NORTHWEST BY NORTH WELLS
at the Roxy
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At this point it is worth noting that (1) the improvisation exercises of Stanislavsky and Spolin were designed to develop skills in all types of theater–not exclusively comedy, (2) the exercises were designed as warm- up activities for the studio and were never intended to be seen by a theater audience, (3) the Compass Players were highly educated U. of C. undergrads, and (4) satire does not automatically imply jokes, and many of the early Compass pieces were performed straight-faced, with nary a recognizable “gag.”
Northwest by North Wells is a retrospective of Second City Northwest material performed by Second City E.T.C. Though the show begins with a song promising that “You won’t have to use your brain on the comedy train,” and though the skits have the usual failure-to-communicate themes, there are moments of genuine insight and surprising wit within the substantial restrictions of the improvcom form. (The joke that made me laugh the loudest was actually a reprise of an earlier one; a reprise was unexpected because comedians rarely trust an audience to remember a gag for any length of time.)
