Consensual Improv, the Roaring Fork Valley’s very own improv comedy troupe, has been bringing laughs to local audiences since 2016. The troupe saw a remarkable turnout for their two-night special holiday shows at TACAW this year. Each show was jam-packed with original sketches plus video content and, of course, a series of improv games where the group took live suggestions.
“I certainly love the variety of comedy we do at the holiday show,” said Emily Henley, who joined the group in 2021. “I was really fortunate to be able to help with directing this year. It’s wonderful to bring a variety of theatrical qualities into our shows, and it gives the audience a fun taste of so many different styles of comedy.”
The names and faces of the group have changed over the years, though often consist of local theater icons. Current members include Cassidy Willey, Mike Monroney, Gerald DeLisser, Jack Trembath, Miller Ford, Ryan Honey, Nina Gabianelli, Zoë Rom and Kristen Carlson.
“I think what is so special about this group is that we are not only improvising on stage — we’re improvising this group, constantly,” Jeff Patterson said. “Everyone jumps in and serves in so many different ways.” Patterson is credited with starting the group back in 2016.
He continued with examples of how members have served the group in their own ways, such as Henley’s marketing efforts, Honey’s community building skills, Ford’s push to write more scripted materials and Gabianelli’s bookkeeping. He described Willey as a “huge leader” in pulling together logistics.
“[The holiday show] is very different from our normal improv show format because it is a multimedia experience,” Willey described. “We do sketch comedy, which we don’t delve into throughout the year. We write all of these sketches each fall. We come to the table with ideas and come back to the group and try the ideas out. Each year, we’ve had fresh sketches written by members of our group, which is exciting.”
Ford piggybacked off this comment, saying the holiday show is something he looks forward to for many reasons, with the standout being creation time before the performances where the brainstorming magic happens with the crew.
“It allows us to spread our wings a little bit in a different comedy form. It is very rare for comedians to actually get a formed sketch on stage for an audience.It’s something I think all of us look forward to — getting these ideas out and having them come to fruition. It’s been an absolute pleasure and a joy to share it with the family we’ve created,” he stated.
One of these creations came from an idea Honey pitched a little over three years ago about 1980s action movie star Dolph Lundgren, now a staple running joke in a lot of the group’s musical and sketch comedy pieces. Willey described this running bit as one of many examples of how the group brings the audience into the jokes.
“I do think we’ve created something around this whole Dolph Lundgren bit which brings the audience in on the joke. I think that is a huge part of what’s fun about improv, watching people laugh and connect on stage, and feeling like you and the audience are part of that connection and part of that joke, that you’re in on it together. It feels really inclusive,” she stated.
In addition to the connections the comedy troupe forms with audiences, it also offers opportunities to play for private events and parties, corporate and company trainings, school events and improv workshops where attendees can gain the improv skill of saying “yes, and” in their everyday lives.
“I think it is such a magical thing to have our group that is so focused on serving our community with laughter,” Henley told The Sopris Sun. “Especially around the holidays and with everything happening in the world, just being able to be a part of creative endeavors where the sole purpose is to laugh, play and find joy is such an important tool in our society,” Henley told us.
For updates, bookings or to catch the next Consensual Improv show, follow @consensualimprov on Instagram or visit www.theconsensualimprov.com