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For Lynnae LeBlanc, making people laugh is all in a night's work. LeBlanc is part of The National Comedy Company, an improvisational comedy group based out of New Orleans. The group performs anywhere from conventions and bars to comedy clubs and private parties, but LeBlanc said it is not hard to alter the show based on the crowd. "It's easy because improv is so audience interactive," LeBlanc said. "If they shout out 'condom,' we are going to use it. It's what the audience wants. That's what I love about improv is it's so versatile." Josh Duplechain, member of the National Comedy Company, said the group can alter its act to the audience. "We can tailor our act to whatever," Duplechain said. "We performed on someone's back porch in LaPlace, and there were kids there and grandmas and things, and we had to have Lynnae tone down her language." The National Comedy Company performs every Saturday night at Yo Mama's in the French Quarter in New Orleans. LeBlanc said the turnout is often dependent on tourism. "You are kind of a slave to tourism," she said. "It's kind of cool though because you are a part of their New Orleans memory." Erica Fry, bartender at Yo Mama's, said the National Comedy Company's shows always bring in a big crowd. "The bar is definitely full when they come," she said. "They have a good following." LeBlanc said the National Comedy Company offers a show that is unique to New Orleans. "We want to put on a good show for southeast Louisiana," she said. "We aren't going anywhere. Bourbon Street is full of bad cover bands, and I don't think people come to New Orleans to see that. I think they come here for jazz shows and original shows." LeBlanc said the group was affected by Hurricane Katrina. "We performed at a bar on Metairie Road and had more of a local following before the storm," she said. After the owners of the building did not make it possible for them to perform there anymore, the National Comedy Company had to look for a different venue. LeBlanc said the setting of the National Comedy Company is the most important part of its show. "Setting is the most important part because we have to connect with the audience," she said. LeBlanc was one of the first members of the group, which was formed in 1999 by LeBlanc and members of a different improvisational group, Without a Net. LeBlanc began her improvisational career as a teenager following the death of the lead actress in a school production of "Steel Magnolias." "The mother of the girl had asked that we not do the same play, and we didn't want to," she said. "We had to find something to do without memorizing a whole new play. 'Whose Line Is It Anyway' was popular at the time, so we did an improvisational show. Before I knew it I had been doing improv for 10 years." While the members of the National Comedy Company are dedicated to the group, Duplechain said everyone has outside jobs. "We are all very serious about it, but everyone has their own separate careers outside of it," Duplechain said. The most popular act the group does on stage involves bringing an audience member on stage. "The one that goes over the absolute best is when we interview an audience member and then replay a day in their life but as a musical," she said. LeBlanc said improvisation is not hard to pick up but does require some skill. "You have to have a natural presence," she said. "You don't have to be funny. You have to listen and be honest, and the funny just happens. Improv is 90 percent knowing what the audience wants and reading them."
----- Contact Kelly Caulk at kcaulk@lsureveille.com
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