New Year, New IRTE

By Nannette Deasy

It's January 4th and as I sit here in a post-holiday daze, I can't help but wonder... Do my clown pants still fit?

This Saturday, IRTE will kick off the new year by remounting last season's improvised birthday party,

I'm very glamorous

Happy Birthday, Stupid Kid! for the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival in North Carolina (performances Jan 26 & 28). (Yes, I play a clown - an amateur children's party clown.). Before our rehearsal this weekend, I will need to make my way down to our building's storage and retrieve wigs, streamers, the various dime store goodies we use as props and, of course, one pair of abused clown pants. (You know it's been an indulgent New Year's when clown pants are snug.)

It's actually an exciting time for IRTE. The end of 2016 was a rough one for many of us, so we're looking forward to a 2017 full of laughter, artistic growth, music and good ol' indie theatre weirdness. In these uneasy times, all artistic voices matter, even the small and silly ones, especially the small and silly ones. Who we are and how we feel about ourselves, one another and the world around us is not solely inspired by the largest commercial stages and screens. We can be nourished one evening at a time, together in a small black box theater. There in the darkness, we connect and laugh and (hopefully) feel a bit better about everything for an hour or so.



With that in mind, Robert, Bill, Curt, Jamie and I got together, pitched about a billion (actually 35) ideas, voted, ate snacks, wrestled (mentally) and re-voted until we all agreed. (I kept pitching a show

When I googled "T-Rex" and "beauty pageant,"
the first image that came up was Donald Trump

called Toddlers and Tyrannosaurs about a child pageant show in which a T-Rex gets entered and then eats all the children. This is the third year I've pitched that show. It never gets chosen.)



Now, without further ado, I'm pleased to announce IRTE 2017! Mark your calendars! Blow your horns! Clap your hands! (unless you're a T-Rex)*

​
The Sense-ations!
Conceived by Curt Dixon
Directed by Robert Baumgardner
FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS March 17, 18, 24 & 25, 8:00pm,

​

**Management not responsible for any super villain attacks during the show.

They're international pop superstars! They have REAL super powers! Experience the phenomenon that is THE SENSE-ATIONS!**

The Experiment

Conceived and Directed by Bill Berg
FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS April 21, 22, 28 & 29, 8:00pm

Time-traveling creatures from inside your mind..

​Genetically-modified clones of your worst-nightmare-self…

Hold onto your seats because anything can happen when the twisted minds of IRTE meld with the spur-of-the-moment suggestions of the audience in this improvised B-movie sci-fi thriller that will have you laughing, screaming, and dying for more!

​

Avoidance!
Original Concept by Jamie Maloney
FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS May 19, 20, 26 & 27, 8:00pm

The game show where contestants face the discomforts of everyday life, vying for the grand prize - 

a year alone, away from the madness of daily life. Will they succeed in avoiding their greatest fears and anxieties?​

​

BRP II

Conceived and Directed by Robert Baumgardner
FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS June 16, 17, 23 & 24, 8:00pm

The big get BIGGER, the rich get RICHERER, the powerful get even more POWERFULLERERER! … but who Trumps them all? Witness the private lives of the titans of industry. Who falls from grace? Who marries up? Who moves to Washington? Find out in this improvised comedy based on the IRTE hit "Big, Rich & Powerful"!

*All shows take place 8pm at the Produces Club, ​ 358 West 44th Street New York, NY 10036.  Tickets $15



Another piece of exciting news! For the first time ever, IRTE's holding auditions! Want to be a part of the shows mentioned above? Let us know!

We are looking for diverse, experienced improvisational actors to join our roster of guest improvisers (GIRTEs). IRTE is a share-based company, meaning all show expenses (rehearsal space, performance venue, publicist, tech, postcards, posters, etc.) are split equally among the company (IRTE main ensemble and GIRTEs equally). In return, all ticket sales are also divided equally among the company after the run. For an audition slot or questions, please e-mail: irteinfo@gmail.com.⍏ GIRTEs and former Ensemble members from previous seasons need not audition, but should email their interest in being cast for future shows. For more information, please visit www.irteinfo.com.



⍏T-Rexes and beautiful child pageant stars need not apply. Apparently, some people do not find them amusing.