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So let me get this right. This group, many of whom I know, actually came up with the excuse of an Improv session to drink themselves into a babbling bent over down on all fours puking into a hole posture; all for the sake of Art? Where do I sign up? I'll also do anything for the Arts!

I think it important to understand that the majority of columnists who write for LBPost.com are just that: Columnists. Their job, primarily, is to provide insight and commentary into aspects of City life that we might not otherwise be aware of. That being said, I didn't find this piece to be especially edifying, but Daniel is new to LBPost.com, and is still discovering his 'voice.' Lastly, I'd suggest that some columnists will have broad appeal, and some will post things that interest a specific segment of the population. That must be ok. The hope, of course, is that, collectively, we will provide a diverse, meaningful, and interesting cross section of the City.

Yeah, i just don't get this column or the last one by this guy. Nor am I sure of what value this "news" or "commentary" provides readers other than making Long Beach look degenerate. Arts are critical to our City, but this is exactly why, so many times, arts are not taken seriously. Can you blame the City (and its residents)for that? If this is any kind of measuring stick of the arts - we're truly in worse shape than we thought. Is this the "art" that we're all supposed to rally around? Pfft.

Bugga Boo Boo-
If you see a show at The Garage or The Alive Theatre you will see that we take our work very seriously. Serious enough that for the last ten years we, at The Garage, have volunteered thousands of hours of our time to bring a unique brand of theatre to this fine city of ours. Saturday night at the farm was after the opening weekend of our current show. A show we had been working on tirelessly for 7 weeks, 6 days a week, sometimes up to 12 hours a day. The show opened to sold-out audiences Friday and Saturday. Was it time to cut loose and have some fun? â€' HELL YES!!!

Bugga Boo Boo and Reeverse,
Alive Theatre also takes our work very seriously and this is by no means a measuring stick of what we are able to accomplish.

We are the same company who brought Jose Rivera (Oscar Nominated Screen-Writer of Motorcycles Diaries) to the Museum of Latin American Art for our production of his play 'References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot' of which he said "I was moved by the excellent performance of my play". http://bit.ly/9aogTB

We are the same company who brought New York playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis to our production of his play, 'In Arabia We'd All Be Kings' of which he said, "Alive Theatre is a young, dynamic, multi-cultural company producing vibrant work on a shoe string.  They are straight up 'of the people, for the people'.  Strength, commitment, talent and heart abound". http://bit.ly/cbGmDn

We are the same company which the LA Times called "a company well worth watching" after seeing Lucia Mad.

We are a company who since it's inception has produced a Play Festival annually showcasing theater, visual arts and musicians. At last year's festival we published all the plays in an anthology.

We are hard-working, passionate and young and although we often reach for the stars, we are not afraid to roll around in the earth...even if it does make us smell a little.

5/5
Interesting comments, all.

The thing is, none of you were at the real event, but I was.

Sunday, May 2nd, 8:05 AM.

I'm a busy person. I work part-time as a teacher, and grading essays and planning lessons often turns my job into one that feels full-time.

I have an 18-month-old baby, I care for two horses, and at the time I was also mothering a starling that had fallen from its nest.

With all my responsibilities and commitments, it is really hard for me to do extracurricular activities.

Yet, when I saw the invitation to an 8AM hungover improv, I had to be there.

Apparently, I was the only one who felt such a need, but it was OK--on my way I harnessed two friends, one who was barely on her way home from partying the night before herself.

You see, this comedy event is newsworthy because it is incredibly unique and experimental. I often get annoyed at various forms of comedic entertainment because the writers rehash old jokes that have lost their ability to provoke the desired mechanical response--laughter--or restate jokes that weren't funny in the first place. Revenge is a dish best served cold, but comedy is most palatable hot and fresh. While maybe the people themselves were a bit funky from their nighttime galavanting, their comic timing and imagination was really on.

8AM improv, hungover or not, is a fresh idea, and it is also a fresh method for the actors.

I thought, how rad--breakfast and comedy! It worked great for my schedule.

And as far as the criticism by some of you that this did not seem serious or that the actors were just a bunch of people partying--you are mistaken. The rules were set down. The actors had incentive to be their funniest--cash money was at stake. Any drinking of alcohol the morning of the SHOW took an actor out of the running. Y'know, I think coffee and cigarettes took actors out of the competition as well, and that's just crazy!

The event itself:
This was definitely one of the funniest live shows I've been to if I measure "funny" by how often I laugh uncontrollably.

It was definitely the funniest improve I've been to ever.

The actors are anything but "dull-minded." They are smart, educated people and they know how to work their audience. Their disheveled appearance and sleep boogers were tools that they took advantage of for hilarity's sake.

This was something different for Long Beach's "breakfast crowd." I appreciate the fact that one of our local writers chose to feature a story on such a dynamic group of young artists--maybe next time he'll make it to the show!

This event was pure fun! And on my Bday...Yesss! Okay-- sometimes I have opinions about things, and reading some of the previous comments was one of those times. This is exactly the "art that we are all supposed to rally around!" I was lucky enough to get there by nine, when the bloody mary's and the improv were still flowing. The unbrushed teeth, the full bladders, and the headaches were tolerated-- all in the name of art! This was far more raw and experiential than the Cathie Opie show I went to a week ago, where I was graced with photos of water! Seriously. When it comes to art, if you've made a name for yourself, people will just agree that you're "really good." So is the type of art that we're all supposed to rally around more about how many people agree than about artists who aren't worrying about who might not take them seriously? The thing about comedy is you can't fake it. You're either funny or you're not. Okay maybe if you're like, you know, super popular on TV, and enough people agree,then you don't have to really be funny. I just have to say that this was funny for reals! But who am I to say? Well, I have been to improv shows before, including the UCB theatre in NYC when Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz were there. BTW, I think I laughed more at this than at that! Hungover Improv was idealistic in the sense that one can live ones art--even hungover at 8am. Impressive! Kudos to the Garage and Alive Theatre Peeps! Thanks for not showing me pictures of water! For serious!