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Goga
The Improv Review
By Syd Steinhardt
Goga, which stands for "girl on girl action" - an unfortunate acronym that conjures up images of late-night cable access entertainment - bills itself as "a powerful and positive organic theatrical force" whose "energy and artistic vision has proven contagious, inspiring women across the globe to form their own goga groups." Obviously, modesty is in short supply with these self-styled mistresses of the of the improv universe.
Meeting such high expectations would be quite a feat. It's hard to imagine how anyone could. So one would be wise to ignore the bombast, and concentrate on the fact that goga has plenty of talent to burn.
Each of the four cast members - Annie Figenshu, Topping Hagerty, Karen Herr, and Karen Wight performed this evening - can act, sing, and dance. That's a refreshing change from most improv groups, where individual members pride themselves on doing their stock shtick week after week.
For one expecting a show based on the tenets of Spolin or Johnstone, goga surprises. There are no scraps of paper to write down suggestions for the players, nor does the troupe come out and explain what is about to transpire. If one is waiting for an opportunity to shout out a suggestion, he or she will be disappointed. Instead, the members of goga play off one another as they plunge headlong into a continuous show that incorporates movement, music and comedy.
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