Signs: That’s how the St. Louis improv team Some Black People got its start.
The first was the painted one that Jessica Nicole, the group’s founder, spotted for classes at the Improv Shop near the Grove Business District. The second came in the form of absence, a lack of Black folks onstage as a group that she set about to change in late 2023.
“Improv teams are usually formed around some commonality. I would see Aaron, Charles, Kendall or Donovan [play], and I would be like, ‘We've got to come together,’” she said. “It was the precedent that was set by the all-female teams and the gay teams. Like, ‘We deserve to be together and play together and share this common experience together.’”
An American Theatre article titled “Improv So White? Yes, And” focuses on groups in Atlanta, Sarasota, Los Angeles and Chicago working to make the artform more diverse, a goal Some Black People has also come together to achieve. And while there’s still work to do, Charles Harris said he’s seen that gap get smaller.
“The lack of people that looked like me was an immediate observation. That has since changed quite a bit not just because of some of the diversity work that we have done [at the Improv Shop], but I think more Black people are becoming interested in the art form. There's been an increase of participation across the medium,” Harris said.
Aaron Moore picked up improv in the last couple of years, when he was facing personal struggles and seeking a creative outlet. He said getting to play with fellow Black improvisers and be part of the Some Black People team has been a unique source of connection.
“There is a freedom of like, ‘I can say anything that I want to say, and not have to worry if my scene partner will get this reference,’ When you're amongst people that have some of those same lived experiences as you,” Moore said.
Some Black People has made remarkable strides since its formation just more than a year ago. Harris said being ranked No. 5 among 16 teams competing in the Improv Shop’s 2024 Cagematch tournament, in addition to getting invited back to Nashville, Tennessee, for a paid gig, has taken Some Black People’s improv work to another level that’s a little “more real.”
“Because the content is so ephemeral, like you do it and it's gone. Now it feels more tangible. Being requested to come back and perform in a different city is crazy to me,” he said.
Related Event
What: Cagematch Tournament (Round 1, Match 3: SOME BLACK PEOPLE vs. ALL CAPS)
When: 10 p.m. Jan. 31
Where: The Improv Shop (3960 Chouteau Ave., St. Louis, MO 63112)
To hear the full conversation – which includes what makes cultural specificity a “cheat code” and how Some Black People has changed its members’ experience of improv – listen to the full St. Louis on the Air conversation on Apple Podcast, Spotify and YouTube, or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
