In an ever-growing world of vacant properties and mundane
restaurants, Westwood is in desperate need of more fun, cheap
places to go like the Ultimate Improv theater.
Ultimate Improv has consistently brought funny, talented young
actors to the UCLA community for the past four years, and with
their new venue on Gayley Avenue, the troupe has expanded its
schedule to include five shows every weekend.
Director, founder and UCLA graduate J.D. Walsh says he wanted to
create a place in Westwood for people under 21 to be able to go and
just have a good time. While the shows vary from night to night,
they often feature a mix of sketch comedy and improvisation.
“The show is a cross between “˜Whose Line is it
Anyway?’ and “˜Saturday Night Live,'” Walsh
said.
An experienced actor and comedian, Walsh has worked with many of
the major comedy groups in the area, and said that he wanted to
take all the best lessons from those groups and incorporate them
into a whole new troupe.
While Los Angeles is famous for such improv comedy groups as The
Groundlings and Comedy Sports Los Angeles, Ultimate Improv brings a
unique blend of young, experienced actors and comedy rookies to a
young community.
“Most of the people you see (in other clubs) are in their
30s and 40s,” said player Matt Jones.
“The thing about Ultimate Improv is that it’s
college kids performing for college kids,” said Walsh.
“I wanted to create a troupe of the best young talent in the
area, who just want to perform for fun.”
All players participate without monetary compensation, which
opens the door for a diverse cast and ensures that this group
exists purely for fun and practice.
While the group is a non-profit organization and all players are
there simply to entertain, it has proven to be a great stepping
stone into the acting community.
The show often has major casting directors and talent agents
scouting the players, and many have made careers out of their
improv experience.
Jones said that he has gotten many big opportunities through
Ultimate Improv, including a guest starring role on “Gilmore
Girls” and acting jobs for three recent commercials.
“This is where they go to find young, fresh, undiscovered
talent,” said Jones.
Among the professional actors and those experienced with
improvisation are a mix of stage rookies and adventurous spirits.
The cast is mostly made up of UCLA students and alumni, but also
draws talent from other parts of the Los Angeles area.
In addition to the main troupe of about 18 players, the group
features a college team that performs on Thursday nights. Open
auditions are held at the beginning of every quarter so that
hopeful cast members can get into workshops that are run throughout
the year.
“We are always looking for new members,” Walsh said.
“It’s a very supportive environment.”
Workshops then lead to a spot on the college team, and once
college team members have established themselves as powerful forces
on stage, they get the opportunity to join the cast of main players
who perform on Friday and Saturday nights.
As one of the only Westwood night spots for kids under 21,
Ultimate Improv does its best to reach out to the UCLA community
with shows on campus about once a quarter.
“A lot of freshmen don’t discover Westwood Village
until the end of the year,” said Jones. “It’s a
good place to get out of the dorms.”
“It’s also a great date spot,” added
Walsh.
Ultimate Improv offers student discounts and an additional
discount for people on their e-mail list, which you can sign up for
at shows or online, making the evening even more affordable for
students.