My First Father’s Day

When I was growing up, I always imagined having a family in my mid 20s: the wife, the kids, the picket fence. But like everyone else’s journey, things didn’t go the way I planned them when I was 14. And thank god. I met my wife in my late 30s when I was a fully formed adult with all of my good and bad qualities plainly displayed. Sarah, my wife, had already accomplished more than most people, so we figured marriage would be a different adventure for us. We discussed children and I think we came to the mutual understanding that if we had a child we would love him or her and be the best parents we could. If we weren’t able to have children for whatever reason, we would just accept our lives of disposable income and stress-free travel. It was a win-win!

Fast forward to last April and the birth of our son, Julian. People gave me all kinds of advice — some useful and some not so much. I appreciate that advice is well meaning, so I took it all in with a grain of salt and my best “advice listening smile” affixed to my face. One thing that came up multiple times was that I wouldn’t know how deeply I could love until I met my son. Julian came into the world happy and healthy and a giant tiny man of a baby. I loved him at first sight. As I’m writing this, it’s been two months to the day that he’s been with us, and already all the time before him seems superfluous — like wasted time. And my friends were correct. I never knew I could love another person as much as I did until Julian was born. But the person I didn’t know I could love more is his mom.

This is an article about Father’s Day in general and my first father’s day specifically. I still have that “new dad smell” on me and I am here to tell you: Father’s Day is a scam. Yes, I like being appreciated, but having just witnessed my wife carry our son for 9 months and give birth to him, I can tell you with some certainty that I was not a very important part of the process. I come home from work now to see her miraculously feeding our son WITH HER BODY! She is all he needs. I am technically a parent, but it’s the same way Marlon was technically a member of the Jackson 5. I mean, sure, if he vanished the family might miss him, but no one going to a Jackson 5 show would look at the stage and ask, “Wait, where’s Marlon?”

The way Sarah has taken to motherhood is inspiring. It’s also a little intimidating. There’s no way I will ever be as good a dad to Julian as she is a mother to him already. And I know parenting should be about working together for the best interest of the child. But if we are teammates, then I am JR Smith to her LeBron, just running around with the ball while she dominates the game. I knew I was lucky to be married to her before fatherhood, but now I recognize that I managed to team up with an all-star.

I thank the Lord every day for the life I have. For being born in the , having a job I truly enjoy and now for my son. I can’t wait to show him as much as I can in hope that he loves his life, too. But none of it would be the same without Sarah. So what do I think about my first Father’s Day? I’ll eat the burger and wear the tie, but I know the word only applies to me because of the work my wife has done and will continue to do. After watching Sarah with my son, I am convinced the world would be a better place if we just let women run it. Happy Father’s Day to all my fellow dads doing their best. But let’s remember: Without women doing the heavy lifting, it’s just another day celebrating being a man.

7 Questions with Mike Birbiglia

Mike Birbiglia is a New York comedian, actor and filmmaker who was born in Shrewsbury, Mass. His feature-length directorial debut, Sleepwalk With Me, based on his one-man show, won awards at the Sundance and Nantucket film festivals. He also wrote, directed and starred in the critically acclaimed comedy-drama Don’t Think Twice. He will be performing his new show, appropriately titled The New One, at Trinity Repertory Theatre in Providence, May 31 – June 3.

TJ Curran (Motif): How is The New One different from Thank God for Jokes or My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend? Is there an overarching theme to the show?

Mike Birbiglia: I try not to tell people what the show is about, because I realized recently that I don’t like knowing anything about what I’m about to see. My favorite movies last year were Lady Bird, The Big Sick, Get Out, and The Florida Project, and the greatest gift I can give to people is telling them to go see those movies, don’t watch a trailer, do not read a review, just go see them. I feel that way about theater, movies and this show. I will say that if you like Sleepwalk With Me, My Girlfriends Boyfriend, and Thank God for Jokes, then you’ll like the new one. If you don’t like those, then I don’t think it’s for you.

TJC: What made you decide to book Trinity Rep as a venue? How do you expect that will be different from a more traditional venue, or even a more “comic-centric” venue like the Cellar?

