Sarasota Improv Festival A Must See

How long can you stretch a wiener joke? As in Wienermobile. You know, like the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile?

Tampa's Third Thought improv troupe managed to keep the momentum and innuendos going through its set at the with clever lines yet still keeping in good taste for some plump wiener jokes. 

That's the trick with improv — you work with what you got. Or, what the audience gives you.

Third Thought performs a long-form improv set where they can tag off between cast members —Chris Friday, Patrick McInnis and University of South Florida chemistry major Billy Milec — but it has to keep/relate to the main theme.

As the audience went along for the ride in the Wienermobile to San Francisco to covert a population that "isn't into meat" and turns into a covert operation to get a vegetarian Nancy Pelosi (she isn't) to buy and eat some hot dogs. All the while the hot dog selling family found a dark secret in the past where the mother befriended a genetically mutated pig-human who could only oink that stole the show. And that could have only been possible between the smart character development by Friday and the chemistry with McInnis during the pig story lines.

And you won't get to see it tonight. Because it's improv, and all shows are sold out except for Dad's Garage, which will play at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Keating Theatre at Florida Studio Theatre. Buy tickets online now before they are gone. It's only $10 a ticket.

Dad's Garage, out of Atlanta, performed a music-based improv that felt its groove off of music in between scenes. From divorcee at a strip club to a Superman who kills children and women bodybuilders, it's really all there.

The chemistry was noticeable with Dad's Garage, as the lulls were minimal between ideas or lines, and even a couple of breaks of laughter by the performers at the absurdity of the situation. Full credit to Z Gillespie, Eve Krueger and Amber Nash for being such a well oiled machine coming out of Dad's Garage. 

Before actors can make it onto Saturday Night Live, they'll have to pass through the improv ranks, and the Sarasota Improv Festival shows off the developing talent in one convenient spot to get the good and the groans. 

Part of that can be the mismatch between audience and performer demographic. The Hitmen wrapped up the night that had punched with laughs throughout their set with preschooler gun dealers and guys having trouble saying "I Love You" to each other, morphing into a devotion to Paul McCartney and Wings and three of the guys got tattoos calling themselves "the three Wings." 

However, for a group of guys in their late 20s, early 30s, the jokes would resonate with me, a 28-year-old, but some jokes or Vince Vaughn or Seth MacFarlane nuances would miss for the predominately more senior audience.

And that's not their fault. Shame on the twentysomethings, teenagers and thirtysomethings not packing for these shows. One night full of shows — $29 — is about as much as it is for one show at an improv show at a major city. And there wasn't a minimum either to buy food and drinks. So double score. This is the perfect entertainment for the under 21 crowd looking or something different with a share of raunchy jokes.

Tonight's your last chance this year to see this crop of some of the best improv talent coming to Sarasota by seeing Dad's Garage. If you can't make it, local troupes  Lazy Fairy and FST Improv would be more than glad to see you at a show here in Sarasota.

Tweeting about the show? Use #sarasotaimprovfest or #sarasotaimprovfestival