The fun and lively improv show Plays Well With Others is being held over at the Zach Scott Theater and if you need to have your funny bone tickled, you should go. The show is directed by Owen Egerton and written by Les McGehee. Owen and Les also star, along with a cast of some of Austin's best improv actors like Megan Flynn, Jodi Egerton, Scott Chester, and Shannon McCormick. Also involved are videographer Ben Bartley and musical director Jamie Hillboldt.

What follows is our interview with the creator of Plays Well With Others, author and comedian Les McGehee.

So, how did writing the book come about?

My brain and heart were so full of improvisation information after thousands of events, several continents, hundreds of cast members, hundreds of games and sketches, that I needed to organize my data banks. It was amazing!! I regained major cranial filing cabinet space by writing this book.

I was asked to write Plays Well With Others. It is the first of three books on improvisation for Dalton Publishing. I wanted to write a book like this for years but I was busy so I didn't do it until I was asked. Then before it was finished it sold a bunch and was selected for university graduate reading. That all propelled it forward.

More personally, I had considered that it might be beautiful to give away what I know. Give away any wisdom, tricks, tools of the trade, etc. Industry learning takes a long time, to see all the contracts, learn about travel, solve the various problems. I was proud of the explosion of improv taking place and wanted to give the next players the secrets.

It was at the peak of my curiosity about giving it away that I was asked to do 365 Days/365 Plays by Suzan-Lori Parks. ZACH produced the premiere of that and I was in it on the Pfluger foot bridge (and then I produced a week separately). Suzan-Lori came in for the premiere event. I was about to do my first book events and she blew me away. She was so present and so generous to everybody. I wouldn't say it changed me but it sure encouraged change that I was going through. I'm loving giving it away. Some important things when given away seem to get more important. I'm still figuring it out.

And lastly I believe this to be my mission in life. I have so much damn fun. I love people and life in general. I love play. I feel that I am to help those things. And I believe play and improvisation would immensely help the planet's ethics, health, and enjoyability.

And then what brought the show together?

I do shows all the time of course. But I was asked by Ann Ciccolella at ZACH to design a show based on my book. She is someone I hold in high esteem and I was floored by the idea. I loved it and was scared of it – and when I’m scared of a show I get excited - so it was all go. Then when Owen Egerton was available - YOWZA!! He and I never get to have that many play dates together nowadays because we both gig a lot, so we were thrilled to do this together. With him as director I was totally confident launching into this show

Are all the show performers people you have worked with before?

Yes, my best friends and hand-picked favorites. All the core cast was in my ComedySportz and National Comedy Theatre troupes. Then we invited a few special guests for fun and variety and risk.

Do you find that as a funny guy you attract people who think they are
funny but aren't?

Sure. Not you of course. We suggest they go take a workshop or go to open mic. People get excited about the show, have to share a story, you hope it's funny but it goes with the territory. If they hang on too long we bail each other out.

What's your sign?

Bigtime Capricorn.

Finish this poem: "Roses are red, violets are blue...."

"We've got spirit, how bout YOU?!?" Useful at competitive team poetry readings.

Favorite show moment so far?

There are many. A recent one is playing Scarecrow with Jodi Egerton's Dorothy done as hip-hop. My Scarecrow was very James Brownish. Jodi and I were in sync and surrounded by comfy opportunity as we danced in unison, rapped in unison, everything was just as good it could be. The dance moves were even good! I would describe the co-creative space between our gazes as "nothin but meat and potatoes."

What would you like to say about improv in Austin?

It's pretty darn cool. It's a unique experience for me because it has lots of my alumni, and their alumni. I'm very proud of the young improvisers here. Lots of good groups. It's a developmental scene every bit as exciting as LA, Chicago, and NY I think. I don't get much time with them. A good scene though. Some great leaders and teams keeping it hapnin.

How can comedy improv change the world?

Thank you. By tipping the scale in favor of fun and community. To quote MLK, we are all "in an inescapable network of mutuality." I want creative, fun, nice people in my mutuality. People that don't have fun turn into creeps that don't mind doing the wrong thing. Comedy improv is the medicine that cures isolationism and meanness.

Comedy improv is play that causes laughter. Laughter keeps us healthy. Play keeps us in the human game. It implies shared belief, opportunity, connectedness, positivity, fairness. In the MBA schools that use my programs we tell them that we don't mind if they get megarich as long as it is from something good.

The title of the book came from my early elementary report cards. "Plays Well With Others" was fourth from the top. It was right there after Reading Writing and Arithmetic. We knew that it mattered! It doesn't decrease in importance. It matters more and more in life as our realms of influence increase. If positive play were normal for grown-ups we'd have a more amazing time here together. More fun, more nurturing, more brilliant, more surprising. Less grief, less meanness, less greed, less disenfranchisement. That's a big damn word for a comic, my friend. We are not alone, let's have some fun. Casual fun, surprising fun, private fun, massive fun, creative fun, good funny fun. Agreed?

Les' book Plays Well With Others is available locally at Book People and Follett's Intellectual Property.

Plays Well With Others
Zach Scott Theater
Through April 7th, Friday and Saturdays at 8pm
Family friendly show on Sunday, April 1 at 2:30pm