Columbus Unscripted: Columbus' First-Ever Improv Festival

I'm sure most of you already know that I'm helping organize an improv festival called Columbus Unscripted. I'm pretty excited for our troupe. This is a big undertaking and we're all pitching in to help make it a great time.  I have been performing and studying improv for about 10 years. I've performed to crowds of 1 and 100. Hopefully, this year will be the biggest crowd yet. Through a generous grant from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, we're providing FREE workshops for children and adults. I'm a firm believer that ANYONE can improvise. Even if you don't want to be a performer, I guarantee it will help you improve public speaking. I'm no longer nervous to give presentations at work! I'm attaching a schedule of the weekend's events. Contact me if you want to learn more. I hope to see you there!

Saturday August 20, 2011
9:00am - 11:30am
Children’s and Adult’s Basic Improv Workshops (No previous improv experience is necessary for these workshops)
9:00am - 10:30am
Workshop A: Grades 3-5 Instructor Amanda Aring (No fee, limit 15 participants)
Workshop B: Grades 6-8 Instructor Robin Starr (No fee, limit 15 participants)
Workshop C: Grades 9-12 Instructor Barbara Allen (No fee, limit 15 participants)
Adult Basic Workshop Ages 18+ Instructor Bill Sabo (No fee, limit 18 participants,persons who complete this workshop are eligible to take Megan Grano’s workshops)

10:45am - 11:30am
Skills Showcase Grades 3-12 (Students will show learned skills in a short performance on the Whetstone Community Center Stage.)
Location: Whetstone Community Center
3923 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43214
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5:00pm - 7:30pm
Improv Workshop I, with Megan Grano
(Participants must have basic knowledge of scenic improv and have taken basic level improv classes to
enroll in this series of workshops)
Cost is $50 per workshop or $95 for both workshops, limited to 18 participants
8:00pm - 10:00pm
“Messing With A Friend” Susan Messing performs her signature show* with her very
special friend Megan Grano.**
“See You Thursday”*** will open for “Messing With A Friend”
Tickets for the show are general admission and are $15.00 and can be purchased online, at the door or
from any member of “See You Thursday”
Please note, there is an additional surcharge for online purchase. If the show is sold out you will be
notified immediately and you will receive a full refund.Seating is limited. You may reserve you ticket by purchasing online or by sending check or money order made payable to:
Pull The String Productions, Inc.
8203 Snowhill Ct.
Westerville, OH 4308
Location: The Roth-Ressler Theatre
The Jewish Community Center Greater Columbus Ohio
1125 College Ave.
Columbus, OH 43209
*”Messing With A Friend” is a production of The Annoyance Theatre in Chicago and can be seen there
every Thursday night.
** Megan Grano performs weekly at io West, and Second City, Hollywood.
*** “See You Thursday” performs two Fridays per Month at the Wild Goose Creative in Columbus.
Sunday August 21, 2011
1:00pm - 3:30pm
Improv Workshop II. with Megan Grano.
(Participants must have basic knowledge of scenic improv and have taken basic level improv classes to
enroll in this series of workshops). Cost is $50 per workshop or $95 for both workshops, limited to 18 participants.
Location: Community Capital Development Corporation
900 Michigan St.
Columbus, Ohio 43215
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5:00pm - 7:00pm Troupe Reception
The reception is free but will be ticketed and reservations must be made online or by personal invitation.
Ticket quantities are limited.
7:00pm - 11:00PM Local and Regional Improv Showcase.
Local troupes will perform throughout the evening and include:
“Angry Ladies of Improv” All female guest troupe from Cleveland Ohio
“Dixie Cups” All female troupe from Columbus Ohio
“Dutch Company” Columbus Ohio
“Fishbowl” Columbus Ohio
“Not From Concentrate” Columbus Ohio
“Parkprov” Columbus Ohio
“PTSP Level I Improv Class (premier performance) Columbus Ohio
(As of 7/23/2011, there are a few spots remaining for the showcase. There is a $20 per troupe fee to
participate. This fee includes the pre-show reception and two tickets to the showcase)
Tickets for the showcase are general admission and are $5.00 they can be purchased online, at the door
or from any member of “See You Thursday”. Seating is limited. You may reserve you ticket by
purchasing online or by sending check or money order made payable to:
Pull The String Productions, Inc.
8203 Snowhill Ct.
Westerville, OH 43081
If the show is sold out you will be notified immediately and you will receive a full refund.
Location: The Wild Goose Creative
2491 Summit St.
Columbus, OH 43202
For further information or to make reservations please contact Pull The String Productions, Inc. at:
Phone: 614-846-0205
email: info@pullthestring.net
Web site: www.columbusunscripted.comThe events of the Columbus Unscripted weekend are made possible in part by a generous grant from the
Greater Columbus Arts Council. Funded by the Franklin County Commissioners.
Also ,by and in partnership with Columbus Parks and Recreation, Whetstone Community center.
And by The Community Capital Development Corporation

