Stage 4 Improv Comedy

This weekend, I attended an improv comedy show for the very first time. Improv shows are basically scenes or stories enacted by actors on stage using suggestions from the audience. This means nothing is scripted and things are made up on the spot. The best part is that it is funny!

The show was performed by the very talented group called Stage 4 Improv at the Black Cat Licorice Theater in San Jose. It was an hour and a half long show. We arrived at the theater early as we wanted to have dinner before the show. We parked at the theatre and walked toward Gojo Ethiopian Restaurant. It was one of the most amazing meals I have had. Highly recommend the place.

The theatre is quite small and seats about 40 people. This means there are no bad seats and everyone gets a good view of the stage. The show started promptly at 8pm. The 4 actors arrived on stage and asked a few questions to the audience. Based on the responses (birthday, undertaker and toilet paper!), they performed a 2 act broadway musical titled 'A life worth wiping :D' complete with songs and acting. My mind was blown away by the sheer talent in terms of the songs, humor, acting and the story. It was incredible! After the long form improv show, they performed several small scenes again based on audience suggestions. Those were superb too.

There was not a single dull moment and I was laughing throughout. I was so glad I got introduced to improv comedy and I'm sure I'll be going back to catch more shows. High quality entertainment at such a low price-what's not to like!

What: Improv Comedy 

Where: Black Cat Licorice Theater

Crime Scene Investigation Lecture

Bay Area Older Adults organized an event around Crime Scene Investigation. It was held at the Forensic Science Center in downtown San Jose. Our host for the evening was Cordelia Willis, a Santa Clara County Criminalist. She has almost 17 years of experience working in the various labs of the forensic department (blood spatter, DNA, prints, firearms, trace evidence etc).

As the general public does not have access to the labs for obvious reasons, the event was in the form of a lecture with a presentation. It was a very educational session with lots of good questions from the audience. I learnt so much about DNA collection, database matches, trace evidence collection and ballistic reports. Cordelia peppered the lecture with real case stories that she worked on which ensured the audience was hooked. With constant barrage of audience questions, the two hour session got extended to three hours!

I think these lectures are held once a month and are open to the public. If forensics interests you, this lecture is not to be missed.