Wednesday, 4/23/97 Improv studio performers burst into stand-up
scene Theater offers comedy classes, provides limelight for new
talent
By Vanessa VanderZanden Daily Bruin Contributor Before Ellen
DeGeneres announced she was gay, before Jim Carrey became the
highest-paid actor in Hollywood, and before Rosie O’Donnell ever
sat behind daytime television’s most watched talk show desk, there
was stand-up comedy. And within this forum, stars continue to catch
fire, even though their glow may be small-reaching. Such a cosmic
creation is Jeff Garlin. Spawning the talents which animate
otherwise mundane sitcoms and light up the silver screen, small
comedy houses play an important part in the creation of our
culture’s humor. From the Laugh Factory to the Comedy Store, Los
Angeles shares in America’s tradition of supporting local comedic
talent. And now, bang. Improv Studio shares that responsibility as
the newest funhouse for evening laughs, offering such rollicking
shows as "That Jeff Garlin Thing." Located in a small gallery space
on Fairfax, the club offers classes in addition to showcasing
performers’ talents. With two improvisational workshops a night,
three nights a week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday are left free
for publicly attended comedy acts and improv sketches. Currently,
four shows run while two others have already opened and closed
since the company’s birth last July. "Improv is exciting because
the actor is also the writer and director," explains co-owner Peter
Murrieta. "When the audience sees the material, it’s fresh. It’s
the first time it’s ever been performed." Such a vibe runs
throughout Garlin’s free-for-all show, which runs every Friday
night at 9:30. Hosted by comedian Jeff Garlin, the show displays
the improv talents of three separate comedians, intermittently
sprinkled with Garlin’s own humorous jabs. Last Friday at bang.
produced a wide variety of comedic styles, each with its own unique
flavor of spontaneous storytelling. Starting off the evening was
clearly the show’s most polished performer, Alan Havey. His brusque
humor involved not only his mocking audience members at random
about such things as their silly college rivalries but also
included his expressed desire to be the last man on earth so he
could go on tour and provide his sexual services for all remaining
women. Proclaiming bluntly, "I like to talk while I do mime," he
culminated his act by hanging an invisible dog. The twisted concept
incited ghoulish laughter from the crowd and prompted Garlin, upon
taking the stage, to quip, "Killing a dog on stage is like saying
to an audience, ‘Okay, I’ve finished my set, I would like to
urinate on you now.’" Following this uproarious spectacle was a
comedic debut by Adam Ferrara. Conducting a physically tiring set
of jokes and mental ponderings, his set never quite took off in the
wake of the smoother Garlin and Havey. Even the final comic, Jann
Karam, had a tough time getting laughs. Yet, she hit a few doozies
when mentioning how people should donate their old, crappy bottles
of failed beauty products to homeless people. "They wouldn’t know
the difference." Then, the show ended with what Garlin calls "The
Combo Platter," where each comedian worked off of each other’s
material, jumping in when seeing an opening. Yet, the best line of
the night came earlier on, when Garlin discussed daytime talk show
ridiculousness, saying, "Hey, if I were in the audience, I’d raise
my hand and say, ‘Uh, you know, this is really none of my business,
so I’m just gonna leave.’" And, as funny as all these jokes may
sound, the truth is, you probably just sort of "had to be there."
So check it out this Friday for a whole new lineup of aspiring
comics. They may suck, they may not, but inevitably, they’ll point
you out and make fun of you if you sit close enough. Where else but
bang. Improv studio can you find an environment that personal and
unique? Yet, bang.’s concept is far from original. It stems from
Second City, Chicago’s landmark comedy club, which has produced
such legends as Jim Belushi and Bill Murray. Originating as far
back as the late ’50s, this monument to the stand-up tradition
first took shape in a small space above a laundromat. "We wanted to
produce that same kind of accessible comedy," Murrieta says. No
stranger to the opportunities made available to a comedian who can
properly hone his skills, Murrieta took classes at Second City. A
classmate, Jon Favreau, recently wrote and starred in the
low-budget hit film "Swingers." And Murrieta himself has written
for television, just as most of bang.’s other teachers have been
involved in Hollywood ventures. "The money we make from those jobs
allows for us to let a show run when it might otherwise be forced
to close," Murrieta explains. "Then, those shows help to create an
audience for more pieces." COMEDY: bang. Improv Studio stand-up
comedians perform Fridays at 9:30 p.m. The studio is located at 457
Fairfax Ave. Tickets are $5. For more information, call (213)
653-6886.