Sports Bar Roseville

Lincoln monthly calendar for September

Thursday, Sept. 1

Democratic Club of Lincoln – General meeting is at 6:45 p.m. in the Kilaga Springs Lodge. The presentation this month will be The Soldiers Project by Candice McFarland, a Sacramento-area veteran with the Soldiers Project.

Mother Goose on the Loose – At Twelve Bridges Library, 485 Twelve Bridges Drive. For children up to 4-years-old and caregivers. Includes verse, song and instruments. Room limited to 100. Info: 434-2410 or visit libraryatlincoln.org.

Wellness Fair – Festivities start at 8 a.m. with a free pancake breakfast in Capitol Park to kick off National Recovery Month. The rally starts at 11:30 on the West Steps of the Capitol. There will be a free comedy show at the Crest Theater featuring popular 12-step comedian Bob Perkell.

Sew Night – From 6-8 p.m. at Sew Katie Jean. 603 Fifth St., Lincoln. Bring sewing machines and projects. Info: 209-3930 or visit vintagekatiejean.blogspot.com.

Friday, Sept. 2

Kids Fest Live Returns – A high octane, high energy, state of the art stage, lighting, fog, special effects, interactive games all with an inspirational message for elementary and preteens. From 6-8 p.m. at Heritage Theater on Highway 65. The cost is $5 and includes pizza and event.

First Friday street fairs – From 6-10 p.m. at Roseville Fountains. Featuring artisans, crafters, live music, a Kids Zone with free activities, Motor Sports Image Group Corvette car club and a beer and wine garden at The Counter. This is the last event of the year.

Billy Buckman and Friends – Play from 6-9 p.m. at Beach Hut Deli in the Raley’s Shopping Center off Highway 65 in Lincoln.

Saturday, Sept. 3

2011 Rise Skate Event – Special guest pro skater is Christian Hosoi. $15 to enter. Skaters regular session prices. Epic Indoor Skatepark is at 1104 Tinker Road in Rocklin. Info: 408-4200.

20th annual Praise in the Mountains – From noon –8:30 p.m. at Western Gateway Park in Penn Valley. Bring the whole family to the free gospel concert.

New theater brings improv comedy to Roseville - Granite Bay

A guy walks into a bar…

You might recognize this phrase as the beginning of what usually turns out to be an uninspiring joke that, if the teller is lucky, might earn a chuckle or two.

But for Paul Burke, it could be the lead in to a one-hour skit that leaves audiences rolling with laughter.

Burke is the founder of Blacktop Comedy, a new theater in Roseville that focuses on entertaining and teaching the art if improvised comedy.

For two hours every Friday night, audiences are entertained with improvised comedic sketches in which nobody, not even the actors, knows the direction it will take.

A typical improv sketch will begin with the actors asking for a key word or idea from the audience. The actors will then run with that word, phrase or idea and improvised comedic banter will follow.

One example of a typical improv show, Burke said, is where the actors take a popular fairytale of the audience’s choosing and swap out the key parts.

“So rather than Hansel and Gretel getting lost in the woods, they are getting lost in a casino,” Burke said. “We recreate that fairytale with three or four key parts changed.”

In one show, the actors used the music from the cell phone of an audience member and improvised skits based on a random song list played through the theater’s sound system.

“We’ll just play around with however we want to do it,” said Betsaida Lebron, co-owner of Blacktop Comedy. “It changes all the time.”

Lebron said improv can be a fun, low-pressure way to meet people and make new friends.

“You’re being really goofy, which we are not allowed to be normally in our daily lives,” Lebron said. “So just to have that freedom, it makes instant bonds with people.”

Blacktop Comedy also holds regular workshops on Thursday nights that are open to anyone who is interested in practicing and learning more about the art of improv, Burke said.

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