IMPROV COMEDY NIGHT
Friday May 8th
by Lesley Oswald
Start off Mother’s Day weekend by bringing the whole family to the River Rat’s Improv Comedy Night, Friday, May 8th at 7:30 PM at Turner Hall, 518 Vine Street, Boonville. The players partake in games and impromptu sketches similar to those enjoyed by viewers of the popular TV Show Whose Line Is It Anyway.
The improv troupe includes many familiar local characters many of whom you will recognize from previous comedy nights. The troupe participated in an Improv Workshop with nationally known improviser and improv coach Bill Chott on Sunday, April 12.
You may recognize Bill Chott from the many character roles he played over the years in movies such as The Ringer and TV Shows such as The Dana Carvey Show and Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place. Bill is in the area working with students at his Alma Mater, Central Methodist University. In April he appeared in CMU’s production of Moon over Buffalo. Bill took some time out from rehearsals to spend a couple hours coaching the River Rat’s for the Arts Improv troupe.
Bill started his improvisation studies in 1992 in a class with Stephen Colbert at The Second City, then performed in the mainstage revue Pinata Full of Bees. Bill toured the country with the Second City alongside Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. When he, Colbert and Steve Carrell were hired to work on The Dana Carvey Show in NY, he performed and coached at the start-up of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. He moved west just as Improv Olympics West was beginning The Armando Show in L.A. He performed and coached there for five years. Since then, he has performed around the world and taught festival workshops, corporations and even Special Olympics. As an improvisation coach, he was awarded Improvisation News' INNY Award for “Best Improv Coach” in 2012 for his work at St. Louis’ Improv Trick.
Bill led the River Rat’s Troupe through a number of exercises, encouraging and coaching the participants as they practiced the art of improv. Bill said improvisors must be versatile, willing to trust, to agree and to work as a team. He said improvisers are best when they are sharing, caring people and the most important rule is to say “Yes.”
Here are some of the workshop participants’ reactions. Heather Harlan said that "What the audience may see as a clever off the cuff line, we now understand is the result of listening, observation, and hours of working together." Holly Hughes stated that she “likes how tools for practicing good improv are basically tools for good communication in daily life.” Bridget Hussey noted that “Thanks to Bill Chott, we learned some basic, but very important; skills like slowing down and enjoying the moment as it develops between the players.” And Paul Davis had this to say, “What a great opportunity for our improv troupe to spend an evening with Bill Chott! Just hanging around a guy, who has done improv with Tina Fey and other Saturday Night Live stars was an experience not to be forgotten.”
Friday May 8th
by Lesley Oswald
Start off Mother’s Day weekend by bringing the whole family to the River Rat’s Improv Comedy Night, Friday, May 8th at 7:30 PM at Turner Hall, 518 Vine Street, Boonville. The players partake in games and impromptu sketches similar to those enjoyed by viewers of the popular TV Show Whose Line Is It Anyway.
The improv troupe includes many familiar local characters many of whom you will recognize from previous comedy nights. The troupe participated in an Improv Workshop with nationally known improviser and improv coach Bill Chott on Sunday, April 12.
You may recognize Bill Chott from the many character roles he played over the years in movies such as The Ringer and TV Shows such as The Dana Carvey Show and Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place. Bill is in the area working with students at his Alma Mater, Central Methodist University. In April he appeared in CMU’s production of Moon over Buffalo. Bill took some time out from rehearsals to spend a couple hours coaching the River Rat’s for the Arts Improv troupe.
Bill started his improvisation studies in 1992 in a class with Stephen Colbert at The Second City, then performed in the mainstage revue Pinata Full of Bees. Bill toured the country with the Second City alongside Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. When he, Colbert and Steve Carrell were hired to work on The Dana Carvey Show in NY, he performed and coached at the start-up of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. He moved west just as Improv Olympics West was beginning The Armando Show in L.A. He performed and coached there for five years. Since then, he has performed around the world and taught festival workshops, corporations and even Special Olympics. As an improvisation coach, he was awarded Improvisation News' INNY Award for “Best Improv Coach” in 2012 for his work at St. Louis’ Improv Trick.
Bill led the River Rat’s Troupe through a number of exercises, encouraging and coaching the participants as they practiced the art of improv. Bill said improvisors must be versatile, willing to trust, to agree and to work as a team. He said improvisers are best when they are sharing, caring people and the most important rule is to say “Yes.”
