Vol 4 No. 38, Feb 19 - Feb 25 2004

-THEATER-

REALITY CHECK Reality Check The Brody Theater, 1904 NW 27th, 224-0688, Fri-Sat 10:30 pm, $8, closes this weekend W e here at the Mercury shy away from reviewing improv shows, but it's not because we don't like them. On the contrary, improv comedy, particularly at the Brody, is always thrilling to watch, hilarious, and yet rarely review-able. Try this: "Yeah, the improv show was great last night, but it's going to be a totally different show tonight, as improv always is, and we really have no idea what you should expect, but know this: It's gonna be GRRREAT!" It doesn't really work, which is why, as a reviewer who often yearns to write more improv-related reviews, I was thus excited for Nate Halloran's new late-night brainchild, Reality Check. This is improv, but with a unifying premise. The cast has each created their own respective characters, which will remain constant throughout the run of the show. Each night a reality television show suggestion is taken from the audience, and the actors create a new season of that show with their characters as the stars. The night I went the suggestion was "That's Impossible," to which the cast paid absolutely no attention, instead enacting a fairly typical Real World-esque blend of incestuous sexual escapades and squabbling. Not original, but still very entertaining, thanks largely to the cast's well-developed characters. Nico Izambard prowls about the "house" as a lisping, oversexed Frenchman, looking to grope anyone and everyone. His targets include Madison Gaynor as a troubled child of the immensely wealthy Windex family, the dryly funny Aspen Schmidt as a struggling artist, and Brad Fortier as a bisexual grade school teacher. The soft-spoken Fortier is the anchor of this show, a seasoned improviser who grounds the occasionally sloppy group with endless, wide-eyed charm. Reality Check has a great idea behind it and huge potential, but hasn't quite jelled yet, due largely to the limited experience of its performers. The presence of Halloran himself, or perhaps some other veteran in addition to Fortier, might have turned it into something truly special. Perhaps next time (hopefully, this show becomes one of the Brody's signature pieces, like the Antiques Improv Show); for now, expect the usual from Reality Check--funny, different every night, and GRRREAT! JUSTIN WESCOAT SANDERS

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