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Benefit belly laughs By MICHAEL SMITH World Scene Writer 12/15/2003 Heller hopes audiences again laugh all the way to the food bank |
Heller Theater has a great give-and-receive deal for the holidays: Give Heller cans of food, and you'll receive Santa-sized belly laughs.
This is the ninth year for Heller Theater to stage its December version of its ongoing improv comedy troupe as a benefit for the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, which distributes food to nonprofit agencies across northeastern Oklahoma.
Admission to their Thursday and Friday night shows of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"-style comedy is a minimum of five cans of food per person, said Julie Tattershall, Heller Theater artistic director.
"We worked with some other groups for a couple of years, but food is a major necessity, and if someone brings food, they're directly donating to the cause, rather than just giving us money, so we liked that," she said.
"Plus, it's kind of fun to see what people bring in. Some people have brought in some interesting food. But then, some have brought canned hams, some have brought cases of canned goods. There's no limit. I stress, admission is five cans or more."
Teen Laughing Matter, headed by Thomas Watts, stages its show at 7 p.m. Thursday, while the original Laughing Matter Improv, headed by George Nelson and Sally Adams, performs at 8 p.m. Friday.
Laughing Matter is interactive theater with audience participation, and both shows are holiday-themed, which means staging games around dysfunctional families, elves run amok and spoofs of the latest Christmas movies, Tattershall said.
The performances are at Heller Theater, 5328 S. Wheeling Ave., and reservations may be made by calling 746-5065.
More information about the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma is available by calling 585-2800.
Michael Smith 581-8334
michael.smith@tulsaworld.com