Here are some of the workshop participants’ reactions. Heather Harlan said that "What the audience may see as a clever off the cuff line, we now understand is the result of listening, observation, and hours of working together." Holly Hughes stated that she “likes how tools for practicing good improv are basically tools for good communication in daily life.” Bridget Hussey noted that “Thanks to Bill Chott, we learned some basic, but very important; skills like slowing down and enjoying the moment as it develops between the players.” And Paul Davis had this to say, “What a great opportunity for our improv troupe to spend an evening with Bill Chott! Just hanging around a guy, who has done improv with Tina Fey and other Saturday Night Live stars was an experience not to be forgotten.”
3/28/15
Fifth Annual Pick-Up Boonville
A Community-wide Litter and Recyclables Pick-Up Event
Saturday morning, 3/28/15
Volunteers clean our streets for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, then all join together at 11am to Celebrate at the Katy Depot with lunch, prizes and live music by Lonesome Companions. Come join the River Rats team scurrying about on Water St. by the Missouri River.
The River Ratst will meet at 9am Saturday morning at the home of Lesley and David Oswald at 812 Rear Water Street (The Shiny House between High and Water streets). We'll start with coffee and doughnuts, then hit Water Street for the cleanup. Everyone is welcome. The team is pre-registered so all you need to do is show up. It will be a little chilly, so layer up. You may want to bring some gloves. You'll never have so much fun cleaning up!
For more about Pick-UP Boonville click here.
Fifth Annual Pick-Up Boonville
A Community-wide Litter and Recyclables Pick-Up Event
Saturday morning, 3/28/15
Volunteers clean our streets for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, then all join together at 11am to Celebrate at the Katy Depot with lunch, prizes and live music by Lonesome Companions. Come join the River Rats team scurrying about on Water St. by the Missouri River.
The River Ratst will meet at 9am Saturday morning at the home of Lesley and David Oswald at 812 Rear Water Street (The Shiny House between High and Water streets). We'll start with coffee and doughnuts, then hit Water Street for the cleanup. Everyone is welcome. The team is pre-registered so all you need to do is show up. It will be a little chilly, so layer up. You may want to bring some gloves. You'll never have so much fun cleaning up!
For more about Pick-UP Boonville click here.
2/17/15
Of Valentines
Love Notes 2015 Review
by John Brady
This past weekend offered me just the ticket to quash the winter cabin fever blahs. Saturday night, I ventured out on a frigid night to see a performance at Turner Hall in Boonville, Missouri. It was called "Love Notes: A Swinging Valentine" and was put on by the wildly talented "Turner Hall River Rats for The Arts", the same group that put on the play "Gumbo Bottoms" and many other locally produced performances over many years hence.
The performance was a medley of songs and action, shuffled in a low-key and audience inclusive way. Their were old standards, torchy songs and even an R&B number woven into the story. The singing was wonderful and the action on stage by the troupe, which appeared to include members from seven years old to 70 and beyond. They sang and emoted with charm, humor, grace and a real relationship with the audience. One number had people pulled from their chairs to dance and sing with the cast. Another had action taking place across the stage and down the aisles.
I am so impressed with this talented groups' talent and energy in writing, scoring and performing this home-grown show. The warmth in the house gave the elbow to the attic air outside. Congratulations and thanks to all of the troupe for a genuinely funny and heart-touching evening.
(Photo by Mike Kellner - Front row: Jen Davis, Deb Jewett, Lesley Oswald - Back row: Willie Cogshell, Michael Crowe, Steve Jones) 11/8/14
Gumbo Bottoms in Concert!
Members of Gumbo Bottoms cast along with Cathy Barton and Dave Para presented a "storybook" version of the musical for the Missouri Folklore Society's Annual Conference at the Isle of Capri in Boonville November 8th. Meredith Ludwig trimmed the show to a 50 minute presentation which will soon be available to schools, libraries and riverboats.
www.GumboBottomMusical.com
Gumbo Bottoms in Concert!
Members of Gumbo Bottoms cast along with Cathy Barton and Dave Para presented a "storybook" version of the musical for the Missouri Folklore Society's Annual Conference at the Isle of Capri in Boonville November 8th. Meredith Ludwig trimmed the show to a 50 minute presentation which will soon be available to schools, libraries and riverboats.
www.GumboBottomMusical.com
8/26/14
Submitted by Missouri River Relief
On Saturday, September 20th community volunteers and mid-mo residents are invited to a day full of friends on the river, music, educational activities and good food as part of Missouri River Relief’s “Big Muddy Clean Sweep”; a two month continuous clean-up by barge this Fall.
It's been since 2005 since we held a big community clean-up on the Missouri River in Boonville! As part of our "Big Muddy Clean Sweep", a rolling river clean-up by barge in September & October, we'll be coming through Boonville, cleaning our way downstream.
