Last Friday night, July 12^th, I had the opportunity to attend Washington Improv Theater’s production of Lore. The advertisements promised “new, spontaneous tales of every shape and size as the audience’s guiding hand shapes the outcome,” but even with that slightly hyperbolic promise, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  What I got, however, was seventy minutes of hilarity created right there on the spot from seven performers’ creative, if not a little crazy, minds.

Whether you are an avid improvisation fan or have never heard of it, Lore is a perfect show for marveling at the performers quick wit and teamwork, as well as an opportunity for you as an audience member to get involved in the show. With this show, the audience was responsible for choosing which stories were being told and were able to direct the show with different suggestions for each story.

For example, when an audience member yelled out “Sexytimes,” the performers acted out a scene in the form of a Penthouse letter about the Oval Office.

After a suggestion of a documentary, the performers took on different characters in an operating room, from a 51-year-old surgeon to the heart itself.

The show moved from one story to the next, and I was continuously surprised by what they were coming up with right in front of me. It was hard to believe that it was unscripted and unrehearsed: unbelievable.

Lore, as part of Capital Fringe Festival, will run for two more weekends with shows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at Source.

If you can’t make these shows, however, Washington Improv Theater has plenty more going on, from improvisation classes to free Harold Nights every Tuesday night. I attended a Harold Night (Harold is an improv structure where a whole show is based on a single audience suggestion) earlier this summer and was very impressed. It is obvious the ensembles that perform are well gifted in the ways of comedy, and I will definitely be back to see what else these teams have in store.

For more information on Lore, from show times to ticket sales, check out:

capitalfringe.org or http://www.washingtonimprovtheater.com/

You can also order tickets by phone by calling 866.811.4111