Zenprov Comedy performs their final show of 2016 “Thanksgiving Laughtovers” Enjoy a warm feast of funny starting at 7:30 PM on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Mary D Fisher Theater.
“Zenprov is the best comedy troupe in Arizona,” said Mr. Patrick Schweiss, Executive Director of the Sedona International Film Festival. “At their last show, people were laughing so hard their cheeks were hurting.”
If you’ve never been to one of their live performances before, Zenprov Comedy is similar to the improvised TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” The troupe performs fast-paced, spontaneous comedic scenes created in the moment—always based on audience suggestions. Unlike sketch or standup comedy, nothing is scripted or rehearsed ahead of time. It’s completely made up and never the same show twice.
“We’re excited to perform a show devoted to this uniquely American holiday of Thanksgiving. There is so much rich material we can tap into about family, food, traditions, Black Friday Sales, and, of course, cold turkey,” said Derek Dujardin, the director of Zenprov.
Joining Zenprov Comedy on stage for the first time will be the talented Tom Shoemaker. Tom rose through the ranks of Sedona’s weekly improv jam “Anything Goes” and is regular player of Jerome’s “Ukulele Orchestra”.
Zenprov has been hard at work creating new games to surprise and delight their audience. “The audience is half our show. They provide the content, we just channel it in humorous ways,” said Dujardin. Starting their new season in 2017, Zenprov will be performing once a month at the Mary D. Fisher Theater January through June.
“Improv is a unique theatrical experience where audience and actors come together to create something magical and extremely alive right there in the moment,” said Shaeri Richards, Zenprov member. “And it’s funny too.”
Zenprov Comedy embraces the Del Close method of improv acting, which emphasizes the “group mind” that mysteriously develops during a performance. Miraculously, the player’s minds fuse together to create a “super mind” where they practically finish each other’s sentences—and often do. Laughter ensues.
The “super minds” of Zenprov includes locals Derek Dujardin, Tom Shoemaker, Shaeri Richards, Chris Redish, Shaunn Cochran, Betty Testa, Linda Roemer and Mary Carder.
Tickets are $12 pre-sale and $15 the day of the show. This one-night-only performance is expected to sell out so please purchase tickets early. Shows are PG-13 and run approximately 90 minutes. Visit www.ZenprovComedy.com to learn more.?