Hot Off the Press! -A Dixie CUPdate

I just called our "Update" a "cUPdate." Awww. We are running full steam ahead! This summer is going to be FANTASTIC! Here is what's happening in Cupworld:

Friday, June 24 (Tomorrow): We'll be opening for See You Thursday @ The Wild Goose! 2491 Summit St. CBus, OH. Show time is 8pm. $5 at the door. We've invited a Special Guest Cup to join us! Miss Erin Donovan, from the fabulous troupe Not From Concentrate, will be playing with us. Come check it out.

Saturday, August 20th: A Taste of Improv!  Come out and enjoy Columbus' first all-improv festival! We'll be featuring acclaimed improvisers Susan Messing and Megan Grano, as well as showcasing Columbus' own improv troupes. More details to come. Please visit www.columbusunscripted.com for up to date information.

And finally, we've got MERCHANDISE!!! Check out our store at Cafe Press! www.cafepress.com/dixiecupsimprov

Buy shirt...or a thong!

short attention span romance

My Freshman year of college is mostly a blur. However, I do remember sneaking a duffel bag of liquor up to my room, trying to communicate with a very dead Jim Morrison, playing spades hours at a time, and of course going to class!
During the winter quarter, I was trying to think of creative careers I could get into with an English degree. I thought the romance novel business might be worth looking into. To practice my "craft", I would take requests from the girls on my floor. They'd give me the name and description of their perfect man, celebrity, or college beau, and I'd create a steamy love story just for them. Nothing fancy. I usually got down to the nuts and bolts of the story (pun intended) within 2 lines. I quickly became the most appreciated person in my dorm.

So, if you've got a request, I'll dust off my smut reference materials just for you.

~Amanda

You can't make this up!

I was at World Market on Saturday looking for a birthday gift for my daughter (which means looking for stuff I want). I found myself in the spice isle and there was an old guy with his 10 year old-ish daughter. The daughter was kneeling in the isle pawing among the spice options, and the old guy was doing a monologue in the style of Tom Waites. He was a scruffy little 50 something year old guy - I can say that because I could be described the same way - and he was riffing on nutmeg and sugar. In a monotone he says,"Don't pick up that colored sugar. Your mom doesn't need any more sugar of any color, or any encouragement. And she don't eat colored sugar, or raw sugar, or honey, or any of that kind of stuff. And don't look at the nutmeg! God, you start by smelling nutmeg, and then the next thing you know you've bitten in to it and your hallucinating and running around spitting on the walls and taking your clothes off in the kitchen. God, no. We don't want that on Mothers Day". Remember, this was to the 10 year old girl. And possibly for my benefit? I like to think so, anyway. Best show I've seen this week. I saw them later and he was still talking...

the house of wax

Every experience I have in a spa or nail/waxing establishment is odd. There was the time about 4 years ago when I went in for an eyebrow wax and came out crying. My skin was too dry. I didn't use the right moisturizer for day AND night. I didn't drink enough water... You get the idea. I tend to get aestheticians who are really passionate about skin. Last year, I went in for a quick lunchtime wax and my Vietnamese waxer looked at me and said "You need it!" Thanks. I know. That's why I'm here.

I guess I felt up to a little punishment today when I went on another lunchtime run. I said I just needed and eyebrow wax. She looked me over and responded, "Hmmm. Are you sure you don't want lip too?" I said, "ok that's fine do the lip too." After she did my brows and lip she said, Um, you sure you no want cheeks?"

Good grief.

Polishing a Turd

I like to ride my bike and recently bought a mid-life-crisis present for myself. This bike is more expensive than my daughters semi-beater car. The local dealer is a guy who is a great mechanic and a challenging person. He's normal one day and rude and curt for the next four days. I bravely (bravely=stupidly) disregarded that and went forward, only to be in the same spot I find myself in A LOT. Trying to polish a turd. In this case a turdcoated situation.

They didn't measure me, didn't answer my question about stand over, have had the frame for 3 weeks, and don't return my calls. I feel like I'm in limbo, but I'm not! I can walk away. Walking away would make him mad at me, which has seemed unacceptable. But it's my money, right?

If this were an improv scene, I'd tell him to f*off and shove the frame up his a$$.

Since this is real life, I guess I'll be more polite but I can still say it. Oh Yeah! Because you can't polish a turd. Well you can, but it makes a mess messier.

We're Tweeting!

You can now follow The Cups on Twitter!

@dixiecupsimprov