improvidence

Brown + RISD's Oldest Improv Troupe

  • 1985-1986
    • Meteors containing frozen oxygen smash into Earth’s crust. Improvidence emerges from the newly-formed seas
  • 1997-1998
    • Improvidence does a show at Columbia
  • 1998-1999
    • Improvidence goes to Wesleyan
    • Smith’s improv troupe comes to play with Improvidence. They bring their mascot (a live weasel) and incorporate it onto the show. No one finds said parrot funny
    • Smith’s improv troupe (yeah, they’re still here) decides to have one of their members streak naked through the audience. Again, no one finds funny
  • 1999-2000
    • Josh Loh, Liz Parrott join
    • Matt Fisher secures top place in NFL Blitz machine in Faunce Hall
    • Raif Larsen leaves. “I am a Robot” Thumpers fall 60%
    • Owen departs for Australia spring semester. Discovers boomerangs, bum sex
    • Top Pepsi executive taken off of Improvidence e-mail list after repeated requests
  • 2000-2001
    • Bill Heil, Jason Paul, Rachel Steigermeister join the group. Bill and Jason, in an effort to get more stage time, eat Rachel
    • Improvidence’s first Long Show held. Liz Parrott goes insane. Local coffee shop donates an evening’s supply of brew. Show featured in Providence Journal
    • As a publicity stunt, group tries to fake-breakup by posting rumors on the Brown Daily Jolt. Group finds that no one really cares
    • Many disputes over practice space with Musical Forum. Many jokes made about pooping on their piano
    • Matt Fisher, Jordan Carlos, Jon Bender leave. Jordan reportedly leaves to “go to some girl’s birthday party”
  • 2001-2002
    • Brian, Max, Joel, Ollie join. Abe re-joins, thus irreparably damaging his career. Improvidence membership at 10
    • Tom returns after year away in New York. Brings back many hidden secrets of good improv comedy
    • Group adopts long form shows, including the Harold, One Room, and MPH (an Improvidence-special)
    • Another Long Show held. This time, 36 hours. More local news coverage, more insanity. Max eats chalk
    • Group spends almost $1500 at Capital Grille, on a budget of $1200. Josh orders a five pound lobster with a porterhouse steak in its claw. Tom orders a Land, Sea, and Air platter. Morris gets fat tip, kiss from Bill
    • Improvidence holds summer show for Brown summer students, as well as Yale workshop for students
  • 2002-2003
    • Ben, Greta join
    • Improvidence plays with a bunch of other troupes, including the Whistling Shrimp from Dartmouth and New Teen Force from Wesleyan
    • Regular show attendance at recent high. Standing room only shows common
    • Long form continues to grow on the group. After getting kicked out of List Art one beautiful fall night, group holds Small Town performance on the steps of The Rock in front of hundreds of students. Good idea
    • Improvidence puts on improvised art show
    • Liz, Josh, Jason, Bill leave Improvidence
  • 2003-2004
    • CJ, Lizzie, and Austin join troupe
    • Table slip with unforeseen racial undertones published—Improvidence promptly apologizes, but nuances of email technology cause event to escalate to the now well-known Foot in Mouth Scandal
    • Austin gets in fight with tree; tree wins. Audiences celebrate along with Austin as his bandages and casts come off over the course of a few shows
    • Proving his stoicism, CJ attends dinner in the middle of a massive cold—orders the Surf n’ Turf n’ Tea
    • Improvidence hosts Spontaneous Combustion from Rice University and shows them a real good time by getting everyone stuck in the (small) elevator at List Art Center. Audience waits half an hour for show to begin while Improvidence figures out (a) no one has cell phone reception and (b) the woman on the other end of the emergency phone line is a real bitch. Finally audience gets fed up and leaves except for a few stoics who figure out that the performance was stuck in an elevator. Improvidence and SC saved by janitor with arms of steel
    • Improvidence has to say goodbye to Abe and Ollie—so long swarthy pirate and talking manicotti
  • 2004-2005
    • Emma and Mike join troupe
    • Improvidence hosts quite a few troupes, including the Whistling Shrimp from Dartmouth and New Teen Force from Wesleyan
    • Long form expansion continues with Emma’s introduction of “A Girl’s Box”
