NEWS ARTICLE

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.

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 zoo keeper and aardvark. Joe Johnson who used to do stand-up 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 facility for activities within a home-like environment. We're always looking for volunteers.

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.