Who: Tantrum Improv Comedy with Jonathan Bender
Where: Westport Coffeehouse Theater, 4010 Pennsylvania
When: Friday, October 9th, 8pm
How Much: $10 (but you can go to http://www.tantrumkc.com/ and check out “Latest News” for details on how to get in for half price!)
(May contain adult content)
http://www.tantrumkc.com/

Call 816-678-8886 for reservations.

In October, we're joined by writer Jonathan Bender, who blogs for The Kansas City Star’s Prime Buzz, which covers Missouri and Kansas politics, and The Pitch’s Fat City. And he’s working a book about Adult Fans of LEGO (he put that in caps, so we’re respecting the subculture). He also performs with the improv troupes Improv-Abilties and Loaded Dice, so we're pretty sure he can handle whatever you guys throw at him.

To get Jonathan started, you'll shout out topics you want to hear about. He can respond with anything he wants to—as long as it’s true. Then Tantrum takes over, twisting and turning his tales into a series of scenes. Get to know Jonathan better by reading his answers to our 7 Questions.

Tantrum - Friday, August 14 with writer Jim Howard

Tantrum is back. Hilarity ensues.

Who: Tantrum Improv Comedy
Where: Westport Coffeehouse Theater, 4010 Pennsylvania
When: August 14th, 8pm
How Much: $10
(May contain adult content)

See below for full details on our special guest!

TANTRUM BRINGS WRITER JIM HOWARD BACK FOR MORE STORIES

Improv troupe goes another round with the guy who will say anything

There’s only one place where you can see some of KC’s most interesting personalities live, unscripted and uncensored. At every show, the improv comedians in Tantrum invite a “guest monologist” to tell stories on the spot. In August, they welcome back Jim Howard—“prosodist, screenwriter, hired word gun; father of three, master of none.” To get Jim started, the audience shouts out topics they want to hear about. Jim can respond with anything he wants to—as long as it’s true. Then Tantrum takes over, twisting and turning his tales into a series of scenes. A mild-mannered greeting card writer by day, Jim has written screenplays for Big Bad Love and the Lifetime Channel TV movie Dawn Anna. In his last shows, Jim covered everything from elementary school humiliation to illicit adolescent behavior to houses burning down to frolicking with dolphins—nobody knows where the suggestions will take him this time. In many of his stories, someone is naked. Tantrum features Trish Berrong, Pete Calderone, Nikki DuPont, Rob Grabowski (Pitch's Best Funny Performer 2008), Megan Mercer, Michael Montague Jr., and Josh Steinmetz. Also in this show, Tantrum plays some of the popular improv games they grew up on. Ideas from the audience spark characters, situations and dialogue in short, structured, fast-paced scenes. Don't miss what the Pitch calls "the daring, scene-based improvisation of one of our best local troupes,” every Second Friday at 8pm at the Westport Coffeehouse Theatre, 4010 Pennsylvania Ave., beginning January 9. Tickets are $10. Seating is limited—call (816) 678-8886 for reservations. Visit http://tantrumkc.blogspot.com/ for the latest news.

Improv: Come See Tantrum Friday Night!

We'll be back in Westport tomorrow (Friday) night. Stop by if, you know, you wanna laugh and stuff.


Tantrum calls career coach in for second session

There’s only one place where you can see some of KC’s most interesting personalities live, unscripted and uncensored. This Friday, Tantrum puts Cindy Weiner in front of the microphone and lets the audience tell her what to talk about.

Cindy Weiner, professional career coach and one of Radio's Most Influential Women,
returns for an encore performance after her hilarious debut in Tantrum's Talking Out Of Turn series at the KC Public Library,

To get her started, the audience shouts out topics they want to hear about. Cindy can respond with anything she wants to—as long as it’s true. Then Tantrum takes over, twisting and turning her tales into a series of scenes.

Tantrum Improv with Special Guest Cindy Weiner
Friday, May 8, 8pm at the Westport Coffeehouse
Tickets: $10. Call 816-678-8886 for reservations.

