The Richmond Comedy Coalition, RVA’s premier improvisational comedy theater and training center, is celebrating their third anniversary of improv and alternative comedy shows on June 16th at 8:30pm with Menage Ha-Ha, a night of improv comedy at Gallery5.
The Richmond Comedy Coalition, RVA’s premier improvisational comedy theater and training center, is celebrating their third anniversary of improv and alternative comedy shows on June 16th at 8:30pm with Menage Ha-Ha, a night of improv comedy at Gallery5.
Their show promises to give people something to really laugh at with a killer lineup of acts. The RCC Mainstage, who have been performing since the company’s inception, are staying true to their improv roots by letting the audience pick the format of their improv set. House team Karate Practice will also be performing. And as KP member Jason Lefton explains, “We were the first team in the RCC that had to audition to be part of the company, so to us, KP marks a big step in the RCC’s growth.” They also promise to have some fun surprises in store, including a new segment they call Dare Dustin: fans can submit their own challanges to rvacomedy.com/dare-dustin, for the unsuspecting improviser to perform live onstage.
The crew, voted twice as Best Comedy Group by the readers of Style Weekly, has made a name for themselves in the city since 2009 by focusing on growing their theater and the comedy scene itself. What started as a small group of improv comedians with a goal of putting on top-notch shows has grown to include their own training center in Carytown, where they offer classes on the art of improv for all skill levels; two monthly shows at Gallery5, including their flagship “Richmond Famous,” featuring improv comedy based on the true stories of a different RVA celebrity every show; and even visits from some huge comedy names. Just this May, they hosted Matt Besser, co-founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in NYC, as he put on his one-man show and held a master class on the art of improvisation.
“That’s the kind of stuff we want to be able to give comedy fans here,” says performer Aaron Grant, who will host Menage Ha-Ha. “Of course we want to grow our own brand of comedy, but we also want to bring in people who are doing their thing on a national level to get people excited and exposed to what’s out there.”
Their desire to turn RVA into a true comedy city is evident in another project launched this past year, The Lab, hosted monthly at The Shop in Manchester. “It’s the only free open-mic improv and sketch show in Richmond,” performer and Artistic Director Katie Holcomb says. “For people who don’t have a stage to get on, it’s an opportunity to work on their craft. For people who just want to see some comedy, it’s a chance to do it for free. It’s a double win.” Where is the comedy scene headed in the next three years and beyond? “Hopefully in a direction where people are constantly pushing it and experimenting,” Holcomb says. “Let’s get weird!”
To find out more about Menage Ha-Ha at Gallery5 on June 16th, or for more on the Richmond Comedy Coalition, visit their website at rvacomedy.com, or check out the event page.
