Interview: GROUNDLINGS' Lisa Schurga LIGHTS UP The Comedy Stage

After many online shows these past pandemic months, The Groundlings will present their first LIVE show GROUNDLINGS LIGHTS UP July 23, 2021. Got the chance to pick the witty brain of Groundlings main company member Lisa Schurga on her life with The Groundlings.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview. Lisa!

Before we start, could I fanboy you for a few minutes? I have seen many a Groundlings show, and the ones that you are in - you are sooooo funny! In ALL THE LEAVES ARE GROUNDLINGS in 2019, you had me clutching my stomach from all the laughing you caused in "Mama's Boy" with Greg Worswick, in "Us Too" with Patty Guggenheim, and in "Surprise" with Ryan Gaul. In 2015's GROUNDINGS STAKEOUT, your practically fractured my funny bone with your unattractive woman with Jill Matson-Sachoff in "Fall Confidence," and nerdy hotel guest with Ryan in "Marriott." Also in 2015, GROUNDLINGS DEAD OR ALIVE, you had all of us in the audience howling in "Disappointed," "Mayors' Wife," and "Cool Socks."

Those are just the shows that I had my review notes on. There were a lot more shows I didn't write down.

Wow!! Thank you so much for taking me down memory lane. I love all those sketches so much. I'm so glad you did too!

Soooo, Lisa! How old were you when you were told you were a funny girl?

I don't know if anyone ever told me when I was younger, because my whole family acted like I did. I am lucky to have a very fun family who loves to laugh. Most of our family dinners ended in everyone cry laughing about something.

However, when I was in my 20's - an improv theater in Boston scouted me and they told me I was funny. I never thought I would be a comedienne or an improviser, so I found that completely surprising. But as soon as I started doing improv, I knew it was what I was meant to do.

Was being a comedienne, your first choice growing up? Or was it to become a professional roller skater?

NEVER EVER thought comedienne. I wanted to be a singer and a dancer. On roller skates would have been fine with me. :)

I liked doing musicals and went to college as a voice major.

What did your parents want you to be?

I am lucky that my parents never pushed any career on me. They just wanted me to be happy and do whatever I loved.

Who did you look up to in the 'biz'?

When I was a kid, being an actor or comedienne was so not on my radar that I never really looked up to any actors. I didn't watch SNL or anything like that. I did watch Love Boat and imagined myself as Julie McCoy, the cruise director. But not really as an actor - more like I thought it would be fun to be an actual cruise director.

It wasn't until I got older, that I started to watch old episodes of SNL, as well as The Carol Burnett show, and basically any TV show or movie that had a female comedian in it.

And also - I got to work with so many women I look up to. Just looking at the alumni list at The Groundlings. I mean - every. single. woman. is amazing.

What is the most valuable piece of advice a mentor gave you that you adhere to this day?

"You're good. Don't try so hard." - Tim Bagley

What is the one lesson or piece of advice you always include in your Groundling classes?

Find YOUR specific point of view. Write what YOU think is funny. Don't ever try to replicate anyone else.

GROUNDLINGS LIGHTS UP will be the first live performance on the Groundlings stage since the lockdown. What made you decide to direct this show, as opposed to be in the cast?

I am performing on the 16th and directing the 17th. Best of both worlds. I will also perform on August 8th. :)

Did you perform any shows on Zoom?

I directed a lot of the GAS shows and performed in GAS, JOE and THE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LATE SHOW.

As a comedienne, does the lack of hearing actual audience responses throw off your comic timing?

We let all the actors leave their mics on, so at least we could hear our peers laughing, which helped so much.

What else did you do to keep creative and sane this past year and a half?

I wrote two pilots and did a lot of home organization. I also stayed very connected to my Groundlings family which helped so much. In particular, the women of the Groundlings started having Zoom happy hours twice a week. We laughed, we cried, we got each other through it.

How did you originally become acquainted with The Groundlings? As a civilian audience member? A friend of a performer? A referral from a co-worker?

I was performing at the Improv Asylum in Boston. We flew to L.A. to do a showcase and went to The Groundlings to watch a show. I remember seeing Jill Sachoff and Melissa McCarthy in a sketch and thinking "Oh my God, I HAVE to do that."

How long before you became a main company member?

I moved to L.A .in 2002, and started classes in the fall. I became a main company member in 2007.

When did you start teaching at The Groundlings?

I started training to teach as soon as I became a Groundling. I'm guessing my first class was in 2008.

If you had to pick, what is your all-time favorite skit that you wrote and slayed the audience with?

Any sketch that I got to dance in is my favorite. Most recently "Mama's Boy" with Greg Worswick, "Rehearsal Dinner" with Michael Churven and "Gotcha" where I played a mom who shows up at a strip club and dances for her son to teach him a lesson.

I would take a guess that your goal at The Groundlings is to connect with the audience and make them laugh. Aside from that, how does your directing goals differ from your goals as a performer? I have seen you (and all your castmates) as very generous is taking the back seat in fellow performers/writer' sketches.

I think my directing goals are similar to my teaching goals. To help every actor to get their specific point of view across to the audience. Also directing is very selfish, I get a front row seat to the watch my funny friends be brilliant.

What else is in the near future for Lisa Schurga?

I am looking forward to becoming an alumni soon. The theater is such a special place, but we have a lot of work as main company members, and I am excited to put some more focus towards writing and creating outside of The Groundlings.

Thank you again, Lisa! I look forward to having you make me laugh in person from The Groundlings stage!

Thank you soooo much!!

For tickets to see GROUNDLINGS LIGHTS UP live July 23rd, 24th, & August 7th; log onto www.groundlings.com

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