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Thursday, April 03, 2003 OUTPROV UNIVERSITY PERFORMANCE OUTprov, St. Louis' only LGBT improvisation ensemble is set to perform again at the GWB QueerFest at Washington Univeristy's on Friday April 18th, 2003. The Queer themed ensemble is slated to perform from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm near the George Warren School of Social Work Courtyard and the event expects to draw about 100 University students. OUTprov is made up of both amateur and professional actors, who perform thought provoking LGBT improvisation. We do not do that "punchline joke prov," says founder Ed Reggi. "We are rooted in the same style of political sketch/improvisation seen on Saturday Night Live or MAD-TV, but with the special pink spin of allowing our scenes to be Queer-friendly. If anything we like to poke fun at our counter hetersexuals," exlaims Reggi. "Our critics have said we are too gay; not realistic; not gay enough; not funny; and far to much rainbow to swallow. I feel we frighten them because we represent the new generation of comedians/actors who are not worried about 'going gay' with our content!" Reggi started OUTprov from his experience with Chicago's Second City: Minority Outreach program. The 40 plus year old institution had for several decades excluded a real Queer voice from it's improvisational sketch revue shows. That changed when it's training department director, Martin de Maat along with veteran improv instructor Ed Garza created a specific training program for LGBT improv performers. OUTprov is celebrating it's 3rd year of making people laugh! For booking information contact Ed Reggi at 314-647-8030
Friday, February 07, 2003 QUEER PEERS OUTprov is currently working with several Saint Louis LGBT nonprofit organizations in the area of Education and Outreach. "These issues and topics are already difficult to discuss. What improv can do is create a platform for a real safe conversation," explains OUTprov director Ed Reggi. "Comedy is very public; as opposed to dramatic works are more private. We already know that humor helps ease fears and it helps heal." St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts recently interviewed Ed Reggi. VLAA wanted to know exactly what experiences help shape OUTprov in its' early formation. "It was amazing experience! When I first brought OUTprov to St. Louis in 1999, I got mixed support. Even from within our own ranks of queer supporters," says Reggi. The St. Louis Gender Foundation is actively in dialogue with OUTprov. "Being transgendered is a part of our everyday life. We are this way, there is no joke at doing what we do," commented Gender Foundation member. "Improvisation helps break the ice, deliver the goods all in a friendly, humorous way." Other LGBT St. Louis organizations that have worked or are currently working with OUTprov and Reggi include: That Uppity Theatre Company; PROMO; Growing American Youth; St. Louis Gender Foundation; Doorways; St. Louis Effort for AIDS; Pride Saint Louis; and Outspoken LGBT Radio.
Wednesday, January 15, 2003 OUTPROV HELPS TEENS OUTprov founder and director, Ed Reggi, once again assisted Growing American Youth members during their winter weekly meetings. Reggi helped facilitate discussion and topics using improvisation. "Many of these topics cannot be addressed using normal concepts or models. It become very sticky when talking about teen issues and sex," commented Reggi. "Improv helps break down communication barriers. The comedy and humor keeps things light, and yet, we can still deal with important topics." OUTprov is one of the Midwests only Queer improvisational troupe, started back in 1999 after work with Chicago's GayCo and Second City. The current cast of OUTprov is on performing hiatus outside St. Louis, but the cast is working hard on several queer television concept shows and sitcoms. You can reach OUTprov at 314-647-8030 or email outprov@edreggi.com for details.
Tuesday, August 27, 2002 OUTPROV SET TO COME OUT! OUTprov is slated to perform October 10th as a part of St. Louis' Coming Out Day festivities! Sponsored by Pride St. Louis, the event will kick off at 7:00 PM at Novaks Bar and Grill at 4146 Manchester Avenue. The evening will include the three person Queer Improv troupe, local Drag entertainers and other musical acts as well. Please call OUTprov at 314-647-8030 or email outprov@edreggi.com for details.
