Improvisation on
an epic scale

Structured chaos is
the goal for On The Spot

---

By John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.com

It came to be at Zippy's -- uh, not the On The Spot Production improv troupe, which has been performing on a low-profile basis for the last year or so, but the group's new comedy, "It's All Greek to Me."

'It's All Greek to Me' Where: The ARTS at Marks Garage, 1159 Nuuanu Ave. When: 8 p.m. today and tomorrow, and 4 p.m. Sunday, through Feb. 16 Admission: $10 or $8 if you bring an appropriate prop Call: 372-5315

The show opens at The ARTS at Marks Garage tonight.

"I'd been kicking around the idea for the last two years and it never really came to be, and so one night I'm sitting at Zippy's, and my friends remembered it (and asked about it)," playwright Garrick Paikai said.

Those queries gave Paikai all the encouragement he needed. With a little prodding from his curious friends (one or two of whom will be performing on stage with him tonight), he planned out the necessary framework for an improvisational play about the adventures of an ancient Greek hero who is so unknown that there are no old myths about him and no constellations named to commemorate his exploits.

At least not until tonight.

Audience suggestions -- and props that audience members bring with them to the venue -- will determine which anachronistic characters our unknown hero will contend with, where and why his epic deeds will take place, and what odd items and objects will be incorporated into the action.

Patrons who bring "interesting props" -- and pulling a pen or comb out of your pocket or bag doesn't count! -- will get a $2 discount at the door.

COURTESY OF SHAWN THOMSEN Bring an "interesting prop" for the ancient Greek hero (Garrick Paikai, left) to use at any of the performances and receive a $2 discount at the door. Also performing will be Rod Cachola, Meredith Desha, M.J. Gonzalves, David Kamakahi (also pictured), Will Keanu and Shawn Thompson.

"One of the interesting things we got in the past was a strainer, (and) I had to figure out something to do with it. Things with unusual shapes are good, too," Paikai suggested.

Performing with Paikai will be Rod Cachola, Meredith Desha, M.J. Gonzalves, David Kamakahi, Will Keanu and Shawn Thompson. Paikai and Desha may be familiar for their work with Loose Screws, the high-profile improv troupe led in recent years by such multi-faceted stalwarts as Tony Pisculli, R. Kevin Doyle and Stephanie Curtis Conching.

The members of On The Spot Production are generally younger, Paikai says, and the group grew out of the Leeward Community College theater program.

"I've been leading an active workshop over there for about the last two years, just teaching improv, so some of them are students of mine, and this is one of their very first public performances. They're really excited about it," he said.

TAKE THE story of On The Spot back another step, and Paikai credits LCC drama professor Paul Cravath with getting him involved in improv several years ago.

With Cravath as his first mentor, Paikai discovered he enjoyed the challenging form and "started reading more books and more books" on the theory and practice of improvisational theater. He then hooked up with R. Kevin Doyle of Loose Screws.

"He turned me on to something called 'long form,' which is basically a play that is totally improvised ... and I started developing thoughts about Greek mythology and scribbling down a structure for it."

Structured improv? That seems to be a contradiction in terms, but Paikai says it's a necessary part of the process.

"What the structure does is keep us on the right track, because so many times in improv it can go in a direction that you really don't want to be going in, so basically the structure is like a marker. You get to a certain point in your performance and here's the first marker -- now you go on to the second marker."

The unstructured aspect of improv comes into play with the dialogue and blocking, and in the use of audience suggestions, which are completely different with each performance.

"In all improvised work, you gotta connect with the audience, and if you can incorporate all those ideas, it is so much better. What I'm trying to do (with this group) is to take bold steps. We're hoping that it's going to be a very active show and we really want to get to know our audience by the end of the night."

And Paikai adds, volunteering a comparison with Loose Screws, he and his comical colleagues approach their material in their own way.

"Loose Screws does really sophisticated improv, whereas On The Spot has a more in-your-face style. We're not afraid to say 'No, we're not going to do that, we're going to do something else.' I think if people come to see us, they're going to be surprised."

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