Rodeo clowns, gossiping nuns and an elderly couple arguing at Dollywood – at first glance, these persons seem to have nothing in common.
But, ironically, they are all characters brought to life by Donna Kapa’s improv comedy troupe.
From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday mornings, Kapa leads a free two-hour Improvisational Comedy Class at the Birdhouse in the hope of promoting sketch comedy throughout the city.
“(The class) was originally started by a woman named Kayla who came from Los Angeles and saw there wasn’t a lot of improv in Knoxville,” Kapa said. “So we started with her about two and a half years ago. Then she moved, left town, and I took over the leadership of the group.”
Since then, the size of the class has varied from eight core players to as many as 20 members. Despite these fluctuations, the troupe views every performance as a chance to hone and perfect their skills.
“We’re trying to do a monthly performance. So, we’ll review what we liked, what we can change and we can kind of work on that for the next performance, so it’s an ongoing process,” Kapa said.
After a series of “warm-up” exercises, the troupe catches their breath and discusses previous sketches, throwing out suggestions for increasing audience participation during shows. Because improv relies heavily on the crowd, the group is constantly searching for ways to enhance humor and energy.
Some members recommended using stage space more effectively while others critiqued the performers’ motions. For troupe member Alexis Tudor, the element of surprise fuels great comedic performing.
“The idea is bringing an unexpected element to engage the audience,” Tudor said. “The audience can still give you dud suggestions for a scene, but you still have to work with it.”
As Tudor implied, the show must go on despite any comedic challenge, a reality troupe member Carole Ann Borges refuses to sugarcoat. As a child, Borges’ mother introduced her to improv; a hobby she would later abandon per the wishes of her ex-husband. Yet, upon finding Kapa’s class, Borges decided to join despite feeling too old for such a lively activity.
“In the beginning, you do what you can for whoever you can,” Borges said. “You bring relatives down, and you do whatever you can. I especially like this group because most are just beginning and are always very accepting.”
Kapa explained, “It is this diverse background that brings joy to each class.
“A couple of us are writers, a couple of us from acting backgrounds, some of us were teachers. We have people who like to get closer to that creativeness, that creative spontaneity. And I think the idea that we come here and we laugh for two hours every Saturday is sometimes just good therapy.”
