Minneapolis improv comedy kings bow down to 'Harold'

"Chia Pets!"

The voice rang out above dozens of others as the near-sellout crowd at Huge Improv Theater scrambled to suggest something nostalgic.

Then members of an improv comedy team stepped up to relate anecdotes and associations the phrase brought to mind — like how the shoulder-pad fashion trend of the 1980s made every woman look like a linebacker.

Ten minutes later, the team and the audience were in the thick of three off-kilter narratives, following a quintet of musically inclined fur trappers; a father intent on watching bizarre VHS tapes with his son; and a quest for the secret of Rob Lowe's eternal youth. By the end of a half-hour, all of those seemingly unrelated stories managed to dovetail into something resembling a satisfying conclusion.

Welcome to the Harold. Or at least, one interpretation of the Harold. It's all part of Huge's "Harold Turns 50" celebration of what's arguably the most important cornerstone of long-form improv.

So what exactly is a Harold? Basically, it's a set of guidelines that help an improv team develop a scene. "The simplest explanation is just three story lines, each visited three times," said Huge co-founder Butch Roy.

You can pick out the familiar beats of the Harold in just about every TV sitcom.

"A group of performers will take an audience suggestion and build on that idea in ways that are unpredictable even to the performers," said Molly Chase, director of House of Whimsy, one of three teams that are performing at Huge every Saturday through the end of October. "There will likely be moments of poignancy and humor, and the whole room — audience and improvisers — are in it together.

"It's immediate, it has never happened before, and will never happen again."

The first Harold was performed in 1967 by the Committee, a San Francisco-based comedy group known for experimenting with narrative structures that employed improv games and exercises.

When the group decided that it needed a name for its creation, one member reportedly cracked that "Harold" would be nice. The handle stuck, to the slight chagrin of generations of performers who have had to explain its origin.

Committee member Del Close dedicated much of his career to honing and teaching the Harold. In the 1994 book "Truth in Comedy," generally regarded as the improviser's bible, he and co-authors Charna Halpern and Kim "Howard" Johnson explain that "the Harold is like the space shuttle, incorporating all of the developments and discoveries that have gone before it into one new, superior design."

Close's efforts as an instructor and co-founder of Chicago's iO Theater became the foundation for much of American comedy as we know it.

No local venue feels that influence more acutely than Huge Theater. With "Harold Turns 50," Minnesota's most visible improv venue is paying homage to its roots and giving some of the Twin Cities' top improvisers a chance to get back to the basics.

"There are a lot of improv structures, but there's something magic about the Harold, the way you start with an opening and it brings out a truth," said Drew Kersten, director of the Kempt team.

Kempt assistant director John Gebretatose agreed that it's all about capturing those truths. "It's people playing with confidence … making comment on real-life things. Like women's shoulder pads in the '80s and how they had to look like football players just to get through life. For me, that's what makes it successful: a through-line or a narrative commenting on society."

One of the reasons improv remains a hard sell for some audiences is that it's the ultimate "had to be there" entertainment. It's difficult to explain how the shoulder pad observation might snowball into a scene about Jennifer Aniston devouring the life force of her young fans, but for those watching the performers feed off one another's energy and make connections, the evolution is electrifying.

Those hazy connections are very much by design, Kersten said. "If the opening is about Diet Coke, you don't want to see three scenes about Diet Coke. You want them spread out as far as possible, so when they start to come back together it brings a bit more of that magic."

The laughs in a Harold show seldom come from a standard setup/punchline delivery. In fact, one of the first rules laid out in "Truth in Comedy" is "Don't go for the jokes." Instead, the comedy in a long-form show comes largely from watching relatable situations spiral into unexpected directions.

"The least successful Harolds are when we let our 'I know where this needs to go' take over and steer things instead of discovering all the way through," Roy said. "Because if we know where it needs to go, so does the audience."

The form's flexibility is obvious watching the three teams of five performers in the "Harold Turns 50" showcase.

On opening night, the House of Whimsy team produced a trio of focused, slice-of-life vignettes about crumbling relationships, disillusioned carnival workers and spiteful chess players. While the scenes frequently veered into weirdness, they remained grounded in a way that drew laughs of recognition from the crowd.

