Peter Crysdale

Host

Improv Comedy

Apr 3, 2013·36 visitors

Nannette Baumgardner

Cohost

Stage· 122 messages

Apr 3, 2013

Peter Crysdale · 9:00 PM

Hi Nannette!

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:00 PM

Hi Peter, Nannette here. :)

Peter Crysdale · 9:00 PM

Thank you for joining us today!

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:01 PM

My pleasure. You'll have to forgive me if I'm a slow typist and make some mistakes. This is certainly a new sort of interview for me.

Peter Crysdale · 9:01 PM

Not a problem!

Peter Crysdale · 9:02 PM

I wonder if we could start by just having you tell us a little about yourself

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:02 PM

Sure.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:04 PM

As you can see from my profile listing above, my name Nannette Deasy Baumgardner and I am the Artistic Director of IRTE, the Improvisational Repertory Theatre Ensemble.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:05 PM

As you can see from my profile above, I am Nannette Deasy Baumgardner, the Artistic Director of IRTE, the Improvisational Repertory Theatre Ensemble.

Peter Crysdale · 9:05 PM

Great!

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:05 PM

Oops, sorry for the repeat. Having a little trouble with the keyboard

Peter Crysdale · 9:06 PM

So how did you become the Director of an Improv theatre

Peter Crysdale · 9:06 PM

surely those positions are few and far between

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:06 PM

We are an ensemble of comedy actors and writers who develop, produce and perform a season of original themed improvisational shows and video sketches, following the basic model of traditional repertory theatre.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:06 PM

Well, I became the AD by starting my own company. :)

Peter Crysdale · 9:07 PM

Well, that sounds like a great way to go about it!

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:07 PM

I'd been a part of many other groups and companies before and found that a lot of them had been missing what I found interesting about improv and improvisational theatre

Peter Crysdale · 9:08 PM

What was it that they were missing?

Peter Crysdale · 9:08 PM

★ Spotlighted from Blake Ian

“Hey Nanette! checked out your site... very cool. Love the design. http://npdeasy.wix.com/nannettedeasy”

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:08 PM

I'd actually been the AD of another improv company, but was frustretde that since it wasn't my own company, that it had another owner, I couldn't make the changes I thought was necessary to be succesful or interesting to me.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:09 PM

(By the way, thanks, Blake!)

Peter Crysdale · 9:09 PM

So let's take a step back

Peter Crysdale · 9:09 PM

What inspired you to get into improv in the first place?

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:09 PM

(Sorry, as I said I'm a slow typist)

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:10 PM

Okay, going back...

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:10 PM

I am and have been an actor in NYC for many years. I first saw improv comedy at Chicago City Limits and thought it was hugely entertaining...

Peter Crysdale · 9:11 PM

Still, it's a big leap!

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:11 PM

So... I started taking classes there and at other theatrers...

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:11 PM

improv is a great form of theatre because it is so immediate...

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:12 PM

creating a scene, a character, a world from nothing...

Peter Crysdale · 9:12 PM

I can imagine that, even for a trained actor, being on stage without a script can be extremely nerve racking!

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:12 PM

but what you and your partners bring onstage right then and there..

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:13 PM

and it can also be hugely funny when played honestly and without self judgement

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:13 PM

Yes, very often, but it can also be very liberating

Peter Crysdale · 9:14 PM

Was there a point at which you crossed the line from feeling scared to feeling liberated?

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:14 PM

plus from a producers point of view, there's also much to be said about not having to worry about complicated light and set design, royalties, etc...

Peter Crysdale · 9:14 PM

Or has it always felt liberating from the start?

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:15 PM

The more you improvise, the more comfortable you can become. It's a muscle that can be trained

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:15 PM

No, at first it was terrifying!

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:15 PM

Not being able to control everything

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:15 PM

but once you let go, it's like a ride

Peter Crysdale · 9:16 PM

You mentioned the players on stage. There must be a strong bond between you and your fellow improvisors.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:16 PM

Acting is about listening and reacting. Improv really forces you to embrace that, because you don't have a set script to rely on.

