Kaplan, Gertner and Saltzberg to Be Part of Upright Citizens Brigade's Improv Evening

By Andrew Gans
November 20, 2007

Broadway performers will share the stage with improvisers from "The Daily Show," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "The Colbert Report" Nov. 26 at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.

The long-running monthly series, entitled Gravid Water, will feature Broadway actors Jonathan Kaplan (Falsettos), Jared Gertner and Sarah Saltzberg (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) and Joel Karie (The Lion King).

Also participating in the evening of improv will be Dan Bakkedahl ("The Daily Show"), Peter Gwinn ("The Colbert Report"), Christina Gausas ("Late Night with Conan O'Brien"), Tara Copeland (Don't Quit Your Night Job), Anthony King (co-author of Gutenberg! The Musical) and Kate Hess (Upright Citizens Brigade). Show time is 8 PM.

Stephen Ruddy, the director and creator of Gravid Water, told Playbill.com that "the actors memorize and rehearse their scenes much as they would for a regular play. The scenes are drawn from established plays, and the actors will not stray from the letter of the script. The improvisers have no prior knowledge of the scenes — they will be seeing them for the first time, along with the audience.

"The scenes generally come from contemporary drama — though we occasionally do something ancient, or a musical — and we do five scenes a show. The improvisers make strong choices — they might be the same choices the author made, and they might not. Either way, the actor's job is to deliver his lines in a way appropriate to the new situation. The improvisers and actors each justify the others' choices."

The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre is located in Manhattan at 307 West 26th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Tickets, priced $5, are available by calling (212) 366-9176 or by visiting www.ucbtheatre.com/ny.