With an already active and dedicated group of Boonville river rats on board, we'll also be bringing the first Boonville Missouri River Festival to town, with great live music, food, educational exhibits, kids activities and more! You won't want to miss it!
Join community volunteers in the morning at Franklin Island Conservation Area in Boonville to help clean up the Missouri River, followed by a lively River Festival at the Isle of Capri riverside parking area in the afternoon. Help celebrate and clean up our nation’s longest river!
Missouri River Clean-up in the morning:
9 a.m.-12 p.m. at Franklin Island Conservation Area
Boonville River Festival in the afternoon:
11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Isle of Capri riverside parking area
Missouri River Relief will host a river clean-up from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, rain or shine out of the Franklin Island Conservation Area boat ramp on the Missouri River. Boats will ferry volunteers to locations along the river for a couple of hours to gather trash along its banks. Other volunteers, including youth groups, will also pick up trash along the banks and parking lots. While there is no deadline to sign up for the event, volunteers, groups and families are encouraged to register in advance at: http://www.riverrelief.org/sign-up/
The event is FREE and open to the public. Groups, individuals, and all ages & abilities are welcome to come and join the fun! Volunteers will receive a free boat ride, t-shirt, trash bags, gloves, in addition to a complimentary lunch from the Isle of Capri Hotel & Casino.
Following the clean-up, an educational river festival will kick-off from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Isle of Capri Hotel & Casino’s riverside parking area. The Boonville River Festival will feature musical acts WildHeart, the Boone County Tick Pickers, Violet and the Undercurrents, and Cindy Woolf & Mark Bilyeu’s new band, featuring drummer Jay Williamson of Big Smith, and award winning bluegrass musicians, Jason & Jeremy Chapman.
Festival goers will also enjoy kid activities, local food & beverages, educational art exhibits, a trash contest and more!
The Boonville River Festival & Missouri River Clean-up is a great opportunity to highlight the community’s rich river history while doing something positive for the health and beauty of the Missouri River. For more information and to sign-up, visit our webpage at: www.riverrelief.org.
The event is being sponsored by Missouri River Relief, the Isle of Capri Hotel & Casino, Boonville Tourism Commission, Boonville Daily News, KWRT Radio, Walmart, Missouri Arts Council, City of Boonville, National Park Service, Alliance Water, Copies Etc., Turner Hall River Rats for the Arts, Missouri River Monument, Mellor Trailers, The Hotel Frederick – Restaurant & Lounge, Rick Ball Auto Mall, and many more. For a complete list visit our webpage at www.riverrelief.org.
“The River is a Classroom” Missouri River Relief is offering Experiential Environmental Education program (E3) opportunities to local schools and youth groups in Boonville and the surrounding areas to offer a unique opportunity to learn about and experience the magnificence of the Missouri River. We are collaborating with teachers and group leaders to provide kids (grades 3-12) with an all-around E3 program that will foster the creation of the next generation of river stewards.
Prior to the prior to the Boonville River Festival & Missouri River Clean-Up (Sept. 20th), River Relief will be offering FREE presentations to youth groups and classrooms through August and September. Kids will learn about the history, management, and wildlife that rely on the nation’s longest river as well as their role in caring for and protecting the river. Participants will then create a “What the River Means to Me” art project (e.g. essay, painting, trash sculpture) that incorporates what they learned about the Missouri River which will be displayed at the River Festival and on Missouri River Relief's Flickr page. Students will complete the E3 program by joining us on the river in Boonville to have some Big Muddy fun!
Help Celebrate and Clean-up Our Nation’s Longest River!! Questions?
River Festival Coordinator: Jen Davis at [email protected]
River Clean-up Coordinator: Melanie Cheney at [email protected]
Find us on Facebook: Missouri River Relief
About Missouri River Relief
Missouri River Relief (MRR) is a grassroots, volunteer and equipment-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to connecting people to the Missouri River through hands-on river cleanups, education events and stewardship activities. The organization is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization headquartered in Columbia, Missouri. 2014 marks MRR’s 14th year. MRR has hosted 116 Missouri River cleanups, bringing 19,563 volunteers to clean 756 tons of trash from 924 miles of the river. MRR has participated in and hosted cleanups in eight states, from the Mississippi River to Yankton, S.D. In addition, the organization has promoted local river education through 300+ outreach projects, aiming to build public awareness, action and support for a healthy river.
Submitted by Missouri River Relief
On Saturday, September 20th community volunteers and mid-mo residents are invited to a day full of friends on the river, music, educational activities and good food as part of Missouri River Relief’s “Big Muddy Clean Sweep”; a two month continuous clean-up by barge this Fall.
