Excerpt from Miriam Greenwald’s 1001 Places to Go Before You Die

#873, Half Moon Bay’s Blue Blanket Improv
 

Situated on the beautiful Pacific Coast and thirty minutes south of San Francisco, Half Moon Bay (pop. 12,013) is well known for its stunning ocean views and annual Pumpkin Festival each October.  A hidden gem, known only to the local arts-loving population, is the resident improv troupe Blue Blanket Improv.  Performing in intimate venues (currently, FIT Studio, 50 N. Cabrillo Highway Route 1), this tightly knit group of comic actors has been entertaining audiences with their signature short-form monthly comedy shows since 2008.  At a recent show we attended, laughs rang out as the actors took suggestions from the audience, weaving them into scenes of fantasy, courtroom drama, science fiction, and Westerns.  Characters emerged to wrangle with impossible situations, fueled by the applause and, on occasion, active participation of the audience.   Each scene, lasting 3 to 10 minutes in length, presented a new test for the actors:
“Repeat that scene at double the speed!” “Speak only in questions!”  “Start each new sentence with the next letter of the alphabet!”  “Break into song on cue!”  Yet no matter how tricky the request, the cast rose to the challenge with aplomb.   Visitors to Half Moon Bay no longer need to  head to San Francisco or San Jose for their nightly entertainment.  Plan your trip for a Blue Blanket Saturday (find upcoming show dates at http://www.blueblanketimprov.com ) and join the locals in-the-know for hot comedy on a cool evening!  (Admission $10 adults, $5 children 12 and under)

Disclaimer:  The Greenwald book reference is a parody.  No such book exists.  But Blue Blanket Improv is real and will be performing short form improvisational comedy:  audience suggestions will fuel short scenes of hilarity.