Looking for a fun way to enjoy an evening out next week? Windy City Women’s got you covered. The Vancouver-based improvisational troupe will perform their latest production Liquid from December 19 to 22 at Havana Restaurant’s Theatre on The Drive.
Not your typical joke-for-joke play, Liquid is a full-length, entirely improvised two-act performance, based solely on audience suggestions and contributions. The ultimate success of Liquid rests on the actor’s ability and stamina to run a completely unplanned, unscripted play without ever leaving the stage. Act one begins with a simple suggestion from an audience member. I was the lucky audience member at last night’s preview to start the ball rolling. This is an insanely talented group of six men and women who make improv come off easier than it is.
After a brief intermission, Act Two begins with the audience choosing from a sequel or prequel to Act One. Unlike cabaret or competitive style improv, the goal here is not to be satirically funny, it is rather to create a story in which relationships, plot, and character development carry the audience through the improvised journey of the cast. Liquid makes for a great evening of laughs and the cast keep the stories flowing.
Actress Lisa Ovies is the show’s producer, a talented and lovely award-winning film maker and international model. Tony Alcantar is the whiz behind Windy City Women, a troupe he founded in 2005 as its artistic director. He also performs in Liquid, and is an alumni of the world-famous Second City Troupe in Chicago. With several movie and acting credits behind him, he still finds improv the hardest thing he’s done in his career thus far.
The rest of the group are equally talented and trained actors from around Canada. Catch them for three shows at the Havana at 8 pm. Tickets are available online or at the door. Click here for ticket information and to reserve.
Liquid is directed by Keith David Moore with musical direction by Eric Carbery.