OMG! WTF? LOL.
What the Fox, Auburn's improv comedy group, is preparing for its third public performance at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Make Your Move Dance Studio in Opelika.
The group, approximately seven members strong, is an ensemble cast of local comedians that has grown both in size and popularity since it was started last summer.
Lindsay Acord, founder and director of WTF, said she started the group about a year ago because there wasn't anything like it in Auburn and it was something she thought would do well here.
"I just wanted it to be more like a comedy collective," Acord said. "Something where like-minded individuals could come in and there wasn't necessarily this dictator leader that said where the group would go. I wanted everybody to have input and everybody to share ideas and have it evolve that way."
Sunny Stalter, assistant English professor, said she got involved in the group because she trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater in New York while in graduate school and was interested in continuing to participate in improv comedy.
"I was just really glad to get the opportunity to practice that skill some more with people down here," Stalter said. "The reason I like doing improv is less about being funny and more about being in the moment, and I really like that. I get to mess around with a lot of other really fun, creative people that aren't the typical people I would run into as a teacher."
The name What the Fox, came from an impromptu exclamation by one of the members that ended up sticking, Acord said.
"We accidentally got locked out of the studio and one of our group members pointed and said 'What the fox?' and it was a fox," Acord said. "We had all these ideas but it still kept just coming back to What the Fox."
Acord said, their performances, currently consist of games and skits similar to those seen on the show "Whose Line is it Anyway?," but they are working on including some long form comedy skits, like the ones done in theater shows by Upright Citizens Brigade and The Second City, in their next performance.
"Audiences should just expect anything," Acord said about the upcoming performance. "You really don't know what to expect with improv which is the best part about it. There's no script, there's nothing planned. There is a framework maybe, but you don't know what is going to be said, you don't know what characters will show up or what thing from the news will have a tongue-andcheek comment about it."
Some of the games played during a performance include "World's Worst," where the group members take turns coming up with things like the world's worst Valentine's Day present, as well as scenes like "Beans," where a short generic scene is repeated several times with different themes, like Martin Scorsese directed
Beans. Both Acord and Stalter said to keep in mind the showis18andupasthe material can become racy, depending on the suggestions made by the audience. Because the venue is a dance studio, it is also recommended to bring chairs.
"We like people to bring their friends because word-of-mouth is a really great way for us to get in contact with new people," Stalter said. "In terms of participation, come prepared to suggest creative, off the wall things. A lot of times we get typical sex related suggestions or bathroom related suggestions and it is always more fun to perform to more creative suggestions."
WTF practices every Sunday at different members houses and is always looking for people to come out and audition, Stalter said.
"There are no requirements," Acord said. "We have people in the group that have never done comedy ever ever ever. Then we have younger members that have done improv before -- men, women, students and teachers; it's a pretty mixed group and we always leave the group open for new people to come play with us."
Acord said auditions are a relaxed environment with no commitment. Even people who don't want to perform can come and participate just to be more confident or to work on acting skills.
After this performance, they will be looking to perform at least one show a month and possibly change to a larger venue.
The show at the Make Your Move Dance Studio, located at 116 Columbus Parkway in Opelika, is $3 a person and seating starts at 7 p.m.
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