Improv finds a home on the Hill

Improvisation needs audience energy to survive, and if Friday night was any sign for the future, UNC will host several more years of improvisational comedy.

The 5th Annual Dirty South Improv Festival ran Tuesday through Sunday in both Chapel Hill and Raleigh. The nine-show festival featured more than 300 participants.

The electric mood at 8 p.m. in a packed Hamilton Auditorium generated great anticipation for the show.

THEATER REVIEW DIRTY SOUTH IMPROV FESTIVAL

A full-blown sound system and accompanying DJ blasted out hip-hop tunes as the audience filtered into the auditorium. Some audience members grooved to the beats in their seats.

It was an unusual setup for an improvisational theater performance, but any confusion would soon clear up after the announcer laid out the groundwork for the show. Four groups would be participating in the event: THE BEATBOX, Improv Inferno, Death by Roo Roo and CHiPs.

As soon as THE BEATBOX took the stage, the audience knew it was in for something special. The act utilized hip-hop music, a human beat box and a rap battle between two performers. It was a shot of creative energy, and the audience appreciated the refreshing originality of the group.

Although its segment was short, THE BEATBOX pioneered a show that was like a dysfunctional, no-holds-barred "Whose Line is it Anyway?" Obscene words and risque subjects found a home in front of the adult audience.

The follow-up act by Improv Inferno featured a skit titled "The X Show," which took movies out of TV Guide for ideas. Although the connection between the performance and the actual material they were supposed to be parodying was thin, the improvisational artists maintained a high comedic standard for the night, fueled by a complete lack of inhibitions.

Death By Roo Roo, another improv group, went a step further and took a movie quote from the audience -- which shouted out the "accessorize" line from "Steel Magnolias" -- and made an entire show out of it. The absolutely hilarious parody ran all over the place and never missed a step.

CHiPs brought the show to a close with a traditional improvisational skit highlighted by a perverted interview in the Library of Congress and parent-murdering children. Who would've thought peanut butter could be so funny?

But honestly, one thing that wasn't a laughing matter was the $8 general admission and the $5 admission for students.

Since there were three shows for Friday evening, to exit, repay and re-enter to see the 10 p.m. show and the later midnight show felt tacky. It would've been much better to have had one admission for the entire spectacle and give audience members a re-entry pass to come and go as they pleased.

Barring this technical detail, the success of the 5th Annual Dirty South Improv Festival signals a bright future for improvisational comedy in Chapel Hill.

Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.