"Improv-a-rama"

The (Portland) Oregonian reviews ComedySportz

(The Oregonian, August 25, 1995, p. E1)

ComedySportz [Four Bananas (out of four = "100 percent funny")]

ADVICE TO AUDIENCE: Just show up. No one will be put on the spot. (but make reservations-ed)

WHAT IT'S LIKE: A parody of fierce competitive sports sets ComedySportz off in a zany direction. Complete with a referee, two teams of usually four "actletes," a stadium organist, and all the self-congratulatory high-fives you see among football players, ComedySportz goes the whole nine yards in making comedy into a sport.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Three conclusions: 1) You laugh all through the show, 2) it's wholesome enough to take the kids and the grandparents to (because the referee is not afraid to censor), and 3) it's an incredibly well-organized event. It's a satisfying, fast-paced evening, where even the chronically shy will find themselves yelling out suggestions.

WHY IT WORKS: "We're a little more product-oriented as opposed to process-oriented," says Manager Patrick Short. The ComedySportz players (20 of them total) pay close attention to the experience, taking time after each show to critique what worked and what flopped. "I'm not going to kid anyone that we're going to do Henry the IV. But if art happens, great!" Short says.