La Salle's Improv 101 to make downtown debut

By Ashley Moore
Collegian Reporter
September 13, 2006

As the annual Philadelphia Live Arts and Fringe Festival takes over the city again this year, La Salle’s very own Improv 101 prepares to perform for eager festival attendees. On Thursday, Sept. 14 at 10 p.m. Improv 101 will open for Philadelphia improv group Rare Bird Show.

Rare Bird Show is an improv comedy group of two men and one woman that primarily focuses on long-form improv. The group contacted Improv 101 through social networking Web site MySpace.com this past July.

“They said they were looking for local college improv groups to open for them and were hoping we would say yes,” said Melissa Mongi, a senior and Improv 101 member. “We jumped on the opportunity to work with a Philadelphia improv troupe during the Fringe Fest. We’re taking Improv 101 on the road.”

Rare Bird show will perform an hour long set after Improv 101’s opening performance.

“We get 20 minutes to show off our improv skills, play some of the games we love the most and make people laugh,” said Mongi.

The performance will take place at the Independence Park Hotel’s William Penn Room, 235 Chestnut Street. Tickets can be purchased though the Fringe Festival Web site, over the phone or at the door.

Improv 101 is excited to see how they do with a non-college audience. However, they love their La Salle fans and said they would love it if they came to cheer them on.

Improv 101 consists of eight La Salle students, including Mongi, seniors Tricia DeMeno, Ryan Barry and Pat McDonald, juniors Kyle Abbott and Megan McGee and sophomores Sam Fran Scavuzzo and John O’Riordan. The group was founded in 2002 and has been entertaining students ever since. They perform year round at various La Salle events including Opening Weekend, Family Weekend and Stress Busters Week.

In 1997, Nick Stuccio and Eric Schoefer, two local performers, founded the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. The first festival flooded Old City for five days in September 1997 and featured 60 performing groups presenting their work in theaters, nightclubs, galleries, alleys, abandoned buildings and at least one parked car, according to the Philly Fringe Web site.

The Philadelphia Fringe Festival now presents 16 days of performing arts events each year beginning on the Labor Day holiday weekend.

This performance is not the first show that has taken Improv 101 off-campus. The group has traveled to Neshaminy High School to lead a workshop and perform for high school students. They also have performed at a children’s birthday party.

As Improv 101 prepares for their performance downtown, the group has only a few fears.

“Getting heckled,” said Mongi. “No, really, we’re nervous about getting the right games together for the show. With that, we’ve been practicing and working on technical improv skills so we feel confident for this new c rowd.”

Improv 101 would love to do more shows in the Philadelphia area.

“We have lots of shows this year at La Salle, so we’re pretty booked, but we’re very flexible and love new audiences,” said Mongi. “Really, we’re game for any sort of venue especially in Philly.”

moorea4@lasalle.edu