The Shimmy Shake Project

The Shimmies are back! We thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Scott Tobin’s hilarious, fun and witty play, Aftershock! An Event! presented by Fake Bacon Productions and directed by John Kuhn. We cannot wait to be a part of another Scott Tobin play in the future!

Our focus has returned to improv. Practice and chat (not on the computer, but old fashioned face-to-face talking) sessions are underway once again. Chat sessions are very important for the well being of the Shimmy Shake Project. During some practices chatting is all we do. We call it Shimmy business and find these sessions just as productive as actual practices! We will begin regular practices next week with our omniscient coach, Chris Lane, our god of short form improv. 

Four very different women came together for a variety of reasons and a group with a common goal was formed…to have fun. From the beginning the Shimmies have been very supportive of each other, respectful and honest.  We want to keep our group intact and moving in a positive direction. We have decided to focus on our individual strengths to make our group better. I believe our individuality helps to create a variety of truths and perspectives in our scenes. Our upbringing, life experiences, political, religious and non-religious backgrounds, education, family and career paths are very different. Improv draws out those differences and demands that we look within ourselves to find the truth in any given situation. I have to admit it also leads to lots of giggling during practices!

So far, being part of an all-female troupe has been a wonderful and fulfilling experience for this particular Shimmy. I am proud to be a part of the Shimmy Shake Project, a troupe with integrity, respect for its members and a collective desire to have fun! Catch you at the next show.

The Shimmies shared the stage with Fake Bacon and Parlor Tricks last night at the Ear. The Shimmies had a short, but extra sweet St. Patty’s Day inspired set. We want to give props to Glenn and Drew for posing Gina and Sophia in a very funny Moving bodies. Also, a shout out to Scott of the Bacons and Damien of the Tricksters for infusing some testosterone into the Dating Game and showing everyone how to “walk this way.”

Walk on over to the Thirsty Ear March 24th to catch our next show. See you there!

The Shimmies got their groove on Tuesday at the Thirsty Ear Tavern. We started out the evening with a shimmy shaking groove and ended up in a fight to the death, without any cheating, of course, in Da Do Ron Ron. What was all that about? Who cares, it was fun! We received a lot of great suggestions from the audience. And here they are…

The product suggestion in Home Shopping was an automatically heated toilet seat. Erin saved Sophia’s love life with that product. Up until then Sophia’s husband thought her butt was cold as ice. Now he spends most of his time trying to coax Sophia’s hot bottom out of the bathroom.

The scene of the  crime was a burned up body in Mt Vernon in What Did You Say? Turns out private investigators, Erin and Jon from Fake Bacon, didn’t give a damn about the dead body, it was just a convenient location for them to express their desire to be pals.

The occupation chosen in Diminishing Returns was a janitor and the street they grew up on was cherry filled bottom. I think cherry filled bottom explains all that hip grinding, bumping and rolling around on the operating room floor. I hope I don’t need surgery anytime soon!

I know I always dreamed of growing up to be a bus driver. Thanks to Sarah and Tony for helping Sophia finally get on the bus in Moving Bodies. All that teasing was bound to lead somewhere.

We discovered that your grandfather’s favorite hobby is shooting rabbits in Sound FX. We gave our sadistic audience what they really wanted to see. Gina shooting a poor innocent little bunny in the head. Niiice!

The best thing to have in your pants in Take that Back was a snapping turtle. Hmm, sounds like someone’s into S&M. You, take that back! Thanks to Erin for knowing when to call a scene!!

Thanks to Kevin (played by Jason or was it Mike from Fake Bacon) and John Larkin (played by Mike or I mean Jason or whoever) for giving Sophia the choice of a man who could clearly express himself with signs or a man who could start a three alarm fire!  Sophia was on fiiiire last night in the Dating Game!

In Living Scenery the audience decided that a poor choice for collateral was a mother-in-law and homemade canoles.  It appeared mommy-in-law  enjoyed spending time with her new daughter, but by the end of the scene we learned the truth, that all mother-in-laws hate their daughter-in-laws. Sometimes the truth hurts.

In Job Excuses we came to the conclusion that sometimes you have to quit while you are ahead.

If none of this makes sense that’s because you were not at the show! If you want to be in the know, then catch the Shimmies at their St. Patty’s Day show on Tuesday, March 10th at the Thirsty Ear. Later!

The Shimmies did a little Home Shopping for a Valentine’s Day gift and purchased a state of the art breast inflater that worked like a charm. It was instantaneous cleavage and just the right amount of perkiness. Can’t wait to try mine on…Gina are you available tomorrow at say, 8pm??