MB: I’ve done this show at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California and the La Jolla Playhouse outside of San Diego and I’m doing the show off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theater in mid-July for five weeks. Those are all similar venues to Trinity Rep, and that’s what I prefer. I prefer theatrical venues that are intimate. I’ve heard about Trinity Rep for years. I’m friendly with Oskar Eustis who use to be Trinity Rep’s artistic director. Our set designer, Beowulf Boritt, used to design for Trinity Rep. It has a spectacular reputation. Plus, my brother, Joe, who runs my production company and collaborates with me on writing, lives in Providence with his family, and my sister, Gina, lives in Providence with her family as well, so its a place I like to spend time.

TJC: Congratulations on Don’t Think Twice. It was a great film. Do you think within the current system of superhero movies and reboots of old ideas that there will be bigger and bigger audiences looking for films like yours or Ladybird or Get Out?

MB: It’s a good question. I think nobody knows the answer to that. I certainly hope so. I feel like in the ’70s there were film studios that were taking a shot on movies that were for grownups. That’s when Annie Hall, China Town and a lot of the Altman films got greenlit, and I don’t feel like studios are doing that currently, but then you have companies like A24, The Orchard and The Film Arcade who did Don’t Think Twice that are willing to take chances on small movies like those.

TJC: I was watching Chaplin again this weekend, and it struck me that he was the very definition of an auteur, even writing some of the music for his films. But he also owned the studio. How difficult is it to be an auteur? Are you able to exercise the creative control you’d like? Do you have any more movies in the works?

MB: I’m writing my third movie right now. I’ve been lucky enough to have creative control over Sleepwalk with Me and Don’t Think Twice. Part of that has to do with a willingness to do things for a lower budget. Based on what I’ve observed in Hollywood, the higher your budget goes the more cooks there are in the kitchen and the more the director needs to be on the hook for the movie to make more money. Which is why something like Lady Bird, Get Out, or Don’t Think Twice, I think, are smart business decisions as movies because they don’t have to make that much money to earn their money back. In some ways, it’s easier to be an auteur currently cause the cost of camera equipment and the cost of production and editing is exponentially less than when Chaplin was making films.

TJC: You’ve created quite an enviable career, being able to move from comedy tours to TV, to movies pretty adroitly. Who is the person you have not worked with, with whom you are dying to collaborate in some way?

MB: I feel like there are a few filmmakers that I’m fascinated by. Pete Doctor at Pixar, I think, is making some really groundbreaking movies like Up and Inside Out. I’m obviously a fan of filmmakers like the Coen Brothers, Nicole Holofcener and Noah Baumbach. Those are people whose movies I look forward to most. I always want to learn, so I always want to work with people I’ll learn from.

TJC: Michelle Wolf caught a lot of heat at the White House correspondence dinner, exclusively from people with no sense of humor. Would you ever want to do that gig? Do you find it difficult to navigate being an artist in a climate where folks try to politicize everything?

MB: I don’t think that interests me. They asked me a few years ago to do the congressional dinner and I passed because I feel like all of the talk shows do a really good job of writing political humor. Kimmel’s show, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and the others have staffs of, like, 10-plus writers and they’re great. I don’t think I can compete with that, and I don’t really want to. I also feel like what I’m doing, which is telling personal stories about my life, is rarer than you’d think in comedy. So I like sort of being in my own space.

TJC: You play a very unusual character on the Showtime show “Billions.” How much input did you have into that character’s story line? Of the viral hits you’ve been a part of (“Girls,” “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Broad City” or “Billions”), which was the most fun for you? Which was the most rewarding as an actor?

MB: Those were all special, cool experiences. I think “Girls” was the first time someone put me on a TV show, so that was thrilling. Lena was directing the episode herself, and so she let me and her riff, since were friends, so that was pretty cool.

For “Broad City,” it was an example of being on a set of a show that I’m a huge fan of, so as a director it was fascinating to see how Abby and Ilana create that show, which is so fast and with so much energy and vigor.

Billions is probably the most highly functioning set I’ve ever been on because the show has two major plot lines that are shot concurrently, the Giamatti plot line and the Damian Lewis plot line, so it’s just this huge machine that I’ve never seen anything like. The directors that Brian and David hire are excellent. And then Asia Kate Dillon is an excellent performer, so it’s been pretty thrilling to share the screen with someone like that.

