Man hopes to form local improv troupe

INVERNESS — Wanted: people who aren’t afraid of looking foolish in front of an audience, who think fast on their feet and who look at the world through comedic eyes, for a newly-forming improvisational comedy troupe. Being able to imitate a monkey or a manatee or a marsupial is a plus. Experience not necessary.

Nancy Kennedy

Sid Caplan is hoping to form a local improv troupe to put on shows in Citrus County and raise money for local charities.

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When Sid Caplan first moved to Inverness in 2009, he looked around and wondered, “where’s the comedy?”
He had been a part of an improvisational group in Virginia outside of Washington, D.C., called Mental Flossing that raised money for local charities, and he was looking for something similar here — or to start a new Mental Flossing troupe.
But everyone told him the same thing: You need to go to Tampa or Orlando for that. Try Ocala or Gainesville.
However, he didn’t want to go to any of those places.
Caplan recently ran an announcement in the Chronicle looking for people, and got the same response from people.
“For some reason I can’t get the point across that I want this to be of our community, for our community,” he said.
Still, he said he’s certain there are at least five people in Citrus County who would be perfectly suited for improv. He just hasn’t found them, although he thinks he might have two potential actors. Now, in addition to himself, he needs just two more, just two brave — or maybe a little crazy — souls who like the thought of playing and pretending on stage, making it up as they go along.
“I call it mental flossing because it gets the cobwebs out,” Caplan said. “We also do scripted skits.”
Caplan, a self-employed process server, has performed in community theater and film, from Miami to Reno to Northern Virginia, from Shakespeare to “Miami Vice” on TV and “Harvey” on stage.
But improv is something he finds challenging and satisfying. There’s nothing like being thrown a curveball and knocking it out of the park. Or in his world, being asked to be a one-armed, drunken gunslinger — in outer space.
He said audiences always choose outer space as a location, which, by the way, is an improv player’s least favorite locale because not much happens in space.
“Improv is great training for actors,” he said. “If you can do improv, you can do anything.”
His goal is to form a core group — a leading lady, leading man and various character actors — and start practicing. He’s also looking for musicians who like to get a bit silly, too.
“I’d love it if we were the featured act at next year’s Cooter Fest,” he said.
He said the group he had in Virginia was a lot of fun, plus they raised money to help the community, and that’s the biggest reason he wants to do this.
Those who are interested should email Caplan at sid               caplan@yahoo.com or info @mentalflossing.org.
Chronicle reporter Nancy Kennedy can be reached at (352) 564-2927 or nkennedy @chronicleonline.com