By Liz Leamy
Last Thursday amidst bitter rainy April weather, the talented and hilarious four-member troupe from the Upright Citizens Brigade, the famed improvisational and sketch comedy group that originally hailed in Chicago, entertained the full-capacity 250-member crowd at the Greenwich Library’s Berkley Theatre in luminous five-star fashion.
Working in fun interactive fashion with the audience, this vivacious crew which consisted of Nicole Asava, Alexandra Dickson, Sebastian Conelli and Michael Hartney, all who are New York City-area residents and most of who are members of the hilarious Manhattan improv show, RaaaatScraps, put the proverbial pedal to the metal with their witty and funny banter, bringing practically everyone in the audience to the point where they were doubled over in laughter.
Notably, in one of the group’s three improvised skits, the group enacted the whole experience of a family taking a long road trip together.
Sitting on seats mimicking that of a minivan, Dickson, who was playing the ‘mom’ talked to all the three kids as she was ‘driving,’ making sure they had their juice and snacks and were behaving accordingly. (“Honey, no live streaming my parenting,” she said to one of kids, played by Conelli, who was secretly videotaping everything from a ‘seat’ in the back of the car with his imaginary phone camera, one of the many moments that the players drew huge laughs from the audience.)
This sidesplitting skit, along with the two others, most definitely made this a night to remember on all counts for everyone there.
“I had such a great time and was so impressed with the spontaneity of the performers and how they were able to pull together skits so spontaneously and in such a funny way,” said Leslie Koch of Greenwich. “I laughed quite a bit and look forward to coming to more events here.”
Meanwhile, the performers seemed to have just a great a time and worked in graceful, instinctual and unified fashion, rendering this as a truly connective experience for everyone involved.
“We’re here to present an improv show to you all,” said Conelli, who lives in Staten Island, New York. “Improv is made up and that is so special.”
The directors and organizers of this show, at the same time, were also stars of this show, as they, through the Friends of the Greenwich Library, helped make this event possible.
“I’m thrilled the Friends of the Greenwich Library can help bring this amazing and entertaining show to our stage,” said Helaine Winer, Chair of the Performing Arts of the Friends of the Greenwich Library.
