Local comedy group performs at Arts Center in Buckhannon, West Virginia

Under the direction of the company’s founder and producer, Jason Young, the Fools specialize in a unique blend of short form and long form improv comedy. They also work to fuse original sketch comedy and stand-up comedy into their shows.

According to Anne Wilson, manager of the CAC, working with the Theatre Company has been a fun and rewarding experience.

“The Vintage Theatre Company has been great to work with. Jason and Sara Young, the directors of VTC, are great with communicating about upcoming availability, booking and event opportunities,” she said.

Group members will encourage audience participation as they improvise scenes and scenarios throughout the evening.

“The group does not have a set routine. The show will have a flow similar to the style of an episode of ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ where the fools will seek suggestions and scenarios from the audience members and create hysterical short scenes. Along the way, they like to toss in stand-up comedy, so imagine the show as a blend of those two things,” Wilson said.

Wilson said the center chose to have the performance on Black Friday partly because of scheduling and partly because she and the group thought that it would be a great way for people to relax after a day of holiday shopping.

“We picked Black Friday due to a few reasons. One being availability, as we wanted to ensure the group was available to perform. The second reason was as we brainstormed when to host the event, the thought of patrons ending their Black Friday shopping with a night of improv comedy was a fun idea. In addition, it also offers something happening in town during the holidays for those visiting relatives and families looking for something to do,” she said.

The comedy show is one of the many ways that Wilson is trying to expand the number of arts experiences available to the people of Buckhannon.

“I think it’s important to offer an event like this to the community as this is yet another form of creative art for people to experience. Our mission is to offer a variety of diverse arts programming, so with this show being the first of its kind inside the CAC, we are doing just that. As an actor myself, and a huge nerd for improv acting, I am incredibly excited to have the group in Buckhannon,” she said.

The improv night is only the first of many partnerships between the CAC and the VTC, which also manages the Rustic Mechanicals Shakespeare group.

“The Rustic Mechanicals have agreed to offer a student Shakespeare workshop next summer during our very first CAC summer camp. We look forward to working with them on more events in the future, whether that be Shakesperiences or improv comedy nights,” Wilson said.

She also hopes to host more comedy shows at the CAC.

“I absolutely plan to host more in the future. Plus, the ticket cost for these types of shows is lower than a typical musical or play we host, as the cost is lower to produce. We are always aiming to offer programming within all price points, and even free as we are able to,” Wilson said.

Tickets for the show are limited and cost $10. They can be purchased over the phone by calling 304-472-1651, extension 1052, or at https://e.sparxo.com/CAC-Fearless-Fools-Comedy-Night