by Kate Phillips
“Curtain Up” is a weekly performing arts review column exploring the vast and dynamic theater world in Atlanta.
I cry quite easily but, upon attending Dad’s Garage “TheatreSports”, I was drawn to tears not by sorrow, rather all-stops-out, on-the spot, no-looking-back comedy. From a young grandfather’s bedtime story of a squirrel metamorphosing into a magical tomato told to his granddaughter — a lucky, first-time audience member — to a talk show skit of a two-person-yet-one-man expert on tacos — ab-so-lut-ely not chim-i-chan-gas — the theatre team at Dad’s Garage has indeed got their act together.
Dad’s Garage Theatre Company — five-years-in-a-row winner of Creative Loafing’s “Best of Atlanta Theatre” and “Best Improv Troupe” — is a must-see. The main reason for me was that it was incredibly stress relieving. My eyes were watering and my face was welded somewhat painfully into a permanent toothy grin. Moreover, I got the greatest ab workout I’ve had in weeks. Laughter is the elixir of life, and by golly did Dad’s Garage have me feeling its medicinal cure. I was so enthralled by the skits and games that I thoroughly forgot my worries of school, work, and life outside of the players performing upon the stage of that tiny auditorium. My friend, a fellow SCAD student, felt exactly the same and doubled over so often I thought he might be having a seizure. Time and time again, however, he came back to the surface, whooping and hollering enthusiastically beside me at the unbelievable comedy occurring on stage.
One of the greatest elements of this theatre is that because it is so cozy, the whole audience can comfortably get involved, warming up especially after a few beverages sold before and during the 15 minute intermission. “TheatreSports” runs as long as the average full-length feature film, one hour and a half, and every minute is worth it. The referee host primes the audience with a half hour duel between six new performers deemed “The Rookies” and, for the remaining time, thrusts six full-time improvisers to the stage to battle for audience applause in two teams of three. The games include “Act Harder!” and many other face-offs, concluding with one-liner act “I Knew She Was a _____’s Daughter Because ____” which I’m sure you can imagine was totally terrible yet incredibly hilarious due to the spontaneity of professions and epiphanies. Although the show is for adults, Dad’s Garage does their best to “keep things in line” when necessary by providing “the infamous Scum Box” for the referee host to assign to too-naughty jokesters.
“TheatreSports” is Dad’s Garage’s longest-running performance and, as they’ve found, has been “an audience favorite for years.” Next time you’re near Little Five Points or have a night to blow on the town, spend wisely — invest in tickets to the priceless TheatreSports or check out their newer acts like “Musicals Suck, The Musical,” “Improv Revolution” or “Super Mega Happy Fun Time Improv Show,” all running through June or all-summer long.