Comedy Celebration 1982

Official Program for Comedy Celebration 1982

In the early days of San Francisco's Comedy Day, aka Comedy Celebration, a program was supplied as an alphabetical roster of those performing. The physical program encouraged the audience to "Give Your Spirits a Lift, Support Comedy" Perhaps this was a subtle suggestion to become patrons of the five comedy clubs that also graciously sponsored this bright daylight performances in an open-air venue.

The performers, unaccustomed to working during the day under a limitless height of ceiling space, much less a vast sprawling lawn or grove of trees, needed to adjust to the circumstances by 'playing to the balconies'. Femprov did their best to adapt with sketches suited to the enormous outdoor venue. By way of introduction, our piano player, Jim Cox supplied musical accompaniment for our BIG musical number of the time. This year in particular we performed our Motown-inspired piece 'You Can't Hurry Us' sung the tune of 'You Can't Hurry Love' by Diana Ross and the Supremes. Our entrance was frantic and chaotic to cover as much stage space during the opening bars, until we settled in front of the microphones spread wide across the stage to belt out the parody. The conceit was we were touring backup singers who's sequined evening gowns had been stolen 'somewhere near Barstow' suspiciously at the same time of the disappearance of our lead singer. Consequently, the vestiges of our costumes were our long white evening gloves. In this case, they worked like flags on our wildly gesturing arm dancing to let our presence be known. We likely added a quick round of L.A.Tag to fill our 5 minute slot. And then Jim played us off to the thunderous applause we earned. 

Pre-show gathering or post-show debrief

Jim Cox, the glue for our musical numbers.

Steven Pearl photo bombs Femprov.

Confessing "We're just here to improvise"

Susan Healy of Femprov directs Les Cafero, left, Rico Ramos, Sandy Van, Nancy MacLean, 
T.C Nurov, and Janice Heiss in a round-robin of Story Story at Femprov's improvisational workshop 
held every Saturday afternoon at Cobb's Pub in the Marina. 

For $4 you, too, and have them rolling in the aisles 

by Ken Wong  • Examiner staff writer

San Francisco is a mecca for comedians. They come from all over the country to a town where comics drive cabs by day and perform in cabarets by night. All dream of being another Robin Williams.
It's a return to the 1950s when the hungry i was incubating newcomers Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce and Mort Sahl.

And now, for $4, you, too, can learn to be a comedian. Each Saturday afternoon Femprov offers a three-hour improvisational comedy workshop at Cobbs Pub, a saloon at Chestnut and Steiner streets in the Marina.
Femprov is an improvisational comedy group similar to the Screaming Memes and the National Theatre of the Deranged, both entertaining in spots around town. 

To improvise is to invent, compose or recite without preparation. The actors come onstage, ask the audience for suggestions – a profession, situation, emotion, conflict – and wing it from there.

On a recent Saturday, 15 people went through the wringer, in teams of two and three. Two women were to concoct a scene involving a stewardess and tennis. They pantomimed, pretending to bang a wall. They talked the dialogue went nowhere.
Susan Healy, today's leader, signaled them to stop and said "You must be pooped with all that swinging. You really hit the ball that often? And where is the scene? Are you playing tennis inside a plane? You've kept the dialog flowing. But it's not witty and it doesn't develop the characters."
Four other Femprov members also critiqued the neophytes. They told them what they did right and where they went wrong. 

Next, six people trotted onstage to do a spontaneous relay narration, an exercise in which one person picks up where another leaves off. Healy cued the speakers like a choir director.
It was a little like playing push-button on the radio, where by random pushing, you accidentally glue together some funny, incongruous lines.
Such as: "President Reagan said the poor and the hungry should try …" "… compulsive eating and discover alternative ways to nurture yourself and take charge of your life…"

The youngest person at the workshop was Rico Ramos, 21, an usher at Cinema 21. "I've been coming since it started," he said. "It's great. I have a captive audience."
Ramos, who came here from the Philippines when he was three, is all showbiz: "I love to entertain." 
Sometimes he entertains during intermissions at Cinema 21. He was with "Teens in Theater" while in high school and in "California, Can you Beat It?," a Mayor's Youth Program musical.

It was raining that Saturday, but Susan Williams and Diana Aragavritz drove up from Santa Cruz to make a noon workshop. "I've been coming for for four weeks," said Williams. "It's a long drive, but I'm hooked."
Maria Kamiya, 27, a San Francisco State University student, comes to the workshop because "it's fun and it helps to build self-confidence."
Arlene Mellon, 40, a freelance writer, agreed: "I was walking by one Saturday and saw the sign. There must have been a full moon that day. I walked in and found a platform to express myself creatively and humorously."