GET THE VITALS ABOUT ED REGGI AND OUTPROV  Pictured from left to right, Brian Campbell, Maury Browning, Ed Reggi. A wonderful story featuring Ed Reggi and OUTprov can be found in the month's issue of St. Louis' The Vital Voice. The article features a current picture of the three members that currently make up this funny queer based improv troupe. Please make sure you pick up a copy of the great St. Louis LGBT paper and read about Ed Reggi's OUTprov history or please check them out at www.thevitalvoice.com
Saturday, June 22, 2002 OUTprov WORKS UP IMPROV THIS WEEKEND OUTprov, St. Louis' very own queer Improvisation Comedy Troupe will be performing this weekend at the Saint Louis Pride Festival in Tower Grove Park. The Festival boasts over 20 acts and hopes to draw some 40,000 people. Comedian Judy Tenuta is the headliner this year. Make sure you come out to see them perform some funny audience participation comedy.
Saturday, June 01, 2002 OUTprov AUDITIONS Date: Sundays, June 9th and June 16th, 2002 Saturday, May 04, 2002 AND THE YOUTH SHALL SEE OUTPROV! Growing American Youth (G.A.Y.) is St. Louis' LGBT youth group. Last week,OUTprov visited G.A.Y.'s weekly meeting and showed the organization's members and leaders what queer improv was all about. OUTprov members performed a series of short improv games and explained the history of improvisation. A short reason why OUTprov started was expressed by founder Ed Reggi. "As a minority (gay male) performing on stage, I found that traditional comedy improv was about punch-lines at the expense of a minority group. Often the jokes or punch lines were about gay men," explained Reggi. "I even found that at times I did the same jokes! Making fun of myself in a way. This all changed with my meeting of Martin De Maat at Second City in Chicago." After the performance, Reggi facilitated a series of simple improv games to the group of 40 teens and young adults. Drama Freeze was the most exciting improv game introduced. Several G.A.Y. members were able to fully enjoy the process of what it means to improv or as Reggi explained, "be in the moment." The evening closed with an invitation to those interested to join OUTprov through a series of workshops and auditions. All those interested in OUTprov can contact Ed Reggi at 314-647-8030 or email outprov@edreggi.com
OUTLOOK '02 AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY On Friday April 26th, OUTprov performed at Washington University's OUTLOOK Festival. The Washington University School of Social Work sponsored event celebrates queers and campus diversity. University professors, staff, friends, undergraduates and graduates students gathered around the Brown Hall courtyard to watch members of St. Louis' only LGBT improv troupe. The afternoon OUTprov show was well received and was followed by Joan Lipkin's That Uppity Theatre Company's "Louie" project. Several members of OUTprov have worked with That Uppity Theatre Company's male identity project and were glad to "warm-up" the crowd.
ORIGINAL CAST OF OUTPROV PERFORMS AT HAIRBALL 2002. Members of the original cast of St. Louis' very first LGBT improv troupe, OUTprov will be performing this Sunday April 21st at the Pagaent in University City. The event will help raise money for St. Martha's Hall, an emergency shelter for abused women and their children. OUTprov, grew out from Ed Reggi's participation with The Second City minority outreach summer workshop series. While working with some of the top improv Chicago teachers and performers from Chicago's GayCo Productions; Reggi wanted recreate his experience in Chicago. The St. Louis LGBT workshop started in the early summer of 2000 with 8 participants and later renamed itself to OUTprov. OUTprov was then later reformed into a larger project Ed Reggi developed called the Saint Louis Improv Project, or Paper SLIP Theater. No longer was the emphasis placed solely on minorities but rather "all voices who want to tell a story." This weekend's OUTprov performance will include the following original cast members: Erin Markey, Elizabeth Gimbel, Brian Campbell and Ed Reggi. Reggi will be casting new members for OUTprov this spring for a new queer based sketch-comedy show. For details on the Hairball show, please call 314-647-8030 or email slip@edreggi.com You can also check out www.hairballstl.org
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