Meat & Cheese Improv Comedy

About

Meat & Cheese is made up five comedians and one very talented keyboardist, ready to bring the rugged-experience of time-tested professional improv comedians with the youthful ignorance needed to have a uniquely-refreshing, legitimately good-time. Adam, Emily, Eric, Mookie, Wells, and Wooly have performed together- in groups or pairs- for a combined 30-years at: comedy clubs; high school graduations; corporate parties; birthday parties; and where ever laughs are needed. Jonathon has been playing keyboards for local bands since high school, and what he is able to bring to the group with emotional scenic music, sound effects, and background for improvised songs has made the group exponentionally better.

M&C enjoys hearing about the audience first- either well ahead of time or during the host's opening- and using what is provided for a completely customizable show. As an improv show, M&C is constantly going to the audience for suggestions, so everyone feels like they are assisting in the comedic entertainment. M&C never makes anyone participate if they don't want to, but are always ready with prizes for those who do. Audience members can come on stage for games like: Mad-Libs; A Day In Your Life; Dream Job; Moving Bodies; etc. If a sound system is available, M&C is ready to improvise songs about audience members, your specific business, etc. And while we pride ourselves on being able to be funny without being offensive, if the audience wants something more "adult", that is a switch that can be turned on or off as needed.

The name "Meat & Cheese" came from a shared love of meat and cheese as a food, but also a shared appreciation for the simple, "staple foods" of the dinner table. Just like both meat and cheese can improve a salad or pasta or pizza, we feel Meat & Cheese the improv comedy troupe takes the simpler aspects of what makes a good comedy show funny, engaging, and overall entertaining and makes it better with little touches, creative twists on old classics, and the thinly-veiled threat that at any time, something that has never seen will suddenly present itself on stage.

M&C members all currently live in the Twin Cities, but hail from all over: as close as the Twin Cities, and as far away as Pennsylvania, New York, and Germany. Meat & Cheese is a truly international flavor ready, willing, and able to give you the comedy show you've always wanted, customized to fit your audience/party, with the fun originating from within your minds.

Personnel

Adam "Wooly" Woolhouse: Improviser
Eric Christopher: Improviser
Emily Barrett: Improviser
Christopher "Mookie" Harrington: Improviser
Wells Farnham: Improviser
Jonathon Walters: Keyboardist

Influences

Locally, we have all performed with or at: Stevie Ray's Comedy Cabaret; HUGE Theater; Yes and Food; The Brave New Workshop; and Jesters' Comedy Improv.

Most audiences who are familiar with the TV Show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" will notice just enough of a similarity to be familiar with what is going on. Those aware of what goes into filming a "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" show- to get 22 minutes of TV-airable material- will notice our 60-90 minutes shows contain no editing, no second-takes, and no fishing-for-ideas within the crowd.

Two of us also used to professional wrestle.

What to Expect

Typical Gig Duration: 30 - 150 minutes

A normal Meat & Cheese improv experience begins with music; a group song inspired from information gathered about the audience from the evening's host (one of the Meat & Cheese performers.)

From there, we mix in different improv games: scenic games involving music, emotions, audience volunteers; joke games to deliver a quick punchline; interactive games with each other and the audience; and any number of unique scenes, interviews, guessing-games, etc.

We never make an audience member come up on stage who does not want to. We do reward our audience members who are brave enough to join us onstage; but no one will ever be embarrassed at a Meat & Cheese show (not counting the performers, but that is what we get paid for.)

The show generally ends in a flourish. You can expect either a do-or-die guessing game; a show-stealing musical number; or a colorful spray of Silly String that leaves the performers taking their bows covered in multi-colored mildly-toxic party favors.

Stage/Setup Requirements:
Lights
Silly String
Sound system

Additional Notes:
Depending on the intamicy of the room, Meat & Cheese may require speaker and sound set-up for microphones (which will need to be provided) and keyboard. All that is required for staging is chairs on the side of the stage for the performers during solo or duo scenes, and two chairs (does not have to be "in addition" to the chairs on the side) on stage. Meat & Cheese also ends most performances with a game involving a lot of Silly String; if the stage/set-up is not contusive to being covered in Silly String- it cleans up a lot better than any of us would have guessed- we would like to know ahead of time.

Set/Song/Sequence List:
Listing a "typical" set-list for Meat & Cheese is difficult, as each show is created based on the audience we'll be performing for. Some prefer songs to jokey-joke sets; some prefer "blue" humor to audience-participation, and vice versa. While we "hand-craft" each show based on a discussion with the event's planner, most shows follow a similar formula:

- Open with the host introducing the show, interviewing the audience, fishing for information to use later in the show.
- A musical number performed by the group.
- A group game with rapid-fire jokes, puns, etc.
- Two or three scenic games in a row, based on suggestions from the audience.
- A guessing game or game show like Jeopardy.
- Another group game.
- After winning their trust, an audience-participation game.
- Another musical game, long enough after the first so hopefully the audience has forgotten how bad we sound.
- Either a high-energy guessing game to close the show out, or one last scenic game using lots and lots of Silly String.

Available for Your

Birthday Party, Casino, Christmas Party, Corporate Event, Fair, Graduation, Holiday Party, Private Party, Restaurant, Trade Show

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