CRUMBS and the Fringe

So the Fringe is here in Winnipeg and is in full swing.
Big Stupid Improv Show has already been reviewed in the Winnipeg Free Press. They gave it 3 stars but said they liked it (they came to the opening show, which was alright but was not as good as the Saturday afternoon show). The CRUMBS show has opened and the the first show was alright but wasnot as good as the show last night (Friday night).

The heat, the posters, the hand bills, the jenny, the beer tent, the King's Head, the traffic, the crazy people, the outdoor stage, the shows, the shows, the shows...

It is all very overwhelming, in fact, I would even say that it is overoverwhelming. I have not yet even seen a show (but I have done 5). I sure hope that I start seeing some shows so that I don't wake up right after the the Fringe is over and regret missing all the coolness.

p.s. hey look, I updated the blog

CRUMBS sells out

So we named the show "CRUMBS sells out" which I hope doesn't lead people to believe that the show is sold out already. There are still tickets available.

The CRUMBS show this year is going to be great (and hopefully we sell out). We are at the King's Head (which is where you are probably going to be anyways). As usual, we will be supported by the "Master of Soundtrack" Dj Hunnicutt. As usual, we will be making up the funny from scratch (not the groupd "scratch" who are from Edmonton and will be performing at Ragpicker's). As usual, we will be having some fun.

Here are the show times and days:

Thu, July 17 11:15 PM
Fri, July 18 11:15 PM
Sat, July 19 10:30 PM
Sun, July 20 10:30 PM
Mon, July 21 11:15 PM
Tue, July 22 11:15 PM
Wed, July 23 11:15 PM
Thu, July 24 9:30 PM
Fri, July 25 9:30 PM
Sat, July 26 8:45 PM

Be on the look out for brand new CRUMBS buttons and T-Shirts.

The Big Stupid Improv Show

Where does the PIG come from?

Well, it all came from a typo that read “the Pig Stubid Improv Show”
rather than “the Big Stupid Improv Show” and it kind of stuck as a funny
little “happy accident” as well as the giving the show a bit of an image...
that of a pig. As well, the PIG could stand for the Probable Improv
Group or something like that. The actual pig graphic was stolen from
some graffiti that was photographed in the streets of Berlin in 2006.

Where does the name actually come from?

The show was named by Wes Borg (Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie)
as a last minute replacement show in the Edmonton Fringe Festival.
It was then adopted at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival when yet another
last minute drop-out occurred. Wes Borg was in town to run the show,
the next year he passed that on to Stephen Sim under the promise he
would not change the name to “The Big Stoopid Improv Show” (he didn’t
mention anything about pigs). The name is actually inspired by the “Big
Stinkin’ Improv Festival” that used to happen in Austin Texas.

How does the show work?

What does that even mean? Well, I will give it a shot. We cast the show
with cool folk (meaning improv players and actors) that are either local
players or performers from out of town in the city for the Fringe, and
then we squish them all together on stage to perform a show that is
made up from scratch. This year we will be playing with several improv
formats that are being played across the country (and the world).

What is improv really?

Are you sure you have stumbled into the right show? Are you really not
familiar with improv yet? Okay, all it really means is that we will make up
a show live. We are actors, writers and directors all at the same time. In fact
not only is improv the most dangerous form of theatre, it is also the most
environmentally friendly (even though it is disposable).

When and Where and Who?

Alright, I guess that info is important...

Wed July 16, 8:30 PM
Thu July 17, 4:15 PM
Fri July 18, 11:45 PM
Sat July 19, 2:15 PM
Wed July 23, 7:00 PM
Thu July 24, 12:00 PM
Sat July 26, 3:45 PM

All happening at Venue #2 (MTC Up the Alley)

This year’s Pig Stubid Improv Show will feature:
Michal Grajewski and Fraz from Ghost Jail (Toronto),
Ryan Gladstone from Monster Theatre (Vancouver),
Kevy and Arlen from SCRATCH (Edmonton),
Jefferson Sinclair from Letters@Large (Winnipeg),
Chadd, Toby, RobYn, Andrea, Jane, Outside Joke (Winnipeg),
Steve and Lee from CRUMBS (Winnipeg),
plus others who we don’t even know yet.