Cupid made a special appearance to help audience member, Nick, a.k.a one of Celia’s big bros, remember to purchase a gift for his lovely wife on Valentine’s Day in Day in the Life. When Nick gave his wife her gift, the 35,000 rpm drill with torque support (or whatever it was) she acted as if she liked it, but did you notice that she put her robe back on when she saw it? Maybe Cupid needed to sharpen Nick’s arrow just a little bit more, afterall, you know how dull arrows get after 50.  Looks like no Valentine’s Day nookie for Nick. Aawww, better luck next year!

In IPod, jealous and paranoid Roger fears his girlfriend is cheating on him and tries to hang himself only to be interrupted by a phone call. Turns out Roger’s life is saved by having his cake and eating it too. The replay of that scene was spot on, except that it was about a man who just discovered that he is the proud new father of a baby boy….and there are at least seven more to follow. Hmmm? Maybe invitro isn’t such a good idea.

What do you think happens when you pit two brothers, Ben and Joe, a.k.a. more of Celia’s family, against each other in Moving Bodies? That’s right, it was rock ‘em sock ‘em hour at the Ear. There were more legs and arms flying around than at an UFC championship fight. Surprisingly, no one lost a tooth! Well, except for that poor horse in Sound FX, but that’s beside the point. Um, and remember Joe is still looking for a nice single girl to take home to his mother.

The Shimmy Shake Valentine’s Day Show was full of love for Celia. She wanted to send an extra special thank you to her family for making the long trip to see the show. Five of her seven siblings drove from the Cleveland area to surprise her and to watch the Shimmies perform! They all think they are comediens and believe improv is helping Celia’s mental well being. She doesn’t disagree!

Last but not least, who doesn’t get turned on watching Nascar or by size 21 shoes? Now be honest.

The Shimmies want to wish everyone a fun and happy Valentine’s Day. Leave a comment or contact the Shimmies at shimmyshakeproject@gmail.com. We would love to hear what you have to say. The next show is at 8:30pm on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at the Thirsty Ear Tavern in Grandview. See you there!!

What’s more fun than a barrell of monkeys?  Performing for a bunch of nurses and patient care assistants at the Riverside Methodist Hospital, 7 Tower Winter Wonderland Holiday Party! We were honored and most pleased to be invited back for a second year to entertain a group of people that hold a special place in our hearts. Though we firmly believed that we would be dealing with dissimpaction, the staff rose above and gave us suggestions from midget stretcher in Home Shopping to riding a sherpa to work in Job Excuses. How can you go wrong with those ideas?!

It was a very informative night as well. In Day in the Life, we learned that Jamie B. takes breaks from studying by calling Jessica, Sindhu and Sherri every ten minutes and, of course, enjoys going to Wal-Mart to flirt with a 70 year old cashier about hippos! Who knew Jamie was into geriatric romance! We also learned that not only does Lauren like to grab her own ”girls,” but she had Erin grab her own too! Oh, and Katie L. helped Celia wax Erin’s red wood tree in Moving Bodies. Hmmm, do Katie and Lauren flap their arms around like that when they wax Ethan and Joel’s red woods?

The New Year’s Resolution for  Fill in the Blanks was “dump your boyfriend.” In this scene the audience filled in the blanks with pickles and a jackass and discovered that it is far more attractive to look like a jackass than a pickle. Speak for yourself!

Speaking of pickles….Keely was quite pickled in The Dating Show, while Stephania helped herself to tea and discussing the Antique Road Show with her possible date with Rob. Keely was so drunk she couldn’t remember if she liked watching Little House on the Prairie, Seventh Heaven or maybe it was Bonanza! Either way, Rob was desperate for a date and chose the easier of the two. You go Stephania! Although, Keely’s husband, Keith, did let us know Keely is loose and easy too!

The doctor/nurse relationship was perfectly portrayed in “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” in the game, Lines. If you’ve heard a doctor say it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times…remember the next time I come in here I’m cracking skulls!

There were no doctors in the house that night and we all had a great time with the 7 Tower staff. We hope to join them with new games next year!! Thanks for a good time. If you want a good time email us at shimmyshakeproject@gmail.com.

Last night at The Thirsty Ear Tavern: The head nurse spoke up, she said leave this one alone, she could tell right away that Dan was bad to the bone!  Who would have thought a business analyst could be such a bad ass!! You would think someone with 4 girls under the age of six would be sucking his thumb in some corner dreading the day they’re all teenagers. Dan, you need to start taking xanax now before you feel like you’re on an episode of Lost!

