BWW Previews: NINE AND NUMB BRINGS IMPROV UNFILTERED to Dreamhouse Theater

Interested in being liberated from political-correctness, having a bawdy good time surrounded by likeminded adults? If dropping your filter and saying what's on your mind is your cup of tea, you have to see the improv troupe, Nine and Numb and their After Hours show at Dreamhouse Theater. Though they also do a regular family-friendly rendition, I prefer seeing what's really on the minds of the audience as they are the ones that dictate the direction of the show - going as far as supplying the scenario and keywords that the actors have to turn into a skit. I was happy to see that Dreamhouse Theatre tested an adults-only version of the often standing-room-only improv show.

I've been a regular follower of this troupe since I discovered them at Carrollwood Players years ago, but life as it happens interfered and I missed a few months of shows. Along with my favorite regulars of executive producer Kelly Clow, assistant troupe director Erica Garraffa and members Jesse Hutson, John Watson, John Hooper, James Hollingsworth, Angel Borths, and Eric Misener, I was absolutely delighted to experience the talents of new faces (to me anyway) Daryen Ratte, Yvelisse Cedrez, and C.J. Leigh, performing that evening. Missed from Saturday's show was Jim Johnson and Ashley Kix.

If you want to escape what's happening in our country's reality show and simply laugh your butt off, let the unflappable founding member of Nine and Numb, Dawn Kidle guide you through each scenario. Skits included Kelly as the Sam's Club Return Desk employee where the audience decided return items were an easy bake oven that baked souls of the band 98 Degrees, an aluminum chicken that spurted racial slurs when squeezed, and a pumpkin spice jello starship enterprise - leaving the three returnees - Jesse, C.J. and John guessing what they brought back.

Interwoved through the regular skits were short skits coined 'Numbits" - derived from suggestions written by the audience before the show began. A little on the naughty side, you didn't have to guess what was on this audience's mind.

A modern-day version of freeze tag with a very long back-bend for poor Erica, John Hooper's reenactment as Kennedy moments before assassination, Kelly's jay-walking crime of Stephen Hawking, John Watson's birth from Angel, the cleaning of a toilet, C.J. as a patient refusing to take his medication, the entire cast in a day in the life that resulted in a nightmare - and truly every single reaction of the cast not in the scene watching from the sidelines - were only a few of the hysterical moments of this evening.

If you are ready to let your hair down and have some hearty lols, potentially bruise your spouse's leg from hitting it so hard while laughing (I saw a lot of that), then keep your eye out for the next performance at Dreamhouse. What I found most exciting was the audience ranged from millennials to senior citizens and everyone - I mean everyone - was having an incredible time. I promise you, you won't leave unsatisfied. Just - fair warning - keep C.J. away from your cat.

Learn more at www.facebook.com/nineandnumb, www.tampabayimprov.com and https://www.facebook.com/dreamhousetheatre.

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