Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Smart
Taylor, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m so honored to be a part of The Corner Gallery Improv Troupe. This Orlando-based indie, improv comedy group has been together for over 5 years, and has recently seen growth and success they’ve only ever dreamed of. The Corner Gallery Improv started as a bunch of actors and comedians who met in comedy classes at a local theatre. Once they graduated, the students formed their own group, ultimately naming themselves The Corner Gallery as a nod to their first rehearsal spaces in random apartment lobbies and small home living rooms.
The group started performing for local senior living communities and HOA events around the Orlando area. They’ve even made a few appearances at local comedy festivals, and eventually scored regular performance opportunities at a theatre in Oviedo.
Along the way, the group has welcomed a variety of new members, expanding to a troupe of over 15 active members, each of who bring their own unique performance and comedy styles to the group.
In spring 2024, the troupe struck up a partnership with the Casselberry Recreation Center, giving them a regular space to host shows and performances, as well as teacher improv classes and workshops to the community. Over the last year, the troop has worked with over 100 new students, and has seen hundreds of locals and comedy-enthusiasts in their audiences.
The Corner Gallery was also recently named one of Orlando’s Best Recurring Comedy Nights by Orlando Weekly readers, an accolade the troop sees as a mile marker for their years of hard work.
Heading into 2025, the troupe hopes to continue to expand its audiences by inviting anyone and everyone to come out for a good time. They encourage those who want to get involved to jump into classes, or if you just want to laugh, catch a show on Friday nights.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Development of The Corner Gallery has definitely not been a smooth road, as it never really is for anyone in the arts. Finding a place to perform and play is always a struggle, and then trying to find an audience to fill those seats is the second big mountain improvisors have to get over. We’ve definitely had our share of empty or low audiences. We’ve lost performances spaces. We’ve been victim to venue scheduling conflicts. But like the nature of improv suggestions, we all still keep rolling with the punches.
Improv also relies heavily on audience energy and participation, and so overcoming those first two obstacles is one thing, and then also working to maintain high energy in the crowd is also part of the natural struggle of improv.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Improv comedy is both easy to understand and hard to do in practice, but finding that balance is part of what improvisors love the most about the art form. Many members of The Corner Gallery are actors and comedians outside of their participation with TCG, and I think that melting pot of specialties is part of the magic of the group. Some of our players are pros at musical improv, while others charm the audience with their witty banter on stage. But most importantly, when audiences come to see us, we hope we come off as a silly group of friends having fun doing what they love.
We do a great job of having a variety of members making appearances in shows, offering a unique dynamic with every performance. Of course, it’s also improv, so everything we do on stage is made up and never created again, so the magic of what’s made on stage and that wonder of what might happen the next time keeps our audiences coming back for more.
We’re all incredibly proud of the space we’ve created for the improv community as a whole. With our partnership with the Casselberry Recreation Center, we’re able to provide improvisors a place to play regularly, to network with others in the community, and to continue to grow and share this artform with new faces. We strive to be a staple in the minds of our most devoted improv community members, especially since there aren’t many places in the Orlando community to pop in and make some laughs with strangers. We work very hard to provide a warm, welcoming, and accepting space for all.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
The best part of The Corner Gallery is that each of our members come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some of our members studied theatre and acting in college and have a more technical training background, while others found a love for improv late in life and have spent time taking classes with some of the nation’s best companies like Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade, and more. I’m sure individually we all have mentors, supporters, and cheerleaders that we’ve met on our personal journeys.
And something that we’re all so proud and grateful for is that along the way and with our new opportunities, we have the potential to be those same mentors, supporters and cheerleaders for another improvisor or a future improvisor.
Pricing:
- $10 Tickets Online/$15 Ticket At The Door
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thecorner.gallery/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecornergalleryimprov/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecornergalleryimprov/
Image Credits
Credit can be given to The Corner Gallery
