EUGENE–University Theatre will make a rousing and hilarious start to the 2000-2001 season with two performances by Eugene’s premiere comedy troupe, Absolute Improv, at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 29—30, in Robinson Theatre at Villard Hall, 1109 Old Campus Lane on the University of Oregon campus.

Tickets are $10 for the general public; $8 for senior citizens, UO faculty and staff and non-UO students; and $5 for UO students. Free parking is available nearby in university lots at East 11th and Kincaid.

Absolute Improv reflects a combination of influences including comedy sports, theater games and the hit television show, "Whose Line Is It, Anyway?" Nothing they do on stage is scripted. The show is actually developed on the spot from suggestions provided by the audience. Because of this spur-of -the-moment, audience-interaction approach, much of the humor is topical and often quite ironic or satirical.

The company, formed by UO Department of Theater Arts students five years ago, has performed more than 200 shows for thousands of people from Alaska to California. Included have been audiences at Boise State University and the University of Idaho as well as several performances as part of the New Year’s Eve Millennium Celebration in Redding, Calif.

Locally, they played Charley’s Comedy Club weekly for more than a year and have performed at the Wild Duck, A.C.E., and the Pocket and Robinson theaters on campus. In addition, Absolute Improv was invited this year to headline the entertainment for the annual UO President’s Dinner.

Each member of the company has extensive training in acting and improvisation. All have completed some or all of the acting and directing sequence of courses at the University of Oregon and cumulatively have appeared in more than 50 University Theatre productions, receiving numerous awards for their acting work. They have given workshops at the annual Northwest Drama Conference and have participated in seminars with Jeff Wirth, author of "Interactive Acting."

Company members expected to take part in one or both of the Robinson Theatre shows in late September include Lindy Anderson, Kimberly Bates, Sabrina Bernasconi, Tyler Boeh, Minnie Goode, Luke Hamilton, Nathan Loveless, Quinn Mattfeld, Kathryn Reese, Kirsten Schmieding, Sam Super and Curtis Williams.

Tickets are available now on campus at the Ticket Office in the Erb Memorial Union, 1222 E. 13th Ave., (541) 346-4363. New this year, tickets will be sold only on days of performances at the University Theatre Box Office in Robinson Theatre at Villard Hall, 346-4191.

For more information, browse http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~theatre or call the University Theatre Development Office, (541) 346-4190. A taped message about University Theatre productions and activities also is available 24 hours a day by calling GuardLine from a Touch-Tone phone at 485-2000, ext. 2287.

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