FARMINGTON – Every year, the Del Close Improv-a-Thon takes place in New York City featuring 72-hours straight of improv comedy all over the city.
The Mt. Blue Curtain Raisers have less lofty goals.
On Friday, April 10, The Mt. Blue Curtain Raisers Improv Comedy Troupe will be doing something unprecedented. Starting at 7 a.m. Friday morning right through the end of their evening performance at 9:00 p.m., the Curtain Raisers – whether in part or in full – will deliver 14 hours of improvisation to help raise awareness of their art and also raise funds for their planned annual trip to ImprovBoston.
Classes from Mt. Blue High School and Foster Regional Applied Technology Center have been invited to participate in a series of workshops during the day. Under the guidance of Curtain Raisers Artistic Director, Dan Ryder, students and teachers will learn about the power improvisation can have in terms of team building, group trust, and understanding information. They will also be treated to brief performances and demonstrations by the Curtain Raisers themselves.
Following the school day, the Curtain Raisers will continue to perform in the MBHS Auditorium right through the start time of their evening performance at 7:30 p.m. Audiences are encouraged to stop in and see just how interesting their original brand of improv comedy can become once the hours start racking up. Games such as those featured on “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?” and other audience interactive events will blend with impromptu storytelling and longer improvisations. A give-what-you-can full-on Curtain Raisers show rounds out the marathon.
All proceeds will go directly toward helping the Curtain Raisers continue their tradition of performing at ImprovBoston, a professional improvisation theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Curtain Raisers plan on attending a personalized workshop and then appearing as featured guest artists on the Sunday, May 17th evening show.
Curtain Raisers will be circulating around the school and in the community to get sponsorships for their individual efforts in the Curtain Raise-a-Thon on Friday, April 10th. In addition, they will perform a full show at Mt. Blue starting at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free but attendees are asked to give what they can to help support the group. Questions may be directed to Curtain Raisers Artistic Director, Dan Ryder, at dryder@msad9.org.
Pictured above, Tthe Mt. Blue Curtain Raisers Improv Comedy Troupe, from left to right, Joey Slater, Carolyn Magri, Stuart Lawson, Anthea Fletcher, Zoe Hardy, Matt Allen, Alex Allen, Morgen Hall, Jessica Baxter and Nick Beach, are serious about their 14-hour comedy Raise-a-Thon on Friday, April 10, at Mt. Blue High School.
