Arrive Magazine - May/June, 2009

Arts & Entertainment

Laughs, Unscripted

^It’s ^Sunday ^night ⁱⁿ ^New ^York ^City ^{and the} ^line ^of ^new ^recruits ^for ^the ^{Upright Citizens} ^Brigade ^(UCB) ^stretches^BY ^HEATHER ^JOHNSONI^around ^the ^block. ^Many ^have ^been ⁱⁿline for hours, afraid to budge lest they _lose _access _to _ASSSSCAT, _the _{improvi- sational} _comedy _group’s _Sunday _{night spectacular.} _The _show _would _be _{popular for} _its _cheap—and _sometimes _free—

admission alone, but it also features regular impromptu visits from stars such as UCB troupe cofounder Amy Poehler and Saturday Night Live cast member Seth Meyers. Tonight will be no exception. Moments after our descent into the underground, black box theater, Poehler emerges with Meyers, 30 Rock’s Jack McBrayer and John Lutz, and former SNL cast member Horatio Sanz. The show is a magical blur—fast, funny, full

Forget stand-up,
sketch and sitcoms,
improv is the king of
comedy

The Upright Citizens Brigade founders:

(left to right): Ian Roberts, Amy Poehler, Matt Besser and Matt Walsh.

of audience participation and gone in the blink of an eye.

In a world where almost anything people are talking about can be accessed on the Internet, improv comedy may be one of the last truly immediate forms of entertainment.

“There’s no other art form that gives an audience this kind of experience,” says Anthony King, UCB’s artistic director. “You’re seeing a show that will never be performed again, so if you’re not there, you’ve missed it.”