The Hamazons, the improvisational comedy group founded in 1999, consists of Eve Smyth, Cil Stengel, Kyndra Laughery and Carolyn Myers. One summer evening, I joined Eve, Cil and Kyndra around Eve’s kitchen table to kibitz about improvisation, laughter and community.
ES: This year we did three shows at Tease Restaurant in Ashland before it closed.
KL: People could eat, have some drinks and relax. It was a fun, raucous time doing improvisation.
CS: Night-clubby, lots of fun, lots of laughs.
EH: Do you usually perform in theaters?
ES: We’ve performed in The Dance Space, The Barn”…
CS: The Black Swan, the Community Center, those kinds of things.
ES: A few months ago we did a house show. Someone invited a bunch of people to come to their house and asked us to perform.
CS: It’s totally fun. Every show is catered to the audience. It’s really wonderful, intimate and personal.
KL: Poking fun at human nature.
ES: We take suggestions from the audience. We all create the show together.
CS: The fact that it’s happening in the moment is what’s special.
