THE PLAY: An audience member shouts out a word and the cast (composed of seasoned improvisers and actors) creates an entire play around it. The night I went, the word was “frog.”

 

THE PRODUCTION: The scenes have short, improv structures that are accented by blackouts and Matt Treacy’s live music. It starts out feeling disjointed, but the fun is wondering if the divergent storylines will coalesce. To our delight, they develop into a cohesive story with real themes. While the overall mood is funny, there were flashes of drama (well realized by Emily Turner). The entire cast holds their own with the obvious longtime chops of Amy Berlin and Jeff Clevenger providing the most interesting characters and comic setups. Unfortunately, the 2 people required to run the lights and change the meaningless projections mean that 2 fewer actors are in the mix.

 

THE POINT: What I saw will be totally different next time, but it’s electrifying to watch actors working without a net to create something that coalesces into an affecting and enjoyable experience.

 

(3.5 / 5)

 

Thru 9/14 at CSz Richmond Theater

 

Watch a rehearsal & my interview with Amy Berlin