OKC Improv unleashes its third run with both new and established improv troupes Saturday night at the Ghostlight Theatre Club.

In December 2009, alumni Eric Webb, Marcy Fleming, and Clint and Buck Vrazel established OKC Improv. The same group that helped to establish OU Improv in 2001, said Eric Webb, producer of OKC Improv.

OKC Improv wouldn’t exist without OU Improv, said Buck Vrazel, member of Twinprov and Villain: The Musical.

“The people who graduated from OU Improv are basically powering the OKC Improv scene,” he said.

The improv troupes showcased during the third run are a mix of new and established improv players. Three troupes making their debut are Stretchin’ It, Awkward Pause, and Improv-ing the World. Returning troupes include the MiDolls, Villain: The Musical and Twinprov.

The MiDolls are an all-female troupe and hallmarks of their performance include a new theme every show, costumes, and while in character, the players serve the audience food, and when they return to the stage, the ladies incorporate what they heard from audience members into their improvised thematic sketch.

Audiences should expect high energy and quick thinking from the Twinprov troupe, Webb said. Their brand of improv includes stand up, sketch and musical comedy.

Webb said the troupe known as Villain: The Musical also performs musical comedy as told from the villain’s point of view.

The only scripted song is the introduction in which members of Villain: The Musical sing to the audience, asking for a magical land or faraway place, a power and to choose which improv player will perform as the villain.

Vrazel said that audiences should expect sets to be made up on the spot, to be asked for suggestions and to see unique comedy based on the input of each audience. No one is forced to get up on stage and only audience members who volunteer will join a sketch.

“We like to say we look for the truth in comedy,” Vrazel said. “And that’s what’s fun about improv. Every time you come, even if you see the same group, it’s going to be a completely different show and that’s because of the audience’s suggestions.”

When the troupe Villain: The Musical showcased in out-of-state venues, Vrazel said many were surprised because musical improv is not widely done.

He said that musical improv, while rare, is a large part of the OKC Improv scene.

Webb said that many people might be surprised with the level of craft demonstrated by the improvisers. Audiences might be more familiar with short form improv, as made popular by shows like “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” but many could be impressed with long form improv because OKC Improv troupes have provided rich characters and developed interesting story lines. Webb said long form improv is more like a play with a beginning, middle and end.

OKC Improv will debut with improv classes during its third run too, Webb said. Buck and Clint Vrazel have taught improv in high schools, colleges and in corporate settings.

The classes aim to teach people to think on their feet, trust their instincts and bring people together in a supportive environment.

OKC Improv Summer Schedule

Saturday, June 25

- 8 p.m.: The Ones Your Mother Warned You About / The MiDolls

- 10 p.m.: Comedian James Nghiem*/ Improv-ing The World (Edmond)* / Villain: The Musical

Saturday, July 3

- 8 p.m.: Comedian Brad Porter / Everybody and Their Dog / Twinprov: Rap-City

Saturday, July 10

- 8 p.m.: OKC Improv All-Stars / Gangs of Recess (Fort Worth)* / FIAD (Dallas)*

- 10 p.m.: Comedian Dan Skaggs* / Awkward Pause (Edmond)* / Stretchin’ It*

Saturday, July 17

- 8 p.m.: The Hindenburgs (Dallas)* / The MiDolls

- 10 p.m.: TBA Prime Players / OKC Improv All-Stars / Everybody and Their Dog

Saturday, July 24

- 8 p.m.: Comedian Spencer Hicks*/ OKC Improv All-Stars / The Ones Your Mother Warned You About

- 10 p.m.: Magician William Rader / Improv-ing The World (Edmond)* / Twinprov

Saturday, July 31

- 8 p.m.: Level 1 Improv Class* / The MiDolls / Villain: The Musical

- 10 p.m.: Level 2 Improv Class* / Crayons (Tulsa) / Twinprov: String Theory*

* OKC Improv Debut