Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Shows this Friday and Saturday, and Saturday?


This message posted by GCI staff writer
Nancy "Knucklebones" McPhee
pictured to the left.


That's right folks, it turns out the shows on May 25 and 26 aren't so far away after all. And this week we have a

Bonus Theatre Sports show at 8:00pm on Saturday!



The lineup:

Friday Night Theatre Sports
Host: TR
Judge: NICK
Team 1: JOSH, BRIAN, BEKI, SWITHUN
Team 2: PAUL, TIM G, CHARLEY

Saturday Night Theatre Sports (8pm!)
Host: TED
Judge: PAUL
Team 1: EVE, BRIAN, TR
Team 2: NICK, CHARLEY, SWITHUN

And at 10:30 on Saturday night be sure to join us for our

Improvised Western Movie



Most ably directed by our very own gunslinger PAUL NELLIS (portrait below)

Monday, May 21, 2007

Memorial Day is so Far Away

By Charley



And so are the Geva Comedy Improv Shows on May 25 & 26. But don't worry, for one night only Geva Comedy Improv is performing at Rochester's own Memorial Art Gallery. Located just minutes from downtown rochester in the scenic and historic ArtWalk district on University Avenue, the Memorial Art Gallery will play host to a rousing night of Theatre Sports, for which I in turn will play host.
Watch
BRIAN, PAUL and NICK
face off against
SWITHUN, JOHN and T.R.

with the Honorable EVE sitting in Judgment.

WHEN:
Tonight Monday 5/21 at 7pm

WHERE:
The Memorial Art Gallery
500 University Avenue
Rochester, New York 14607-1415
Telephone: (585) 473-7720
maginfo@mag.rochester.edu

HOW MUCH:

Absolutely Free!



we'll see you there.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Destination Detox: Prologue


T.R. rips the flesh off of a pig rib in anticipation of the Detox Diet

Part II – Preparations and the Long Road Home

Prior to embarking upon my two week odyssey, I engaged myself in a behavior psychologists call “disinhibited restrained eating” (in layman’s terms, this simply means that knowing I was about to go on this detox diet, I made it my mission to consume as much unhealthy food as possible). As luck would have it, while attending one of several BBQ’s this past weekend, I attempted to explain my gluttonous and grotesque behavior to those in attendance and was reminded that one of my associates present at said BBQ (Mary L.) was a “Dietician in training”. (I also learned that “Dietician” is a legally protected term while “Nutritionist” can be used by any whacko who can fog a mirror, so she’s the real deal). I quickly conscripted her services and she set to work to review the overview of my detox diet, and agreed to advise and consult for the remainder of the experiment. How legit is she, you ask? Mary suggested I get my blood analyzed by a lab for a before and after comparison so that we could have some hard data on the efficacy of the diet. I respectfully declined, however, do to a desire to retain my vital fluids and approximately $140.00 in lab fees, (which I felt would best be put to use buying a really nice bottle of Single Malt Scotch after this ordeal is over). Nonetheless, I have finally done what friends, family and colleagues have been urging me to do for years; I got some professional help.

Now backed by the experience, knowledge and expertise of Mary, I set out to Wegmans in search of healthy detox foods. After concentrating my search in the organic and produce sections, I emerged victorious despite a brief temptation when walking past the meat case when a chorus of bratwurst, burgers and pork butts tried to ensnare me in their Siren call. In consideration for the detox experience and a future trip to meet my adventuring associate Randy (trail name: Snakecharmer) on the Appalachian Trail later this summer, I thought it would be a good idea to walk to Wegmans (1.5 miles) and carry my groceries back under my own steam. After all, this is only a bad idea if one were to buy 80 pounds worth of food, (which I did). Luckily, I had the foresight to bring my back pack, which proved to be invaluable in the transport, but I nonetheless found myself considering what food items were absolutely essential and which I could leave along the sidewalk. In the later stages of the walk home, I also partly wished I would get hit by a car, so at least I could get a ride in an ambulance…Thankfully, no such disaster occurred and I was able to muscle the whole of my bountiful harvest back to Detox Headquarters, where I summarily collapsed.