The Speficicity team, on the other hand, dove deeper into surreality right off the bat with a scene about two buddies literally riding each other's good vibes like a surfboard. That story line soon intertwined with two bird-watchers who misplaced a baby, and a home brewer crafting a hugely popular beer that smelled of cat urine, all of it building into a crescendo of absurdity that had the audience roaring for very different reasons.

As much reverence as the local improv community has for the Harold, the form represents something different in the Twin Cities than it does in improv hotbeds such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, where making it onto a high-profile Harold team can be a major career steppingstone. Many performers move to those cities for that reason.

"In Minnesota it's a strong part of the tradition, but at Huge Theater, Harold is only one of the forms that gets done," Kersten said.

While Close did some work with Minnesota comedy godfather Dudley Riggs and his Brave New Workshop, Huge encourages experimentation and focuses more on building strong teams of performers, regardless of form.

"Team first, format second: That's what differentiates us from the coasts," Gebretatose said. "We're better anyway," he added with a laugh.

Ira Brooker is a St. Paul-based freelance writer and editor.

NEW ORLEANS — At a Mass celebrated Sunday at New Orleans' St. Louis Cathedral, just blocks from where a man sped down Bourbon Street in a deadly attack early on New Year's Day, a church leader acknowledged the sense of unease that remains and asked for prayers for victims and their families.

''We can choose to fear," the Very Rev. Patrick Williams told those gathered. ''Or we can choose to hope.''

Fourteen people were killed and about 30 were injured in the attack. The attacker, a U.S. citizen who had proclaimed his support for the Islamic State militant group, was fatally shot in a firefight with police.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry declared a period of mourning that will begin Monday, with a different victim being remembered each day.

The Joan of Arc Parade — the first of the city's Carnival season — is set to take place on Monday in the French Quarter, an event that an organizer said she hopes will bring a message of hope and resiliency.

''We are here. We are celebrating life. We are choosing hope and we are choosing joy,'' Antoinette de Alteriis, a captain of the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc, told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Those killed ranged in age from 18 to 63, with most being in their 20s. Here are their stories:

LaTasha Polk

LaTasha Polk, a nursing assistant from New Orleans and the mother of a teenage boy, was the last victim to be identified, according to her family, who gathered at a vigil Saturday evening to light candles. They said the coroner's office informed them Saturday morning. They had been looking for Polk, who was in her 40s, and were grateful for the closure.

''It was the wrong call we got, but at least we got the call,'' said LaTasha Polk's cousin, Sebastian Polk. He said he was all out of tears by the time he arrived at the vigil to honor his cousin, whom he described being as close as a sister.

''Every time you saw her she was smiling,'' said another cousin, Courtney Polk, pressing her hands together in front of her face and holding back tears. ''It's hard but we see all the love for her.''

Some of LaTasha's relatives held each other crying on the curb near a cross where they had placed candles for her and other victims.

''She was a loving person, and for her life to be taken away — unimaginable,'' her aunt Kim Polk said.

Edward Pettifer

The family of Edward Pettifer, a 31-year-old British citizen from London, described him as ''a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many.''

His stepmother was a former nanny to the Royal Family, and Prince William expressed shock and sadness at the news.

Pettifer's family said they ''will all miss him terribly,'' and that their thoughts were with the families of the other victims as well.

Pettifer was the stepson of Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who was the nanny for both William and his brother, Prince Harry, between 1993 and 1999, including time after the death of their mother Princess Diana in 1997.

Brandon Taylor

Brandon Taylor, 43, worked as a restaurant cook in the New Orleans area and loved music, especially rap. He leaves behind his fiancee, who was with him when he was killed.

''No one should ever have to die like that. He didn't deserve it,'' his fiancee, Heather Genusa, 38, told NOLA.com.

Taylor was passionate about concerts and rapping, his friend, O'Kieth Gibson, told NOLA.com.

''He was a fun-loving person, full of energy,'' Gibson said. ''He was a high-spirited person.''

Elliot Wilkinson

Elliot Wilkinson, 40, was from Slidell, Louisiana. Cecil Wilkinson said in a message to his little brother, Elliot Wilkinson, on Facebook that he was loved ''and you will truly be missed.''

