Phoenix Educational Programming and Space 55 partnered for the kickoff of a new improv show, Lounge and Learn, on Oct. 20 at the theatre’s venue.
The show is hosted by ASU student Hattie Hayes and comedian Matt Storrs. The duo previously hosted a variety show at Lawn Gnome Publishing in downtown Phoenix called PEP Rally, which consisted of poets, musicians, storytellers, comedians, and artists performing based on a specific theme for each program.
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Hayes and Storrs said they decided to create Lounge and Learn to open the platform of the show to the community and allow them to choose their own topic of discussion. Each week, five to six performers come onstage and talk about anything they want.
“We wanted to do some things that let us interact with the performers more,” Hayes said. During each skit, Hayes comes up with questions about the topic to ask the performer, while Storrs fact-checks everything they say. This allows them to interact with the audience and improv artists throughout the show.
Rico Pagliuca, an improv artist from downtown Phoenix, participated in the first Lounge and Learn show. He performed an educational speech on a computer file-sharing program most audience members had never heard of.
“Improv is a great outlet for something I don’t like to use in real life,” Pagliuca said. He said in the future, he might let the audience pick the topic he discusses.
Hayes and Storrs, who have backgrounds doing stand-up comedy and hosting shows, wanted to bring together members of the community who wouldn’t otherwise meet.
“Whether you’re doing something totally absurd or you’re doing something that you devoted your academic career to, you’re going to have to be putting in the same amount of effort for either one,” Hayes said. “We’re also giving people an excuse to talk about what they love most.”
This show puts the control in the performer, as the hosts cannot control many aspects of the show. “It’s a great surprise if we’re surprised,” Storrs said. He and Hayes said they enjoy the excitement and mystery in each performance, and they are thankful for the buzz surrounding the new show.
“We’ve had an amazing outpouring of people saying ‘ I want to be on the show,’ or ‘I want to tell people about this,” Storrs said. “It’s kind of naturally gotten around”
Hayes and Storrs will continue to entertain and unite members of the community through their new variety show through Dec. 8 at Space 55.
Editor’s note: Hattie Hayes is a former Downtown Devil reporter. She did not contribute to the reporting or editing of this article.
Contact the reporter at Megan.Amandio@asu.edu.