Sore, with muscle fatigue and a moderate case of lactic acidosis, my thoughts turned to Lewis and Clark, for I imagine they too wanted to stop and return home before their journey had even begun…

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Want to see something sweet?

By Charley


This weekend is Capoeira Mandinga of Rochester's
Batizado e Troca de Cordoes.

What this presents is a prime opportunity for you the reader to witness me, Charley Beller, get destroyed by someone much better at Capoeira than I am. Better than that you get to see Mestre Marcelo the man whose body and movements were digitized into Eddy Gordo.

An awesome time will be had by all, and it only costs $12 dollars at the door.

The door, by the way is that of Bush Mango Drum and Dance Studio located at 34 Elton Street, Rochester, NY 14607.
And you should be there a little before 4pm on Saturday May 19


Mestre Marcelo and Baz in a street Roda

Friday, May 11, 2007

Destination Detox: The First in a Multi-part Series


By T.R.
(Resident Toxic Avenger)

Part I – The Decision

Last week, whilst horizontal on my couch and flipping through 900 channels of digital escapism, I happened upon the latter half of Morgan Spurlock’s 2004 Documentary, “Super-size Me”. I had never seen it before, nor have I since seen the film in its entirety, but there is a scene toward the end of the film where Mr. Spurlock’s nutritionist outlines a “Detox Diet” to rid his body of the harmful effects of a month’s worth of McToxins.

It was this scene and a recent conversation with GCI Alum Beki Gibney (where she recounted to me the events following Mookie’s wedding when I basically danced a giant gaping hole into the dance floor at the reception and then proceeded to suck wind and convulse in a horrid fit of coughing befitting one in the later stages of tuberculosis) along with the following modified food pyramid depiction of my own diet (see above) which ultimately prompted me to embark upon a similar “Detox Diet”.

After taking a brief “Toxicity Quiz” online (which I scored an impressive 70%...meaning either I am 70% toxic or there is a 70% need for me to detox, the actual representation of the score was unclear), I took to the internets to learn how to construct a “Detox Diet”. In the interest of brevity, I shall omit the details of my research (a good overview can be found here: The Detox Diet) and get right down to the meat and potatoes (err…flaxseed and kale) of the matter:

DECLARATION OF DETOXIFYING
"Be it hereby duly noted and stated that in deference to the 30% of my body that is apparently healthy, I shall engage myself in the pursuit of a “Detox Diet” for a period of two-weeks, and chart my progress on this blog for the good of the land, the good of the people, and many generations of Toxic Warriors yet to come."

There are some who say that I’m being rash and foolish, but those people don’t know that this past Tuesday I had an ice cream sundae for dinner and then consumed an undisclosed number of beers for dessert. The time is now! I shall purge the toxins from my Earthly frame and reclaim this human husk so that it may be a shining beacon of healthy. I dream a dream of a day when I walk down the street and crowds of well-wishers and lookers-on gather in awestruck wonder and comment in jubilant tone as to just how incredibly non-toxic I am.

The Detox begins Monday, May 14th 2007; 203 years to the day that The Lewis and Clark Expedition departed Camp Dubois to begin their historic journey - so too go I.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Why did no one tell me?

by Charley

acceptible.tv is the best thing VH1 has ever done. In the words of This American Life host Ira Glass:
"I was invited to play a prison gang member in a cartoon. Oh, sure, I winced at the typecasting, but it seemed like it'd be fun, so I did it. I like Acceptable.TV, though it seems to be the worst-publicized show in the history of television. I have yet to meet anyone who's ever seen it or even heard of it. The surprisingly enjoyable premise of the show is that each week, they present five 'TV pilots,' and we in the audience vote for which ones we want to see again. Then the next week, two winners return with new episodes."

To prove how good it is I've embedded one of the most recent pilots below:

Hear Charley Play Music - Thursday 5/10 8pm-11

With no Geva Comedy Improv performances scheduled for this Thursday many fans of high quality interactive performance will be left with no where to turn. Not those fans who read this blog though. They will know that they can go to the
Contradance at the
Covenant United Methodist Church,
1124 Culver Road
There you can listen and dance to Contranella a band in which Charley plays percussion (and banjo and mandolin), Megan Beller (Charley's beautiful wife) plays a wicked fiddle, and John Wobus (Megan's dad) plays rock solid piano.
What is Contradancing you might ask? for an answer click the fish.