''I know life was hard for you at times. But I wasn't expecting to get the phone call this morning you was one of them that got hit in New Orleans in the French Quarter,'' Wilkinson said.

Terrence ''Terry'' Kennedy

After years working in the service industry and maintenance, New Orleans native Terrence Kennedy spent his retirement doing what he loved: strolling down to catch the ever-present party in the French Quarter.

''Bourbon is like a free party," his niece, Monisha James, told The Associated Press. ''He was enjoying his city that he enjoyed for 63 years.'' James said her uncle liked to people-watch and often sparked conversations with strangers.

Kennedy had told his sister on New Year's Eve that he was going out. When he didn't answer the phone the next morning, the family spent a frantic day searching until the coroner confirmed he died in the attack.

James, 43, described her uncle as a humble helper and a handyman. Whether it was fixing up a house or playing with his nieces and nephews, he was always eager to serve others.

''Just a sweet, kind, loving, helpful person that would not harm anyone,'' James said.

Sadly, illness had affected his family in recent years. Four of Kennedy's siblings died before him, including a sister who passed away a month earlier.

William ''Billy'' DiMaio

Billy DiMaio, 25, of Holmdel, New Jersey, was humble, gentle-hearted and so devoted to family that he had a tattoo featuring all of his cousins' names, his parents told NOLA.com.

A New York City-based account executive for the media company Audacy, DiMaio was in New Orleans to celebrate New Year's Eve and see friends who planned to go to the Sugar Bowl, Tracie and Bill DiMaio told the news site.

''He was a good, humble kid,'' Bill DiMaio said. ''He loved life.''

Billy DiMaio grew up in Long Island, New York. He graduated in 2022 from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, where he was on the lacrosse team and earned a master's degree.

He had worked for Audacy since 2023.

''Beyond his professional achievements, Billy will be fondly remembered for his unwavering work ethic, positive attitude, and kindness," Audacy said in an emailed statement.

Hubert Gauthreaux

Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, was from Gretna, Louisiana, the coroner's office said.

Archbishop Shaw High School, in Marrero, Louisiana, posted on Facebook that Gauthreaux was from the class of 2021.

Gauthreaux ''was tragically killed in the senseless act of violence that occurred early this morning in the French Quarter,'' the Catholic boys school posted Wednesday.

Kareem Badawi

Kareem Badawi, 23, was a University of Alabama freshman. He was a native of Louisiana and a graduate of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge.

''My son was full of life,'' his father Belal Badawi said in an interview.

Back home in Baton Rouge for winter break, Badawi went to New Orleans with friends to celebrate the new year, his father said. After they saw the news of the truck attack, they tried to reach Kareem, but he didn't answer.

''Then I saw his phone when I tracked it was in the area that it happened,'' Belal Badawi said. ''So, then we knew that's something wrong. He's not answering."

''I lost my son. He's a good boy,'' Badawi said of his son. ''Unfortunately, his life ended that quick and with no reason. Just nothing he did to deserve for somebody to come and kill him.''

Andrew ''Drew'' Dauphin

Andrew Dauphin, 26, of Montgomery, Alabama, was a 2023 graduate of Auburn University, according to a post on the social platform X by Christopher B. Roberts, the Alabama university's president.

''Words cannot convey the sorrow the Auburn Family feels for Drew's family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time,'' Roberts said. ''Our thoughts are with the Dauphin family and the families of all the victims of this senseless tragedy.''

Dauphin was a supplier process engineer at the American Honda Motor Company in Birmingham, Alabama, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Matthew Tenedorio

Matthew Tenedorio, 25, was from Picayune, Mississippi, the coroner's office said.

His mother, Cathy Tenedorio, arrived early to a Saturday vigil in New Orleans with friends and family. She told The Associated Press that she was moved by the flood of condolences and the graciousness of strangers coming to pay their respects.

''Now we have to figure out how to live without him,'' she said, her voice breaking. ''He has a beautiful German shepherd that's looking for him, it's the saddest thing, he keeps coming up to me, like ‘Where's Matthew? You smell like him but you're not him.''

A GoFundMe page created by a cousin says Matthew was an audiovisual technician at the Superdome.

