Improv comedy takes an open mind and a willingness to trust your fellow improvisers with whatever crazy idea comes across the stage. Clearly this is no issue for the folks at Atlanta improv theater Dad’s Garage and current Archer highlight Amber Nash. That’s made immediately clear in their new web offering Hart of America. It’s an absurdist parody of gritty detective shows, relationship dramas, and our fascination with the unknown. The weirdness involved would be a problem in a real police procedural, but it works well in Hart, with Nash anchoring the entire series from start to finish.
Along for the ride are fellow members from Dad’s Garage, including Clint Sowell and Perry Frost as teen lovers looking to enter the adult world of sex and prescription-drug abuse, Kevin Gillese as a drugged up Bigfoot that’s attempted to kick the habit, and Matt Horgan as a caring, and vomit-prone policeman, experiencing the worst day of his life. Lucky Yates is a member of the group too, playing a fine-looking corpse and a very peeved carrier pigeon (don’t call him a sparrow).
The true star, though, is Nash, who plays three central roles in each of the sordid tales and holds it down as the old-timer narrating the stories around a camp fire. You can see a bit of Archer‘s Pam Poovey come through from time to time, but Nash makes each character distinctive (and funny) throughout. The other shining light in Hart Of America belongs to the guest stars, who range from the well-known to the shockingly random.
Seeing Fred Willard in anything is a welcome treat, but I was a bit surprised to see Colin Mochrie make an appearance outside of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
The series is definitely worth a look if you’re a fan of improv or Archer. You can check out the show’s official site or the group’s page on YouTube to get started.
(Via Dad’s Garage)
