By Joan Alperin
I've been going to the Groundlings for at least ten years and I'm still blown away by what they do.
The Groundlings is an improvisation and sketch comedy theatre that was founded by Gary Austin in 1974. A 'Groundling' is one of the 30 company members who write and perform in the the theatre's shows and teach classes at the Groundlings School.
The school is the foremost comedy training ground in Hollywood, and a springboard for countless careers including comic geniuses from film and television including Jennifer Coolidge, Will Farrell, Kathy Griffin, Cheryl Hines, Lisa Kudrow, Paul Reubens, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen Wiig to name just a few
I've never seen a show there that I didn't love, and Groundlings Family Road Trip is no exception.
Director Michael Naughton navigates his hilarious cast including Michael Churven, Josh Duvendeck, Chris Eckert, Julian Gant, Emily Pendergast, Laird Macintosh, and Lisa Schurga through numerous sketches and improvisations, each one funnier than the last.
Their humor is not only funny but original and unexpected. You think you know where a certain sketch is going, but believe me you don't, and that's what makes them so brilliant.
The Groundlings band is also terrific. Led by Larry Treadwell on guitar, Greg Kanaga on drums and musical director Matthew Loren on keyboards, they absolutely rock it with their smoking music.
Groundlings Family Road Trip runs every Friday at 8:00 PM and Saturdays at 8:00 and 10:00 PM through September 29th. Tickets are $20. To purchase call (323) 934-4747 or visit
https://purchase.groundlings.com/. The theater is located at 7307 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA
This is a definite must see show for people of all ages.