I became an instant fan of Improv Comedy after watching the opening night of the 1st Manila Improv Festival, which is a 4-day festival featuring:
- SPIT (Silly People Improv Theater) Manila led by Gabe Mercado;
- LA-based American veteran improvisers Shaun Landry and Tom Farnan;
- International improv groups from Beijing, Hong Kong, Xiamen, and Taichung; and
- Performing Arts Kolektib (PAK) from Cebu; and
- Kinengkoy Comedy Express from Bacolod.
For me, SPIT Manila’s improv set was the best, and my favorite was the improv story entitled “Discombobulated Boracay”. Here’s why I fell in love with SPIT Manila’s Improv Comedy…
CLEAN COMEDY. I like Improv Comedy because it is not slapstick and does not attempt to make fun of the audience–instead, the performers make fun of themselves. (Although, sometimes, there are hints of green humor.)
INTERACTIVE. They say 50% of the success of an Improv Comedy is the wittiness of the audience in giving unique topics for the improv games or giving clever song lines that they would pick at random to use as part of their dialogue.
IMPROV SINGING. I like it when SPIT Manila would come up with songs to open the set or use them as ice breakers–this is the Filipino edge versus other International Improv groups. 🙂
INSIGHTFUL FILIPINO IMPROV. It’s fun to watch SPIT Manila’s “Famas Moment” improv game or their unique Improv Beauty Contest because you’ll laugh at our very funny Filipino traits.
THE ORACLE. One of SPIT Manila’s signature improv sets is the Oracle, who answers any question about the future from the audience . Each persona of the Oracle answers with one word, one after another, in a quick, sequential, non-scripted fashion to complete the improvised prediction.
Here’s an example…
Video Link: The Couple
DISCOMBOBULATED BORACAY. The best improv game for me was when SPIT asked for an adjective and a vacation spot from the audience, which would become the topic of their improv story.
Here’s what happened…
Video Link: Discombobulated Boracay by SPIT Manila
Don’t miss the first-ever Manila Improv Festival happening this weekend!
Here’s the schedule:
- June 28, Thursday, 9pm: Opening Night (Taichung Improv, Xiamen Improv, SPIT)
- June 29, Friday, 9pm: Comedy Smackdown (Kinengkoy Comedy Express, People’s Liberation Improv, Beijing Improv, Farnan and Landry)
- June 30, Saturday, 7pm: Experimental & Long Form Improv
- July 1, Sunday, 2pm: International Improv Jam (featuring all festival delegates)
The 1st Manila Improv Festival is hosted by Quantum Cafe.
TIP: If you miss this weekend’s festival, you can always catch SPIT Manila’s Improv performances every Thursday night in Quantum Cafe.
Congratulations, SPIT Manila, on your 10th year anniversary! (It was formed in June 30, 2002.)
Long Live Improv Comedy in Manila!
SPIT (Silly People Improv Theater) Manila
Website: http://spitmanila.com/
Facebook: SPIT
Email: spitworkshops@mac.com
Twitter: @SPITManila
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Full Disclosure: We watched the Manila Improv Festival courtesy of our SPIT Manila friend Chal Chang Lontoc and HaHappy Ferraren. 🙂
P.S. Don’t miss the yummy pizza of Quantum Cafe while watching the improv comedy:
