Fans of the games played on the TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” likely will enjoy No Limit Laughs, Orland Park Recreation & Parks’ team of improv players.
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The group’s next performance is on April 22 at the Cultural Center in Orland Park.
“There’s over 100 different improv games. We try to do different games depending on the month so if people want to come back next month they’re not going to see the same thing,” said Bryan Riess, who became director of No Limit Laughs in September.
“It’s improv and it’s always different. We try to just keep the variety going all year long. We perform once a month and take the summer off.
“If people like improv, this is local and it’s an entertaining time.”
The cast of No Limit Laughs, which is for ages 18 and older, includes Kevin Chatman, Sean Conroy, Rob Dolliver, Cory Gawczynski, Garrett Gray, George Kulovitz and Melanie Stanko.
“The eight of us that are in the group now, this is our third year together for all of us,” said Riess about the improv players who include residents of Alsip, Lockport and Orland Park.
“Once you start working with somebody over a long period of time, you know what they’re thinking. You know what they’re doing. You know what you can expect from them. We trust each other.
“Most of the people in our group went to classes at The Second City and a couple of them have been to ComedySportz.”
No Limit Laughs feeds off the audience for each show.
“They throw out suggestions,” said Riess about what fuels the off-the-cuff fun.
“Every once in a while we’ll do something where we want an audience member to come up and participate. We make it painless for them.
“It’s a great night of fun. You can go to dinner and come see the show and you’re not really spending a lot of money.”
People who want to start their night earlier can check out Kids Improv-able featuring ages 11-18 from 6-7 p.m. April 22 at the Cultural Center in Orland Park. Tickets are $5.
“They are super funny and smart. We really didn’t know what we were in for when we started,” said Riess about Kids Improv-able, which launched in August.
“They’re like sponges. They take in all the information. Kids are much more creative than adults.
“You’re getting the same quality of show as the adults. It’s something you can bring your kids to, and you can’t bring kids to the adult show, so it’s great entertainment and I think it’s just as funny as the adults.”
Riess and fellow Orland Park resident Tina Cucci Fischer are the instructors for Kids Improv-able.
“She is great. She does not have improv training or history or anything. She is really geared toward theater and she’s a really good teacher so we mesh well,” he said.
“I have the improv knowledge and she has the performance knowledge and she’s really good with the kids.”
Riess initially did improv when he was president of a theater group at Elmhurst College (now Elmhurst University) in Elmhurst and the group created an improv team.
It was several years later before he started doing improv regularly through No Limit Laughs.
“I was new to the area and looking to do some theater. One of the people said, ‘Oh, you’re a funny guy. You should do improv with us.’ I joined the group and never looked back,” said Riess, who has been a part of No Limit Laughs for 10 years.
“It’s a chance to entertain people and be up onstage making people laugh. It’s an entertaining hobby.”
Riess said what he enjoys most about No Limit Laughs is “the freedom to be yourself and be creative and show the world some of your hidden talents. I think that’s the case with all of us.”
The last shows of the 2021-22 season for No Limit Laughs and Kids Improv-able are slated for May 20.
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“The season is going to be ending. We’re going to be off for the summer,” Riess said.
“Even though we have people who come back every year, we still hold auditions in case there’s anyone new who thinks they can be funny.”
Information about auditions will be posted at the Orland Park Recreation Facebook page at facebook.com/orlandparkrec.
No Limit Laughs
When: 8 p.m. April 22
Where: Cultural Center, 14760 Park Lane, Orland Park
Tickets: $7; ages 18 and older only
Information: 708-403-6380; orlandpark.org/events
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.