Philly Fringe Festival Presents: Tongue & Groove Spontaneous Theater

Tongue and Groove and RealLivePeople(in)Motion Dance Company present “That Time”, an improvised performance at the Kimmel Center as part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts Saturday, April 20, 2013. (©2013 Mark Stehle Photography)

Philadelphia Fringe Festival favorite Tongue & Groove, Philly’s cutting-edge critically-acclaimed unscripted theater company, announces a first-time collaboration with blues dancers and musicians for a unique improvised performance based on personal information from the audience. The show, GROOVE, asks the audience to anonymously submit responses to the question “Describe a time when you were in the groove.”  Inspired by the responses, the actors, musicians and dancers instantly create hilarious and heartfelt scenes and monologues, funky music, and sultry dances.  GROOVE will have six performances during the Fringe Festival:  Thurs, 9.10 @ 7pm; Fri, 9.11 @ 8pm; Sat, 9.12 @ 5pm; Sun, 9.13 @ 4pm; Thurs, 9.17 @ 7pm; Sat, 9.19 @ 5pm. Running time 65 minutes. Performances take place at The PlayGround at The Adrienne Theater, 2030 Sansom Street. Tickets are $13-$18 and can be purchased via the Fringe online: livearts-fringe.org, or call: 215-413-1318.  For more information:  tongue-groove.com.

When the audience arrives, they will be asked to anonymously write on a card their response to this prompt:  “Describe a specific time when you were in the groove…with yourself, a partner, a group, or something you were doing.”   The ensemble will draw random cards, read them aloud, and begin riffing off of the themes and characters submitted.  Tongue & Groove is dedicated to exploring the collaboration between artist and patron, reflecting the spirit of each audience at every one-of-a-kind performance.

What is Blues Dancing?
Inspired by blues, funk and other music, contemporary blues dancing is an international movement popularized in the past decade. Primarily partner-based, the lead and follow are in sync while improvising every move — fun, funky, sensual or swinging.

First-time Collaboration:  
“The first time I saw blues dancing, I assumed it was choreographed,” says T&G Producing Artistic Director Bobbi Block, “I was surprised and delighted to discover that the partners were improvising — the dancers were so seamlessly connected.  That’s when I knew we had to work together, as our processes are similar; audiences often feel that T&G performances are scripted and are surprised and delighted to discover that we are creating on the spot.”   GROOVE will follow Tongue & Groove’s signature format, creating a montage of scenes and monologues, both comic and dramatic.  Interspersed in the montage will be blues dances that comment on and interpret the themes and characters created by the actors, inspired by the audience.

Blues Music — Veteran Musician and Emerging Young Star in first-time partnership.
Carol Moog, of Tatter, Tucker and Moog (among other bands), is a veteran blues harmonica player and member of Tongue & Groove, providing live improvised accompaniment to all T&G shows.  Carol has played for blues dancers in the past, and is thrilled to improvise with them now, following and leading their dancer & musician relationship. For GROOVE, Carol is partnering with special guest Radka Kasparcova, a 17-year-old  rising star blues guitarist who has already recorded an album, and was invited onstage to play with blues legend Buddy Guy.  Carol and Radka are excited for their first-time collaboration, veteran and emerging talents, grooving off the audience and dancers.