Peter Crysdale · 9:17 PM

How do you go about building an improv troupe and creating trust?

Peter Crysdale · 9:17 PM

★ Spotlighted from Blake Ian

“Trial by Fire!”

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:18 PM

Oh, yes, there is a bond. The members of IRTE and I have played together for years. Even though, IRTE was founded only last year, I have known the ensemble from other companies and theatre groups for years. Some of us continue to play in other

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:18 PM

non-IRTE shows, so we're very comfortable with each other

Peter Crysdale · 9:19 PM

Do you ever accept new members? People that you don't know as well?

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:21 PM

When I put together the group, I thought it was important to invite members who I already knew and had played with, who shared much of my sensibility and were interested in sharing the responsibility of production as well as the creative side. We're

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:21 PM

all co-producers because you have to be...

Peter Crysdale · 9:22 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachael Workman

“Improv sounds like the scariest thing ever. I could never.”

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:23 PM

The group stays at roughly 8-9 people. If someone has to take a show (or even a season) off, they can, (hey, we're all working actors) and we invite other improvisers we know and have worked with to be a guest.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:23 PM

As was the case with two of our guest performers from last year, they so,etimes then become members of the regular ensemble

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:24 PM

Hi Rachael, well, as with other forms of performance, there are tools you can learn and train, so improv can become less scary and more invigorating

Peter Crysdale · 9:25 PM

I guess improv isn't for everyone either. Do you think some people are more suited to it than others?

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:26 PM

Maybe... If you like a certain amount of control in your life or want to be more of a solo artist, then improv probably wouldn't be much fun

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:26 PM

stand up maybe would be more enjoyable

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:27 PM

I like improv also because you can create any sort of show in the world without waiting for a playwright

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:27 PM

you just go ahead and do it.

Peter Crysdale · 9:28 PM

Do you find there are certain themes or scenarios that come up frequently?

Peter Crysdale · 9:28 PM

Certain scenarios that you know are always going to be funny so you keep coming back to them show after show.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:29 PM

It depends on what sort of situation you are talking about - do you mean when we ask for a suggestion in short-form or the genre shows we in IRTE put together?

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:29 PM

Oh, you mean bits...

Peter Crysdale · 9:29 PM

I do mean bits.

Peter Crysdale · 9:29 PM

But you bring up a great poinr

Peter Crysdale · 9:29 PM

*point

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:30 PM

Well, I'll talk about bits first...

Peter Crysdale · 9:30 PM

How does "short-form" differ from the "genre shows"?

Peter Crysdale · 9:30 PM

But yes, please address bits first

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:32 PM

Short-form is a game based improv show (like the TV show "Who's Line Is It, Anyway). The "genre" shows I'm referring to are long-form improvised shows that are like improvised plays, where there's a story that follows certain characters in a world.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:32 PM

For nstance...

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:33 PM

The Groovy Gang Adventures is an improvised spoof of the Hanna Barbera mystery teen adventure cartoons of the 60s and 70s, like Scooby Doo and Josie and the Pussycat...

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:33 PM

Groovy Gang is our show openng this Saturday at Gotham City Improv

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:33 PM

Now, back to bits...

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:34 PM

As an improviser you generally want to stay in the moment and not plan things in advance. You'll get better scenes if you avoid pre-plannig. However, some shows that IRTE does, we might have characters that we've pre-established. For instance, in

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:36 PM

Groovy Gang I lay Lorna Blue, the "Velma" type spunky girl detective. Another actor plays Chompers, the anthropomorphic talking alligator drummer and another Clara, the spoiled rich girl..

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:37 PM

Now, we don't have bits (although we do have some choreography for our theme song - you'll have to see it - and a bit of choreography for a chase sequence to avoid physically running into each other and hurting someone), we don't pre-plan "jokes" or

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:38 PM

funny moments. We do, however, have strong characters with a strong world view point. So we do rehearse as these characters..

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:38 PM

At least for this show...

