12/4/2023 0 Comments Improv middleditch and schwartz![]() Middleditch & Schwartz, the special in question, features Schwartz and his longtime improv partner, Thomas Middleditch, doing what they do best: crafting insane, fictional stories out of anecdotes from audience members. It’s funny and clever and possibly genius, especially Schwartz, who is so absurdly convincing in all of his modalities, be it a jilted bride or alien-child. But after seeing his preternatural ability to spin deranged, fantastic narratives out of thin air and perform them with astonishing confidence, I now knew him, unexpectedly, as my new crush. He’s best known as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein, the sort of cocky, failed entrepreneur from Parks and Recreation, though I mostly knew him as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog. And yet, watching Ben Schwartz’s improv special was what convinced me the 38-year-old comedian is really hot. This is long form improv at its very BEST Seriously, I bet so many of these guys' Hollywood friends are watching in awe and thinking "holy s**t, I wish I was that good.The words “improv special” have never really inspired desire in me. If you're complaining it's not perfect, you simply don't understand the years of training and the level of technical skill you're witnessing. With a beginning a middle and an end, a conflict, a resolution, multiple characters (more HUMAN-like characters than in many Hollywood films I see), a theme, the whole nine yards. I'm confused by some reviews that complain these shows lack storylines (?) or occasionally misstep with a laugh or a plot point. As the two forms require some overlapping but also some differing skills, the fact that M and S excel at both is beyond impressive. They are genius at both scripted comedy (Middleditch in "Silicon Valley" and Schwartz on "Parks and Rec") and now, clearly, also improv. These two are some of the most skilled performers working in Hollywood today, IMHO. They weren't the first to do this, but they're among the best, and will be cemented that way thanks to Netflix. When long-form improv becomes more of a household thing (streaming services will take note from this success) we will look back in 10/20/30 years and cite Middleditch and Schwarz as the main influencers. Yes, the duo sometimes forget which character is which, or where they're headed, or what the plot is or "why" in general, but the fact that they are so quick on their feet to recover and the fact that they make light and fun of this imperfection - because what mere mortal could remember all they're spinning?! - is part of why this is so entertaining and endearing. I understand if the old school enthusiasts cry foul that this was not only recorded but that so many rules were broken. These guys do it all by themselves and manage to patch it all together in the end. ![]() Usually you have a team to step in and help fill the gaps. It is a feat I have not seen accomplished so smoothly across the hundreds of live performances I have witnessed both as a player and audience member. Performing long-form improv is a hard enough job all by itself, but the two create and weave stories that center around dozens of characters, they themselves playing all of them interchangeably. What makes it so unique is not just that it's recorded in front of a live audience, or that it's not some reboot of a beloved short-form improv show from the late '90s, but the fact that the duo allow themselves some leeway in breaking and bending "the rules". Middleditch and Schwarz have the combined experience and comfort with one another that make for a long form improv experience unlike which I have ever seen. That said, long form improv can sometimes produce some of the most hilarious, thought-provoking, and creative theater in modern times. Improv enthusiasts may have beef with this special, as hardcore Del Close followers would attest to: improv is meant to be shared in the moment, not recorded or saved for posterity.
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