If you don't know what Dropout TV is, I take full blame for that. I should have posted about it a long time ago. It's honestly one of the funniest things I've ever seen. There are so many incredibly funny and creative people on the different shows on the streaming service, but I'll have to make up for that later.
Today I'd like to share what an amazing experience I had last night. Last evening, my daughter and I went to The Chicago Theater to see :Dropout Improv. Not only was the show incredibly entertaining, but it got me thinking about improv comedy in general.
Back in my day... there were many things that you could only experience once. If you liked an episode of a TV show, that might be the only time you could ever watch it. There were no streaming services, cable channels showing reruns or even VCRs to record shows. It was one and done so you really had to watch. you couldn't just relay on catching it the next day on Hulu or the 9 million other services you pay for. I grew up before ESPN and the internet so if you wanted to see a really cool play in a sporting event, you better be watching it live or hope that George Michael showed it on his Sports Machine show at 10:30 on Sunday night (No. Not that George Michael). And forget about seeing a concert you attended or a comedy show you saw.
But today, there is very little incentive to really watch anything live. Heck if you go to a basketball game, you can be watching the highlights on your phone on the way to the car. But there are some exceptions to that. Improv shows happen to be one of them. By definition, an improv show will never be seen again. We saw Droput Improv last night and no one else will ever have the same experience my daughter, I and the rest of the audience had. Even if someone recorded a bit or two, there is no way the entire show will ever be reproduced. no one will ever know hwy yelling cheeeeeeeeeeeeez while throwing metal is funny. No one will laugh when they hear botany, aluminum or the word haberdashery. No one else got to see what would happen at a town meeting centered around banning fire hydrants if an arsonist argued against the need for fire hydrants. No one will get to see a demon burrito fight a man named Colby (like cheese) for the right to move into an apartment with their girlfriend. No one will get to see a person, who doesn't understand Dungeons and Dragons, pantomime being a 20 sided die and thinking rolling a 20 was a big deal.
No one can have me and my daughter's experience. And that is awesome. It is ours. It is special. Improv is an excuse to be in the moment. There are so few excuses to do that today. With a computer in your pocket at all times, it is was to easy to be thinking about the past or planning your next move. But last night, neither of us dared look away from the stage for a second. We didn't even get up to use the restroom because we didn't want to miss what could be the funniest part of the show. All we have our memories... and that is beautiful.
Do any of you know Dropout TV? Any other Improv troops you like?
