My friend J.C. and I did improv comedy in college. Rathskellar, our troupe, is the oldest college troupe in the country. I met most of my friends doing it. Josh and Katy were in it. Lauren was in it. Lolita was in it.
Since college, though, things have changed. I, for one, went to law school. JC went out to L.A. for a spell. I hung out with him a bunch this past summer when I worked there. And just recently, JC returned to Atlanta to kill time before he goes to Yale in the fall where he’ll be getting his MA in religion and art.
We met tonight for pizza at Savage Pizza in Little Five Points. Since improv is at the root of our friendship, I will now attempt to review Savage Pizza in the style of an improv game, Alphabet. It goes like this: two people are in a scene and every line has to begin with the next letter of the alphabet. You don’t start with A, though, usually you get a suggestion from the audience. Can I get a suggestion?
E?
Very well, then, E it is. And I’ll write this like a scene of JC and I discussing our meal afterwards even though JC ran off to drink beer. For those who don’t enjoy improv, you may want to skip this post. And it’s all pretty suspect because it’s written, but whatever.
A REVIEW OF SAVAGE PIZZA IN THE STYLE OF THE IMPROV GAME ALPHABET BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER E
JC: Enjoy your meal?
AG: Fabulous!
JC: Gay word, Adam. Take it down a notch.
AG: Homophobe.
JC: I really like the pizza at Savage Pizza.
AG: JC, everyone likes the pizza at Savage Pizza.
JC: Killjoy.
AG: Look, I’m just saying that it’s some of the best pizza in Atlanta.
JC: My words exactly.
AG: Not really.
JC: Oh?
AG: Proust’s.
JC: Queer fellow he was.
AG: Right.
JC: So, you gonna post that picture of me and the pizza?
AG: Tada!
JC: Unbelievable—I’m so hot it’s unbelievable.
AG: Very modest, JC.
JC: What?
AG: Xeroxing your ego would take an army.
JC: Your prose is a bit purple.
AG: Zuck it.
JC: Anyway, shouldn’t we discuss the pizza?
AG: Bubbly, beautiful, buoyant–
JC: Can’t float, Adam.
AG: Didn’t say it could.
JC: End it here, friend.
Nice!
Sorry dude – if you do a little research, you will find that “Rathskellar” is no where near the oldest improv group in the country. The Compass Players were started at the University of Chicago in the 50’s – moreover, there are a handful of groups started in the 70s and 80’s who do shortform.
Hate to burst your bubble.