BCCC Improv Team Wins Regional Comedy Title

It’s a Cinderella story, with a comedic twist. The top team from a private, elite Main Line college backs out of a regional competition just two days before the date. A scrappy bunch of six unknowns from takes the open spot – and wins.

That’s what happened Oct. 22 in Philadelphia, when the team from BCCC won the Mid-Atlantic Regionals of the National College Improv Tournament, besting teams from Oberlin, Haverford, La Salle and Temple at the Philly Shakespeare Theater. It’s the first time a community college won a regional contest in the five-year history of the Chicago Improv Festival’s competition.

“We found out on a Thursday that one of the Haverford teams dropped out,” said Rob Gentile of Newtown, coach of the team that calls themselves Deleted Scenes. “The competition was that Saturday, so we decided to enter.”

In addition to Gentile, Deleted Scenes is comprised of Rob Caso, Bobby Lang, Harrison Lichtner, Dave Piccinetti and Kyle Reichert. Their winning improvisation involved acting out a movie using puppets that each member made to somewhat resemble themselves.

The next challenge for Deleted Scenes will be to raise funds to travel to Chicago for the national finals in March. Reichert, president of the BCCC Improv Club at Bucks, said the team will be selling T-shirts through its website, www.deletedscenesimprov.com.

Gentile credits the group’s success to chemistry among its members. “We’re all good friends, we gel well together, and we’re all really dedicated, so it makes it easy when everyone’s on the same page,” he said.

The team formed last December, after studying improvisational performance with Bill McLaughlin and launching a student club to hone their comedy improv skills.

They’ve been bringing laughs to venues in Philadelphia and the suburbs ever since.

“The big kick for me is seeing so many of my students from previous semesters stay in touch with each other and return to help develop the new students,” said McLaughlin, a comedy veteran from Morrisville who has been teaching at BCCC for seven years. “Their experience with the improv class has led to friendships and collaborations that are still going strong.”

The public has two chances to view the comedic talents of these and other BCCC students. On Saturday, Nov. 12, the BCCC Improv Club hosts Bucks Live!, an evening of sketch stand-up, and improv comedy along with live musical performances. Directed by Reichert, performers include most Deleted Scenes members as well as other student club members. The show gets underway at 7 p.m. in the Gateway Auditorium of the Newtown Campus. Tickets for Bucks Live! are $5 and available at the door.

On Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3 McLaughlin’s improvisational performance classes present Occupy Improv, with Deleted Scenes making a guest appearance. Tickets for Occupy Improv are $7 and available at the door of the Gateway Auditorium.

Potential students have a chance to get in on the action when McLaughlin teaches two levels of improvisational performance in the spring semester, with classes meeting every Thursday for 15 weeks starting Jan. 19. To learn more, contact the Department of the Arts at 215-968-8425 or visit www.bucks.edu/arts.