On the Spot

For Stan Raines, the key to good comedy lies in one word: Yes.

Raines and Joel Humphries will be teaching a series of improv classes beginning this month at the old Port Isabel Yacht Club.

The classes will teach participants how to do improvisational comedy, a style that requires teamwork and plenty of agreement.

“We play one game called ‘yes, and,’” Raines said, referring to a staple of improvisational teaching. The game helps people to support each other’s ideas and keep an improvisation going through agreement and addition.

“Nothing kills an improv faster than someone laughing and breaking out of it or disagreeing with someone else.”

Though not widely performed in the Valley, improv is a popular way for comedy groups to create new material.

For some groups, like the Upright Citizens Brigade of New York City and Baby Wants Candy of Chicago, improvisation is a performance in and of itself.

Long-form improv is usually a series of scenes made up on the spot, which may or may not include connected characters and situations. The scenes may begin with a single word suggested by an audience member.

A performer may use this word to generate a short monologue. The material from this monologue may help to inspire other actors to create related scenes.

Short-form refers to game-oriented improv, where performers may be required to guess the name of a song or figure out a personality quirk by picking up on the hints of their fellow players.

For some groups, like the performers on Saturday Night Live, the free-flowing generation of ideas that improv provides is later refined into contained sketches, which are then written down and performed.

The classes taught by Humphries and Raines will use this technique to create a final performance on Feb. 16.

For several years Raines has searched for an outlet for his interest in comedy in the Valley. He has participated in dozens of productions at the Camille Playhouse, where he says he used some of his comedic skills.

“I’m not the only old coot out there with these kinds of interests,” he said. “I’ve been toying with the idea of opening a comedy club here if this group really takes off. “

His interest came to a head about three months ago when he decided to quit smoking. At 58, he’s been smoking since age 11.

“I think you have to get good at quitting,” he said. “This time I think it will stick.”

Raines is using the improv classes to provide an exciting distraction from nicotine. The classes will be taught twice a week from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Port Isabel Yacht Club on Tuesdays and Thursdays, running from Jan. 22 to Feb. 14. They will be $99 for those who register before Jan. 19, $125 for others.

“I can see places where this can go,” Raines said. “I’d like to be a talent scout for people who are really good, and form troupes out of the classes.”

This method is used at comedy schools like Second City of Chicago, which trains comedians and then puts them into small groups to continue on independently.

For more information, call Stan Raines at (956) 546-8288.