First Contact
Yes , and Dave Gibbs by Charlie Griffin
Improv comedy is alive and well in Orlando , and it ’ s as fascinating a world on the inside as it might seem from the outside . I caught the improv bug about two years ago , following a whim instigated by a coworker who was going to try one of Sak Comedy Lab ’ s free trial improv classes in downtown Orlando . Back in New York , more than a decade ago , I ’ d been on a couple of dates with a woman who animatedly swore by the power of improv . Although I can ’ t remember her name , her love of improv somehow was registered permanently within me as something worth trying .
Amy Poehler told Charlie Rose that , “ Improv turns me on , because it ’ s truly dangerous . It ’ s an alchemy . It ’ s dependent on the other , on listening actively and taking risks and chances .” It ’ s also a tool for unfi ltered self-expression — for being accepting , present , and spontaneous — and for mental fl exibility . It ’ s not for everyone . It can be a helluva lot of fun . And it can be rough . To clarify the distinction between improv comedy and standup comedy : improv is a form of theater where most or all of what happens on stage unfolds collaboratively in real time between the scene partners , without a script or prepared dialogue . Short-form improv usually overlays a game of sorts over the improvisation , while long-form improv usually creates strings of short scenes that are somehow linked by interrelated themes , characters , or stories . Most improv scenes take a suggestion from the audience to inspire the start of it .
Sak Comedy Lab has become a powerful regional force for quality improv comedy . They offer six levels of classes that fi ll regularly . There are two levels of advanced , non-professional performing ensembles . They additionally offer workshops and public performance opportunities for aspiring improvisers such as the Rookie Rumble series and The Brawl for All . Many smaller improv teams have formed in recent years after going through Sak ’ s classes , and are successfully performing at improv festivals throughout the Southeast . The pro ensemble also does special corporate performances .
Improv workshops and seminars have become a frequent feature in corporate training and development since the 1990s . Corporations often want their employees to embrace at least one of improv ’ s time-honored principles , namely the concept of “ yes , and .” “ Yes , and ” demands that an improviser treats whatever their scene partner does or says as an offering that must be accepted as part of the reality of the scene . The improviser then builds upon the offer with their own contribution , and so on . As Forbes magazine puts it , “ These skills turn out to be particularly useful in workplaces that rely on adaptability .”
A wonderful feature of the pro-ensemble performances at Sak shows and on many of their corporate run-outs is that there is almost always another performer off-stage , unseen but defi nitely heard . Sak utilizes a bevy of improvising pianists : Kristin Eley , Dave Gibbs , Chris Leavy , Steve Merritt , Anthony Riley , and Tim Turner .
I spoke with Dave Gibbs , who has been playing piano with Sak for almost 15 years . He began formal piano training at age six , and was classically trained for 11 years . He almost fi nished college with studies in chemistry and microbiology , working towards a pre-med degree , but music kept luring him back to its path . Not only a pianist , Gibbs is also a talented vocalist , guitarist , and songwriter . Just like improv , music careers are often built on “ yes , and .” We say yes to everything . Sometimes too many things . Gibbs joined or fronted bands that sometimes got close to that elusive combination of synergy and timing that allows for an emergence onto a broader-than-local stage . One band , Alter Ego , had some regional play . Another , Canvas , almost got signed . Gibbs also worked at Sam Ash and Mars , demonstrating and selling
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