July
14, 2006 - THEY are Featured
in the Weston Lifestyle Magazine 'Laughing for a Cause'
THEY improv was featured in an article by
Candice Russell in the July issue of the Weston Lifestyle Magazine.
If you would like more information on the Weston Lifestyle Magazine,
you can call their offices at 954-217-1165 or on the web at www.lifestylemagazinegroup.com.
Laughing
for a Cause
By
Candice Russell - July, 2006
Laughing
for a good cause is a great idea. That concept fuels a unique
event set for the night of Wednesday, July 19th at the Seminole
Paradise Improv, also known as the Hard Rock Improv, in the Seminole
Paradise Shopping area in Hollywood.
Look for Broward-based comedy troupe, THEY Improv to pair with
the long-running Laughing Gas Improv and deejay Joe Johnson from
radio station Majic 102.7 FM to perform for ninety minutes starting
at 8 p.m. All proceeds go to benefit Gilda's Club South Florida,
a non-profit organization in Fort Lauderdale, to help people who
have cancer and their loved ones.
"To have such a noted entertainment gathering to benefit
Gilda's Club is wonderful," says Barbara Wilson, C.E.O. of
Gilda's Club South Florida. "We completely rely on private
philanthropy and community groups to help with an annual budget
of roughly $900,000."
For Todd Rice, director of THEY Improv made up of a dozen comedians,
doing this kind of charity work is imperative. "It's the
right thing to do. It's the way I was raised. It doesn't cost
us and we have fund doing it. I also perform with Laughing Gas,
an improvisational group based in Miami Lakes. We did a couple
of charity events and it really felt good. With THEY Improv, we
have volunteered our services for other groups who don't get the
attention they deserve. It feels great to be able to do this kind
of work. While we didn't go into it expecting returns, we have
come out of it with a good reputation in the community, more jobs
and really good venues."
What
can people expect from this eventing of comedy? Rice says it will
operate like the normal improv troupe performance, with people
in the audience making suggestions for the actors. "We want
professional, social or family relationships," he says. "People
suggest things like lawyer-client or zookeeper and aardvark. Joe
Johnson who used to do standup comedy, is also volunteering his
time."
Rice also gave of his time to conduct an improv class at Gilda's
Club in Fort Lauderdale. "It was a lot of fun," he says.
"For some people, it was hard to keep up, so we had them
perform in seated positions. It was great to see the spirit that
is Gilda's Club, which is truly inspirational. People love to
laugh."
Named
for the late comedian Gilda Radner, a star of the original NBC-TV
hit "Saturday Night Live," Gilda's Club has a specific
purpose according to Wilson, "We complement the medical aspect
of treatment. Medicine is one thing and it's awesome. But we provide
the emotional and social support people need. Cancer happens to
an entire family including siblings and parents. We have support
groups for bereavement, breast cancer for women under forty, and
lung cancer. We also have an educational component with doctors
explaining what they learned from cancer conferences. As the only
Gilda's Club in the southeast, we have a drop-in facililty for
activities within a home-like environment. We're always looking
for volunteers.
Tickets are a modest $10. There is a two drink minimum and an
age requirement - those in attendance must be eighteen or older.
To buy tickets, visit the website www.THEYimprov.com
to help sponsor the event, telephone Todd Rice at (305) 948-7750.
About THEY improv
THEY improv is South Florida's leader in
corporate teambuilding,
murder mystery dinner shows
and improvisational comedy shows. THEY are constantly performing
private corporate events
for some of Weston's top companies and for corporations throughout
the region. Often performing for charities, THEY improv is changing
the face of comedy in South Florida. Though THEY normally perform
private events for area
corporations, THEY can be seen in various venues in the area and
the website at www.THEYimprov.com
is regularly updated with information about upcoming events and
shows.
Click here to view the full article.