    • After a hiatus, Improvidence again attempts a 36-hour Long Show. Only Austin and Emma go the full distance with no sleep, but true genius came from Lizzie who between cat-naps riveted audiences with “Alphabetized Musical Solo Number” and the incomparable “Lizzie Vieh Show”
    • Brian, Max, and Joel graduate and leave Improvidence—godspeed mom, hobo, and police/authority figure
  • 2005-2006
    • Brendan (‘08), Tasha (‘08), Noel (‘09), and Caroline (RISD ’09) join Improvidence. Caroline marks the first crossover of RISD students to the group.
    • Panties-related thumpers at an all time high.
    • The 40 Hour Long Show is successfully completed. Caroline pierces her septum mid-show. Noel sprays her saline solution into the crowd in a fit of overexcitement
    • Ben (‘06) Bill, and Josh (both ’03) combine the power of the internet with the power of too much free time to create improvidence.org—dark secrets of the past finally see the light of day.
  • 2006-2007
    • Improvidence is scolded via email by a chemistry professor when lewd chalk drawings are discovered during his 9 AM Monday class.
    • Alex Pleet joins troupe and Brendan goes abroad
    • Austin and Mike graduate after the fall semester—the percentage of the troupe that consistently wears hats plummets.
    • A 32 hour Long Show is successfully completed. Brendan carries the group through the night with a one man hour-long show.
    • Sadly, the Shit Show is sacrificed due to a lack of time
    • CJ introduces TJ and Dave to the group’s long form repertoire
    • Powerhouse improvisers CJ and Lizzie graduate and leave Improvidence – Ron BumBum and awkward questions from CJ are missed. The Lizzie Vieh show and vampire lore from Lizzie are gone but not forgotten.
  • 2007-2008
    • A 4-person troupe (Tasha, Brendan, Caroline, and Alex) sharpens its improv skills during the fall semester
    • The first show of the semester is so well attended it must move from Lower Salomon to Upper Salomon
    • Patrick, Lexie, and Adam join the troupe. Tasha and Brendan leave the troupe
    • A 28 hour Long Show is completed
  • 2008-2009
    • Gabe joins the troupe
    • Parent’s Weekend show is very, very monetarily successful
    • A 24 hour Long Show is completed. Patrick accidentally sleeps for over 8 hours of its duration, requiring special task forces to go and wake him up
    • Improvidence journeys to Harvard for a show and overnight; they manage to pillage 28 bottled Frappuccinos from the University. The Chronikkah Story is born and multiple packets of Peach Rings are consumed on Harvard Yard.
    • Sadly, momma Caroline leaves the troupe upon her graduation from RISD. Her amazing ability to perform and analyze improv, and give eerily accurate interpretation and advice will live in legend forever.
  • 2009-2010
    • The first show of the semester overflows Lower Salomon, committing many fire code violations
    • Jeremy and Madeleine join the troupe
    • A 30 hour Long Show is attempted. Alex, determined to stay up for the entirety of the performance, and is successful. But at what price?
  • 2010-2011
    • Jeremy Shar, Jenny, David BW, and Leo join the troupe.
    • Patrick leaves the troupe for Berlin at the end of first semester, leaving behind a legacy of trickstering, power bottoming, invisible henchmen, and mad wisdom/skills. He is sorely missed.
    • A 28 hour long show is completed. The 3:00AM audience fills Wilson. Radio show is created. Many games of “6 things/Categories” occur as the troupe travels to star in an MCM event.
    • Adam graduates and “i dida pivot”‘s out of the troupe. His infinite funny (both written and improvised), mean pinball, lunar eclipses, and vast improv knowledge become things of legend.
  • 2011-2012 (SO FAR)
    • Gabe travels to Chicago for a semester to gain improvaknowledge from Second City.
    • Jack, Kevin, and David Jacobs join the troupe.
    • The Parent’s Weekend Show fills MacMillan. There are silly putty tridents galore.
    • IMPROVidence competes in the 5th annual College Improv Tournament in the Boston Regional. They make it to finals, competing against troupes from Middlebury, Harvard, and Northeastern. They also make friends.
    • Leo re-births the babies onstage for the Baby Show. It’s bloody and graphic and miraculous.
    • The 2 Show Holiday Extravaganza goes off without a hitch. The troupe is both naughty and nice all in one night. Cucumbertown is oddly violent.

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