Mike Birbiglia performs at Trinity Rep from May 31 – June 3. For tickets, go to birbigs.com/tourdates

You’ll Always Have Paris

So, you met a great woman/man/whatever you’re into over the holidays and after trading some flirty texts and a couple of actual phone calls (“It’s so real, we even talked on the phone. It’s like an old- school courtship! I feel like I’ve known him/her forever.”) you decide to meet up. Nothing serious or crazy, a couple drinks after work someplace with a killer “appy hour.” And the house wine special and half-priced calamari flowed like the river rapids of conversation and laughs. This is special.

Or maybe, you met someone on Bumble last week and you really think they could be special. You haven’t gone out yet, but you have texted and, boy, is your love interest funny and fun most of the time. You are intrigued, but not entirely committed to the idea. But you don’t have a Valentine, and you think you should lock this up for the 14th.

Dating has changed so much just in my lifetime that it almost feels like a contact sport (I am told! I am happily married, but have many friends still out there in the game). It’s impersonal and computer-driven and you seem to know so much about the person before even meeting, through social media or dating apps, that you can project some stuff you want onto your intended beloved without knowing if their online profile matches up with their actual personality. In short, love stinks in the digital age. And the fact that there are plenty of fish in the sea makes it easier to cast someone back into the ocean rather than invest the time to get to know him or her.

So, you may have met the love of your life, or it could just be another random date, but that Valentine’s Day moniker makes things complicated. You need some guidance. Here is my advice: Don’t overthink things. Listen to each other. Plan something fun. Don’t give in to the urge to make this date your first date, wedding and honeymoon all in one night. Keep it breezy and light. You don’t really know each other and dating can be stressful enough. Listen to each other. If she says, “I am afraid of heights,” don’t go rock climbing. If he says, “I think the ballet is boring,” don’t assume you can change him. Listening to each other and communicating sincerely is a great foundation for a relationship if you make it past the 14th.

Plan something fun. Something different. Something that doesn’t set expectations too high or paint one of you into a corner. Her friend is in a band! You like music! Go! They probably aren’t the Beatles, but it will be fun. Don’t get reservations at the most expensive restaurant in town. Go to one of those painting nights or a cooking class. How about a museum or an art exhibit? Something where you are on your feet, walking and talking and thinking and engaged. No hiding in a movie theater or behind a plate of spaghetti!

Because here’s the thing: You may never go on anther date. But it’s Rhode Island, so you are definitely going to see each other again. And wouldn’t it be great if in the summer on the patio of a bar if she pointed at you and said to her friend (the beautiful, single one), “I went out with that guy/gal once. It didn’t work out but we had a really great time. He’s/She’s so interesting and fun.”

In Casablanca, Elsa left Rick on the tarmac to go off and fight with her husband and the resistance. But they would always have Paris and no one could take that experience away from them. Make this February 14 your own personal Paris. If you don’t you will regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life. Have a wonderful and safe Valentine’s Day.

Gobble Gobble (GULP!)

Thanksgiving. That wonderful time of year when we gather around the table with family and friends to give thanks, gorge on carbs and try our best to not open up any emotional wounds that were incurred the previous years. We here at Motif wanted to provide you with a handy dandy guide for navigating Thanksgiving small talk and big family announcements. If you have something prepared to say, it will prevent you from saying what you really think (and we all know where that got you LAST TIME!!)

If your brother decides to come out of the closet, the correct response is, “I am proud that you have chosen to share that with us. We love you and this is a safe space for you to be who you are.” You should not say “I KNEW it! I KNEW it! I’ve known it for years. Dad, you owe me $50!”

If your uncle from New York decides to bring up deflate-gate for like the 500th time, and calls the Patriots cheaters, wish him a happy four-year anniversary of the “butt-fumble.” Then say “Check the standings. Scoreboard. Please pass the mashed potatoes.”

Your mom or dad or whoever cooked the meal is going to want to know what you think of the turkey. Even if they don’t ask you, they will want some feedback and affirmation. That is why they have been staring at you and raising their eyebrows every time you make eye contact as you eat. The correct response is, “This turkey seems even juicier than last year! What is your secret again?” You should not say, “Do you think Domino’s delivers on Thanksgiving?”

