Throughout the years many improv comedy groups have come and gone in Jersey. But for as long as I can remember Improv Jam has been a mainstay. Founding member Mike O’Keeffe and company have consistently entertained locals, college campuses, theaters and more with their side-splitting one-of-a-kind show. Now, O’Keeffe joins fellow Improv Jam member, Ria Torricelli for the first ever official ComedySportz Jersey Shore Team under the direction of Torricelli.
“This new ComedySportz franchise is the first group I am proud to put my name on and Improv Jam’s affiliation on in years,” said O’Keeffe.
“And the main reason I am involved with this is Ria. Her talent as an improvisor is equal to her qualifications to run ComedySportz Jersey Shore.”
Torricelli, whose involvement in theater began as a child, started her journey with ComedySportz Portland years ago and continued with ComedySportz NYC when she moved back east in 2017. After spending two years commuting to the city to play, her mission is now “to make improv easier to access for people who live at the shore,” she said, “It’s been too long and people have forgotten how much fun it is to go to a show you can participate in, and watch it being created in the moment.”
The Pop Break sat down with Torricelli to talk about what ComedySportz is bringing to the Asbury Park, Greater Jersey Shore Area.
For as long as I can remember Improv Jam has been a mainstay in Monmouth County. What can fans expect from ComedySportz, and essentially what’s the difference?
They are both short form improv — in other words, they are played as a collection of games that are based on suggestions from the audience. Where they differ is mostly format- ComedySportz is a really fast-paced performance that has two teams playing against each other, winning points with fans reactions to the games. There is a referee that keeps the action moving and explains each game to the fans. Oh, and did I mention the sports terminology? We play competitively (we even wear uniforms!) so each match will have a winner. And each match is all ages, so the biggest difference is that this is entertainment that absolutely anyone can enjoy. There hasn’t really been a regular improv offering locally that you can bring your kids or boss or out-of-town guests to see until now.
Tell us about your background and your role in Bringing ComedySportz to NJ.
I have a theater arts background and did improv beginning in my youth, through high school and college and eventually joining several improv teams in Portland, Oregon which is where I first got involved in ComedySportz. When I moved back to New Jersey a few years ago, I wanted to get involved in local improv and met Improv Jam’s director Mike O’Keeffe. He introduced me to many of the local theaters and I began teaching improv here. When Improv Jam lost their local space, I joined the ComedySportz New York team – which is totally awesome, but a bit of a commute. So I began the process of looking for a venue to pitch to ComedySportz Worldwide as the newest location: ComedySportz Jersey Shore.
I’ve heard mention of classes, workshops, scholarships and more. What can you tell us about the group?
I started Shore Thing Theater, which runs out of the Jersey Shore Arts Center and is the home of ComedySportz. The theater currently is offering improv classes for youth, teens and adults of any experience level. The adult classes are similar in structure to the ones you would find in the city, there’s 4 levels of class and then Saturday Intensives that focus on skills training.
Through the end of the year, we are offering a free class on most Monday nights from 7:30 – 9pm where people can come and try improv out to see if it’s for them. Improv is one of those skills that’s transferrable to anything, so we get everyone from architects to budding actors, wallflowers to teachers to engineers. It’s a chance to explore your creative side in a safe, non-judgmental environment.
Shore Thing is a non-profit theater, with our number one objective being to bring improv to the community, and never have the expense of the class stand in your way. Our regular 8 week courses are $200, but we offer sliding scale, payment plans or scholarships based on need. No student will ever be turned away from a class from the inability to pay.
Starting in 2020, we will begin to roll out workshops for some of the other underserved arts in our community. We’ll have storytelling, poetry, and sketch writing workshops as well as stand up comedy drop-in group where budding comics can come and work on their tight five in a no pressure environment where they can share feedback before getting up at an open mic.
How can potential students and/or members get involved?
We have a website where we will post all of the latest information about our shows and classes. The next set of eight week classes will begin after the holidays, but there will be plenty of fun workshops between now and then where people can dip their toes. Or they can email or call me at the theater: 732-508-0807 / ria@shorethingtheater.com
If someone is interested in donating to the theater to help support our mission, they will be able to do that through the website when out secure ticketing platform is launched in the next week.
When and where are the performances?
ComedySportz performances are weekly on Saturday nights at 7:30pm in the Herbst Theater inside the Jersey Shore Arts Center. Tickets are $15 online and $20 at the door with discounts over 65/under 12 years old. We will also begin offering before and after show spots to class graduates and/or local performers. Those shows will be listed on the website and will vary.
ComedySportz Jersey Shore team will play its Grand Opening match on November 23, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jersey Shore Arts Center in Ocean Grove, New Jersey.
