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DEATH BY IMPROV! - at To Be Continued… Book Store,
Boutique & Record Shop, 431 Main Street, Metuchen -
January 31, 2013
By Phil Rainone
Photos courtesy of Mia/To
Be Continued Book Store
The Death By Improv comedy group has a rotating crew of merry
makers, and on this night the performers consisted of Tim
Norek, Mick Murtha, Mike Hochman, Rachel Towlen, Andrew Young,
and Michelle Baker.
Death By Improv has been together for over ten years. Starting
off in community theatre, collage improvisational workshops,
and for the last five years or so performing in state competitions
up and down the Eastern Seaboard, and on local stages, they’re
built a following that grows more and more every time they
perform.
Their hour long show (they’re also known for their two
hour- plus marathon shows), consisted of timed skits, audience
participation bits, and games that were Marx Brothers worthy!
The humor, fun, and excitement that they bring to each show
are contagious. They performers laugh almost as much as the
crowd does, and that’s always a good sign, showing why
the group has had such successful longevity. Every show is
different, and when a few shows down the road they use a skit
from a previous show they bring freshness to it almost like
you’re seeing and hearing it for the first time!
The troop also sings! They opened with a creatively made-up
50’s Doo-Wop number that combines their acting talent
with a rhyming musical plot. Their rhymer’s are slick,
fast, and cool. The singing can be on the money, off-key,
or down-right horrible, but that’s the beauty of the
skit! They’re not the greatest singers but darn if they
ain’t havin’ a blast on stage and taking the audience
right along with them! - Very punk, very DIY!
Even on a cold windy night in January, the audience warmed
up to DBI right from the start. When Tim, the MC (they rotate
MC’s for each show), asked for one-syllable words for
one of the skits, you could have at least a dozen shout-outs
from the crowd. This was their first time they played at To
Be Continued… and within the first fifteen minutes it’s
seemed like they had been playing there for years. BDI has
a special gift. They not only bring professionalism to their
craft, they bring their life experiences, humor, and it’s
very contagious!
This was the first time that To Be Continued… has had
an improv group (check the store's website for upcoming shows),
and not surprisingly the place was pretty much full. The book
store/boutique/record shop (home of the Vinyl Vulture), has
been open for almost a year, and they’ve sponsored many
events. Poetry readings, book readings/signing, radio broadcasts,
a DJ spinning vinyl records, and art shows , to name a few.
Owners Karen and Sergio are enveloped on the artistic community
not only in Metuchen but in most of the surrounding towns.
Their attention to detail, generosity, and their wit and humor
are contagious.
Some food and drink are also available at events. They have
a DIY attitude but their professionalism is unmatched.
Most of the skits were timed to last between five and ten
minutes (which kept the crew and the audience on their toes),
but the shortest, and wackiest skit I think, was “Half-Life.”
Comprised of four scenes, the audience members were asked
to set up the skit with words describing places, people or
things. Three of the troop (sometimes one or two other members
would jump in and add color to the scene), would set it up
and they had to perform it first within like three minutes,
than one-and-a half minutes, than thirty seconds, than seven
seconds. The plot would start off at an even pace with quick,
spontaneous improvisation, but as they reenacted the scene
each time, the shorter the timespan, the wackier they got!
By the time they got down to seven seconds, trying to cut
their story and acting to a bare minimum they seemed completely
discombobulated, but somehow it worked!
Two of my favorite skits were “Interrogation,”
and “The Beastie Rap.” For “Interrogation”
three of the two of the troop would be “detectives,”
and the other, “the criminal.” The criminal would
step outside where he couldn’t hear what was going on
inside. The rest of the crew asked the audience for three
things: where the murder was committed (the library), who
was killed (Meatloaf- the singer not the meal), and what was
used to kill him (Motorcycle). So they bring back the suspect
(Mick) who is lead in by the other two, placed on a chair,
and “handcuffed” behind his back. They interrogators
(Rachel and Andy) would “rough up” the suspect
verbally and physically, in a comedic way. They’d give
subtle, sometimes obvious clues, while grilling the suspect,
who has to figure out the whom, where, and why, of the murder.
Its clever funny and they take the audience right along with
them.
One of the last skits they usually do is "Beastie Rap!"
It’s based on the Beastie Boys, and how hilarious their
songs can be. The troop lines up next to each other and gets
into this kind of silly, word-rhyming rap as the audience
throws out one-word syllables. The skit only lasts about five
minutes, but it usually ends in hysterics for both the troop
and the audience!
This was Death By Improv’s first show at To Be Continued…
They’re planning on doing shows there once a month so
check the websites for upcoming shows.
JerseyBeat.com
is an independently published music fanzine
covering punk, alternative, ska, techno and garage
music, focusing on New Jersey and the Tri-State
area. For the past 25 years, the Jersey Beat music
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