Verde Valley News – Where’s that spooky laughter coming from? Look no further than Zenprov Comedy’s “Red Rocky Horror Improv Show” on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7:00 pm at the Old Town Center for the Arts. “This is our favorite show of the year to perform. Halloween, monsters, aliens, and children high on sugar — it’s going to be a scary good time,” said Derek Dujardin, director of Zenprov Comedy.
If you’ve never been to one of their live performances before, Zenprov Comedy is similar to the popular improvised TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” The troupe performs a mix of fast-paced improvised scenes created in the moment based on audience suggestions and Chicago-style, long-forms such as “The Harold.” Unlike sketch or standup comedy, nothing is scripted or prepared ahead of time, so it’s never the same show twice. Moreover, the troupe a world-renowned Second City improv coach from Chicago to up their game to new levels of authenticity and humor.
For more than a decade, Zenprov has tapped into the rich source material that comes from living in a place steeped in spiritual seeking, small-town politics, UFOs, vortexes, radical vegans, and endless roundabouts. So, while Zenprov Comedy may start in the New Age culture of Sedona, their otherworldly performances are grounded in the rock-solid fundamentals of quick-witted improvisational acting, inventive satire, and a constant search for the meaning of life hidden inside the great Cosmic Giggle.
The troupe actively studies weekly with a world-renown improv coach from Second City in Chicago and embraces the Del Close method of improv acting, which emphasizes the “group mind” that mysteriously develops during a performance. Miraculously, the players’ minds fuse to create a “super mind” where they practically finish each other’s sentences—and often do. Laughter ensues.
The super minds of Zenprov Comedy are Derek Dujardin, Shaeri Richards, Shaunn Cochran, Chris Redish, Betty Testa, Linda Roemer, Mary Carder and their newest member, Nathanial Montgomery.
Tickets for The Red Rocky Horror Improv Show with Zenprov are $18 in advance, $20 at the door, and $25 priority seating Tickets for this special event are available online at www.oldtowncenter.org or in Cottonwood at Mount Hope Foods and Mysterium, and In Sedona, you can find tickets at the Mary D. Fisher Theater. For ticket prices and more information about these and other upcoming events, visit web site or call Elena Bullard at 928-634-0940.