Stop And Eat The Flowers! Improv Show!

Spring is here! Take the time to stop and taste it! Is that a metaphor? Sure, why not? Join us as we enter allergy season with an evening of totally unscripted entertainment!  If your eyes water, it'll be from laughter and not just the pollen count! The performance ensemble of Maria's Basement & the duo Ben Gardner's Boat will take the stage to weave tales out of just thin air and audience suggestions! And as if that weren't enough, they'll also be joined by another duo; Cardboard Box! What's in the box? Even they don't know yet! --and hold on! What?!?!  We'll also be showcasing new talent! Joining us for the first time will be The Regulars, an improv troupe from Schenectady that has a unique ensemble format which puts the "fun" in funeral! It's to die for! We'll also have 2 MA-NY Improv, the improv duo that exists in at least two states at once! What will they do? Their comedy is fluid, their act is solid,  and it'll be a gas! April 9th 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!

The Regular's prepare to regulate your irregularity!

2 MA-NY may be 2 MUCH for you to handle!

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.

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