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Attention ladies (and most gents): a few weeks ago America was blessed with a new sex symbol. Let’s take a moment to bask in the geeky glory that is:



I’ll wait for the nerds to stop screaming about how I’m a bandwagon fan and how I don’t deserve to like Star Trek because I don’t know Khan’s full name.

(Are they done?)

The new franchise (“Star Trek: The Search for Mo’ Money”) is doused in a sheen of hotness; it is full of youthful, energetic actors that fit snugly into the familiar roles, and who stand to make more money off of them than Shatner could have dreamed of. Through this hottie overload, for some reason its our favorite Vulcan, played by the lurvely Zachary Quinto, who induces the most girlish sighs out of the audience, more than even Captain “My Head Is Shaped Like A Shoebox” Kirk. Why is that, gentle reader?

It is because the movie-going public is slowly realizing something TSFers have known for years: smart is sexy.

Read on to discover just how sexiness can be tied to improv (it's possible!)...

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Hey there!

Are you itching to perform comedy for a live audience? No? Just itching, then? Okay...

Hey, you! Did you catch "Captain Herpes" over there? Yeah, crazy, huh? Anyways... you look like you're interested in doing improv. You may not know it yet, but you are. 

Theatre Strike Force would like to announce its new improv training program starting in the Spring 2009 semester!

In these sessions, you will learn the style of improv comedy TSF performs regularly on campus. Our top performers will instruct these sessions, which will feature exercises in spontaneous performance, various improvised "games," and general improv technique and theory.

The goal? To make you a more confident comedic performer and the newest member of the Theatre Strike Force team. So if you're interested in learning and performing improv comedy at UF and joining Theatre Strike Force, this is the place for you.

This training program is FREE, and no experience is necessary. Even if you've never performed before, come out anyways. It's a ton of fun and a great way to perform comedy with an interesting group of people.

The sessions will meet Mondays, 7 to 9 p.m., at a location TBA.

Space is limited, so if you're interested, please contact us at via the contact page as soon as possible to register.

We're looking forward to working with you!

Erik

Erik Voss is the president of Theatre Strike Force. He was voted "Loudest Moo-er" in the Animal Day Parade in Ms. Miller's 1st grade class. He was 19.

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Hey there! At the height of a hotly contested election season, Theatre Strike Force would like to announce its endorsement of Gary for President in 2008!


Finally, a candidate who knows how to connect with the American people. Gary is the only person in America who knows what America really wants. He's a lunch tray full of all your favorite foods. You can hold on to the cake, Lunch Lady Liberty -- we got bowl-full of icing.

We couldn't be more excited about this guy, and neither can a growing number of Americans, according to an article in the Independent Florda Alligator. Gary has literally made his mark on UF campus. He's cozied with students in their dorm rooms via inspiring TV spots. Gary enthusiasts have rallied in Turlington Plaza shouting their support of the candidate America has been waiting for.

As a climax to this exciting campaign, TSF will be presenting a political rally in support of Gary this Monday, Oct. 27, at 9 p.m. in the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom. Join us for a night of special guest speakers, inspirational videos, and a rousing speech by the messiah himself.

Political comedy, folks. It's in. The truth makes everything funnier. Scarier, but funnier.

We'll see you Monday night. We are Gary.

Erik Voss is the president of Theatre Strike Force. He lies to his mom about getting bullied at school because he's ashamed.

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Strike Force has a rich history that is really interesting to me. I love learning about alumni and where they’re at nowadays.

This past summer I had the good fortune of being in Chicago for two months and I went out of my way to meet and watch TSF alumni do their thing across the city. It was insane! All the big name improv theatres like iO, The Annoyance, The Playground, and ComedySportz had Strike Force Alumni performing and they were some of the best talent as well. It made me really proud to be a part of this organization.

I wanted to momentarily put the spotlight on one alumnus that I feel is doing a lot of great work in Chicago but has gone under the radar of modern day TSF for a while.