Your cousin who is graduating from college in the spring is going to want to talk to you his job prospects. You should offer to look over his/her resume and give some reassuring words about the job market. You should not say “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Unless coal mining or barista is listed under your ‘special skills,’ you are probably out of luck! But congrats on all your student loans.”

Someone at the table is going to bring a new girlfriend or boyfriend, just like they do every year. You should do your best to make that person feel welcome at a table filled with people who have known each other their entire lives. You should not say, “Oh, so you’re the flavor of the week this week. Good for you! Did you already have herpes or have you two had that conversation yet?”

This list couldn’t be more timely, as the election results have deeply divided this country. Someone wiser than me once said to avoid religion and politics, and I’d like to advise the same. But this is Thanksgiving! You will be with family and friends, a circle of trust if you will, and the wine will be flowing freely and Aunt Mildred will surely be all hopped up on candied yams. You will not be able to avoid the topic. This is supposed to be a humorous column, but I don’t have anything sarcastic to say about this. People around that table are going to have different opinions and expectations from the results. You don’t have to agree with your family about politics, but you do have to love them. You do. Yes, it’s like the law or something. So try to avoid bringing up the election, and if you can’t, try to listen to each other’s opinions with an open mind and a caring heart. Agree not to agree, but love each other all the same. You will get through this Thanksgiving like you always have. Save the wishbone for me! Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

10 Super RI Things You Need to Know to Earn Some Street Cred

10. A couple of “gaggahs all the way” sounds awful, but they may save your life late one night. As you drive around Providence you may see signs touting “NY System Weiners.” This does not involve former NY Senator Anthony Wiener, or his, um, weiner, but they are hot dogs with mustard, celery salt and meat sauce sold at some of the longest running eateries in the state, and most of these, especially the one in Onleyville, is open late. Wash them down with a coffee milk (not made with coffee) and you’re well on your way to earning your stripes.

9. During beach season, Goosewing Beach in Little Compton is the RI beach equivalent of a speakeasy. Drive into the parking lot of South Shore Beach and pay your fee. But once you park and step down onto the sand, take a sharp left and continue walking until the crowds subside. You are now at Goosewing Beach. Find a spot for your chair, stick your feet in the sand and revel in the pleasure of knowing you are in on one of the best kept secret beaches in the state.

8. Have a dog? You don’t have to walk it on the Boulevard with all the squares! There’s a great dog park free of the maddening crowds. But it’s off the beaten path. If you drive into Haines Park in Barrington, go down the main road in the park and look to your left. You will see a baseball field. Behind that baseball field is a grassy dog park with bowls and benches and plenty of room for Fido to run and wrestle with some new friends. Just don’t tell the Stepford wives I sent you!

7. Tuesday are for Tacos, right? WRONG! Tuesdays are “buck a shuck” oyster night at New Rivers downtown. Order a glass of wine and some bivalves and then enjoy some of the other wonderful culinary delights from Beau Vestal. The oysters are cheap and the food is phenomenal, but the real draw for me is the eclectic group eating at the bar. I’ve had some of the best conversations I’ve experienced with perfect strangers slurping shellfish on Tuesdays. Definitely worth tossing the tortilla. 6. Mike’s Kitchen. Find it. It’s worth it!

5. Truly the Haley’s Comet of the RI experience happens only once every 10 years. It involves a billionaire hedge fund manager, Narragansett Town Beach and a rock legend. In 2006 Sting played for Joe Healey’s 40th birthday and the NY-based Warwick native opened the party to anyone who wanted to come to the beach. This year for his 50th birthday, Healey had Lenny Kravitz rock the beach. I was there and it increased my RI street cred exponentially. Talk about a birthday party!

4. Every Rhode Islander knows what a great theater community we have. But to really earn your RI street cred badge, you need to check out a show at by the Manton Avenue Project. The Manton Ave Project (MAP) is a non-profit that has grade school students expressing themselves through playwriting and acting, and then some of the area professional actors rehearse the script and the kids see their words come to life. It’s fun and poignant and inspiring (and the shows are actually really great!). So you can see Wicked at the PPAC again, or you can check out a local young Shakespeare getting his or her start.

3. Winter in RI provides you with all of the New England holiday options. But a wonderful experience that will exorcise any Scrooge-isms from you is to go Christmas caroling at the Blithewold Mansion in Bristol. You can stroll the grounds and check out the greenhouse, and then gather in the parlor to belt out all of your holiday favorites. It will remind you of how fun it is to sing “FIVE GOLDEN RINGS!”

