Improv Night with Mop & Bucket Company September 10 in Troy at the Confectionery

NIGHT OF IMPROV AT LUCAS CONFECTIONERY 9/10
Grilled Cheese, Beer and Laughs at Troy Wine Bar


TROY, N.Y. (9/4/14) -- A Troy wine bar will host an evening of improvisational laughs, grilled cheese and beer next Wednesday.

The Mop & Bucket Company (MopCo) is the Capital Region's premiere improv comedy group. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the group will play at two-act show in the garden patio of Lucas Confectionery.

Audiences can expect an evening of short form improv games and scenes and music based off of suggestions they write down or call out. They will also be able to create Play-Doh figures for a Play-Doh theater segment that works like shadow puppets on a screen. Michael Burns, artistic director of The Mop & Bucket Company describes the skit as "television you won't get on your cable box."

Improv has gained mainstream popularity with shows like "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" but the performance art form is also the most accessible and communal theater, according to Burns.

"We're co-creating an evening of laughter with our audience," said Burns. "We're saying 'Yes' to their ideas, and delighting with them with the results of our collaboration."

MopCo will perform two sets on the garden patio at Lucas Confectionery, on Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Both unique shows are free, and patrons are welcome to attend one or both sets, but seating is limited and on a first come, first seated basis. The indoor/outdoor space has a retractable glass roof, and connects to the Lucas Confectionery wine bar at 12 Second St. and The Grocery at 207 Broadway. Patrons will be able to order wine, beer and food from either business but are encouraged to arrive early for "Grilled Cheese and Beer Night" at The Grocery, starting at 5 p.m.

IT'S ALL ABOUT IMPROV AT TROY WINE BAR & GROCERY

Vic Christopher, co-owner of the Lucas Confectionery, The Grocery and the in-progress Tavern Restaurant, said the improv performance is a good fit for the venue, which is constructed using reclaimed materials in an improvisational style.

"Spiritually, improv is a good fit for our space because it's all about working with what you’ve got and making it up on the fly. That's pretty much our construction style through the use of reclaimed materials," said Christopher.

Christopher and his wife Heather LaVine opened Lucas Confectionery at 12 Second St. in November 2012 as a community gathering space featuring rare and unique wines by the glass and bottle; along with craft beer, artisan coffee, cheeses, small plates, confections and desserts. In November 2013, the couple opened The Grocery in an adjacent building at 207 Broadway. The Grocery is a micro neighborhood grocery shop featuring artisanal cheeses, meats, fresh local produce and draft beer. Wednesday nights at The Grocery feature grilled cheese and beer specials.

ABOUT THE MOP & BUCKET COMPANY

In the tradition of Second City, the skilled improvisers of The Mop & Bucket Company create stories, scenes and songs based on audience suggestions. Think "Whose Line is it Anyway?" Because the ideas come from the audience, each show is totally fresh.

MopCo delights audiences every Friday night at the Underground at Proctors in Schenectady. The company also teaches classes on improv for performance, business, writers and educators and for creativity in everyday life.

[Note: This Sept. 18 through Oct. 9, The Mop & Bucket Company will be teaching Improv basics in a weekly Thursday night class at The Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy. Info: http://www.artscenteronline.org/Improv-Basics-with-The-Mop-Bucket-Co/11571/ ]