Workshopping Comedy
The Athens Comedy Collective brings improv to students and community members
By HADLEY LYNCH | Photos by PEARL SPURLOCK | DESIGN BY ABBY BURNS
For those with a passion for acting, the Athens Comedy Collective offers seasoned and aspiring improvisers a space to practice and grow. The Comedy Collective provides both local residents and students with a community of growing actors while helping them build various skills and techniques for comedic performance. The group hosts weekly workshops on Sundays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Central Venue, which typically feature acting games and exercises focused on long-form improv.
Students often gain much of their hands-on experience through student organizations. Although working with peers is beneficial, those who have the opportunity to diversify their surroundings gain valuable alternative perspectives. Because the Comedy Collective brings together a wide range of individuals, Ohio University students have an excellent opportunity for collaboration.
Molly Nixon, a second-year student studying acting, has been an active attendee of workshops during her time at OU. She says her favorite aspect of the group is getting to interact with community members outside of the School of Theater.
“It's really fun to see townies bring in their kids and work with different ages and different people because more exposure is always good,” Nixon says.
Nixon has long had a passion for comedic acting, having attended various workshops, and has been involved in improv since she was in sixth grade. As a member of Black Sheep Improv, she continues to work on her comedic timing and collaborate with other performers.
As an acting student, Nixon will be in various shows and projects that require her to test and refine her comedic acting skills.
“Next semester, I'm going to be in an Ivy Posies show, ‘Victor Builds a Body,’” Nixon says. “I'm actually [also] directing my own show about improvised mask work – improv is going to help a lot with that.”
She first heard about the Comedy Collective from flyers in Canton and then decided to attend a workshop.
“I decided to do it because [when] learning any creative talent [or] skill, it’s important to get lots of different perspectives and expose yourself to as many techniques and styles and opinions as possible.”
The Comedy Collective has been active for about a year, led by Yang Miller. Originally from Athens, Miller has a lot of knowledge and background in the acting scene. He lived in New York City for about sixteen years and became involved with the comedy scene before moving back to Athens – bringing his passion with him.
“When I moved back to Athens, where I'm from… I was like, we need an improv scene down here,” Miller says. “I mean, I love it so much, and it's just such a great form of community, communication [and] positivity, that I decided to start teaching improv classes and workshops.”
Miller also hosted workshops for younger actors in the past – called the Athens Kids Comedy – as the Comedy Collective is directed more toward an older crowd.
Along with long-form improv, a key concept that Miller focuses on is the idea of “yes, and.”
“The idea of ‘yes, and,’ it's kind of the basis of all the improv – it’s [agreeing with] any idea that somebody brings to you,” Miller says. “You treat it like it's the greatest idea. You say ‘yes’ to it and add to it. You get to the really fun stuff when you establish who you are, what you want, where you are and then say ‘yes’ to each other.”
Although some aspects of acting come naturally, Miller says that being spontaneous and willing to take risks are essential skills needed to thrive on stage.
“There's skills that you can learn and the basic techniques of improv – anyone could learn,” Miller says. “But I think even with any kind of performance or any kind of art, there sometimes is an inherent ability that you just have that kind of fits in it. But I can teach anybody to use the basis of improv, the basic structure, to create fun and enjoyable scenes.”
There have been many groups centered around the arts in Athens before; however, Miller thinks the area’s comedy scene is lacking.
“Another reason that I wanted to start this is that the comedy scene in Athens is so slim. I mean, it's a great music town, there's lots of music, there's lots of fun, creative weirdos and funny people, and I just wanted to harness that and give those folks a place to get together,” Miller says.
He believes that some people may be reluctant to try comedy and improv due to a fear of not being funny. However, Miller emphasizes the importance of trusting the process, as comedy often comes from taking risks and staying in the moment.
“I teach people that it's not about being funny – it's about being honest, truthful and supportive [and] saying ‘yes, and,’” Miller says. “A lot of people think it's like stand-up comedy where you get up and you're by yourself trying to make people laugh, but it's really not about trying to get the laughs.It’s more about creating interesting scenes, and then the laughs just come out of it.”
According to a survey by the U.S. Patterns of Arts Participation, only 4 percent of adults are involved in theater of any kind. The Comedy Collective has become a valuable place for actors to gather and improve their skills, and Nixon encourages more people to give it a try, regardless of acting experience or ability.
“There's not as many OU students as I would like to see,” Nixon says. “It's a lot of community members. I would encourage anyone who's interested in having a fun time to go there because Yang Miller is so approachable. He's so fun, and he knows what he's doing.”
Nixon considers the group a great addition to the community. “Because it's free to attend, I think it helps add something to do, which is always good in a community, especially when it sort of blends campus into town,” she says. “I think it's a really helpful way to meet new people and meet a new perspective, especially since Athens’ campus is a bubble.”
For anyone looking to expand their understanding of comedic improv, attending one of the Comedy Collective’s weekly workshops is a must. The heart of Athens lies in its community, and the energy and joy that radiates through these workshops is contagious. b
