All’s Well that Ends Well
The Improvised Shakespeare Company reimagine the work of the Bard
By Cameron Pullano Contributor
On Tuesday September 20, I was lucky enough to see both the premiere and closing night of the Shakespearean–ish play “Poppycock and Balderdash,” a production of the Improvised Shakespeare Company at Largo at the Coronet theater in Los Angeles.
If you’re unfamiliar with improv comedy, it’s exactly as it sounds — totally unscripted and on the spot, usually based on a theme from the audience.
Using almost entirely Shakespearean language and dressing like they were going to a Renaissance fair, the members of the Improv Shakespeare Company put on an amazing display of teamwork and quick thinking, leaving me in actual physical pain from laughing.
With the title of the play provided by a friendly shout from the audience, the show began with a monologue that immediately set the bar for the rest of the night. The opening monologue was hilarious and managed to use the vague title to establish themes for the rest of the Company to develop the story with.
Going off the title from the audience, the monologist described the ways that love and life never seem to make sense, leaving the other actors with an idea of where to take the story.
The show followed a few different groups of characters: two brothers, one dim-witted, and the other in love with the princess; the princess, her suitors, the king, and their chancellor; and a group of disgruntled lords stripped of their lands.
The high point of the show was the musical act; one performer broke out into song, explaining to the former lords the power of goal setting. Of course, none of the other performers knew there would be a song, leading to some looks of confusion before committing to the joke.
The final scene was a culmination of just about every character seen so far, forcing some of the members of the troupe to switch characters mid–scene. The show came to a close with an execution–turned–wedding that broke into another song about setting goals, which kept me laughing until the very end.
The Improvised Shakespeare Company is based out of Chicago, but there are two more upcoming shows before they leave Los Angeles.
If you want to see them for yourself (which you absolutely should), their next two shows are October 16 and 17, both at Largo at the Coronet. Tickets are available online at largo–la.com.
