By KIM NOWACKI
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC
06/08/07
Ryan Stiles and the gang from 'Whose Line Is It Anyway' will perform at the Capitol Theatre.
Rubber-faced comedian Ryan Stiles has been thinking quick on his feet for years as one of the improv masters on the television show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
And Wednesday, he'll bring his talent for playing pretend to the Capitol Theatre for "A Night of Improv." Joining the lanky Stiles are Greg Proops, Chip Esten and Jeff Davis. All are alums of "Whose Line," which originated in the UK and was later made into an American version. (Davis is the only one who wasn't on both shows.)
The ensemble cast has been riffing off each other for years and know how to make the most of a bizarre situation -- as dictated by the audience.
"It's fun to get together with these guys," says the 48-year-old Stiles, a Seattle native who now lives in Bellingham, Wash. "We try to surprise each other; a lot of it we've covered before, so we just try and cover it in a new way."
Wednesday's 90-minute show will consist of a number of improv games where the situations come from audience suggestions. It's a lot like television's "Whose Line" except, "We don't have Drew there slowing us down," quips Stiles about Drew Carey, the former host of the American version of "Whose Line" as well as Stiles' co-star on "The Drew Carey Show."
Also, says Stiles, in this kind of performance, there's time to really develop the scenes and a lot more audience involvement than what you see on TV.
So, "if it's bad," he deadpans, "it's their fault."
