Imagine a world where playwrights step on stage, write and perform an entire play before your eyes. Imagine no longer, as Sarah Shoemaker and Michael Yichao, 2014 College Improv Tournament National Champions, perform their show, Tall Grande Venti, then join local performers in the debut of Cogs & Goggles, a steampunk-themed improvisation.
The duo has quickly become well recognized for their skills both on and off stage. Yichao is an accomplished writer who has written for Disney Imagineering, won multiple Kennedy Awards in playwriting, and currently writes copy for Wizards of the Coast. Shoemaker is now a producer for Femprovisor Fest and teaches for Leela, a San Francisco area improv collective. Tall Grande Venti bring the group’s talents to the stage in the form of an improvised three-act play. Tall Grande Venti has appeared in venues from Honolulu to Edinburgh, Scotland.
Cogs & Goggles is a collaborative creation featuring newcomers Seth Caron and Crystal Caron. The Carons were previously involved with MISFITS, a steampunk cosplay ensemble that appeared in conventions across New England. Their talents and insight have been combined with the local improv community in a show directed by Mike Christenson. While the show has a look and feel similar to a pulp adventure serial, each performance utilizes audience feedback and is made up on the spot.
Tall Grande Venti performs with Cogs & Goggles at the Hangar Ballroom on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 29 and 30. Local trio, Seriously Obnoxious opens both nights. Shows are at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door. Shows are open to all ages; however, adult situations and language may be present.
