Go 4 Broke plays for laughs

Go 4 Broke is gearing up to unleash its brand of crazy improv comedy on capital region audiences.

Now in its fourth season, the St. Albert-based improv troupe is hosting one of its wild and wacky series on the third Friday of every month at Avenue Theatre starting April 18.

Proud of past accomplishments since its founding in 2010, the comedy troupe launched with no money and lots of bright ideas.

“We do the Edmonton Fringe every year. Whatever money we make, we spend to make the show better. Recently we had auditions and had really good turnouts. The word is getting out. We like to say we’re a professional improv group, but really we’re a self-taught group of friends. And most people that audition for us find us a breath of fresh air,” said spokesperson Sean Bedard.

Rounding out the group of quick-thinking 20-somethings is Ali Yusuf, Josh Languedoc, Scott Pedrick, Tyler Dettling, Meg Webster and Michael Gordon.

Go 4 Broke relies heavily on games planned with audience suggestions in mind. April’s theme of the month is Improv’s Most Wanted, a spree of mug-shot crime solving.

One of the gang’s new games is titled Dark Stormy Night. In this murder mystery five people start performing on stage. As the lights go out and a thunderclap sounds, one person dies.

“The kicker is that neither the actors nor the audience knows who is going to die. The light techs get to choose when the lights go out,” Bedard explained.

In a similar guessing vein, News Anchor has three reporters playing off each other. Two anchors sit at a desk with a screen tacked behind. To the right is a reporter in the field with his back to the anchors and the screen.

“The person in the field has no idea what’s behind him and the anchors try to make him guess. Everybody can see what is happening except the reporter in the field.”

Although Go 4 Broke is a St. Albert creation, the company has never performed at a local venue.

“There’s not a lot of venues in St. Albert that are appropriate for us or that would support a cast. If you know of a venue, get in touch with us,” Bedard said.

Lastly, the cast is asking fans to keep an eye on YouTube. In May, Go 4 Broke plans to release a video entitled Justice Hour based on the fictional universe of DC Comics. Prepare to see a super-hero spoof involving Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Aquaman and The Flash living under the same roof.