College improv group ready for debut shows
Elgin Community College's newest ensemble, ECCxplosion! Improv!, will explode with spontaneous wit and contagious charm when it makes its debut performances at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. today and Nov. 14 on the "yet to be named stage" in the lobby of Elgin Community College's Visual and Performing Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
The student-centered performance group performs long-form improvisation from audience suggestions in the tradition of Chicago's I.O. (formerly Improv Olympic) under the direction of instructor Mark Hardiman who, in addition to working at ECC, headed Talisman Theatre for the past 15 years.
"What makes us different is we connect with what students are thinking and doing," said Christopher Hassan, cast member and ECC student body president.
The performance space is not in a traditional theater; instead it is situated on a new stage in the lobby of the ECC Arts Center between the SecondSpace and Blizzard theaters.
ECCxplosion! Improv! whose stated mission is, "to spontaneously connect to the lives of our peers" aims to be accessible. The location is already a favorite student hang-out where laptop users have access to wireless Internet and tables and chairs for studying and group work.
ECCxplosion! Improv! rehearsals occur in open, random locations on campus behind two large orange and white construction barriers to further draw student interest.
The phrase "random as it gets" has become the ensemble's mantra.
"We were rehearsing when this guy just walked right through the rehearsal and said it. We grabbed it up right away and began putting it on e-mails and our MySpace page," said Hassan.
The ensemble will perform four sets: Relate-able, Random-esque, Edgy-ish and Full Throttle Improv! Students who have taken improvisation at ECC are invited to join in the last set for a fast-paced game of freeze-tag, a traditional improv game.
Admission is free. Donations are greatly appreciated. For information, call the ECC box office at (847) 622-0300.