In the warehouse where East Bay Pro Wrestling (EBPW) calls home, improv comedy team Dragon Viper Cobra made the cold pavement their stage and the dull fluorescents their stage lights. Three one-hour shows in the spirit of improvised comedy were completely original and different.

The improv comedy team did a triple header show on Friday Feb. 17.

The 7 p.m. show paid homage to the location with an improv battle between two sub teams labeled gray team and maroon team.

They began with a rap game, each team vying for “LOL’s.” One game led to improvisor Kate Pursley pleading on her knees screaming, “Elvis is still alive,” and an audience chanting,“we gotta stop killing our bees.”

The winning team was chosen by a referee who prompted the audience to cheer loudest for the better performers.
In the roar of the cheers and applause, coupled with the aroma of burnt popcorn and dry sweat, an audience member could easily close their eyes and transplant themselves to a wrestling match that might have occurred in the same location just a week earlier.

The show is a great example of improv comedy. Whether it is your first time or you have done improv yourself, it will make you laugh through the evening. There’s truly something for everyone.

They have physical comedy, gut punching one liners, bizarre scene premises and reference comedy which Greg Reasoner is a master of.

EBPW owner and pro wrestler, Tim Bartlett (stage name Maynard Skynrd), said this was his first improv show and that it reminded him of the classic television show ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway.’

Bartlett also told the story of how the improv show came to be at his pro wrestling warehouse.

Reasoner went to the wrestling shows with Madison Brown, both original members of the club. Reasoner said they are always looking for venues to perform at and Brown’s husband happened to be a ref at EBPW, who got the club in contact with Bartlett who said, “any advertisement is a good advertisement,” and put the improv show in the books.

The current iteration of the club that has evolved since the troupe’s genesis in 2010 is the best.

Current leader and director Jeremy Dorado said, “We’ve been going in a new direction for awhile and tonight was an example of that.” Like an unscripted show, being consistently good and funny is a challenge“Right now we are just following the fun,” said Dorado.

The club has monthly shows with the next one at the Campbell Theater  on March 10. Find Dragon Viper Cobra on Facebook for more information.