Continue reading for Rudy's insightful interview with Jon, delving into his improv history with TSF and now in Chicago:

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Hey everyone,

What a time for strong openings!

A few weeks ago in Beijing, American Olympic athlete Lolo Jones got off to an early lead in the women’s 100 meter hurdle, just to have her foot snag the second to last hurdle. The minor stumble cost her the gold medal.

Back in June, Sen. Barack Obama’s numbers were soaring in the polls after he clinched the Democratic nomination. Now, he’s bogged down trying to explain what he meant by “lipstick on a pig.”

On that same note, two weekends ago saw the return of two live comedy shows that had strong openings and mediocre follow-ups. Luckily, in the world of live comedy, audiences are surprisingly optimistic. One solid joke can save a good backrub’s worth of eye-rolls. And if you catch them at the start, they’re more willing to wade through the muck with you.

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It's summer in Gainesville, and the city is on fire.
Gas prices keep our windows down and our wallets empty. Economic woes are making us sweat even when we're out of the heat. Some men, it seems, just want to see the world burn.

So what do we do? Do we place our hopes in an idealist politician to clean up the streets? Do we channel our fear to fight our enemies on our own terms? Or do we simply ask...
...WHY SO SERIOUS?

Come laugh away your worries with a wild night of FREE improv comedy with Theatre Strike Force. Starting Friday night, people will laugh.

Meet us at the auditorium (room 1064) in Weimer Hall, the journalism building that is located across the North Lawn from the Reitz Union. Show starts at 10 p.m., and seats are first come, first serve, so get there early!

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"Mission accomplished."  

Not since "premature ejaculation" have two words jumped the gun more.

We did it, troops! With four shows booked at dorms across  campus, I think it's safe to say we're well on our way in liberating campus residents from the hands of tyranny... the tyranny of not having enough improv shows.


It all begins this Sunday, July 20, at 5:30 p.m., when TSF will entertain the residents of Springs Residential Complex during an afternoon barbecue. Afterwards, we'll regroup at the Beaty Towers Commons at 8 p.m. for another show for a group of high school students.

On the evening of Wednesday, July 23, we'll move into the Murphree Area to perform as part of MAC's Alcohol Awareness program, which runs from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.

A week later, on Wednesday, July 30, TSF will resurface at the Jennings Basement for a show at 8 p.m.

So tear down that statue of Albert A. Murphree! Paint those thumbs! Tighten the crotch harness on that flightsuit, because TSF's got a full-scale invasion on its hands!

Soon enough, we'll be kicking down your door in the middle of the night and screaming at you to watch us do improv. Now, you can enjoy shows that stretch on for years and years, with no real exit strategy. And if you thought Abu Ghraib was fun, just wait until you see what we'll do with our games "Moving Bodies" and "Slideshow!"

USA's got IRAQ; TSF's got IRHA. With any luck, our IR-- will like us better.

Stop on by, now.

Erik Voss is the president of Theatre Strike Force. He studied international relations from stall graffiti in dormitory bathrooms.

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About a month ago I was riding the bus home late at night with a friend when we happened to meet a girl. She was a student; reserved yet outgoingly friendly. She had the relaxed charm of a chain smoker, but she didn't smoke. And she had an accent.

...e-yah-yah-yah!

We talked with her the whole ride home, but despite our fun conversation, her subtle flirts, and the supportive set-ups from my friend, I completely stalled. The kid with noseplugs at the top of the water slide. I couldn't make a move.

Afterwards, my friend asked me why I tanked. I responded that I didn't know what to say. Knowing that I'm an improviser, he said, "Dude, you do improv. IMPROVISE!"

He had me there. One of the supposed benefits of doing improv is increased spontaneity in social situations. Many companies nowadays offer improv workshops to help employees relax in interpersonal settings and learn to communicate with others more directly. We say improv is like life -- if I can perform a scene where I'm hitting on a girl, why can't I do it in real life?

