Improv open mic is run by a woman named Zahnea and has been going on just over a year. There are no language restrictions. Parking is on the street. Signup is simply giving your name to the host, but it’s not first come first served. The room is a sizable theater, seating 67, all of which can see the stage clearly, and the stage, like any theater, is well-lit. It’s a platform stage about a foot high, and the backdrop is a set that looks like a brick wall with two entrances. Two mics were on stage. Doors open at 7:30 and the room starts 8pm and potentially goes to 10pm. They offer beers and wine priced between $4 and $6, and nonalcoholic beverages between $2 and $4 and snacks like candy and bags of chips for a similar price. The gentleman behind the concession stand is Ian. There is no admission fee for either talent or audience members, but they do suggest you support the room any way you can with a donation. The mic is called “Off The Top”. I arrived at 7:40. By 8pm we had 5 in the audience, not counting the host and Ian. We had ten in the room when we started at 8:10pm, and I noticed everyone in the room sat towards the back. Zahnea and a co-host, Danny, welcomed everyone, riffed for a few minutes on stage, then one mic was placed off to one side and the two hosts continued running the room from the sound booth in one back corner, where they had additional mics they talked into, while talent on stage used the remaining mic. All persons who gave their name to the host to perform got to go up. Above the stage topics are written in large letters and projected on the wall for everyone to see. Talent has to read them, then respond however they wanted, trying to be funny off the top of their head, while the hosts encouraged them with a question or suggestion during their stage time. A “wheel” is spun also over the stage with every talent’s name written on it; where the wheel stopped revealed the next person to go up. Talent was given three topics or about 4 or 5 minutes of stage time. We had 12 peeps by 8:20pm, and I was glad to see everyone stayed to support till the room ended at 9:32pm. The audience was very good at not commenting on the performer on stage, even if they knew the talent personally. This allowed for a more controlled environment, where only the hosts narrate and determine the direction the room would go. Guys, this is the second room I have visited in Seattle where the mic was improv and not doing your own material. Unlike the other room, this one is more organized and disciplined. Again, the audience was good about just watching the performer on stage, not giving their two cents worth, taking thunder away from the comic performing. The topics varied throughout the night, so there was always something new to joke about. If you like to improvise, this is a good room to do. Technically, you don’t have to pay to perform, but I recommend at least buying something to support the room.
Improv open mic is run by a woman named Zahnea and has been going on just over a year. There are no language restrictions. Parking is on the street. Signup is simply giving your name to the host, but it’s not first come first served. The room is a sizable theater, seating 67, all of which can see the stage clearly, and the stage, like any theater, is well-lit. It’s a platform stage about a foot high, and the backdrop is a set that looks like a brick wall with two entrances. Two mics were on stage. Doors open at 7:30 and the room starts 8pm and potentially goes to 10pm. They offer beers and wine priced between $4 and $6, and nonalcoholic beverages between $2 and $4 and snacks like candy and bags of chips for a similar price. The gentleman behind the concession stand is Ian. There is no admission fee for either talent or audience members, but they do suggest you support the room any way you can with a donation.
ReplyDeleteThe mic is called “Off The Top”. I arrived at 7:40. By 8pm we had 5 in the audience, not counting the host and Ian. We had ten in the room when we started at 8:10pm, and I noticed everyone in the room sat towards the back. Zahnea and a co-host, Danny, welcomed everyone, riffed for a few minutes on stage, then one mic was placed off to one side and the two hosts continued running the room from the sound booth in one back corner, where they had additional mics they talked into, while talent on stage used the remaining mic. All persons who gave their name to the host to perform got to go up. Above the stage topics are written in large letters and projected on the wall for everyone to see. Talent has to read them, then respond however they wanted, trying to be funny off the top of their head, while the hosts encouraged them with a question or suggestion during their stage time. A “wheel” is spun also over the stage with every talent’s name written on it; where the wheel stopped revealed the next person to go up. Talent was given three topics or about 4 or 5 minutes of stage time.
We had 12 peeps by 8:20pm, and I was glad to see everyone stayed to support till the room ended at 9:32pm. The audience was very good at not commenting on the performer on stage, even if they knew the talent personally. This allowed for a more controlled environment, where only the hosts narrate and determine the direction the room would go.
Guys, this is the second room I have visited in Seattle where the mic was improv and not doing your own material. Unlike the other room, this one is more organized and disciplined. Again, the audience was good about just watching the performer on stage, not giving their two cents worth, taking thunder away from the comic performing. The topics varied throughout the night, so there was always something new to joke about. If you like to improvise, this is a good room to do. Technically, you don’t have to pay to perform, but I recommend at least buying something to support the room.