The Laugh’s the Thing

“We are beside ourselves that a performer and director like Cody Dove would come here and spend about three months working with us to help build this new improv team and show,” Montoya said.

The Box Performance Space and Improv Theatre for the last five years has hosted famed improv groups The Pajama Men and The One Night Stanleys, a four-time winner of the Weekly Alibi’s “Best of Burque” for Best Comedy Troupe.

“Now the Box is excited to add ‘The Show’ to its lineup,” Montoya said.

Montoya said the group is composed of eight local performers. He said “The Show” is a fast-paced, intelligent short improv production that was created and directed by Dove.

In the making for more than two years, the process included choosing eight performers from more than 25 who auditioned, Montoya said.

He added that the performers have been working with Dove for three months preparing for its debut.

“The audience is going to see a fast-paced improv show that is very polished, with shows of about 45 minutes to no more than an hour,” Montoya said. “They won’t be glib, with no inappropriate language, and will be suitable for all ages.

“The great thing is this team will present the kind of improv that is very similar to the improv you see in shows like ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway,’ and to improv theater seen in venues like Los Angeles and Chicago.”

Montoya, who co-owns the theater with artistic director Kristen Berg, said he is excited and they have been working hard to build a strong improv theater.

Dove said The Box will share a common bond with improv companies like Second City “in that improvisation is the cornerstone upon which their comedy will be built.”

“Improv is actually a serious and respected theater style,” Dove said. “Out of what may seem controlled chaos emerges a symphony.

Farmington native Cody Dove created "The Show."

“The key to improv is practice, listen and get to know your fellow actors’ reactions and tendencies,” Dove said.

Dove described the cast of “The Show” as “incredibly talented.”

“I think things have gone very well to this point,” Dove said. “I think the audience will be part of the fun, magic and chemistry and the actors will feed off that,” he added.

As a cast member of Second City, Dove wrote and performed in “Rivercan’t,” “The Trafficanterbury Tales,” “For Those About to Iraq,” “Who’s Yer Baghdadi” and “No Shirt,” No Shoes, No WMDs.”

Second City alums include John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Alan Arkin, Barbara Harris, Robert Klein, David Steinberg, Fred Willard, Tina Fey, Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert.

Traveling on a cruise line around the world, Dove works in a partnership between Second City and Norwegian Cruise Lines.

While in New Mexico, Dove performed with Joe Carney in the two-man show “Cleveland” at the Box Performance Space. In Chicago, he also teaches improv at the Second City Training Center, and occasionally performs at the improvisational theater.

Dove said the Box Improv Theatre will offer a unique and affordable form of entertainment.

“I think it’s cool that we can bring something that will be unique in New Mexico, and a cool opportunity for people to see it at an affordable ticket price, that the whole family can see and enjoy,” he said.

“I’m excited to see how it will all work out.”

Dove will continue his tour with the ocean cruise line company, but he adds he will “be in constant communication with the theatre and the show producers.”

Asked whether he planned to act in “The Show,” Dove said he considers The Box a home theater and that if he’s in town for a production, he may ask to sit in.

“They may turn out to be so good that they might just tell me, no, we’re good to go.”