It's been since 2005 since we held a big community clean-up on the Missouri River in Boonville! As part of our "Big Muddy Clean Sweep", a rolling river clean-up by barge in September & October, we'll be coming through Boonville, cleaning our way downstream.
With an already active and dedicated group of Boonville river rats on board, we'll also be bringing the first Boonville Missouri River Festival to town, with great live music, food, educational exhibits, kids activities and more! You won't want to miss it!
Join community volunteers in the morning at Franklin Island Conservation Area in Boonville to help clean up the Missouri River, followed by a lively River Festival at the Isle of Capri riverside parking area in the afternoon. Help celebrate and clean up our nation’s longest river!
Missouri River Clean-up in the morning:
9 a.m.-12 p.m. at Franklin Island Conservation Area
Boonville River Festival in the afternoon:
11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Isle of Capri riverside parking area
Missouri River Relief will host a river clean-up from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, rain or shine out of the Franklin Island Conservation Area boat ramp on the Missouri River. Boats will ferry volunteers to locations along the river for a couple of hours to gather trash along its banks. Other volunteers, including youth groups, will also pick up trash along the banks and parking lots. While there is no deadline to sign up for the event, volunteers, groups and families are encouraged to register in advance at: http://www.riverrelief.org/sign-up/
The event is FREE and open to the public. Groups, individuals, and all ages & abilities are welcome to come and join the fun! Volunteers will receive a free boat ride, t-shirt, trash bags, gloves, in addition to a complimentary lunch from the Isle of Capri Hotel & Casino.
Following the clean-up, an educational river festival will kick-off from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Isle of Capri Hotel & Casino’s riverside parking area. The Boonville River Festival will feature musical acts WildHeart, the Boone County Tick Pickers, Violet and the Undercurrents, and Cindy Woolf & Mark Bilyeu’s new band, featuring drummer Jay Williamson of Big Smith, and award winning bluegrass musicians, Jason & Jeremy Chapman.
Festival goers will also enjoy kid activities, local food & beverages, educational art exhibits, a trash contest and more!
The Boonville River Festival & Missouri River Clean-up is a great opportunity to highlight the community’s rich river history while doing something positive for the health and beauty of the Missouri River. For more information and to sign-up, visit our webpage at: www.riverrelief.org.
The event is being sponsored by Missouri River Relief, the Isle of Capri Hotel & Casino, Boonville Tourism Commission, Boonville Daily News, KWRT Radio, Walmart, Missouri Arts Council, City of Boonville, National Park Service, Alliance Water, Copies Etc., Turner Hall River Rats for the Arts, Missouri River Monument, Mellor Trailers, The Hotel Frederick – Restaurant & Lounge, Rick Ball Auto Mall, and many more. For a complete list visit our webpage at www.riverrelief.org.
“The River is a Classroom” Missouri River Relief is offering Experiential Environmental Education program (E3) opportunities to local schools and youth groups in Boonville and the surrounding areas to offer a unique opportunity to learn about and experience the magnificence of the Missouri River. We are collaborating with teachers and group leaders to provide kids (grades 3-12) with an all-around E3 program that will foster the creation of the next generation of river stewards.
Prior to the prior to the Boonville River Festival & Missouri River Clean-Up (Sept. 20th), River Relief will be offering FREE presentations to youth groups and classrooms through August and September. Kids will learn about the history, management, and wildlife that rely on the nation’s longest river as well as their role in caring for and protecting the river. Participants will then create a “What the River Means to Me” art project (e.g. essay, painting, trash sculpture) that incorporates what they learned about the Missouri River which will be displayed at the River Festival and on Missouri River Relief's Flickr page. Students will complete the E3 program by joining us on the river in Boonville to have some Big Muddy fun!
Help Celebrate and Clean-up Our Nation’s Longest River!! Questions?
River Festival Coordinator: Jen Davis at [email protected]
River Clean-up Coordinator: Melanie Cheney at [email protected]
Find us on Facebook: Missouri River Relief
About Missouri River Relief
Missouri River Relief (MRR) is a grassroots, volunteer and equipment-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to connecting people to the Missouri River through hands-on river cleanups, education events and stewardship activities. The organization is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization headquartered in Columbia, Missouri. 2014 marks MRR’s 14th year. MRR has hosted 116 Missouri River cleanups, bringing 19,563 volunteers to clean 756 tons of trash from 924 miles of the river. MRR has participated in and hosted cleanups in eight states, from the Mississippi River to Yankton, S.D. In addition, the organization has promoted local river education through 300+ outreach projects, aiming to build public awareness, action and support for a healthy river.