2. If you ask me to help you find a Pokemon, you probably won’t like my reaction. But if you ask me for directions to Pechachuka, I’ll go to the event with you. Pechakucha is a presentation style in which 20 slides are shown for 20 seconds each (6 minutes and 40 seconds in total). The format, which keeps presentations concise and fast-paced, powers multiple-speaker events called PechaKucha Nights (PKNs). RI has the longest running consecutive monthly PKN event in the country. The speakers are usually very interesting and diverse, and each month it is in a different spot. It’s like a monthly pop-up shop of knowledge!

1. When is a library not a library? When its an Athenæum. This beautiful landmark is so cool and full of history that just hanging out here for a day will enrich your life and make you president of club. Did you know that in 1848 Edgar Allan Poe was briefly engaged to Providence native Sarah Helen Whitman, and the two courted in the stacks of the Providence Athenæum? She was a well-respected poet herself and a hostess of literary salons in Providence. Poe blew Whitman off and blew out of town, but the two explored the literary collections together at the Athenæum while he haunted Benefit Street.

If you can complete this decathlon of RI cool, no one will be able to question your RI street cred. Good luck and godspeed.

Cruise Down to The Steel Yard

Hamburgers and hot dogs and fireworks. It doesn’t get more American than that, and during the week of the 4th, you probably had more than your fill of all three. But just as all the patriotic buzz starts to wear off, the next American event will come up on your summer fun calendar. On July 13, from 5 – 9pm, the 7th Annual Cruise Night will take place at The Steel Yard. The classic car show will include hot-rods, custom vehicles, monster bikes and rat rods. It’s a family-friendly event with tunes, cars and local artists.

Even before John Travolta built Greased Lightning and then sang and danced around it, the human/car relationship has been more than just a platonic man and machine situation. Dudes and dudettes love their rides, they rub the chrome and lube the valves and give them names. If any of this sounds like it resembles you, the Cruise Night is your time to shine.

There is a subculture of car connoisseurs and this event springs them from their garages like a siren song, and you can hear the engines hum as the men and women converge on The Steel Yard like a line of characters out of a Bruce Springsteen song.

There are prizes and raffles and other fun activities, but the real attraction is the grease and steel and exhaust. Cars were once works of art, before the safety check and infotainment systems. Most rarely had seatbelts, let alone airbags and impact systems. You were lucky if three stations came on the radio, and if the car had air conditioning, you were definitely living the high life. But they were stylish and when you arrived somewhere, your car announced you to those in attendance and everyone had a pretty good idea of who you were based on what you drove.

So if you find yourself with an Americana nostalgia hangover after the 4th, we’d like to prescribe a full dose of American steel and rubber that was put together by the greatest generation in the greatest country in the history of humanity. Pass the hamburgers and apple pie, please!

Kickball: The Greatest Show on Dirt

The self proclaimed “Greatest Show on Dirt” is back for another summer at Dexter Park on the West Side. Yes, the Providence Kickball League (PKL) has everything that makes summer away from the beaches weird and wonderful: costumes, a sport most of us last played in elementary school and beer. As much theater as it is sport, the PKL is an entertaining afternoon for both spectators and players alike.

The rules are basic playground style kickball with a twist. All teams are co-ed and must have at least one female on the field at all times. When the league was founded, the only real rule was “no whining,” but as its popularity increased a few more formal tongue-in-cheek rules were added, like “Bribery is encouraged. Open corruption is the only fairness Providence has ever known.”

Sean Larkin, founder of Revival Brewery, is the long standing commish of the PKL. He is equal parts field landscaper, scheduler, rules interpreter and overall kickball Svengali. Although he is too modest to admit it, the league would have disbanded multiple times without his leadership, and the reverence he is treated with at the field reflects the amount of respect he garners from the diverse group of players. “It’s a children’s game and we took it and and adapted it for adults. The goal is to just try to ensure that everyone who comes to the field has a great time.” Teams all have themes with the concepts ranging from the simple to the surreal. Ball 12 is the Channel 12 news team, the Unstopaballs are superheroes and the Jedi Mind Kicks dress as characters from Star Wars, while Muscle Cobra are an inspired combination of the Cobra Kai dojo from Karate Kid combined with the experimental results of those karate masters taking a fictional illegal energy drink/steroid called “Horse Power.” So yeah, things can get a little weird, and that’s when it is the most fun. The all- female team The Stilettos are one of the OGs of PKL lore and usually come in lingerie or some form of distracting dress, while the Glamazons are gender-bending rock gods and goddesses who have had many contests decided by dance-offs that don’t have much to do with what actually happened on the field.

