Local Improv Troupe Seeks College Audiences

For an improv group, there may be no better audience than a group of college students.

Kitsch in Sync, an improvisational comedy troupe based in Cambridge, is one of many Boston-area comedy troupes seeking college students as its main audience, and it will likely collaborate with one of Tufts' own improv groups in the near future to help in this endeavor.

In order to attract more college students, particularly Tufts students, Kitsch in Sync is in the early stages of planning a collaborative show with Cheap Sox, Tufts' own improv comedy troupe.

"We have been reaching out to college students lately," said Allan Telio, a member of Kitsch in Sync. "We have college troupes open for us."

According to Adam Williams, who founded Kitsch in Sync five years ago, college students are an ideal audience for improv groups.

"Because [the show's] spontaneous," he said, "it's informal, which college students like."

Williams also explained that improv is a unique medium because it allows the audience to "follow somebody's stream of consciousness."

Telio, who joined Kitsch in Sync seven months ago, said that improv performances are particularly appealing due to their funny and unpredictable nature. He also explained that comedy shows allow young people to laugh without thinking of or worrying about their daily lives.

"People come, sit down and watch our shows, and laugh their butts off," Telio said. "There is no better way to relax than laughing."

To students on limited budgets, the price may also be attractive.

"Our tickers never cost more than ten dollars," Williams said.

Overcoming Obstacles

As a small group among Boston's numerous larger comedy troupes, Kitsch in Sync faces many obstacles besides attracting college students to its shows. Williams, who started the group after working with Improv Boston, preferred performing in a smaller group that would provide a cohesive feeling

"I didn't find I was getting what I needed from Improv Boston," Williams said

Williams soon recruited five of his friends to form what is now Kitsch in Sync. The group currently consists of ten members, still a much smaller number than that of most prominent improv troupes.

According to Williams it is difficult to find members who are willing to spend time rehearsing. "Everybody wants to eat the bread, but hardly anyone wants to knead the dough," he said.

The group has also had a hard time finding members who can feel comfortable together and form a cohesive group. "90 percent of improv is trust, 30 percent is timing and 20 percent is being funny...I never was very good at math," Telio joked.

Another struggle for Kitsch in Sync involves finances.

"It's hard to find a venue where it makes economic sense for us to perform," Williams said. "It's difficult for us to compete with the larger troupes who have venues in which they can both perform and rehearse."

Establishing a home venue is an ultimate long-term goal for Kitsch in Sync. "We're still stages of development away from that," Williams said.

Another obstacle that the group faces is as simple as getting the word out.

"There is so much going on in this city that it is hard to get people's attention and make them come to the show," Telio said

Area Improv

For students looking for improv acts, The Improv Asylum, a comedy club in Boston, is a popular and relatively inexpensive choice. General admission is usually $15-20, and the club offers discounts to students with college ID cards.

Katie Perez, a freshman who has attended shows at the Improv Asylum, explains its appeal. "It's almost the same price as a movie," she said, "but it's live and in the moment."

Another option for students seeking improv entertainment is Tufts' Traveling Treasure Trunk. Dubbed the Trunkers, they are a semi-improv children's entertainment group that performs at local hospitals, schools and libraries.

"I get a great sense of confidence from doing improv. Improv is risk-taking_ I don't know what's coming next," Trunker Molly Ritvo said, adding that improv is especially entertaining to younger people because it reflects reality in a self-mocking way.

"It is a comedic imitation of daily dialogue," she said.

The collaboration between Cheap Sox and Kitsch in Sync is tentatively planned for Jan. 24.