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On Stage
On
Stage
 The Giggle Gaggle Comedy Show - Lots of Giggles, Not
One Gaggle
By Sal Rodriguez
If I'd had known that
these were kids doing comedy I might not have taken this assignment.
Kids annoy me; especially those wisecracking, hyper-intelligent,
cutesy, sitcom kids. I figured this was a network casting agent's
hunting ground for that, a sort of recent diaper-wearing farm
league. I sat with my arms crossed, ready to be proverbially annoyed
by tomorrow's Raven Simone, or Joey Lawrence, or the
day-after-tomorrow's Mike Myers or Molly Shannon.
I didn't
want to enjoy this. I didn't want to laugh. I wanted to be annoyed!
But I did laugh. I laughed a lot. Most notably at nine-year-old
Ernie Lara, and seven-year-old Brooke Sikkema. Ernie's
Stetson-wearing Garth Rivers sketch and Brooke's Cinderella antics
in the Fairy Tale improv had me wishing I was a network casting
agent, with contract in hand. These kids were good.
In
traditional improvisational sketch comedy the audience is involved
in the creation of scenarios. Giggle Gaggle is no exception.
Audience members, particularly eager children, chimed in with their
suggestions, yelling out locations and occupations, making this a
fun, fully interactive, family-oriented experience.
I liked
their piece called Translators, which I'd seen before on Who's Line
is it Anyway? This is where two kids stand in the middle of the
stage, speaking mere gibberish, as two people stand on the side of
the stage, translating their mindless grunts (or perhaps they were
gaggling). The audience chose for the two girls in the center to be
talking amongst themselves as they prepared for a "date." This was
hilarious! Little Sami Fagen is a living doll, with her Little House
on the Prairie-esque dress. The Audition sketch was also a pleasure
to see, with great characters by John Humprey, as a
Scientology-obsessed Tom Cruise barking orders to an off-stage Katie
Holmes, Marquessa Bryce as an air-headed, guitar playing Hillary
Duff, and Drake Johnston as…as…well, some
washed-up-quasi-rasta-rock-hippie-dude. Taylor Lipman did a great
stand-up monologue lamenting how, "...no one gets me." And Michelle
Levinson is just too cute as she dons a blonde wig and frolics with
her missing baby teeth.
Watching kids do improv, or sketch
comedy, is a lot like watching kids do what they do best: play. In
several instances the kids seemed to be having too much fun,
forgetting there was an audience, and instead entertaining
themselves with wrestling and jumping, especially the boys. However,
director Jim Jackman appeared cool and confident, despite the
sporadic moments of dead air. Let's face it, some of these kids were
as young as five, which means there were times when there was just
nothing funny happening. And, although they are incredibly sweet, I
wanted funny.
There is no doubt that this show is for
families. There was an air of encouragement and support coming from
the audience of stage moms and dads. I felt like an oddball sitting
there as a childless, single man. But we all wanted the same
outcome: we all wanted this to be good. And it was good. Even during
the times when I wasn't laughing I couldn't help but think of how
wonderful this place was; how much I would have loved to come here
as a child - the friendships that are built here; the experiences
that are gathered here. Some of these kids might go on to Mad TV,
and even if some don't, what a place to come to and play, and dream.
This is reflected in the group's mission statement, "We endeavor to
create entertaining programs and shows for children enabling them to
explore their imagination while using integral disciplines of
leadership, teamwork, and individual artistic expression within the
arena of a group environment." And what a treat to hear that they
have a scholarship program for underprivileged kids. I can see it
now - Troupes Not Gangs!
JOY Theatre, which presents The
Giggle Gaggle Comedy Show, is the brainchild of husband and wife
team Josh Minnick and Janiece Jary, both veteran comedic performers.
Founders of JOY also include two former Saturday Night Live and
Second City writers: Christine Zander and Mark Nutter, so these tiny
tykes have quite a team behind the "scenes." I found myself thumbing
through their program to see if they taught adult classes. After
seeing what these children could do perhaps there's hope for this
underprivileged kid yet.
Joy Theatre presents
The
Giggle Gaggle Comedy Show @ The Raven Theatre
5233 Lankershim
Blvd.
NoHo Arts District, CA 91601
Saturdays & Sundays @
2pm.
Tickets $8.00
www.joytheatre.com
(818)
505-9355
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