Get “Stuffed and Unstrung” While You Can

Could the traveling muppet improv show, Stuffed and Unstrung be a PR vehicle for The Muppets movie hitting theaters on November 23? Possibly — but do the loveably irreverent plushy characters created by Jim Henson really need a marketing push?

Me thinks not.

Although Stuffed and Unstrung (which is co-presented by SF Sketchfest) is housed in a place where Broadway plays take the stage (the Curran in San Francisco to be exact), it’s not necessarily a musical — it’s an improv comedy show. With Brian Henson (he’s Jim’s son) leading the pack of comedians and improv gamemaster Patrick Bristow hosting each show, it is a grand ol’ time of fun-filled debauchery.

Yes, I said debauchery. You won’t see Kermit or Miss Piggy in the mix here. Instead, this is a part of the Henson Alternative, a company whose demographic includes people like me: people who are craving lewd, crass and inappropriate humor. In other words, it’s “adult.” But that doesn’t mean it’s pornographic. Actually it KIND OF is, but there is no full-frontal Muppet nudity — at least not during the show I attended.

Each show will be different, considering it’s an audience-interactive experience — and they give you an orientation before the show starts. Bristow asks the audience for scenario suggestions and then calls upon the team of funny people to choose Muppets (from an arsenal of 80) to act out said scenarios on the spot. As an added bonus, the team re-enact original Muppet performances from the Jim Henson’s hey days, providing nice bite-sized, palate cleansing nostalgia between improv sessions.

The result is (as I stated in my Tweet immediately after the show), urination caused by humor. It also made me want to pursue a career in “raunchy Muppeteering” improv.

If you’re in San Francisco, snag some tickets to this show — and snag them NOW. It’s only here until August 27.

For tickets and showtimes visit www.shnsf.com

The photo above features (from left) Colleen Smith, Brian Henson, and Ted Michaels. Photo credit: Carol Rosegg