The Dog Ate Our Valentine Improv Show!

Do you suspect the dog has eaten your Valentine? We'll help you get over it! Prepare for an evening of totally unscripted entertainment! The performance ensemble of Maria's Basement & the duo Ben Gardner's Boat will be taking the stage to weave tales out of thin air and audience suggestions! And as if that weren't enough, they'll also be joined by a second duo; Cardboard Box! and hold on! What?!?! A THIRD DUO has joined the show! Mabel & Geffrey's Music And Family Interest Affair!!! We'll also have Stand-Op Comedian (and talented improviser) Samuel J. Gorenstein bringing the laughs! February 12th at Boughton Place in Highland, NY. Just a stones throw from fine dining and night life in New Paltz! Doors open at 6:30. The magic starts at 7pm! Admission is $12.75 online or $15 at the door.  

The Maria's Basement improv troupe brings their unique flavor of juicy character and spontaneous world-building to the stage as they perform Half-an-Hour Town! A simple audience suggestion conjures up an entire cast of characters and the town they live in. Every town has its drama and secrets. We'll explore how all these imaginary lives cross-over, connect, and collide! Maria's Basement hails from NY's Capital Region and is composed of long-time improvisers with years of performances under their belts. Maria's Basement showcases the talents of Maria Ayoob, Jason Burke, Charlie Owens, Winnie "Alex" Ashby, Walt Batycki, and Jennifer Lavenhar!

And as if that wasn't enough! Watch in wonder as the performance duo, Ben Gardner's Boat, creates characters and scenes from nothing but inspiration! The spark that lights up the stage may even come from YOU! Watch as Ben Gardner's Boat dives deep into mysterious territory without a map! Experience comedy, tragedy, and explore the unknown! We'll all find out what happens together! 

Ben Gardner’s Boat Is the performance duo of Walt Batycki and Jennifer Lavenhar who have been performing together in various troupes and as a duo for 14 years. BEN GARDNER'S BOAT performs live unscripted moments and plays inspired by audience ideas, with a focus on character and narrative.  Jennifer & Walt have performed hundreds of shows together in New York's Capital region and the Hudson Valley as well as festivals in several states.

The duo will perform two of their most popular acts:

Jen & Kevin is a show that explores the relationship of a married couple as they navigate their ordinary extraordinary life. Coming from drastically different backgrounds, Jen and Kevin offer a unique experience of blended diversity, where being truly human can sometimes shine in the most inhuman moments.

In Hold That Thought! The two actors create characters inspired by audience experiences and explore relationship dynamics and the absurd complexity and humor of having to deal with other humans. This is a fourth Wall breaking show where the audience is often called upon to offer advice to the characters within and the performers may take on multiple roles, often switching places with one another. 

Cardboard Box is S Riley Hart and Hayes M. Fields II !!! They will be performing Cardboard Box!!!! It's improv! It's scenes! What's in the box?!?!?!?! Come tell them! Whatever it is will inspire something no one has ever seen before! Cardboard Box is fully improvised entertainment that ranges from silly to touching. The duo invites the audience to provide inspiration via a cardboard box; then they create an original scene on the spot. You just have to see it! Cardboard Box has performed at Ninepin Cider Works in Albany, the annual Carrot Festival in Niskayuna, and has joined us at Boughton Place several times already to the delight of audiences!

Blissfully clueless, Mabel and Geffrey are nevertheless delighted to sing their way through this family-friendly, mobster-themed lounge act. They bring a unique, interactive musical comedy experience to every performance, improvising songs on the spot, harmonizing across genres, and engaging audiences of all sizes. Starring Hayes M. Fields II and Heather E. Schwartz!

Samuel J. Gorenstein takes to the stage with his unique philosophical insights and hilarious perspective on the daily challenges of being human! Sam brings a blend of sympathetic vibes and authentic humor that's grounded in the reality of modern living!  Introspective and brimming with wit, he's always a treat! 

THE CAST

Walt in his volcano lair

Walt Batycki is a writer, puppeteer, and creator of interactive fiction. His experience spans animation production, audio drama, and theme park design. He creates haunt attractions, and has voiced everything from talking holiday trees to otherworldly demons. He currently produces Uncharted Waters, a series of shows at Boughton Place (Highland, NY), where unscripted plays are featured.

Jennifer about to parachute into guerilla improv

Jennifer Lavenhar is a ballet teacher, dancing clown, and actor. Since 2016, she’s been a member of the Mop and Bucket Company (Schenectady, NY), where she also teaches. Jennifer’s improv journey began under the mentorship of Nancy Ponder as a founding member of Without Annette. Jennifer is passionate about using improv as a tool for connection and creative discovery. She’s taught workshops at festivals across the U.S. and internationally.

Maria in the void after giving away all that did not spark joy

Maria Ayoob discovered improv in middle age and regrets all the years spent not celebrating failure. She has taken classes at the Mopco Improv Theatre and the Hideout Theatre and has performed with the Mop and Bucket Company since 2020. She is passionate about the applications of improv in life and work and loves the tickly delighted feeling of watching brilliant people make spontaneous magic. She has been running workshops at the Mopco Theatre as well as teaching ROOM TO IMPROV...E alongside Hayes M Fields II (Another talented friend and performer) with Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate NY at First Congregational Church of Albany.