Scott and Jon of Fake Bacon helped out in The Dating Show. Our audience member, Kyle, inspired Scott to take a walk through Sophia’s wicked garden and then join Jason and Jesse, Jason and Jesse, Jason and Jesse in his room.  A three for one package deal for our southern bell! Not bad. Volunteer Joe inspired Jon to warm up Sophia 300 feet in the air with a couple of 9volts. I do believe our bachelorette is correct, psychological testing should be required prior to going on The Dating Show!

Gina showed us that chewed up gum is a perfectly good bonding source for replacing an accidentally pulled tooth, even if her patient did run away screaming in Sound FX.

Angela and Jason gave the Shimmies a run for the money in Moving Bodies. Maybe audience participation isn’t such a good idea after all.  Being thrown around, smacked and slapped is a bit vicious, don’t ya think?! To be honest…we LIKED it.

Hmmm, how set up did it seem when Celia came to work drunk in Job Excuses and she had to guess that she stopped at a liquor store on the way? The Shimmies are stepping into the twilight zone and our minds are beginning to meld. Look out!

Okay so there were a lot of boob references, stripping, bikinni waxing and bouncing around…sometimes you just have to give the audience what it wants. There is no shame in that. Really. Is there a priest in the house?

Erin has such a cute, lovable  and sunny dispostition that when she talks to you, you don’t really mind  being messed with. For those that wanted to know, the last sentence was ended with a preposition.

We will be  performing at a private party next Friday. If anyone is interested in talking to one of the Shimmies about performing at a bachelorette party, baby shower, birthday or office party send us an email at www.shimmyshakeproject@gmail.com. We’ll be happy to shake out the details with you. We’ll be at The Thirsty Ear Tuesday, January 27th with Fake Bacon. Show starts at 8:30. Bring your friends. It’s free and food and drinks are cheap!

 Oh yeah, and Celia won Da Do Ron Ron, Da Do Ron Ron, rap version. Shimmies rule!!

Thanks to all who braved the icy weather last Tuesday night to join us for our Christmas Spectacular. We were one Shimmy short because Gina had to take her hubby to the emergency room after his head collided with the sidewalk. You didn’t lose too many brain cells did you Mike? We hope there weren’t any other casualties from that night! 

With Gina at the hospital we helped ourselves to a big serving of Fake Bacon. Scott bubbled with fun in What Did You Say; Jason went for a sleigh ride to the zoo, where he went ice skating and got excited about an elephant in I Pod; and Jon wanted to know why his employee rode a double headed dildo to work in Job Excuses. There’s nothing like a little bacon to make a dish extra special. Thanks for your help guys!!

Also, thanks to our audience volunteers, especially Mark, who we’re sure is the sweetest and most thoughtful uncle to his nieces and nephews. He drank, cussed, yelled, and most assuredly, received the world’s worst uncle award in A Day in the Life. Thanks for sharing Mark! No hard feelings, right? Aw, suck it up.

The Shimmies would like to wish everyone a very happy, safe and prosperous New Year!! The next show is Tuesday, January 13th  at The Thirsty Ear Tavern in Grandview. See you there!!

The newest short form improv comedy troupe, Parlor Tricks, made their debut at The Thirsty Ear last night. They did a fantastic job opening up the show! There was standing room only and some folks even opted to sit on the floor! That’s loyalty.

The Shimmy Shakes had a short and sweet set. The unsuspecting volunteers from the audience, Tony and Mike, each shared a Day in their Life, only to discover that they were intimate lovers, Antonio and Miguel.  Did someone say Curb Your Enthusiasm? And big thanks to the lovely ladies who helped two old ladies get a little action at the local Home Depot in Moving Bodies.

The Shimmies were followed by the Bacons who left a “load” on the stage.  The evening was rounded out with a rousing rendition of Da Do Ron Ron by all three troupes and left Mike, of Fake Bacon, jumping for joy after his victory over Sophia…the last Shimmy standing. Over all it was a really fun and entertaining night.

To help de-stress from all that shopping and partying and to continue the holiday spirit, join us for our Christmas Show Spectacular on December 23, 8:30pm at The Thirsty Ear Tavern in Grandview. What else do you have to do on a Tuesday night?!

We started out the show with diarrhea caused by a pregnancy in Denmark and ended up with, Jason, from Bacon, giving up “head” in Da Do Ron Ron, which led to a Shimmy Shake victory dance!! Needless to say it was an interesting night! 

Special thanks to Dan and Damien for providing all the action in Moving Bodies and, of course, the Baconites for sharing their stage with us. They had a most excellent show last night. The Jack-hole definitely has all the answers, right Damien?!

The next show at The Thirsty Ear Tavern is on Tuesday, December 9th at 8:30pm.