The O-town Scene

Funny ha ha or funny strange? Comical and a new event for the area, Oneonta Improv!, a troupe of improvisational comedians, put on its first show Nov. 7, a Sunday, at the Autumn Cafe in Oneonta. Photos by Dominique Thomas The improv teams, Team SUCO and Team Townie, end the improv night with a goodbye rap to the tune of Beastie Boys songs. Townies and college students got up in front of a full house to play, performing skits involving dinosaurs, massage therapists and Beastie Boys rap songs, among others, “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” style. It’s early November and I’m already watch- ing fat wet snowflakes plop into the asphalt streets as I contemplate what it is about One- onta that makes the long, cold, grey winter worth it. Suddenly it hits me: the Oneonta community is the most supportive community I’ve ever been a part of. Someone is always creating something, and whether it be an exhibit, a gallery opening or a play, the community never fails to come out with enthusiastic encouragement. Bryan Lee and John Ryan act as dinosaurs re-telling their extinction and are moved into dif- ferent positions during a sketch, with help from audience members. Sunday night, I went down to the Autumn Cafe, where a friend of mine, NYC comedian Nate C. Roberts, hosted the debut perfor- mance of his improvisational acting class, OI! (Oneonta Improv!). Entering the cafe was like passing through a threshold from the frosty bite of winter to the warm glow of the harvest season, with the many faces inside the packed house reflecting an orangey hue under the cafe’s autumnal lighting. Sophie Gault first took the stage with her sweet country blues singing voice. Catching on to her shy demeanor, the audience took to rowdy cheering in a sincere attempt to bolster her confidence (which, I might add, worked). Following Gault’s encore, Roberts took the stage and introduced OI! for the first time to Oneonta, wherein the actors erupted into a laughter so contagious that the audience caught it, and soon the entire cafe was doubled over in hysterics for no reason other than that of laughter itself. Audience members watch the improv acts. 30 O-Town Scene Nov. 11, 2010 And so the show began, with skit after hilarious skit of scenarios and characters all chosen by the audience members, who some- times even took part in the dubious plots. Most notably, town local John Saint took a Nate C. Roberts performs a sketch called "helping hands," where he plays a masseuse with the aid of a member of the audience. seat on the stage while OI! surrounded him and, Beastie Boys style, sang to him about his work with Santa Clause. The cafe roared as red-faced audience members poured tears into their beers. It’s nights like this, I realized, enjoying and supporting the arts with a room full of friends, that makes the long, cold, grey winter worth it. At the close of the night, Roberts and I decided that to have a great show, you need a great audience, and Oneonta’s got one of the best. Wish you made it out? Don’t fear; OI! is still here. OI! is a 10-week course that involves two live shows and a lot of fun. No experi- ence is necessary; everyone is welcome and encouraged to join. Contact Roberts at www. natecroberts.com by Jan. 15 for info. Not only is it a chance to get your feet wet in improvisational acting, it’s an opportunity to see the community in action. _ Michelle Pietrafitta

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