Spend an evening with the stars of Improv

Fans of comedy may recognize the names of Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood from their funny antics, impressions and improvisations on ABC’s Emmy-nominated “Whose Line is it Anyway?” Now these two comedians have teamed up in a show of their own, “An Evening with Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood,” coming to Richmond’s Landmark Theater on Friday, Oct. 15 at 8 p.m.

This evening of laughs will consist of improvisational comedy similar to the skits and games seen on the ABC television show. The two comedians invite audience members onto the stage to participate in some of the games, including a rap song led by Sherwood. During one show, he rapped with an older man who sold false teeth on eBay.

When asked, “why go on tour?” Mochrie replied humorously, “Everybody else (from Whose Line) was way too successful.”

Mochrie got his first laugh by splitting his pants while playing an undertaker in a high school play. Since then, he’s remained a part of comedy and improvisation. “You can’t be too uncool to do comedy,” said Mochrie, who is inspired by comedians such as John Cleese and Robin Williams. He also said that two simple things make improvisation work for him: listening to other actors and being open to do anything on stage.

But Mochrie and Sherwood have run across a few bumps in the road.

“There aren’t a lot of games that involve two people,” said Mochrie, so he and Sherwood brainstormed to create more games, adding variety and new elements to the show. One new hilarious and slightly painful game is called “Mousetraps.”

Although these new games present ways for the duo to interact with the crowd, Mochrie said that old games such as “Sentences” and “Sound Effects” are still at the top of his list because they always work well with the audience.

With tour dates slated through April 2005, Mochrie and Sherwood will also star in the new improv comedy series “Green Screen,” executive produced by comedian Drew Carey. The 30-minute show premieres tonight at 8:30 p.m. on the WB network.

When it comes to improvisation, Mochrie said he loves the “excitement of going out there and having nothing” and “that you can do it anywhere and don’t need a lot of props.”

Tickets for the Oct. 15 show are still available at the Landmark Theater box office or Ticketmaster outlets.