Peter Crysdale · 9:39 PM

How do you rehearse a character with no lines?

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:39 PM

Good question

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:40 PM

As long as you know who you are and how you feel about the other characters onstage with you and have a very strong view point, you can improvise just about any situation.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:40 PM

We do have a structure to improvise within, sort of like a 2 Act play

Peter Crysdale · 9:41 PM

So do you rehearse together without an audience?

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:41 PM

Oh yes. You have to

Peter Crysdale · 9:41 PM

all in character, but improvising?

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:41 PM

Yes

Peter Crysdale · 9:41 PM

What does the structure look like?

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:42 PM

We also have a director. Pat Shay is directing Groovy Gang

Peter Crysdale · 9:42 PM

Is it like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style or does the show end the same way every time?

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:43 PM

Oh boy, that's gonna be a long answer. :) It's like the outline of a play. It never ends the same way. It's very much like a choose your own adventure.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:43 PM

Now we are going to have 5 very different improvised comedy shows this season, so each one is going to have a different theme, genre, set up and structure

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:44 PM

but none end the same way. Its always a different show week to week.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:45 PM

For Groovy Gang, we start out asking the audience for 3 suggestions - their favorite Halloween costume (we then have them create a mask out of a paperbag and some markers - that becomes the villain's mask), a spooky location and a common fear.

Peter Crysdale · 9:46 PM

Wow, this sounds like quite a show!

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:46 PM

Thanks! then we follow a structural outline - as in we have a split screen scene, 3 character scenes, a tag out type of scene called a La Ronde, and a chase montage. That's the first ac

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:47 PM

We'll then have a musical guest - Jessica Delfino on Saturday, Summer & Eve on the 10th and Mr. Big Head (an indie band) on the 20th

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:47 PM

second act are call back scenes and the big reveal.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:48 PM

so you can see, while we have a frame to hang our acting on, nothing about plot or how everything unfolds is pre-decided. We take our inspiration from the audience suggestions

Peter Crysdale · 9:49 PM

very, very cool

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:49 PM

thanks. It's really fun

Peter Crysdale · 9:49 PM

Unfortunately we are coming to the end of our time

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:49 PM

Oh so soon? Wish I was a faster typist

Peter Crysdale · 9:49 PM

But I wonder if you could just restate the dates and times of your upcoming shows?

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:50 PM

Yes...

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:51 PM

April 6 & 20, 8:00pm, Tickets $6 nGotham City Improvn48 West 21st, 8th Floor - Buzzer #801nNew York, NY 10010n212-367-8222nhttp://www.gothamcityimprov.com/index.phpnn?n?April 10, 8:00pm, Tickets $5nThe PIT Undergroundn?The Peoples Improv Theatern123

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:51 PM

April 20th back at Gotham City Improv, 8pm

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:51 PM

We also have special deal...

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:52 PM

If you email me at IRTEinfo@gmail.com, we can offer groups of 3 $3 tickets to the Gotham shows

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:52 PM

Plus high school and college (and heck junio high students) can get in to IRTE shows at Gotham for $3 with advance reservation. Just email me.

Peter Crysdale · 9:53 PM

Those are very low prices!

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:53 PM

Then we have more shows throughout the summer...

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:54 PM

We try to keep them low.. For the students, I think its important to encourage kids to see live theater.

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:54 PM

For the adult groups, I like to encourage anyone who might like to get to know us. :)

Peter Crysdale · 9:55 PM

That's really great!

Peter Crysdale · 9:55 PM

Well thank you so much Nannette for tawking with us today!

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:55 PM

Thank you, Peter, it was very nice "tawking" :)

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:55 PM

For people out there, please check us out at http://irteinfo.wix.com/irte

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:56 PM

or on Facebook or twitter

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:56 PM

https://www.facebook.com/pages/IRTE/312498052101722

Nannette Baumgardner · 9:56 PM

If anyone has any other questions, certainly feel free to email me at IRTEinfo@gmail.com

Peter Crysdale · 9:57 PM

Great!