The entire afternoon (there are 18 teams and games run 1 hour back-to-back and usually take the entire Saturday afternoon) is fueled by copious amounts of beer and delicious wares of various food truck vendors. Folks will come for their game and stay to socialize or pack a blanket and make a day of watching all the fun.

Like Shakespeare (and I am sure this will be the first and last time the PKL is compared to Shakespeare), you really need to experience it first-hand, rather than reading about it. And like the Bard’s other summer staple in the park, when you have a match-up with both teams in full costume playing a child’s game at a competitive level, the experience can range from the ridiculous to the sublime.

Also noteworthy is how diverse and accepting the league is. You don’t need to be good at sports, or even have any experience with the game. Whatever your background, or beliefs, or lifestyle, it’s likely you will find a team where you will fit in and have a blast.

Providence Kickball League is more than just the pageantry of professional wrestling combined with schoolyard recess. The league has been the birthplace of countless friendships, romances and businesses. There has even been an on-field wedding ceremony. Many of the players would proudly proclaim that “ball is life,” but when it comes to kickball and the PKL, the relationships jump from the field to every part of life, creating lifelong bonds that supersede the final score.

The Providence Preservation Society Bash

Bars, the frozen food section, Match.com. These are all places hopeful singles venture looking for love. Before you create that profile page on Hipstermingle.com, may I make a post-Valentine ’s Day suggestion? Charity events. It makes sense. Charity events often have a fun theme, and are attended by socially conscious, passionate folks who support a cause and put their money where their respective mouths are. There are usually cocktails and dancing — like a night club for the smart, generous, caring set. And on the off chance you don’t find love, it’s guaranteed to be more fun than a stack of Lean Cuisines at the Stop and Shop.

Now that you are geared up and ready to roll, a great first foray into charity parties is the Providence Preservation Society (PPS) Bash. It’s always one of the best parties of the year and this year’s theme is a “Steampunk Soiree” on Saturday, February 20 at 8 pm at The Steel Yard at 27 Sims Avenue.

“Steampunk has neo-Victorian elements mixed with industrial steam powered machinery, which makes for some pretty amazing outfits,” says event chair Kaitlyn Frolich. “We will also have some great local restaurants (including Los Andes and Julians) providing complimentary small bites for guests. And, let’s not forget about the performances. From fire dancers to aerialists, this is not an event to be missed.”

This year is Providence Preservation Society’s 60th anniversary so this year’s bash is a sure bet to be the best ever. You don’t have to wear a costume to enjoy the fun, but if cos-play is your thing, steampunk enthusiasts have some of the best and most elaborate outfits you’ll ever see.

So there is people watching, music, dancing, great food and cocktails, and people twirling down from the ceiling — all for a great cause. And as a place for meeting the future love of your life, it’s pretty much out of a movie. So put on a great outfit, put yourself out there, and meet someone you’ll want to kiss. I truly believe charity events are a great way to meet a potential soulmate. I am particularly partial to the PPS Bash because it’s the charity event where I met the beautiful, brilliant and accomplished woman who later became my wife. Happy Valentine’s Day, Sarah!

General admission tickets are for sale in advance at PPSWinterBash2016.EventBrite.com, or at the door. VIP tickets also available. Ticket sales directly benefit PPS’s mission to improve Providence through its education and advocacy efforts.

The PVD Improv Fest Will Have You Laughing to Bits

Do you like “Curb Your Enthusiasm”? Best In Show? Sketch comedy shows like “Key and Peele” and “Saturday Night Live”? Then you are a fan of improv. What’s that you say? You’re not familiar with the genre? You’ve never been to an improv show? Odds are you have been a fan for years without even knowing it.

