When BISC BOYS hit the Honeywell Stage March 13, they will perform a show that’s never been performed before and will never be seen again. That’s because their show is improv comedy. “I’d call it spontaneous sketch comedy based on audience suggestions. It’s sketch comedy made up on the spot and it’s fast-paced. It’s never before seen and will never be seen again,” said Mike Shreeman, founder, from his home in Detroit. BISC BOYS stands for “Bold Improvised Sketch Comedy Based On Your Suggestions.” The show, part of the Honeywell Thursday Night Comedy Series, will be at 7:30 p.m. March 13 at the Honeywell Theater. Shreeman said the cast for BISC BOYS rotates, with three of the members, including himself, performing at the Honeywell show. He said he’s been done improv comedy for a long time out of Chicago. He has an education group, Novel Ideas, which uses improv to teach creative writing to students. Novel Ideas has been a part of the Honeywell Center’s Educational Outreach Program. Shreeman was a faculty member at Second City in Chicago for 15 years. He taught musical improvisation. Second City is well known for improv comedy, with many “Saturday Night Live” actors getting their start through its program. In Chicago, Shreeman said he was doing pretty well, but he also was single. He had a lot of “oars in the water,” he said, from appearances to movies. However, he’s moved back to his hometown of Detroit and has a family. “Most of the juicy roles are cast out of L.A. or New York,” he said. The show at the Honeywell grew from a dinner performance. His group performed at a Foundation Dinner for the Honeywell Center in Wabash and the center loved it, he said. They asked him to come back and perform at their holiday party, which his group did. Loving that, he said his group then was invited to perform on stage. “We like to use a lot of audience members. Not just their suggestions, but also on stage,” Shreeman warned. By bringing audience members on stage, he said it keeps the show fresh and personalized. Audiences find it more fun to see their friends and neighbors on stage, he said. “It’s really about them and making them look good,” he said. Because improv is all about making the guy standing next to you look good, it’s more team oriented than sports, he suggested. “We’re excited. We’re looking forward to Wabash bringing us some material we’ve never performed before. We’re looking forward to them being a part of the show,” he said. Tickets are $12 per show presale ticket, $15 day of the show. Tickets may be purchased at the box office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, by calling 260-563-1102 or visiting www.honeywellcenter.org
