The Super Happy Improv Troupe is an improvisational theater

Improvisational theatre

Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...

 company that performs in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. Founded by producer David Lee and the other founding members, Brian Arya, April Macchio, Sergio Pagan, and Elmer Santos. They have recently concluded their second season performing at the Broadway Comedy Club

Comedy club

A comedy club is a venue, typically a nightclub, bar, or restaurant where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, magicians, ventriloquists and other comedy acts...

 under the club's "City" division.

Performers

The Troupe has official rankings for all performers within.

Iron Improvisationalists

The highest rank of performer is that of the Iron Improvisationalist. They all wear a variation of a black tie, white shirt and black pants uniform. (Except host David Lee, who wears a red shirt.) All of the original founding members hold this rank. In addition, two newer members of the troupe were promoted to this ranking as well. The members who currently hold the ranking of Iron Improvisationalist include:

• David Lee The Reigning Emperor of Improv (Formerly known as Mr. 11 and 0) (Original Member)
• Elmer Santos The Filipino Phoenix (Original Member)
• Sergio Pagan The Prodigy (Original Member)
• April Macchio The First Lady of Improv (Original Member)
• Christine Loihle (promoted on November 29, 2009)
• JP Ver Hage The Juggernaut (promoted on November 29, 2009)
• Derek Lehmann (promoted on March 7, 2010)

Also original members who have since moved on are known as Super Happy Improv Troupe Alumni.
They include:

• Brian Arya The Franchise
• Jacquline Ely
• Sean Lakomy Meat Head

The Developmental Improv Players

The other ranking in the Troupe are the Developmental Improv Players or the D.I.P.'s. They wear a standard plain grey T-shirt and blue jeans.

The name

The name Super Happy Improv Troupe was thought up by founding member, Elmer Santos. He thought of the tag line, "Super Happy Improv Troupe, we are the S.H.I.T." The group agreed on it and the name stayed with them ever since. This name won over other suggestions such as Simon Says Improv, High Fructose Improv, the Tantric Love Children, Candy in the Van Improv and the Very Angry Guys In Neckties Armada (V.A.G.I.N.A.)

Technical Crew and Promotion

Jaime Valencia and Nick Fazio have served as the stage managers and technical crew since the show began. They have been the brains behind all the technical work that the show requires.

Jeff Lee and 81 Dollar Productions in association with the Blur Gallery have been responsible for all the promotional photography and many video recordings as well.

Ray Bayard is responsible for the official website of the Super Happy Improv Troupe, as both the web designer and programmer.

Vernacular

The Troupe has its own set of vocabulary terms to distinguish themselves from other companies.

For example, the original cast refers to themselves as Improvisationalists as opposed to improv players.

Since improv is not rehearsed, they call the time when they work on developing talent as Practice or Training

Instead of playing improv games, they execute Performance Pieces or Scenes.

Performance Pieces

Since their show entitled "The Super Happy Improv Troupe Strike Again!" the Troupe has only performed either original Performance Pieces, popular improv games that have been altered or improv games that are somewhat obscure and have had minimum exposure and not appeared on television.

Such Performance Pieces include, Rapper's Delight, Memento and Deja vu among many others.

Format

Super Happy Improv Troupe utilizes a variety of different formats for their shows, consisting of both long form and short form improv.

Some formats include:

• The Wheel of Improv: The Wheel of Improv itself has a series of different Improv Performance Pieces labeled on it. All performers go against each other in a single elimination, every man for himself competition. Two competitors meet in what is called an Elimination Challenge. An audience member spins the wheel and whatever Performance Piece it lands on is what the two competitors will play. At the end of each Piece, the audience cheers for their favorite competitor. Whoever is least favored by the crowd is eliminated. This continues until all performers are eliminated except one and hr/she is crowned champion. Sometimes the match ups for Elimination are predetermined and other times competitors are matched up at random. The first time the Wheel was used, the winner earned the right to go against host, David Lee.
• Super Happy 5-4-3-2-1: This version of 5-4-3-2-1 features 5 different improvised long-form plays. Each is based on a single word given by the audience. The group has a Jam Session where they extrapolate ideas from the word and they proceed to perform. In the first round, they begin each play and then stop before delving too deep into story. Then the audience decides which they like most, the least favorite is eliminated. This continues until one play remains and it is concluded for the audience.
• Ultimatum: A derivative of the format "Improvisers Must Be Punished!" created by one of the show's current co-producers at the Broadway Comedy Club, Aaron Haber. The Troupe's format is similar as it consists of two teams both with a team captain. Each team competes by performing with their teammates in a variety of short form pieces. The show goes by several round, each round consists of the same performance piece being performed twice, once by each team. After each round, the audience votes on who they liked the best. The losing team must suffer a punishment. The difference in the Ultimatum format is that the losing team's captain is given a choice of two punishments to choose from. One is for the captain only, the other is for a member of his team or the entire team itself. The captain must choose to suffer alone or make his team suffer for him. Punishments range from constantly being pinched in the next round to playing the parts of both your own parents and reenacting the night of your own conception.
• The Iron Improv Show: Contestants compete against the Iron Improvisationalists. The contestants challenge the Iron Improvisationalists in a series of short form pieces. Unlike Ultimatum, competitors perform with each other in pieces as opposed to only performing with only those on their team. This show also consists of rounds, but each round consists of several different pieces instead of just the same piece played only twice. At the End of each round, the audience votes for their favorite, either the competitors or the Iron Improvisationlists for points. After three rounds, the team with the most points wins and performs with Dave.
• The Long and the Short Of It: The Iron Improvisationalists perform one long form play based on a single word. During the play however, The D.I.P.'s perform short form pieces with the Iron Improvisationalists.