Of the 15 people attending the workshop, only three were men. Besides Ramos, there were Les Cafero and T. C. Nurov who works with the American Cancer Society.
"Men are welcome … we want more men … we're not just for women … tell them our workshop is a great place to meet women," said various Femprov members.

The group got together in December 1979. "We're just starting our third year," said Terry Sand. "We come from different parts of the country, met in a comedy workshop and it was a magic combination."
They have appeared here, in Los Angeles, at Stanford and in Monterey. 

"Improvisational comedy can be learned," Sand said "There are techniques. It's not that spontaneous."
Like jazz, there's a structure. It's how far out you can stretch before snapping. 
Daniels commented that it would take six months to learn how to be comfortable working together.
The others disagree. "There's no time schedule. It's up to the individuals," said Hansen.
But everyone agreed that it's a coordinated, ensemble effort. "You have to work together as a team," Healy said. "You're all in one boat, pulling together."
If one is stuck the others step in "It's like a rodeo. You fall off and a clown waves to keep the bull away," she added.

Improvisational comedy is risky. When you hit, it's hilarious, but it's a pie in the face if you miss. The measure of quality is longevity. "You don't last if the audiences don't respond," she said. Femprov will be playing at the Great American Music Hall and the Holy City Zoo in April.

They're wacky, dynamic and a guaranteed belly laugh. 
They're Femprov, an all-woman improvisational comedy troupe, who will appear Sunday at The Club inMonterey

That's a Laugh
Night Time • Coasting

After Femprov sings their opening number welcoming you to their show, they will catapult themselves into the audience to find ideas. Because it is based on audience participation, the show can never be the same.
The troupe began in December 1979 when Susan Healy, Teresa Roberts (no longer with them) and Terry Sand met in improvisational workshops. They formed Femprov after the Holy City Zoo started Women's Night. Pat Daniels, Carol Roberts and Jeannene Hansen joined the troupe later.
A reviewer for Metro Magazine said: "All of Femprov's material is extremely creative—from their take off on "Beat Poets" in the North Beach scence to interviewing off-the-wall applicants in an unemployment office to their cable TV show of "The Creative Cook" and "Gay Dating Game" not to forget the ingenious "Alien Fashion Show."

It's Your Choice
Charles Davis • Monterey Peninsula Herald Events Column

Femprov, a Bay Area improvisational comedy troupe, will be this Sunday night's comedy offering at The Club, in Monterey.
Founded in 1979 when San Francisco's Holy City Zoo night club began having Women's Night, Femprov is a five-woman teams that holds nothing—including feminism—sacred.
Improv comedy is seldom seen on the Peninsula. Unlike typical standup humor, improv relies on audience participation: Members of the group will call to to the audience for situations, occupations, et. then improvise an entire skit—hoping it is funny.
That's not to say the group doesn't have rehearsed routines, just that they are likely to alter them at whim. For example, S.F. critics have raved about their "Beat Poets" takeoff, as well as their "Alien Fashion Show," and "Dedication," a satirical Sinatra routine.
Femprov performs regularly in the S.F. Bay Area, The Club date will be the group's first Peninsula gig.

…a magic combination of personalities…

Cobb's Pub "Dedication"

Jeannene Hansen, Pat Daniels, Terry Sand, Linda Hill perform Dedication at Cobb's Pub.

Cobb's Pub

Xmas Card

Femprov Holiday Tree
Carol Roberts
Susan Healy • Jeannene Hansen
Pat Daniels • Terry Sand

We took plenty of photographs for special shows or when the line-up of gals changed. We understood the power of publicity as a way to communicate with our mailing list of press contacts and clubs we had played or hoped to book soon. This particular postcard was sent during the holidays.

1980… back of the postcard

Happy Holidays from Femprov
This Thursday 12.04 - 9:30 "Femprov Night at The Other"
Sunday, 12.07 - 9 - The Old Spaghetti Factory
Sunday, 12.14 - 9 - One Year Anniversary Show w/ Special Guests - TOSFactory
Hope to See You This Thursday

Likely this was mailed the weekend before.