Tantrum Wednesday Night

Tantrum put on another fun show Friday night. Our monologist, Kevin Dilmore, gave us some great material. Come down to the Plaza library at 7pm Wednesday, 2/18 for a free encore performance! Tantrum Info

Thoughts I've Had During OSHA Training Today

1. Our monologist for the show tomorrow night, Kevin Dilmore, is a natural. He should be highly entertaining, which means everyone should come see him. Tantrum info
2. Corporate gigs can be weird. It's hard to have people play big, bright, shiny, fun basketball games (not to mention drink beer) at the CBE and then make them sit down and watch us.
3. They just showed a picture of a dude finishing the edge of a roof. He's tied off, of course...to a large Hispanic man. Is that a violation?
4. What am I going to do Monday? President's Day's a comin'...
5. Once I get a company phone in a couple weeks, is call forwarding free from my personal phone? No way in HELL I'm carrying two phones, considering I don't even like having ONE.
6. The carpet tiles in our office were installed two months ago. They already look like crap.
7. Stop asking so many questions, dude--you're only prolonging the agony.

Showtime

Tantrum got together for rehearsal last night, and it was a lot of fun. We had to do a little catching up since we hadn’t met as a troupe (at least in a “business” capacity) since Thanksgiving. It was nice to let the batteries recharge for a while, and I think everyone is eager to get back to it. If the rehearsal was any indication, we are going to enjoy the hell out of the show Friday.

For the first time, we’ll be adding games to our repertoire. I think we’ll really enjoy doing them, and it will give the audience a chance to get more involved. Everything looks great from an improv standpoint, and I’m confident our shows will be well-received.

Moving forward, the biggest question facing Tantrum and improv troupes in general is this: will people come to our shows?

Friday night there are four improv shows at four different venues, all occurring simultaneously.

Saturday night there are SEVEN shows at five different venues.

This weekend is, admittedly, an anomaly. However, with so many troupes doing so many shows in the coming year, there is bound to be further dilution of our already uneven crowds.

I am anxious to see what happens. Improv has gotten more ink from both the Star and the Pitch of late, but the (vast) majority of our audience is still made up of friends, family, and fellow improvisers. With monthly shows, I know I can’t count on, say, my parents being there every show like they were over the past year. And if improvisers are doing more and more shows, they will BE at their own shows (or, at the very least, be more selective about the shows they see).

Should be interesting. I hope our guest monologist format and overall show quality will help us build a modest (if not consistent) following from people outside the core groups listed above. Our marketing gurus are doing all they can to make sure people are informed; now it’s up to us to generate some buzz with our work on stage. In the end, putting on a good show is the best promotion we can do.

Christmas at the Club

We had our Christmas gathering at the club last night. I’m trying to recall whether I’ve missed one since I started performing. I don’t think I have, which means last night’s extravaganza was my 11th.

I’ve performed at the club only sporadically over the past few years. I’m there just enough to avoid letting go completely, and though I’ve had thoughts of doing so in the past, I really don’t want to walk away.

Improv will probably never be quite the thrill it once was for me. I think that’s the natural course of things, especially for someone who abhors the ruts that form over the course of one’s existence. I sometimes question whether I even enjoy performing THAT MUCH, or if it’s just about the people with whom I perform.

Man, have I met some fun, smart, talented people through improv.

So what happened at the club? Why isn’t everyone still down there 3 weekends a month? Over time, our crowds diminished, most of us were slighted in some way, we moved to the next step in our lives, and we started to come around less (or quit altogether). I won't go into the missteps along the way.

Last night, there was very little of the “old guard” in attendance. That’s the state of affairs. However, for the first time in many years, there was a huge dose of new blood. Eight new players were in attendance (another five could not make it). Most of them have theater experience. I played with four of them last Friday. They had played 13 shows collectively. Their improv skills are raw, but they had energy and stage presence—which means they have potential.

The nostalgic side of me saw the eight of them sitting there in their little group, making each other laugh, and I thought maybe—just maybe—they can inject some life back into the club.

For the record, I picked the first gift…a Vivaldi “concertos for the flute” CD. Since that was voted “worst gift”, I ended up with the bonus gift—a DVD of George Carlin’s last HBO special. I feel better now.