Improv is the performance art, often comedic, where the actors are presented with all of the circumstances while they are on stage: who they are, where they are and often specific actions they must perform. Usually these are suggested by the audience. It’s like “SNL” combined with those choose your own adventure books from your youth.

The 12th Annual Providence Improv Festival is a celebration of this form of performance that showcases local groups like Improv Jones and Providence Improv Guild along with national and international favorites like Airwolf from the Upright Citizens Brigade in NYC and the Oxford Imps from Oxford, England, who Providence Improv Fesitval organizer Tim Thibodeau first met at the famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world.

I sat down with him to talk about the festival and the world of improv a little. I asked him who the target audience is for the festival. “We have something for everyone. There is going to be comedy, but there is also The Raving Jaynes from NYC who combine dance and improv to create highly physical, spontaneous pieces of dance-theater. There will be a group improvising a comic book, and one group from Austin, Texas — Black Vault — who do pieces based on the writings of HP Lovecraft.”

The group I am excited to see is North Coast. With a cast of improv comedy veterans from The Upright Citizens Brigade, the Peoples Improv Theater and The Magnet theaters in New York City, North Coast’s explosive performances have been packing comedy venues, universities and festivals nationwide since 2009. Built around a single suggestion from an audience member, the show’s improvised scenes escalate into full-blown hip-hop songs, facilitated by resident beatboxer and U.S. Vice Beatbox Champion, Kaila Mullady. I didn’t even know that there was an award for this! With their seamless melding of comedic timing and freestyle abilities, North Coast frequently blurs the line between comedy show and concert, drawing audiences from the comedy, hip-hop and theater communities for an experience that has been hailed as “mind-blowing” and “next level” by critics and audiences alike.

This year’s headliner isn’t strictly for the heads, but improv geeks will be jazzed that Jimmy Carrane from will be in Providence to speak with two groups and record his podcast: Improv Nerd Podcast. For those in the know, Jimmy is a legend in the genre. If you have ever heard of Second City, or ImprovOlympics, or The Armando Diaz experience, you know that Jimmy has been a part of every important improv group in America in the past 20 years. It’s really cool that he will be a part of the festival and I am sure many of your favorite local performers will be in the audience.

There also will be a Family Friendly Show on Saturday, September 19. It’s a pay what you can performance where all the proceeds will go to the Manton Avenue Project. It’s a great way to expose your little aspiring thespian to a new set of skills that can greatly improve their time on the stage.

The 12th Annual Providence Improv Festival will take place at AS220 Black Box at 95 Empire St and AS220 Main Stage at 115 Empire St in downtown Providence on September 17-19. For more information, visit the Providence Improv Fest website at providenceimprovfest.com, check their Facebook page at facebook.com/providenceimprovfest.com or follow them on Twitter @PVDimprovfestP!F.

This Is NOT Your Un-funny Friend’s Improv Group

We’ve all been there. There’s one friend in your circle, which if you were questioned by a stranger you may say is just an acquaintance. And he thinks that he is a laugh riot because someone told him once that he is “so dramatic,” which was not meant as a compliment. So he joined an Improv Troup that performs in a church basement somewhere on the last Thursday of the month, and he wants you to go. Now, you don’t even really like the jokes he’s had time to think about, let alone the ones he makes up on the spot, and he mostly quotes Will Farrell movies out of context. But another friend (you know the one, the woman who gets really excited about stuff no one wants to do) “put a group together” and now it’s on your schedule. And you sit on a folding chair in that basement wishing someone would hand you a “name a sharp object” so that you could “name a verb you do over and over” in your “name a bodily orifice that would hurt if stabbed.” If you are someone who has had an experience like this, you are of the belief that Improv is for people who are not funny enough to do stand up, and not talented enough to act.

This is not that. At all. The improv you have known, the one your “kinda” friend does, is not the real stuff. You’ve been putting sticky brown sugar water on your entertainment flapjacks all these years, and this is Grade A Vermont maple. This is the real deal, and it is glorious. The Providence Improv Fest runs from September 18 through 20 at the creative space that used to house Perishable Theatre that is now creatively called 95 Empire St. You can get tickets here: http://pif-11-pass.brownpapertickets.com/

This level of improv is a quick witted, well-acted wonder to behold, and when you see it live it’s difficult to believe the performances are unscripted and unrehearsed. Do yourself a favor and see how entertaining improv can be.