Through the years, Live Oak Theatre has brought its special brand of family-friendly entertainment to the Hernando community in a myriad of forms—through the live dramatic, musical and comedic performances of the Live Oak Theatre Troupe, the motion pictures of Root and Branch Films, the vibrant shows of its Live Oak Improv Troupe, and the youth-oriented, energetic performances, programs and classes of its Live Oak Conservatory. Now, this prolific and endlessly creative arts organization is hosting its own comedy troupe!
Live Oak Theatre invites the public to the debut performance of its family-friendly comedy troupe, Troupe du Jour, on Friday evening, April 5, at 7:30 p.m. at the Carol & Frank Morsani Center for the Arts, 21030 Cortez Boulevard, Brooksville. Doors open at 7 p.m. Live Oak Theatre Company (LOT) is a not-for-profit 501 (C) (3) repertory company of local artists, that exists to enrich families, individuals and the community as a whole by providing positive artistic experiences in the Performing Arts – including excellent, affordable, and edifying family friendly entertainment, performance, and educational opportunities for theater patrons and participants of all ages.
“What differentiates our comedy nights from others is that you can bring the whole family to enjoy it,” said Live Oak Spokesman Vince Vanni. “This keeps in line with everything we do at Live Oak.”
Tickets are $10 when purchased in advance, 24 hours before the show they will increase to $15. Concessions will be available for purchase before the show and during intermission. “Join us for a night of family-friendly unpredictability, laughter, and joy as our Live Oak Theatre’s Troupe du Jour takes the stage to create a show that no one has seen before, nor will anyone ever see again,” read an event notice. “All games, all improv skits, all our actors’ choices will be inspired by you, the public.”
Troupe du Jour is a troupe of veteran performers, who have presented their refined comedic talents throughout the Bay area and beyond. Troupe du Jour members include veteran actor David Earl Waterman, veteran improviser Darryl Knapp, and Nick Russo, as well as Live Oak favorites Eli Oliveri, Elijah Torres, Amy Norris, Kealy Hunter and veteran performer Alex Rivera.
Dan Torres, the Producer for Troupe du Jour, is eager to introduce some enjoyable comedy shows to the Live Oak mix. “The idea behind the troupe is to bring family-friendly comedy shows to Live Oak Theatre that are performed in a similar style to our theatrical performances,” said Torres. “The troupe was selected by open-call auditions and is also composed of some of our best comedic actors. All of the performers are individuals that are geared towards comedy.”
Torres feels that the formation of a comedy troupe continues and embodies the mission of Live Oak Theatre. “At Live Oak Theatre we are focused on producing shows that are family-friendly,” he said, “and we believe comedy should be performed in that same manner.”
Torres promises a rich comedic viewing experience for audience members. “The audience can expect to see a comedy variety show,” he said. “The shows are being structured as a variety show that will incorporate not only improv but also sketch comedy and live musical acts. Live Oak Theatre is very blessed to have a lot of very talented individuals who would like to share their talents with the community and comedy can be a tremendous release. We hope to help bring that to the community.”
Through ‘jours’ yet to come, Troupe du Jour promises to grow and flourish with time.
“The future plans for the troupe are to perform shows on a regular schedule at the theater,” said Torres. “The troupe will also be recording the show in a Live Studio Audience format. This will allow the troupe to edit segments of the show that can be delivered via multimedia platforms. The troupe will also be writing and producing filmed sketches when not live on stage that will be available on YouTube and Vimeo as well.”
“Another future plan would be to open adult improv classes at the theater,” he continued. “The classes will be led by our veteran improv performers.”
Veteran performer David Waterman looks forward to serving up some fantastic helpings of Troupe du Jour to Live Oak audiences. “Troupe du Jour is serving up a healthy portion of Improv Comedy with a generous side of music, dance and more at The Live Oak Theatre!” he said. “Troupe du Jour is Improv Comedy and Variety Entertainment for the whole family, except your crazy uncle, because our comedy troupe is crazy enough!”
Beyond providing folks of all ages with plenty of good clean laughs, Waterman promises a true theatrical experience at Troupe du Jour shows. “Troupe du Jour is more than a great family-friendly comedy show,” he said, “it’s like a creative gift exchange between the audience and actors.”
For more information and to purchase tickets go to www.LiveOakTheatre.org or email [email protected]. For more information about the Live Oak Theatre Company, including sponsorship and audition opportunities, call 352-593-0027, email [email protected], or go to www.LiveOakTheatre.org. Visit the theatre on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LiveOakTheatre.
