Crossroads Farm at Grossman’s will close out its summer food truck series with an evening of unscripted comedy when Malverne Community Theatre brings its improv show to the farm.
The free performance is expected to begin around 9 p.m. Aug. 28, following the final Food Truck Rodeo of the summer. The evening gets underway at 5 p.m. with food trucks, a brewery and live music, giving families and community members a chance to grab dinner and enjoy the farm before the comedy begins.
The improv performance will give the audience a role in shaping the action onstage. Performers will take part in a variety of improv games, with suggestions coming directly from the crowd. Audience members may be asked to suggest characters, locations, relationships or conflicts, which performers will then incorporate into scenes on the spot.
“It’s exciting because it’s so real, and you can clearly see it’s not rehearsed,” Operations Manager Michael D’Angelo said. “You’re just giving them feedback and giving them ideas, and then they go off the cuff. It’s a cool thing to have here.”
One example is a game in which several actors begin a scene before the host calls for them to freeze. Another performer can then replace an actor, taking the exact position they were in and creating an entirely new scene from there.
The performers will not have a script to fall back on. Instead, they will rely on quick thinking, teamwork and their ability to turn unexpected suggestions into comedy.
“We basically make stuff up on the spot,” David Coonan, artistic director and president of Malverne Community Theatre said. “I honestly have no idea how it will go, and that’s dangerous and terrifying, and that’s what I love about it.”
That unpredictability makes improv different from many of Malverne Community Theatre’s other productions. The group has presented Shakespeare and musicals at Crossroads Farm, productions that require extensive rehearsal and preparation. Improv takes a different approach, with performers discovering much of the show at the same time as the audience.
Malverne Community Theatre has been performing improv for years, including performances dating back to before its current partnership with Crossroads Farm. The theatre has continued its relationship with the farm through a variety of productions and events, making the improv show another opportunity to bring live theatre to a familiar community setting.
The comedy will have a more mature tone than many of the family-focused activities typically held at the farm. It is not considered adults-only, but some material may be geared toward a mature audience.
The show is designed as an extension of the final Food Truck Rodeo rather than a separate formal event. Visitors can spend the evening at the farm, enjoy food and drinks, listen to live music and then stay for the comedy.
Admission to the improv performance is free, although Malverne Community Theatre will accept donations to support its productions and community programming.
With the summer food truck series coming to an end, the show offers another opportunity for the community to gather at Crossroads Farm, this time for an evening of spontaneous scenes, audience participation and plenty of laughs.
“When it hits and it’s good, there’s nothing like it. The audience just laughs from beginning to end,” Coonan said. “It’s just a fun evening. Nothing formal about it. Just enjoy some insanity and laugh at our expense.”
For more information on Malverne Community Theatre, visit MalverneTheatre.org.
