BWW Reviews: Impro Theatre Presents JANE AUSTEN UNSCRIPTED with Hilarious Results

Jane Austen Unscripted is exactly what it sounds like: improvisational comedy in which the cast creates and performs a completely spontaneous play in the style of Jane Austen's literary work. For those Austen-philes out there, the prospect of Austen's style and wit coming to life in a completely fresh story seems like a dream come true. Even for those audience members not familiar with the staples of the Austen novel (i.e., conflict in romance that perpetuates from misunderstandings or, also commonly, the fact that one or both parties are already betrothed to someone else; everyone is polite, but tartly so when necessary to express disapproval; there's always a ball or grand party, and the lovers always manage to work out their conflicts so that everyone ends up with their ideal match), Jane Austen Unscripted was an uproariously funny improvisational experience. It captured the essence of Austen's work genuinely, but not without a bit of good-natured ribbing at the expense of the genre--which is, admittedly, antiquated.

Part of the hilarity of improvisational comedy is embracing the unexpected. Especially fun is when performers present something into the universe of the scene that must be immediately incorporated by the rest of the cast. For instance, in Jane Austin Unscripted, when Candice, the romantic heroine of the show, expresses her love for Mr. Edmond's mustache, Mr. Edmonds, who is clean-shaven, perpetuated the illusion of a mustache by stroking imaginary tufts of low-hanging facial hair that I imagined were akin to Yosemite Sam's 'stache. Featuring Lisa Fredrickson, Stephen Kearin, Brian Lohmann, Jo McGinley, Dan O'Connor, Edi Patterson, Paul Rogan, Michele Spears, and Floyd VanBuskirk, the troupe relied not only on the sometimes cutting, sometimes passive aggressive politeness of Austen's world to purvey comedy, but also absurd, exaggerated physical humor. Kearnin, as the tormented cad Mr. Edmonds (and object of Candice's affections) utilized a sidesplittingly funny running joke--I mean this both figuratively, in that it recurred throughout the performance, and literally, in that the joke itself involved Edmonds running about the set like a foppish dandy with questionable mental health: chest out, hands fluttering behind him.

Intelligent and savvy, Impro Theatre has a clearly knowledgeable idea of the defining aspects of the Jane Austen literary universe--enough to create a story that would fit flawlessly into the canon of Austen-style work. Phrases Like, "Good heavens. Your hair has come undone. You look like a wild pony," are characteristic of the delightfully snobbish world of the upper-class English propriety of yore. I would love to see this troupe come back to Santa Barbara and perform some of their other repertory shows, including Chekhov unscripted, Dickens Unscripted, Fairytale Unscripted, LA Noir Unscripted, Shakespeare Unscripted, Sondheim Unscripted, Tennessee Williams Unscripted, Twilight Zone Unscripted, and The Western Unscripted. Shows of this ilk demand incredible commitment--the performers must have an intimate enough understanding of the genre they are playing to fully embody it. Based on Jane Austen Unscripted, which provided levels of astute storytelling and clever humor very distinctive of the stylistic elements of Austen's work, I can't wait to see other pieces from this improv troupe.

Impro Theatre's production featured talented performers with a flare for biting, Austen-esque wit and an impressive aptitude for physical humor. The performance was swift and dynamic, and it conceptually captured the spirit of Austen's literary universe--without omitting the inherent comicality inevitable when modern and antiquated cultures are represented simultaneously. Of course, this is a very tight rope to walk: the source of the comedy is interlinked in this inherent comparison of lifestyles. It's imperative to stay true to Austen's form and worldview, and Impro Theatre does an excellent job of committing fully to her style without being flippant or malicious about the ludicrous nature (according to modern sensibilities) of the cultural expectations upon which Austen's novels are based. Impro danced congenially on this line to create a balanced presentation of modern comedy utilized within the constraints of genuine commitment to Austen's world of British politeness and the importance of marriage as a contrivance to gain social standing. Staging (including lights and sound), though improvised, was superb, and the jokes and dialogue were clever and impressively adherent to the style of Austenian conversation. Also impressive was the troupe's ability to build a cogent story, especially since each narrative decision is put into play by a single performer--with the expectation that the other characters will react to the new information in an appropriate manner reasonably calibrated to Austen's style. A talented company with an incredible cast, I look forward to Impro Comedy's return to Santa Barbara!

Check out Impro Theatre's Santa Barbara website for upcoming local shows--not to be missed!

Improvcomedysb.com

To post a comment, you must register and login.