Meet Six Kids Improv in Midtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Piper Ruhmkorff, Madeline Evans, Jake Brannon, Adrian Hanson, Jack Peeples, Shaunak Godkhindi and Doug Durham.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Jake: We all met doing improv at UGA with a group called Improv Athens. When enough of us had graduated, we reconnected and formed Six Kids. Most troupes form by meeting in classes at one of the many improv theaters in Atlanta, but we were able to skip that step since we’d already spent so much time playing together in college. This allowed us to really hit the ground running.

Piper: After we graduated, we complained a lot about missing improv but Six Kids wasn’t really born until Madeline pulled us back together for a weekly rehearsal. That quickly snowballed into two weekly rehearsals, a monthly show at Relapse, and a run of weekly shows at Village Theatre, plus a ton of other awesome shows on the side. It’s been a total thrill ride seeing how far we’ve come in a year.

Madeline: We’ve been so fortunate to make a splash in the scene and are grateful to all the people who have taken chances on us and given us the stage time to be seen. Right now, my goal is to get us booked once or twice a week, but the ultimate goal is to get us in front of an audience every night to help us grow as individual performers and a group.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Jack: It honestly has been an incredibly smooth road. Improv is my favorite thing to do and the opportunity to get better at it and perform with my friends is so exciting it makes any work seem easy.

Madeline: The special thing about our group is that we have known each other for so long and genuinely enjoy each other’s company and making one another laugh. We know each other so well that creating isn’t hard together.

Jake: Honestly, I think we’ve had two key struggles/obstacles in our path since we started. First, while not being tied down to a theater has its benefits (we can perform wherever we want, whenever we want) it also has its downsides. It can be much harder to get stage time at certain theaters when you haven’t gone through their specific program or classes. The second, I’d say, is all of us learning how to lead and be led by each other. In college, we had two presidents who acted as leaders of the troupe, but with Six Kids, we are all equal members with an equal say in everything. This, inevitably, has led to some heated discussions and debates, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Madeline: It’s a constant maturing process – we are always working on how to properly give feedback and take notes in order to push each other to be better without tearing anyone down. Every few months we all sit down and evaluate our strengths and weakness – what we would like to see more from one another and what we would like each other to work on. This keeps everyone’s egos in check, makes sure everyone’s voices are heard, and keeps us improving. Because, with improv, no one is perfect – we’re all learning.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Six Kids Improv – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Piper: I think what sets us apart is how close we all are. We’ve been performing together for four-five years now, and we’re also best friends outside of improv. That kind of closeness creates a sort of cohesive group-mind that helps us get in the zone and create these crazy worlds. It almost feels like magic.

Jake: We’re known for long-form improv. We have our own style and form that is different from the typical “Harold” you might see at other improv theaters. We also like to play short-form games where we get the audience involved, but long-form storytelling is where we really shine.

Adrian: We’re most proud of our dedication to our own style and voice. We want to be recognized not only as a talented group of performers, but also something entirely unique in the Atlanta improv scene. So, I’d say what sets us apart is a dedication to a style of improv that not only has a place in Atlanta, but one audience has an unrecognized need for.

Madeline: Another huge thing that sets us apart is that we’re independent. We’re self-coached, asking some people we admire in the city to give us notes from time to time, but ultimately we’re in control of the direction we’re going. It’s cool because we can truly do whatever we want.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Madeline: Our plan is to bring something new and fresh to Atlanta that helps establish improv more clearly on the map. Since Atlanta is becoming a hotspot for so much creativity, we are excited to be part of a huge movement to make improv as important here as it is in other big cities. One step at a time though. Right now, we are just trying to get onstage as much as possible and make the most of every opportunity that comes our way. We also want to create work outside our shows to flex our comedy muscles, including workshops, sketches, and a podcast. We have a lot of ideas cooking during this exciting time and we can’t wait to share them with you!

Piper: We’ve gained so much momentum over the past year and we’re just going to keep riding this wave and grow as much as we can creatively, both in improvised and scripted comedy (and drama?!). We’re also progressively getting more integrated into the improv community as a whole, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what these newly-forged creative partnerships will bring, so stay tuned!

Pricing:

• Monthly show at Relapse Theatre: $5
• Weekly show at Village Theatre: $10

Contact Info:

• Email: sixkidsimprov@gmail.com
• Instagram: @sixkidsimprov
• Facebook: facebook.com/sixkidsimprov
• Twitter: @sixkidsimprov

Image Credit:
Savanna Sturkie Photography, Ginny Ruhmkorff

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