Jason being disgustingly wholesome and an infuriatingly solid role model

Jason Burke started his improv career in 1995 with the mainstage cast at ComedySportz San Jose, performing regularly at their theater and events. He was also a founding member of ComedySportz Boston in 2013. Beyond performing, he has taught applied improvisation and team-building workshops at various institutions and corporations. He was also involved with MopCo, a group in New York's capital region.  Other Creative Endeavors: In addition to improv, Jason's creative work includes acting in commercials and a TV pilot, writing and directing branded content and short films, performing stand-up comedy, and working as a creative consultant. Jason Burke integrates his improv background with his diverse creative skills in his performances, content creation, and workshops. Jason started his improv career in 1995 as part of the mainstage cast at ComedySportz San Jose, performing in their home theater and at events such as the SoFA Street Fair and the 1997 NHL All Star Fan Experience. In 2013, he founded and served as the Artistic Director of ComedySportz Boston, bringing fast-paced, competitive improv to an entirely new audience. He has also taught numerous applied improvisation and team building workshops at colleges, high schools, and major corporations including Intel, AMD, and Hewlett Packard.

Charlie knows what you did and he forgives you

Charlie Owens (he/him) has loved making things up for years. Previously a member of The Regicides of New Haven, CT (house team of A Broken Umbrella Theatre). Off-stage Charlie has a wonderful habit of supporting New York nonprofits as an event manager, etc.  Charlie is a current company member of the Mop and Bucket Improv Company (“MopCo”) in Schenectady, NY. Previously a member of the Regicides in New Haven, CT and a founding cast members of Bollix Manor, a format that presents Edwardian aristocracy through farce. Charlie has performed improv for many years and has used these skills to train various groups, including the staff of the Yale Library, in applied improv. Taking these principles and applying them to client and coworker interactions for effective communication. In these companies, Charlie has been a valuable contributor but now takes on the challenge of creating and directing a new format for the first time with Not Another Murder. Outside of improv Charlie has a decades long career in arts and nonprofit administration, planning events for hundreds of participants and delivering impactful community projects. Recently Charlie conducted a workshop to develop his own unique improvised murder mystery format Not Another Murder. This program was made possible through a Art Connects Grant facilitated by The Arts Center of the Capital Region. The Arts Center of the Capital Region Grants are made possible with funding by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Winnie observing events in real time

Winnie “Alex” Ashby has been doing theater since they were 3 years old, and stumbled upon improv at MopCo in Schenectady when a friend invited them to a Jam. Since then, Winnie has known that improv is something special, and was thrilled to join the company. Winnie is a founding member of Maria's Basement and has performed with both Mopco and Maria's Basement at several notable festivals and is a core performer in the shows Bollix manor, Book Club, Half-an-Hour Town, and many others.

Hayes thinking the kind of deep thoughts that build (or topple) empires

Hayes M. Fields II has been in front of audiences practically since birth. As a child, he sang with his mother and his sisters in a well-known gospel group, aptly named the Fields Singers. He was introduced to theatre formally through the Harlem Children's Theater Company and performed in Europe and Africa, as well as on most of the major stages and Off-Broadway stages in New York City. Hayes went on to appear in films, write his own scripts and music, produce music videos, and move to the Capital Region. He sang with popular local party band The Refrigerators in the early 2000s and has appeared in numerous productions with Park Playhouse, Capital Repertory Theatre, and the Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York. His most recent projects include launching the talk show Various Fields on YouTube and exercising his comedy muscles as a member of both a house team and the mainstage company at The Mopco Improv Theatre.

Riley smiling mysteriously for unknown reasons which will cause us all to take another glance back at her just to be sure

S Riley Hart caught the performance bug in mid-life and was a member of the improv troupe Down The Rabbit Hole for several years. She's performed in dozens of shows at the Mopco Theatre in Schenectady, NY.

Heather sends warm vibes into the abyss, and having been humbled, the abyss cannot bring itself to stare back into her

Heather E. Schwartz (Mabel) spent her youth playing pretend with friends. She enjoyed time in her basement rehearsing an Annie-inspired musical she wrote with her best friend and acting out Little House on the Prairie-inspired dramas into a tape recorder. She also devoted many hours to whisper-singing in her bedroom. Heather eventually acted in school and community theater productions and appeared in commercials for organizations including MVP, the NYS Department of Health, and iSmile Studios. She began performing with house teams at The Mopco Improv Theatre in 2014 and joined the mainstage company in 2018. In 2024, she began performing her solo show, Heather’s Junk Drawer, which the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in NYC called “charming and fun to watch.” Heather applies the serious side of her personality as a playwright, editor of a children’s science magazine, and author of children’s books for Scholastic, Penguin Random House, Disney, and Sesame Street, among others. Additionally, she sings jazz, American standards, and the occasional alt rock tune with the Dave Kitchen Trio.

Sam understands and says it will all be okay.

The hilarious and always entertaining Sam Gorenstein will be performing stand-up comedy an joining in on some improv! Don't miss it! Sam Gorenstein is a writer and comedian based out of NY’s Capital Region. He’s a regular performer at the MopCo Improv Theatre in Schenectady and has worked with Crime Alley, the Electric City Puppets, and the UAlbany Sketchy Characters. His writing has appeared in the Harvard Advocate and Fireside Magazine. He was twice rejected from a college internship with David Letterman.