Holiday Office Party Delivers the Improv Laughs at Strike Theater!

This was my second year attending Holiday Office Party at Strike Theater. This is a long form improvisational comedy, which means everything you see at your show is being made up on the spot and that all of it fits together as one cohesive story. So that means two things, first and most importantly, if you love it, you can go again and see a completely new show! Secondly, anything I tell you specifically wouldn’t matter because those jokes wouldn’t appear at another performance. So what can I tell you besides that the performance I saw was really funny? Well, there is the set up which you should be able to inuit from the title. Essentially, we are watching a group of coworkers at their company holiday party. Each of the performers becomes a character which they develop over the course of the show. Much of the humor comes from clever call backs to things that happened earlier. For instance, at our performance one of the characters, played by Anna Tobin, explains to her coworkers that she is an orphan. Every detail of her story is brought up again later in the show building on the groundwork that Tobin set up at the beginning. That running gag throughout the show referenced not only by her character but others not even in scenes with her adds to the sense of this as a story unfolding before us rather than just improv moments. That’s what the best Improv performers bring to a show, not just a quick wit but the ability to create an arc for the character within the improvisational framework of a piece.

So I’ve seen some great improv at theaters like Strike, where Holiday Office Party is running, and the sadly closed Huge Improv Theater in Uptown. I’ve also seen some not so great improv, so how do you know what improv to spend your hard earned money and precious time on? Well the best way to hedge your bets is become familiar with the performers and producers of improv and watch for their shows. Holiday Office Party is produced and directed by Mike Fotis who is one of the co-founders of Strike Theater. I’ve seen Mike perform in the shows he’s created before so I know from those that he’s a good bet. Fotis appears in this show but he’s directing the show by the use of lights. So basically the performers know during specific video text prompts what the next scene will be, for example it might say “the party continues”. The performers know to form small groups in designated areas of the stage and when Mike turns the light on their area that is their cue to speak. Fotis then determines when a scene has run its course and will turn the lights off and redirect us to another group. So that’s a name for the improv novices to remember Mike Fotis. When you see him, he’s either performing or behind the scenes you’ll know you are in good hands. In fact, since he’s directing the show he’s on stage much less than the other performers, but when he jumps in, the energy on stage gets an adrenaline shot. He’s been doing improv for a long time and his skills are on another level.

But here’s the thing, Fotis is a guy who works with and casts the best, there isn’t anyone in the cast who didn’t have a great show. There was one recurring scene clearly based on the Pam and Jim trope of the office co-workers who should be together but never quite get up the courage to move beyond flirting. The performers Sam Baker-Harris and Nels Lennes take on that role this year and the talk in our car on the way home was “are they a couple in real life?” because we were all buying the attraction. In the end, my wife convinced us they weren’t because they didn’t kiss at the end, but they sure seemed like they wanted too. The entire cast comes up with funny moments throughout but I can’t describe everyone’s bit; however, they were all fantastic and hilarious so I do want to mention everyone in the cast. Along with those already mentioned the cast included Erik Hoversten, Kerri O’Halloran, Christian Unser, Heather Meyer, Nels Lennes, Jonathan Adri Feld, Gubby Kubik-Nielsen, Matt Prindle, Lacey Mamak and Amee Nefzger Banks. The show runs for three more performances December 22nd, December 27th and December 28th at 7:30 PM. For more information about this and other shows at Strike Theater and to purchase tickets go to https://www.strike.theater/shows.html

This Holiday season why not start a new tradition of taking in a live theater production with family and friends? It’s a great way to create lasting memories and will give you something to look forward to every year as you experience the magic of live theater. Whether your budget is large or small, there is a show for you. Looking for gift ideas? Don’t we all have enough “stuff”? Give the gift of live theater, go to your favorite theaters website, see what shows they have coming up in the new year and give the gift of an experience over material.

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