By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
The cast of "Loose Screws Sing!?" prepares to take the
stage tomorrow with a series of one-act musical improvisations.
The cast: Andrea Hancock on top, Eric Plumb on the bottom,
and in the middle, left to right, Leslie Bianca Alexander,
R. Kevin Doyle, Sean T.C. O'Malley and Ron Sweet.
Loose Screws improv troupe
By John Berger
sings plays fast and loose
with the melodies
Special to the Star-BulletinAndrea Hancock auditioned for Loose Screws this spring and thought it was hopeless. Improvisational theater is an ensemble effort and she would be off-island for much of the time the cast members would be getting acquainted. Still, Hancock asked if she could go through the audition exercises just for the experience -- and won a spot despite her schedule. She debuts tomorrow when Loose Screws presents "Loose Screws Sing!?" at Windward Community College.
Such is life in the unconventional milieu of improvisational theater. Hancock is one of three "new Screws" joining veterans R. Kevin Doyle, Sean T.C. O'Malley and pianist Eric Plumb in exploring the possibilities of improvisational one-act musical theater. Audience suggestions will provide the starting points for two musicals each night.
O'Malley, who is also directing the show, said the one-act format defuses suspicions that arise if an improv group takes a break and then continues with the same story. He added that he and his fellow Screws are boosting the challenge by prohibiting some traditional improv shortcuts.
"We consciously avoid (song) parodies or quoting from real songs and we don't rhyme. Once you start incorporating rhymes it's such a clever trick to do it that every thing becomes funny -- and limiting. You don't have the ability to go as far as you can by avoiding rhyme."
Going as far as you can has been Loose Screws' mission statement for almost five years.
A loose group of 10 performs as time and interests permit. Other performers are welcomed when special talents are needed.
"Loose Screws Sing!?" introduces Hancock, Lesley Bianca Alexander and Ron Sweet as "guest Screws." Hancock was a dynamo in ASATAD's "Infinite Jest" in January. Sweet was seen in ASATAD's excellent "Love! Valour! Compassion!" last summer. Alexander distinguished herself in MVT's hilarious season-opener, "Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back."
Pianist Plumb is -- literally -- the key player. He can influence the action with his improvised melodies but the audience determines the key, meter and tempo.
"I try to vary the songs as much as possible," Plumb says. "The last thing I want to do is play something that sounds like a '50s musical. What gets interesting for me is not playing things that I know will sound good and experimenting with really weird dissonant stuff."
"It's a great drill," O'Malley adds. "There's no security. Eric sees an emotional moment (in the story) and just starts playing (based on what we're doing). We hear the chord progression once and then we're singing! We try to sing simultaneously, sing in unison, or sing a back-up pattern that has something to do with the characters (but) when the music changes into a bridge we've got to find a different point of view or something that changes in the character."
Loose Screws Sing!?
Presented by: Loose Screws Improvisational Theatre