History

David Lee was first trained in improv at the age of 14. He went on performing improv in college. He later met Elmer Santos and Brian Arya. The trio would continue to perform together periodically throughout the years at a fundraiser improv show in New Jersey. Eventually, the three would co-star in a play with fellow actors April Macchio and Sergio Pagan. From there, April and Sergio would also begin performing improv with Dave, Elmer and Brian. After some time, Dave would be honored by being selected to host the same fundraiser show that started it all. It was then that the troupe would audition and meet Jackie Ely. Dave's show went on to become the highest grossing show ever in the show's history. Dave then began to wonder if performing outside the fund raising world would be possible as a professional. Everyone was on board and the Super Happy Improv Troupe was born.

The Troupe began practicing and perfecting their craft three months before their debut show that was set for July 26, 2008. They practiced in a run down, abandoned warehouse they affectionately referred to as the Improv Asylum. The Asylum suffered from severe flood damage, filthy conditions, insects, no working bathroom and no heating or cooling system. Temperatures reached over 100 degrees inside that summer. The troupe would work on individual skills and develop a better gauge of comedy through this time. Each week the Troupe was given challenges based on the positive skills of each member. The challenges ranged from performing stand-up comedy

Stand-up comedy

Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...

 in New York to writing sketch comedy

Sketch comedy

A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...

 skits. This was all done in the name of understanding better comedy and to develop talent. To promote the first show, the Troupe walked across the entire island of Manhattan passing out flyers and much more.

The first venue was the off-off Broadway theater

Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 called the Medicine Show Theater in New York's Hell's Kitchen district in New York City. The theater itself was on the third floor and the troupe sold their own concessions. The first show itself was very similar to Dave's fund raiser show. Dave hosted and was aided by the Baby Girls. The evening's Baby Girls were Lindsey and Marci. This show featured two teams competing against each other for points. The teams were Team Order, Elmer Santos, Jackie Ely and Sergio Pagan versus Team Chaos, Brian Arya and April Macchio. Team Order won that night in a split decision. The show was a success and fueled the drive to continue.

The Troupe has also performed at the off Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...

 venue, the Kraine Theater in the East Village section of New York. The Kraine's show was entitled "The Super Happy Improv Troupe Strikes Again!" The show was held on November 12, 2008. This would also be Jackie Ely's final show. For this event, the Troupe would debut the Wheel of Improv. It would also be the first time the troupe would compete against themselves individually in an everyman for himself contest. This was also the debut of the troupe's list of original Performance Pieces. In the finals April Macchio competed against Elmer Santos for the right to challenge Dave. Elmer defeated April and went head to head against Dave to close the show. At the time, Dave and Elmer were both undefeated in competitive improv and have never gone against each other before. Elmer emerged victorious beating Dave. That was the final night that Dave would be referred to as the undefeated "Mr. 11 and 0." It was also Dave's birthday.

The troupe currently performs at their home at the Broadway Comedy Club in the Theater district of Manhattan as part of "the City" division, which specializes in improv comedy only. They perform in the Broadway Comedy Club's Chicago City Limits

Chicago City Limits

Chicago City Limits, at 318 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, is an improvisational comedy troupe in New York City, New York.It was founded by George Todisco and a number of actors and had its first show on Labor Day, 1977, and is New York City's oldest improv comedy club. It has had over 8,500...

Room. The debut show at the Broadway Comedy Club was called "Super Happy Improv Troupe: The New Frontier" and was held on March 8, 2009. It was the debut of the Troupe performing long form improv and the 5-4-3-2-1 format. Since then, the Troupe has debuted new formats and new Performance Pieces since arriving at the City as well as debuting the D.I.P.'s. The Troupe had their one year anniversary show at the City, which was Brian Arya's final show and was also the season finale. The second season at the City at the Broadway Comedy Club had its finale on the one year mark of being at the Club and concluded with the promotion of Sean and Derek.

The Troupe's next venture will be performing at the famed Webster Hall as part of the QAS Festival. This show will also serve at a two year anniversary milestone event.

The Music

• The Troupe traditionally begins each show with the song Ecstasy of Gold from the film The Good, The Bad and The Ugly by Ennio Morricone and usually ends each show with the song New York Groove by the group Hello, exceptions include the season one finale at the Broadway Comedy Club, where they ended the show with the song Closing Time by Semisonic and the November 29th 2009 show where Christine and JP were promoted. Which ended with the song Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve.
• Dave's entrance song is Bring the Pain by Method Man
• Elmer's entrance song is Dragon Rises by Iryu
• Sergio currently comes out to Sexy Mother Fuckerby Prince, he formerly came out to 13 by James A. Johnston
• April currently comes out to Living Dead Girl by Rob Zombie, she used to come out to Crazy Bitch by Buckcherry

Trivia

• Despite the fact that several members of the Troupe have experience hosting an improv show before the Troupe officially began, only three members have ever hosted a Super Happy Improv Troupe show other than Dave. Elmer Santos hosted on May 31, 2009. Dave was a performer that night instead of host. JP and Christine also hosted the show the night of their promotion, as Dave served on the judges panel for the evening instead.
• Sergio Pagan was the original opening act, as well as a performer in the first show. Stephanie Foltz was the opening act for the following show. Developmental Improv Player, Derek Lehmann was the opening act for the roast of Brian.
• Dave designs all of the Troupe's advertising postcards.
• The Troupe follows the Super Happy 5 Rules of Improv. A secret list of rules that is the basis for their method.

External links

• Official website of The Super Happy Improv Troupe
• The City at the Broadway Comedy Club