A night with the folks at Improv Asylum

omedy is something pretty much everyone appreciates.  And so many try, try, and try again to create it—but too many fall flat.  We all have that friend who tries to duplicate a joke or say something funny with disastrous results.  If you disagree, you’re obviously the friend...and...ok, cue crickets.  He/she/you/I can be forgiven, but still...

The truth is, everyone loves to laugh.  It’s self medication of the healthiest variety.  A good guffaw can cure the worst ailment, be it of heart, mind, or body.  A good set of laugh lines indicates happiness and wisdom.  Laughter floods our brains with endorphins and dopamine, natural brain-drugs that keep us feeling okay with life.  In an ironic twist, however, another truth is that so many of us are too afraid of failure to even try spreading laughter, and so we lead boring lives—in the sense of causing intense boredom in other people; we ourselves are always amused by our own wit and humor.

But for some people, that’s not enough.  Some people find themselves reveling in the laughter of others and make the choice to provide that hilarity at cost––dopamine dealers, if you will.  Such people yearn to make folks chuckle, and are not happy unless they’re working towards that end.  And to guide their forlorn whimsical and wandering ways, there exists a business that’s really more of a school more of a stage more of a bar more of a playground called Improv Asylum in the North End.

If you didn’t already know it, Improv Asylum offers classes in comedy, both sketch and improvisation.  Once a week, students meet and parse through a myriad of comic variation, bringing to bear their own biases and understandings of humanity. After an epic journey through the realm of comedy, classes culminate in a Grad performance which knows no bounds.  It could be you up there, or me, or your unfunny friend—the Asylum reaches deep and brings out the funny within.  Comedian Erik Greene said it best: “Enjoy the ride.”

This time around, a group called Too Soon? brought to bear eight commoners of comedy hellbent on proving that funny is for the masses, by the masses; and they were brilliant in the face of glaring limelights and expectant strangers.  This ain’t your grandma’s final exam.  This is Improv.

Among the highlights of this week’s 35th Grad Show were a discussion of Jaws 5: A Wicked Huge Shark and loopholes in heaven’s laws caused by allowing Jews past the pearly gates.  At some point a nine-inch purple dildo made an appearance, and a murse was confused with a merkin.

The show was a wild success, proving without a doubt that with a little training, even us plebeians can cause a wry ruckus when we put our minds to it.  In a sweeping grand finale, the troupe broke down in a rap chorus whose vigor and wit will resound through the ages.  Kudos, Too Soon?, big ups for big balls.  Keep your day jobs—but by all means, keep us laughing too!  This is just the beginning.

Paul Blumer can be told jokes at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

More Info
Improv Asylum
216 Hanover St.
Boston, MA 02113
617-263-NUTS
www.improvasylum.com