2nd Anniversary

Susan Healy, Carol Roberts, Terry Sand, Pat Daniels, and Jeannene Hansen
Celebrate Femprov's 2nd Anniversary

1981 • In 2 years, Femprov had already performed at the first (and subsequent) Women's Night at the Holy City Zoo, kicked off The Punchline's new Improv Night, established a beach head at The Old Spaghetti Factory for their Sunday night performances, showcased themselves at LA's Improv, performed at the very 1st Comedy Celebration in GG Park, along with most of the other available comedy venues of the era (Other Cafe) and in general kicked funny comedy butt and taken names.

"Femprov simply performs good comedy."

They'll be a Ha time in the old town … 

Lively Arts • July 1981 • by R. L. Paer

It may surprise you, but it is an indisputable fact that San Francisco and it's surrounding areas have the best combination of amateur, semi-professional and professional comedy in the country. There are dozens of cafés to which literally hundreds of young, imaginative comedians from all the United States gravitate to entertain and be discovered. Why San Francisco and not New York or Los Angeles? Mike Pritchard, a well-known face on the San Francisco comedy circuit who has appeared on "Taxi" and "The Tonight Show" explains it this way,  "In San Francisco you can experiment. Anybody can get on stage and test out their material. By the time you reach Los Angeles you have to have a reputation. Somebody has to say 'Oh I heard he's funny." So, San Francisco is great for people just starting out."

The open door policy of the Bay Area comedy circuit all allows for a wide variety of comedy styles and material. Solo acts, teams of two, and entire groups numbering as many as six people perform everything from Chaplinesque slapstick to satires of Shakespeare. Recently, I had the pleasure of tagging along with several comedians. What I encountered were dedicated, hard-working, talented, underpaid individuals presenting some of the finest comedy an audience would ever hope to witness.

[ The longer article featured Barry Sobel—solo act and Fran and Jan—teams of two ]

Improvisation is a very popular form of comedy in the Bay Area. Many groups exist whose members are extremely talented. One of the hottest groups is Femprov.  Femprov is different from other improvisational teams in that it is made up entirely of women. And unlike most female comedians, Femprov's five members, Pat Daniels, Jeannene Hansen, Susan Healy, Carol Roberts and Terry Sand, do not get bogged down with strictly female humor, which inhibits the universality of many comediennes. Femprov simply performs good comedy.

Unlike typical standup comedy, improvisation relies on audience participation. The members of the improvisational group will ask the audience to call out different situations. For example, the audience may be asked to name a place and an occupation, and then the group has to ad lib an entire, hopefully funny, skit based on those suggestions. Yes, Virginia there are easier ways of making a living.

Since improvisation depends so heavily on interaction with the audience it works best in a small, cozy setting. There are a number of clubs in the Bay Area where improvisation goes over well and the Holy City Zoo is one of them. The Zoo offers top-notch comedy, and Femprov appears there often.

Femprov opens with one of the few rehearsed pieces in there act, a song sung to the tune of "Can't Hurry Love," which welcomes you to the show. Upon finishing the song they catapult into the audience for ideas. It boggles the mind as to how these five people can, on the spur of the moment, produce one funny skit after another.

The truly interesting aspect of improvisation is that because it is based on audience suggestion the show can never be the same twice. But there is something that never changes — Femprov is consistently excellent.

So, the next time you're sitting at home complaining that you've done it all, pick yourself up and check out one of the Bay Area comedy houses. Treat yourself to an evening of hilarity that exists in your own backyard.

• • •  • • •  • • •

Note: Imagine our excitement when we were told we were to grace the cover of Lively Arts magazine! The photographer, Bob Oshetsky, took the group photo immediately after an evening's performance at The Other Cafe. High on another successful night, we did not factor in our 'glistening' and adrenaline-pumped look after our 2 hour show. A month or so later when the magazine was published and numerous copies were forwarded to us, our excitement dissolved into horror. The color cast was oddly pink and green, and except for Pat, we all looked as if we had been through the wringer, sweaty, flushed, wild-eyed, and over-mugging for the camera. Absolute.Horror.Show! The apt cover caption: Femprov— One of the hottest improvisational groups in the Bay Area. We were hot alright, Decathlon in Death Valley hot. We decided then and there, we would not include this image in future Press Kits, much less speak of it again. The show was great, as the writer attests, but the cover photo was an anomaly in the catalog of Femprov imagery. After all these years, we still remember it as "That Cover", and shudder a little. It is re-imagined here only to serve as historical proof of our first and only 'cover girl' experience.