Tonight: Get your “Groove On!”

Tongue & Groove Spontaneous Theater presents “Groove On!” tonight at L’Etage, 624 South 6th Street. The fundraiser will feature daring displays of the other talents of the ensemble’s members which includes two South Philly residents.

Tongue & Groove is a Philly-based improvised theater group founded in 2006.  In their regular shows, the group anonymously collects thoughts from audience members which they then use to create improvised scenes and monologues.

Tonight’s show is more of a talent show-meets-fundraiser.

Various cast members will showcase their skills which include cabaret singer, magician and drummer.  They’ll be joined by special guests to offer a fun-filled evening.

Ensemble member and East Passyunk Crossing resident, Beth Dougherty, noted that the group just received non-profit status through CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia.  The fundraiser will help the group meet their mission of helping people connect in a disconnected world. “A show like ours [in which] we create the content from suggestions we receive from the audience…connects everyone who is present…we help to bring people together…and everyone walks out feeling the same good feeling together,” Dougherty explained.

Dougherty, a founding member of the company, was invited to join by company director Bobbi Block. Off-stage, Dougherty has served on the East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association board since 2008 and helped form its Education Committee. She loves the creative opportunity the ensemble affords her,  “I love my work and my community activism and involvement, but there is nothing like getting up on stage and creating a show from scratch like we do.”

While creating a show from scratch might seem stressful to some, Dougherty notes, “it’s really more fun than anything to get the suggestions and get out there and put it all together.  The challenge can be trying to be “funny” – sometimes if you aren’t getting as many laughs as you would like, there is the tendency to push something and try too hard to be funny, which almost always backfires.”  She enjoys the group’s camaraderie, “they are wonderful, funny, creative and inspiring, and I love to be around them!”

Check out the group’s talents tonight by purchasing tickets here.