Improv Boston to play Itaewon

Improv Boston are coming to Seoul for a special show at Moon Night in Itaewon on Dec 17.

The troupe, invited by Seoul City Improv, has been around for 30 years and has won a series of plaudits including being voted Boston’s best comedy club by the Boston Phoenix and official selection at the Chicago Improv Festival.

Seoul City Improv’s Korean-English bilingual team will perform to open the event, followed by performances from Improv Boston. The second half of the show will see the two troupes join up for a mix of short form and long form improvised theater.

The short form consists of tasks and games that the actors are not given time to prepare for, most famously espoused by the TV show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” The longer form is an improvised play that can stretch as long as a full length drama.

SCI’s Mark X. Guinn said the troupe had first worked with Improv Boston in November 2009, when both troupes were invited to the Tokyo International Improv Festival there.

“The event was a blast, and after hanging out with IB, Will Luera said he would be interested in bringing Improv Boston to Korea some time to do improv here,” he said.

Will Luera, the artistic director of IB, will be holding several workshops over that weekend. On Dec. 18 he will hold a class that provides a general introduction to improv from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Improv Boston will also be running Seoul City Improv’s weekly rehearsal the same evening.

“SCI’s rehearsals are always open to everyone of any improv or theatre experience, are always lots of fun, and focus on both an introduction to improv for newbies with an eye toward development for vets,” said Guinn.

“It will be interesting to see what ideas IB will bring to that rehearsal.”

Luera will be helping Seoul City Improv up their game with private workshops, one of which will be to lead the Korean-language improv rehearsal with the assistance of a translator.

The other is an advanced workshop for SCI’s old hands.

“It will be a small and tailored to the individual strengths and weaknesses of SCI members who have demonstrated exceptional promise and commitment to improv,” Guin said.

The show starts 9 p.m. (doors 8:30 p.m.) and tickets are 20,000 won. Participation in the introductory workshop is 25,000 won. You can make reservations by contacting seoulimprov@gmail.com.

To get to Moon Night, walk along the road opposite the Hamilton Hotel and take the first left. Turn right at Viva Glam, and Moon Night, formerly Club After, is on the left.

By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)