I think there's a lot of pressure on improvisers to be "masters of social situations." My family thinks I have a response to everything. Employers see "improv training" on the resume and expect a cool guy who sits in the chair backwards and can make a brick laugh. Non-improv friends expect us to be the life of the party and get lots of girls.

Is this the case? No! I'm single and I usually bore the hell out of everyone at parties by talking about improv too much. Job interviews suck for me because I immediately feel guilty whenever I say something good about myself. And I've gained ten pounds from all the times I've stuffed my mouth with food to avoid talking at family dinners.

Hell, I can't even order a pizza on the phone without a script.

"Hello, this is Five Star, is this for delivery or pickup?"
"I... don't... know..."
Click.

A lot of us do improv precisely because it isn't real. We play pretend on stage, and if we're lucky, people laugh at us. I know I'm never going to be a badass surgeon who performs a heart transplant while wearing a leather jacket and making out with the nurses. (Is a leather jacket still cool? It's not exactly environmentally-friendly.) But I can totally do that in a scene if I want to. There's a safety net on stage where it's okay to make mistakes, to look ridiculous.

On the bus, making mistakes is a bad thing. (Unless this is the Magic Schoolbus. Remember, Ms. Frizzle is a teacher, not a lover.) "Funny" and "quirky" do not necessarily mean "sexy." Every line, every gesture, every nervous tick at the corner of your mouth counts, and anything can make or break the situation. Sexy foreign girls are typically less forgiving than an audience who wants to be entertained.

Improvisers are not by definition "cool people." Many cool people do improv, sure, but so do many weirdos.

We aren't jaded by being in front of audiences all the time. Our hearts pound just as fast as the heart of the shy girl who's reading her love poem in front of her 7th grade English class, with the poem's subject sitting in the front row. We're just normal people who try to do something extraordinary.

In the end, though, we're still just normal people.

Erik Voss is the president of Theatre Strike Force, but can't use the potty by himself.

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Hey everyone,

Erik Voss here. I'm currently studying abroad in London, spending the first half of my summer visiting museums, seeing plays on the West End, frequenting pubs... and going bankrupt in the process. Since every dollar is only worth half a pound, I'm twice as bankrupt as I thought I was.

The only thing I haven't been doing is improv. None. My talk radio call-in name would be "Improv-less in London." I'm taking a much-needed hiatus from an obsessive two-year relationship with the mother of all ball-and-chains, which we know as Theatre Strike Force.

But enough creepy romance metaphors (I've got issues). The day when the Strike Force dragon wakes up from its Summer A hibernation and purges the sinful is rapidly approaching. The Summer B semester at UF begins in July, and with it, our improv class, TPP 3124, goes back into session for those overachieving upper-classmen and "special" Summer B freshmen who are stuck in town over the summer. That means improv with TSF will go from being a wet dream to an awkward reality.

So if you'll be in Gainesville this July, check out TSF. Register for the class -- it's a lot of fun and a great way to spend those long, summer days. And it's in an air conditioned acting studio in the Nadine Maguire, a cool sanctuary from the assault of swampy heat outside. We'll also be doing some after-hours jamming sessions; look out for those as well. I also want to look into doing some sketch, for all those writers out there.

We'll keep you posted. Check your e-mails, the Web site and the Facebook group for notifications about any developments over the summer, and for news about the upcoming year.

Now, back to sobbing over the heartbreaking pound/dollar exchange rate.

Though we know it's TSF that really broke my heart...

Regards,

Erik Voss

Erik Voss is the President of Theatre Strike Force, but he still makes his mother dress him every morning.

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Hey... Bill Arnett and Danny Mora came back into town. They did a great 2 man show and taught some workshops too. I've gushed about them enough recently, but please, if you're ever in Chicago, seek these guys out (3033 and The Armando Diaz Experience).

Seriously... read Bill Arnett's improv blog. It's enlightening.

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