I’ve studied improv throughout the last 15 years, but nothing has been more simultaneously challenging and rewarding than studying the Harold, a longform improv style that became popular back in Chicago, thanks to legendary improvisation teachers Del Close and Charna Halpern. This particular style of improv is taught at the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Training Centers in New York and Los Angeles, where house Harold teams perform weekly to packed houses. It is a genuine treat to see UCB’s Harold Night, and I was delighted to catch two teams from New York and Los Angeles come together to compete for SF Sketchfest.
Oakland-based comedian and SF Sketchfest regular Jesse Hett kicked things off with a quick and witty introductory set, before bringing out representatives of both teams to decide who would go first. Every UCB Harold performance starts with a team spinning one word into a half hour of storytelling and theater never rehearsed before (and never to be performed again). That’s the trick with good improv; seasoned performers and teams will be able to take any suggestion and pull a multitude of ideas and stories from it. This can be taught to anyone, by anyone, but the curriculum and training program that UCB created has made this art airtight.
Leroy, the Los Angeles Harold team, took the stage first; they seamlessly took their one-word suggestion of “garbanzo” and spun it into an effortless and amusing conversation about allergies and siblings. From there, they did what they do best- picking bits from their conversation and creating new worlds in which the unusual thing is part of their base reality. A father arguing with a doctor that even though his son was cured, he was no good due to his hair. An older brother trying to be tough and beat up his younger sister, even though he’s too afraid to do it. An HR rep reviewing a new employee’s paperwork, while falling asleep due to boredom. A group scene where prisoners in an Alabama jail got mail from lovers in England. Each scene evolved and morphed further from the original plot before coming together in one final act, as each character and plot line was brought together. Laughter rolled throughout the crowd, reveling in each quick and witty turn the members of Leroy used throughout their act.
Highwater performed next, representing New York. I’ve actually had the pleasure of seeing them perform several times. I recently moved back to California after living in New York, where I took a few classes at UCB. Students get to see shows for free in order to help them better study the tools they’re learning in class, so I made myself a regular at Harold Night at the UCB Hells Kitchen theater during my improv classes. Highwater performs every other week, and their performances consistently have me in stitches.
Just like Leroy, Highwater took a one word suggestion- “cucumber” was the word this round- and drew inspiration from it to create tiny group bits. The team moved as a group as one unit across the stage, playing with sound and movement to create bits before moving onto bigger scenes to create the Harold. It was brilliant to watch their starter prompts evolve into the detailed half hour the audience saw. We bounced between a father using sound effects to describe what kind of gift he wanted to buy his son, to an indecisive lady overwhelmed by any decision from soup to marriage proposal, then to a disruptive teenage son abusing his father’s power. Each group scene they performed was chaotic, inspired, and let each team member shine individually and as a group.
What I’ve written above barely scratches the surface one what we got to witness that night, as both Leroy and Highwater came through with highly skilled and hilarious performances.There was an electricity each team brought to the stage; every detail made the scenes work and had the audience cackling. There’s a reason UCB has become a major hub for those hoping to become the next big D’Arcy Carden or Natasha Rothwell; the courses offered at the training center help comedians master this very particular art form. So when our host returned to help judge, via audience applause, which team won the Harold battle, it was no surprise that the results were insanely close. With the help of a decibel testing app, Hett determined that Highwater won. It was a well-deserved win by the New York team, as their Harold was met with enthusiastic applause. At the same time, Leroy also brought down the house.
The truth is, from each UCB house team to the audience, there were no losers that night. Everyone watching and performing had a blast, and it was genuinely heartwarming to see the two coasts come together and meet. I hope I get the chance to see UCB East vs. West again at Sketchfest next year, if only to take in the riches of UCB’s talent.
