Staff Report
IMPROVology, a “science meets comedy” series, will begin this year with a Valentine’s Day edition at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at the Lobero Theatre.
The Santa Barbara Zoo’s take on the hit show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” will have three shows at the Lobero in 2020, and tickets are on sale now.
The show invites people to consider such topics as the dating dilemmas of amphibians and birds. Condor coupling is just the bird version of Bachelor in Paradise, a zoo spokesman says, and who knew frogs liked to hump in the hills?
In this season’s opening show, scientists and comedians do a deep dive to uncover the lusty underbelly of truly “wild” love, using stories from the field as fuel for side-splitting skits, songs, and silliness created on the spot.
Since 2015, this sold-out series has sold out. The format remains unchanged: two leading animal experts are interviewed live on stage, followed by comedy skits, songs, and silliness created on-the-spot by members of L.A.’s Impro Theatre.
There’s live music accompaniment, audience participation, and friendly competition between the two teams scored by local celebrities. The 90-minute show is performed without intermission.
The two animal experts for this show include Dr. Katy Delaney from the National Park Service, who will discuss the importance of frog sex in the Santa Monica Mountains, and Joe Burnett from Ventana Wildlife Society, who will talk about the drama of California condor love lives.
The host of the show is Impro Theatre’s artistic director Dan O’Conner, who is joined for this show by company members Micheal McShane, Stephen Kearin, Jo McGinley, Kelly Bashar, and Brian Michael Jones. Musical accompaniment is provided by Santa Barbara pianist Konrad Kono along with Dr. Michael Schindlinger on bass.
Tickets are $30, and $25 for zoo members. VIP tickets are available for $70, which includes premier seating and pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Buy tickets at the Lobero Theatre Box Office, at lobero.org, or at 805-963-0761.
Based in Los Angeles, Impro Theatre is a critically acclaimed theatre company that performs completely improvised, full-length plays in the theme of history’s most acclaimed writers. Fully unscripted shows include those based on Shakespeare, Stephen Sondheim, and Jane Austen, as well as film genres “The Western” and “Film Noir.”
For more information about the company and the training it offers, visit www.improtheatre.com.
