Ashley Harrell

Last weekend marked the debut performance of Manhattan Comedy Collective’s newest Character Dogville team, “Sir Reality.” It all started with a six-week long rehearsal process, in which we slowly developed wacky characters and learned how they would interact in any given situation. The style is best described as “character improv.” So everything is improvised, but we are acting as characters that have already been developed. Our particular show is a spoof of a reality show, in which our characters are placed in a location (which is suggested by the audience) and we interact with each other as if we are on some sort of Real World/Big Brother spin-off.

Before Friday’s show, I was anxiously racked with nerves in anticipation of the audience-given suggestion that was certain to be off-center. As a side note here, I am normally as cool as a cucumber when I take the stage. But my butterflies only escalated when we stepped out on stage and I saw the house was packed. The only thing running through my mind was the fear that whatever I improvised would fall flat and not get any laughs.

My character choice was a dramatic and sultry cabaret singer named “Veronica Vixen.” We were placed at “the Alamo,” and my first thought was “What the hell would Veronica do at the Alamo?” I was pulling a classic Ashley: over-thinking. It took me a good ten minutes to try and adapt, and eventually, things straightened out and we ended with a bang. I think before our next show I might have a glass of wine to take the edge off!

That said, thought I would share with you all the characters:

As a final note, the best part of the show was coming out to the lobby and seeing all the awesome friends who were there to support us! Thanks so much to all my girls and to my 201 class – you made my night.