Interview By: Emma Sikes
On this international day of lady love (Galentine’s Day) I am happy to be sharing an interview I conducted with Co-founder of Front Porch Improv, Brianne Halverson. We chatted about how she has cultivated and continues to maintain the coveted title of “lady boss”. Read and be prepared to update your #womancrushwednesday. #WCW
Emma Sikes: What is the herstory/history behind Front Porch Improv?
Brianne Halverson: I did cofound Front Porch with people who have genitalia opposite mine, so it is a shared ‘story. We founded Front Porch Improv (We = John Brennan, Dolly Brennan and Dan Gilbert) under silly and slightly chaotic circumstances; I used to work at SCAD, and I would leave at 5pm and feel a deep need to be weird. It was really hard for me to be normal for 9 hours of the day. As I biked home I would just yell because I had all this energy pent up inside me, so I joined a group for people who liked improv. We met at a contemporary church room that also had AA meetings, so half of the group had ankle bracelets because they were court ordered and half of them were in recovery and then a select few wanted to do improv. We then started to meet and began doing a monthly show, and then twice a month, then weekly shows. Then eventually we put on a show that was very large, about 200 people and the Fire Marshall showed up and that’s when we realized “maybe we can find a space for this”. That kind of forced us, we had no plans to open a theater, but we (I) needed a place to go so I wouldn’t yell at the neighbors.
Emma Sikes: If you could sit on your Front Porch (Improv) with 3 people who would it be? And what drink and snack combo would you serve them?
Brianne Halverson: We’ll start with snacks, I’m serving everyone Burnt Cheeze-its and a boozy kombucha. My first pick is Bette Midler, mostly because she’s brassy and amazing. Second pick is somebody who can accompany Bette and I while we sing so let’s go with my middle school teacher Ray Sweeney or Sween Bean as we called him. Rounding out our marvelous foursome will be Jackee from 227, she’s the funniest woman ever, Jackee Harry.
ES: A very solid grouping.
BH: We will be so happy together.
ES: How did you know you loved improv? Did you fall in love all at once or did you look into ‘provs eyes 6 years into your marriage and realize you wouldn’t wanna be with/be doing anything else?
BH: I did it in high school, definitely got to second base with ‘prov there. I went to New York city and lost my virginity, had my first orgasm 10 years ago, and now I’m in menopause, my body’s changing and I’m drying up, and I’m giving myself sponge baths. I never wanted to be an actor, and some people who do improv do, I liked having full ownership of what I was making. There was a lot of autonomy even though it’s a group based medium. I felt like with acting I had to wait for approval, and with improv the gratification is instant and the connection is required and palpable.
ES: What song plays (in your head) when you walk into the post office and other intimidating government buildings?
BH: There is this song and I just have to play it for you. It’s called I’ve Never Been To Me by Charlene.
Silence falls on the two women as they listen to this masterpiece of a song that begins with “Hey lady, you lady”. The song leaves both women in a place of indescribable sadness yet somehow also fills them with enormous hope, sexiness and giggles.
(you just have to listen).
ES: Where is the weirdest place you’ve ever ‘proved?
BH: I’ve done it on subway trains but that’s not that weird if you're a New Yorker, I’ve done it in grocery stores to amuse myself. I pick a character and end up buying food that that character would like. I don't like green beans in a can, but Sylvia does, so she must purchase them! It’s also a good place to practice accents and body stuff.
ES: Did you ever do questionable things for your art? Writing “climate change” across your naked body or done borderline improv pranking?
BH: I have done shows where people have passed out because we did too much fake blood. I also did naked improv, topless improv for a while, I liked my boobs so I did that…no butts, no butt stuff.
ES: Will Improv ever be cool?
BH: I think the worst improv is cool. If you are above your characters, and want to look cool you should do stand up. Improv is about vulnerability and connection and I love stand up, I'm not saying that as a diss but I do think the best improvisers are not cool. They are total losers who are exploring the human condition. I have to tell certain students “you won’t get better until you stop trying to be cool, it’s hindering your improv”.
ES: You’ve conquered the feat that is opening a hip, cool, and thriving Improv theater in Savannah, GA. Do you have any tips N tricks on how to stay motivated to be a bad-ass lady boss 24/7?
BH: You have to invite chaos and change and know that nothing is going to stay the same and that actually the chaos is where the fun is. Welcome chaos and growth, there is no growth without agitation, so I just seek to be agitated, that’s why I punch so many people.
ES: If you were miraculously employed by the US government (Congress higher ups believed a little improv might bring about across the aisle reach arounds) What improv games would you make old crotchety congresspeople play?
BH: I wanna humiliate them so, “Yes Let’s!” A game where one person says “Let’s pretend we’re bugs" and then the other person says “Yes Let’s!” then they have to pretend they're bugs. It's a very deeply lame game that I believe is super important.
ES: Can you hold this for me?
BOOBBEES one and only journalist Emma, then walks over to Bri and hands her a ball of nothing. Halverson then cradles this nothing and molds it into a crying baby, she then starts to care for and sing it an original lullaby.
Sikes wanted to do things that no other non-visual mediums would ever think to do, describe improv after the fact in words only, Bam America, she just did, just that.
ES: Do you recommend that lonely improv girls find solace and happiness with lonely improv guys?
BH: You mean dating?
ES nods
BH: I have dated an improviser and it ended poorly, we were in a group together. I mean improv people are the most fun people because they just say yes to the most bizarre shit. But I like to have an audience member as my boyfriend. So no, I want the guy who’s laughing at all my jokes, not the guy making all the jokes, my husbands a really good laugher. He claps when he laughs too, so when it’s happening I’m like “that’s why I married you”.
ES: Would you ever run for mayor of the city of Savannah- If so, what’s your slogan?
BH: Yes, I would run for mayor. Of course I would, why wouldn’t I? I’d be better than any mayor that ever existed in any city ever. My slogan would be “Keep that chin up, honey” or “From the ocean to the bridge, Savannah’s progress is coming”. Woah that one actually sounds real!
Bri has an insane amount of vibrant joy that simply oozes out of her. Chatting with her left me feeling lighter, fluffier and like you could bounce quarters off the firm and level surface that is my being. #quartertest Everyone should take in this force of a woman in any way shape or form that they are able, attend a Front Porch Improv show, take a improv class, or just stand outside of her house everyday and chirp along with the birds who greet her with a song each morning. (Don’t do the last option, it's creepy and there isn’t enough cover for two people she will see us and eventually swat us away).
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