#NoFilter Crushes the LOL of TMI
Starting March 2, late Thursday nights at The Improv Centre on Granville Island are going to be ‘so lit.’ #NoFilter, Vancouver TheatreSports’ newest show, uses the spontaneity of improv comedy to delve into our fleeting, over-shared digital world. From Snapchat to Instagram, Weibo to Facebook and everything in between, #NoFilter finds the fun and funny in how much we share about ourselves with nearly total strangers.
This is a very interactive show, where live-stream social media (projected on the theatre’s giant screen) will be used along with audience suggestions (verbal, texted or tweeted) to drive the action.
The first half of the show features a series of short scenes. For instance, the Facebook posts of either the players on-stage, or audience members who have volunteered, will form the dialogue of a scene. The actual tweets of celebrities chosen by the audience could be used the same way. Another scene may feature the improvisers scrolling through an Instagram feed to use as the basis of an improvised on-the-spot ‘TED-like Talk’ or they could ‘dub’ a YouTube video with their own dialogue. Members of the audience may be asked to play the role of Trolls or Hecklers and ‘comment’ on the scene as it unfolds. The on-stage improvisers could post a question on Ask.Fm, such as “What should we do a scene about?” and use the Internet’s response as inspiration.
The second half of the show transitions into long form improv where the players have the opportunity to really explore a platform through improvised comedy. How about a mini-movie based on the ‘I Saw You’ section of Craigslist? Or an improvised YouTube montage built from tweets submitted by the audience – when a new tweet pops up on the screen, it determines the next action in the scene. Or, the improvisers could create a fictional social media personality and, using audience suggestions, explore the celebrity’s world through how they present themselves on the various platforms.
Just like a Snapchat video or Instagram Story, improvised comedy is ephemeral – no two performances can ever be the same. What is consistent is that each performance will be ‘so fire’ – moving patrons to exclaim ‘Yaaaaaas!’
#NoFilter plays every Thursday evening at 9:15 pm at The Improv Centre, 1502 Duranleau Street on Granville Island. It replaces OK Tinder which has moved from Thursday nights to the 11:15 pm time slot on Fridays and Saturdays. Show details and tickets vtsl.com.
About Vancouver TheatreSports™ League
Since its founding in 1980, Vancouver TheatreSports™ League (VTSL) has grown to become a well-respected international leader in the improv art form, entertaining more than 60,000 people per year through 11 shows a week, 52 weeks a year at its own theatre, The Improv Centre, located on Granville Island. An intimate space, The Improv Centre is a fully-licensed facility with its own Bar & Lounge over-looking the picturesque False Creek Marina. Unlike most theatres, VTSL patrons are welcome to take their beverages into the theatre to enjoy during the show. In addition, VTSL owns and operates The Improv Comedy Institute – an improv school offering classes from beginner through professional level, conducts province-wide school tours and operates Improv for Business, a corporate training division. In 2016, VTSL was voted the #1 Improv Comedy Company in The Georgia Straight’s prestigious ‘Best of Vancouver Awards.’ Vancouver TheatreSports™ appreciates the support of season sponsors: City of Vancouver, CMHC Granville Island, The Georgia Straight, and The Granville Island Hotel.
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