If you just need to know more about when and where else Charley performs go to his website.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Accidental mispronunciation yields delicious Culinary Treat




















By T.R.
(GCI PRESS WRITER)

ROCHESTER, New York (GCI) -- A local man has found unexpected success in the most unlikely of ways; by means of verbal incompetence. While leaving a voicemail for his sister, Irwin Whelpley failed to correctly enunciate classic Spanish dialect in a well-wishing message and instead wished his sibling a “Happy Cinco de May-o”.

“As soon as I said it, I knew it wasn’t right, cuz I heard other people say it different on TV and stuff.”, said Whelpley.

“And then I was like, Cinco de May-o, that’s like a delicious five-mayonnaise blend and that’s when I knew I really had something…ya know?”

Whelpley immediately set to work to develop his new culinary innovation, but was summarily met with a glaring revelation:

“I was like, wait a minute, are there even five different kinds of mayonnaise? I mean, sure there are five different brands, but there are really only two kinds; regular and light.”

Whelpley then turned to the internet for help, and what he discovered there shocked him.

“It wasn’t even invented here! French guys cooked it up!”

Admittedly untrained in culinary arts or any food related field, Whelpley knew he was in over his head and enlisted the help of his friend and neighbor, Bernie Morelan.

“Bernie works the grill at a local diner, plus he eats lots of stuff so I thought he would be a good person to help out with it.”

Three weeks later, the duo had concocted their first batch of “Cinco De MAY-O” and began to market the product to nearby restaurants and supermarkets. Less than a day after the condiment first appeared on local shelves, production was momentarily halted after a cursory inspection from the FDA.

“The government guy said we couldn’t use Bernie’s basement anymore and had to move the business to someplace cleaner, so then we started using the kitchen instead. I didn’t really see what the big deal was, but I think it has to do with the fact that the basement is where Bernie does his laundry. Plus he has chinchillas.”

Recent controversy has risen over the fact that Whelpley and Morelan attribute the bulk of their product research and development to the internet website “Wikipedia”. Sources at Wikipedia confirmed late Monday that the article on mayonnaise has been flagged for “issues of neutrality” and a “lack of academic citation”. Despite the naysayers, the two stand proudly defiant and continue to defend the merits of their creation.

“Just taste it and shut up about it already. It goes great on everything, especially pancakes.”, said Morelan.

For now, the two seem content with maintaining a small, local operation but when asked about the possibility of nationwide distribution, Whelpley responded:

“If people read this and want to try some, we can mail it to them. You can mail all kinds of stuff in boxes, why not Mayonnaise?” --

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Paul Nellis Inhales Arthur


In a shocking turn of events today, GCI musical improviser Arthur Goldfeder was inhaled alive by Paul Nellis when day-old chinese food turned Nellis into a soul-sucking warlock. Nellis is still at large.
It is believed that Goldfeder is still alive somewhere inside Nellis' mind, though he has most likely been transformed into a psychological phantasm.

Details to follow.

Friday, May 04, 2007

A video and some pictures from Bethany!

One of our bestest friends in the world - BETHANY - took some video and pictures from her seat this past Thursday Night at our Theatre Sports show! Pretty awesome!

BRIAN gets his yoga on.


TIM and T.R.

PAUL NELLIS and T.R.

TIM, PAUL NELLIS, and BRIAN.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Friday Night Theatre Sports intro!

We made this intro for our Friday Night Theatre Sports show...if you didn't make it out, you missed a fun time!

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone that came out and saw our shows this weekend in the Nextstage! What a great time! We're busy updating the website and various other things with pics and goodies from the weekend...stay tuned!

And hey - we pushed back our workshops to May 7th! Plenty of time for you to dig through the couch for the money you'll need to sign up...email Eric at eevans@gevatheatre.org or call 232-1366 x3035!

For the time being, check out these snapshots from the instepituous Kevin Leas...see you soon!

T.R. and NICK!

TIM!

TED!

BRIAN!

PAUL NELLIS!

ARTHUR!

Charley Bellers - Part II