Cherub Improv. We wing it.SM NEWS UPDATE: The Founders of Cherub Improv Honored by NY1 as the New Yorkers of the Week (May 23, 2008). Click here to see the videocast. We are Cherub ImprovSM -- or, if you prefer, CherubimprovSM -- volunteer improv comedy. We partner with senior centers (including Sirovich Senior Center), hospitals (including NYU Medical Center), nursing homes (including Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation), hospice (Saint Rose’s Home), a children’s runaway and homeless shelter (The Children’s Village), a homeless outreach program (Project ORE of The Educational Alliance), a cancer support organization (Gilda’s Club), and other organizations to perform and teach short-form improv and musical improv comedy. For free. Since Cherub Improv’s debut performance in April 2007, over 40 volunteer performers have successfully completed over 130 improv comedy events, and we are beginning to schedule events for 2009. (Click here to see a list of our past and future performances and workshops). CHERUB IMPROV CELEBRATED ITS ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY IN APRIL ‘08. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CHERUB IMPROV!!! Cherub Improv will custom tailor an improv performance or workshop to the needs of your audience, be they seniors, patients, adults, or children. Having conducted numerous successful performances and workshops at organizations throughout New York City and its surrounding areas, Cherub Improv is now available to perform and teach at your organization on a moment’s notice. We are also available to perform at your benefits and holiday parties. Cherub Improv is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of Cherub Improv may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. To support Cherub Improv with a tax-deductible contribution, please click here and follow the on screen instructions. For further information regarding Cherub Improv, to book a performance or workshop, or to volunteer with Cherub Improv (either as a performer or otherwise), please contact Jonathan Evan Goldberg at the following e-mail address, jonathan@cherubimprov.org, or by calling 212-CHERUBIM (212-243-7824). Frequently Asked Questions What is improv comedy? Improv (or improvisational) comedy is a spontaneous and unscripted theatrical performance shaped in large part by suggestions from the audience. Are there different types of improv comedy? Yes. What type of improv comedy does Cherub Improv perform and teach? Cherub Improv performs and teaches “short-form” improv (various games, skits, and character work) and musical improv (the creation of spontaneous songs, musicals, and operas). The television show “Whose Line Is It Anyway” is a great example of a short-form improv comedy show. What is the difference between a Cherub Improv “performance” and a “workshop”? During a performance, the Improvisers perform various improv games, skits, and songs based on suggestions from the audience. During a workshop, the Improvisers demonstrate a few improv games and skits based on suggestions from the audience and then invite audience members (one or two at a time) to perform and practice improv with the Improvisers. In both the performance and the workshop, the basic “rules” of improv, and the various improv games and skits, are explained. What are some of the basic “rules” of improv? Improvisers should support each other (and help the scenes move forward) by saying “yes” to information given to them by other Improvisers and by not “denying” that information. For example, if Improviser No. 1 says to Improviser No. 2 that Improviser No. 2 is “an amazing chef” who “just made a wonderful seven-course meal,” Improviser No. 2 should accept, and not deny, that information. For example, Improviser No. 2 should say “Yes, I am a great chef and that meal was spectacular!” and not “You are mistaken, I am a professional basketball player.” Improvisers should “give the gift” of information to each other and should be selective in asking questions (which often place a burden on other Improvisers unless the questions themselves give information rather than seek it). A question that gives more information than it seeks might be, “Is that pasta you are cooking almost ready, famous chef sister of mine?” Improvisers should maintain eye contact and listen carefully to each other. Improvisers should (and do) have fun. 
 For a good list of the basic rules of improv, see “How to Be a Better Improviser” by Dan Goldstein, at http://www.dangoldstein.com/howtoimprovise.html. How long do Cherub Improv performances and workshops last? Performances and workshops usually last between 45 minutes and an hour. However, the duration can be be varied depending on the needs of the organization and audience. What are some examples of improv games performed and taught by Cherub Improv? During “Freeze Tag,” two Improvisers start performing a theatrical scene based on a line of dialogue suggested by the audience. The scene continues until another Improviser says “freeze,” at which point that new Improviser enters the scene (replacing one of the two original Improvisers) and begins a brand new scene based on the last line of dialogue spoken during the first scene. Now, the new scene continues until another Improviser says “freeze” and begins yet another new scene based on the last line of spoken dialogue. During “A to Z,” several Improvisers create a scene (set in a location suggested by the audience) by speaking in alphabetical order: the first Improviser who speaks starts his or her sentence with a word starting with the letter “A”, then the next Improviser starts his or her sentence with a word starting with the letter “B”, and so on until the letter “Z” is reached. The goal is to complete the scene in under 90 seconds (and, of course, to keep the dialogue in alphabetical order). During “Song,” the Improvisers -- accompanied by guitar -- create a spontaneous song combining suggestions from the audience. Recent examples include songs about “Baseball and Love,” “The Fall Season and Breaking Up,” “Horses and Jellyfish” (Seahorse, anyone?), and “Opera and Dance” -- the song you can experience by clicking here. How can my organization schedule a Cherub Improv performance or workshop? For further information regarding Cherub Improv, to schedule a performance or workshop, or to volunteer with Cherub Improv (either as a performer or otherwise), please contact Jonathan Evan Goldberg at the following e-mail address, admin@cherubimprov.org, or by calling 212-CHERUBIM (212-243-7824). ******** Click here to meet the Cherubs. Click here to see our seraphotos. Click here to hear and see the Cherubs in action in our very own “Angelica Theater” (not to be confused with the Angelika Film Center). Click here to see a list of our past and future performances and workshops. Click here to see what people are saying about Cherub Improv. Click here for media. Click here for information on how to contact us. Cherub Improv. We wing it.SM http://www.swarthmore.edu/x19849.xmlPerformances.htmlhttps://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/contribute/donate/1248mailto:admin@cherubimprov.orghttp://www.dangoldstein.com/howtoimprovise.htmlAngelicaTheater.htmlmailto:admin@cherubimprov.orgCherubs.htmlAngelicaTheater.htmlhttp://www.angelikafilmcenter.com/newyork/default.aspPerformances.htmlTestimonials.htmlSupport.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4shapeimage_2_link_5shapeimage_2_link_6shapeimage_2_link_7shapeimage_2_link_8shapeimage_2_link_9shapeimage_2_link_10shapeimage_2_link_11shapeimage_2_link_12shapeimage_2_link_13shapeimage_2_link_14