Submitted photo(From right) Jenny MacKenzie, Rachel Lakin, Brad Knowles, Juan Knutson, Jake Woodmansee, Karen Sipes, Kelly Myers, Ryan Traughber and Skye Stafford (in front) of Bend Improv Group pose.

You did it! You made it through another Christmas. Chances are you still have to take the tree down and vacuum up the glitter (that somehow got everywhere), but the holiday is over. Whew!

Maybe you had oodles of kids running around, or too many relatives in your personal space, but chances are, you’re in need of a laugh that makes your belly shake like a bowl full of jelly. Bend Improv Group’s performance tonight (see “If you go”) might be just the thing to cap off your holidays with a laugh. The nine-member improv comedy troupe, founded by Brad Knowles, performs one to two times per month at Bend’s 2nd Street Theater.

Getting started

Around five years ago Knowles was in a show called “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding.” The show’s premise is based on a traditional Italian-American wedding, but is largely unscripted and heavily improvisational . “I decided (improv) was something that I was good at and decided to start a group,” said Knowles.

He sent out an email through 2nd Street Theater to actor friends and community theater people in the area to see who was interested.

“I just went for it at first, stumbling through it,” said Knowles, who didn’t hold auditions initially.

The group got together and recreated a lot of the games from the popular TV improv show “Whose Line is it Anyway.” Now, years later, they’ve created a few of their own games. “Pull Over” consists of a cop, played by Knowles, an improviser and an audience member. The audience member leaves the room, and upon returning, has to guess why the person was pulled over by reading charades that the improviser is acting out.

In “Addicts Anonymous,” each actor has an addiction, but the person running the game doesn’t know what they are.

In another, called “Two Minds,” an audience member and actor have to tell a story back and forth, one word at a time. “Every show we did, someone wanted to join,” Knowles said. So eventually he got pickier and started to hold auditions when there were open spots in the group.

Local talent

About half of the troupe is made up of local stand-up comedians, including Jake Woodmansee of Central Oregon Comedy Scene and winner of Oregon’s Last Comedian Standing in 2014, and Ryan Traughber of Bend Comedy. Both are involved in putting on local live shows. “That’s the way it accidentally happened to happen,” said Knowles. “They just kind of picked me out.”

Knowles said that there aren’t really any forbidden or taboo topics with Bend Improv Group. He thinks BIG is a little more “blue,” or obscene, unlike another local improv group that does more G-rated material. “I don’t want people thinking that they’re coming to a Disney show when they’re coming to something more risque,” said Knowles.

BIG things on the horizon

Next year, Knowles wants to start a YouTube channel and create short comedy videos. He said he’s wanted to do this for a little while, “just for the fun of it.” Bend Improv is also planning to do as many shows as it can next year, with several already lined up. The troupe performs exclusively at 2nd Street Theater because “that’s the space we have (available) to do it in,” says Knowles, even though he’s open to performing anywhere.

“We try to make something funny and see what works,” said Knowles. “And then we do it again.”

— Reporter: 541-383-0351; swilkins@bendbulletin.com