Rad Skills

In late July, playwright Kim Porter penned a tribute to Phoenix’s de facto improvisation headquarters, The Torch Theatre. Porter has taken classes at the theater, honing her improv skills and getting to know its seemingly normal crew of folks “who step onto the stage each week and pretend to be petulant teenagers and Supreme Court justices and ‘gator wrestlers.” She wrote about the challenges she faces putting herself out there and how her teachers push her to go harder, be funnier, be more in the moment.

Porter will show off what she’s learned during Thursday’s student showcase, which will also feature onstage action from Dennis Fredrick, Eric Storie, Shane Carey, Corina Smith, and Jacque Arend. Check out their newly augmented skills starting at 8 p.m. August 22. Get tickets, $5, via www.thetorchtheatre.com. Call 602-456-2876.

Thu., Aug. 22, 8 p.m., 2013