''He was a wonderful kid,'' Louis Tenedorio added. ''He loved people. He loved animals. He always had a smile. So many friends."

Nikyra Dedeaux

Nikyra Dedeaux, 18, of Gulfport, Mississippi, dreamed of becoming a registered nurse, said a friend, Zion Parsons. Dedeaux had a job at a hospital and was set to start college and begin working towards her goal.

''She had her mindset — she didn't have everything figured out but she had the plan laid down,'' Parsons said.

Parsons, also of Gulfport, was celebrating New Year's Eve on Bourbon Street when a vehicle appeared and plowed into Dedeaux.

''A truck hit the corner and comes barreling through throwing people like in a movie scene, throwing people into the air,'' Parsons told The Associated Press. ''It hit her and flung her like at least 30 feet and I was just lucky to be alive."

Reggie Hunter

A 37-year-old father of two from Baton Rouge, Reggie Hunter had just left work and headed to celebrate New Year's with a cousin when the attack happened, his first cousin Shirell Jackson told NOLA.com.

Hunter died and his cousin was injured, Jackson said. The coroner's office said he was from Prairieville, Louisiana.

Martin ''Tiger'' Bech

Tiger Bech was a 27-year-old former high school and college football player from Louisiana. Bech also played football at Princeton University before graduating in 2021.

Kim Broussard, athletic director at St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette, told NOLA.com that Bech attended the high school, where he played as a wide receiver, quarterback, punt returner and defensive back.

Marty Cannon, STM principal and a former coach, said Bech was charismatic, intelligent and an incredibly talented football player. He regularly returned home to visit his tight-knit family, close friends and people at the school. He was home over Christmas.

''We live in a relatively small community here where not a lot of people leave but many do," Cannon said. ''I'm not surprised at all that Tiger could take off from south Louisiana and go off and get an amazing education at a place like Princeton and then lock himself into a community up there and just flourish. He's that kind of guy.''

Bech worked at Seaport Global. ''He was extremely well regarded by everybody who knew him," said company spokesperson Lisa Lieberman.

Nicole Perez

Nicole Perez, 27, was a single mother to a 4-year-old son and worked hard to make life better for her family, according to her employer.

Perez was recently promoted to manager at Kimmy's Deli in Metairie, Louisiana, and ''was really excited about it,'' deli owner Kimberly Usher said in an interview with the AP. Usher confirmed Perez's death through her sister, who also works at the deli.

Usher said Perez would walk in the morning to the deli, which opened for breakfast, and ask lots of questions about the business side of the operation. She was permitted to bring her son, Melo, to work.

''She was a really good mom,'' said Usher, who started a GoFundMe account to cover Perez's burial costs and help with expenses for her son, who ''will need to transition into a new living situation,'' the donation request says.

Injured in the attack

— Ryan Quigley, who was a teammate of Bech's at Princeton, was with him when they were struck by the truck. Quigley was injured, according to family and friends.

''Ryan is doing okay. He is stable and resting in the company of his family and friends,'' the Quigleys said in an update on a GoFundMe page set up by his friends. ''Ryan loves you all. Please keep the Bech family, the other families, and all of those affected by this tragedy in your prayers. Thank you all.''

— Heaven Sensky-Kirsch said her father, Jeremi Sensky, underwent 10 hours of surgery for injuries that included two broken legs. He had been ejected from the wheelchair he was using when the attack happened, Sensky-Kirsch said in a phone interview from a hospital intensive care unit.

Sensky, 51, who works in the family's tree service business, had driven from his home in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, to New Orleans to celebrate the holiday. Sensky and two friends had been having pizza, his daughter said. Sensky left them to return to his hotel on Canal Street because he felt cold, she said.

Sensky-Kirsch said others could see the attacker coming and were able to run out of the way, but her father ''was stuck on the road.'' When he didn't return to the hotel, they went to look for him, she said.

''We thought he was dead,'' Sensky-Kirsch said. ''We can't believe he's alive.''

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This story corrects the name of victim to LaTasha Polk, not Tasha Polk.

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Bellisle reported from Seattle. Jack Brook and Sharon Lurye in New Orleans, Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, Travis Loller in Nashville, Kimberly Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama and Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.