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Indi Go Art Gallery »
Address: 9 East University Champaign, IL 61820
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Held back. Caged. Restrained. You could use these words to describe animals at the zoo, but at this Zoo the animals are free to follow their instincts. Instead of roars from a lion’s mouth, it produces roars of laughter. And it is not filled with wild animals, but with the improvisational actors who make up the comedy troupe called Zoo Improv.

This talented group of improvisers performs every Tuesday night at Indi Go Artist Co-op, new this year to downtown Champaign, at 8 p.m., as well as every third Wednesday night at The Iron Post at 8 p.m.

The actors perform skillfully, better than you would expect at an improv comedy show. They jump into each character feet first and fully commit, one minute becoming a pious priest and the next a beer drinking handyman with a southern drawl. As with all good improv comedy, at Zoo Improv you find yourself mystified at the talent of the actors and their ability to think and act so well on the spot. And, of course, they make you laugh.

Get ready for a wide range of hilarious improv games. And you get to join in. The group asks audience members to roll dice or pick cards to determine what type of scene they will perform. Sometimes, they ask for a single word from the audience to provide a topic for the scene. Think they can’t do a full story made up of individual monologues all revolving around the word “muffin”? Think again.

In one skit, the characters were arguing over the inhumanity of the conditions of keeping whales in a tiny living space, relatively the same size as hamsters usually have. “Wouldn’t that be inhumane?” she asked. The other character paused, and then he replied hesitantly, “No…that would be…inwhalemane.”

This is a great spot for a date or a more low-key night out with friends. They charge $2 cover, and if you get there early or stay after you can check out all the art on display. The fun, friendly, laidback atmosphere will keep you coming back for more.