Introduction to CPCT: A Night of Improv with Makeshift Up

Crown Point Community Theater
1125 Merrillville Road | Crown Point, IN
facebook.com/BravoCPCT

Yesterday I made my way to Crown Point for a night of improv. It was a fun night out, and I'd definitely go again.

After a satisfying dinner on the balcony patio of Station 21, we headed out to the Crown Point Community Theater. I wasn't sure what to expect. We pulled up the the stripmall and went into the theater.

It was a Pardon Our Dust show. They are remodeling the lobby and setting up for their September run of Picasso at the Lapin Agile. The $5 suggested donation helps raise funds for the remodel. It also included a glass of wine or can of Miller Light. They had snacks for purchase too. 

The evening started out with the standup of Don Bernacky, an actor and local high school teacher. He talked about youth today, consequences of social media missteps, and being under the knife at a hospital where everybody knows your name.

Don showed a clip of The Things We've Seen, a movie about economic issues in a small mill town being filmed in Crown Point. He made a callout for extras for a scene they are filming where townspeople escape a fire. 

Then the improv group took the stage. They were energetic and ready to start. Using ad libed input from the audience, the collection of players acted out scenes. They brought in personas of crazy cat ladies and George Clooney in need of a plunger. They decorated a Christmas tree with ninja throwing stars and acted out a scene from Rocket Crocodile and the Day of Tomorrow (or some such random title). They made their confessions to the priest and carried Yoda on their backs. They played standards like Scenes from a Hat and 60-30-15-5. All in all it was an entertaining night out. When they were wrapping up I had to check the time. It didn't seem like that long; the hour flew past!

I'd recommend a visit to their next show. I'm looking forward to seeing Steve Martin's Picasso at the Lapin Agile at the CPCT next month.