Each performance of “The One Where We Make It Up” is built from scratch. A stand-up set opens the night, then the cast launches into longform improv, each actor sticking with a single character through the show. That night’s stand-up set came from Abby Bland—tough act to follow—but the cast made a solid go of it.
The world they built felt like a small-town soap opera: tangled relationships, petty drama, and big personalities all bumping into each other. The ensemble worked well together, pulling strong premises from the opening and running with them. That said, there were times when the momentum moved so fast they skipped past the good stuff. A moment would hit, a laugh would land, and then they’d move on instead of digging deeper. Slowing down to explore the emotional consequences of those moments could take the show from entertaining to truly memorable.
The cast brought consistent energy from start to finish, and the audience was with them the whole time. Laughter regularly filled the room, with more than one moment that had everyone needing a second to recover. Some of the best bits came from unexpected character choices: a grandmother aggressively pursuing romance under a fake identity, a family therapist who insists on pre-booked appointments to process emotions, and a precocious child who ended up being the most reasonable person on stage.
The show thrives on character interplay more than any specific format, which gives the cast room to stretch into bold, unexpected directions. There’s an ease to their chemistry that keeps the show moving, even when things get chaotic. And more than anything, it’s a joy to see a cast made up entirely of women and minorities—something that still feels far too rare in the world of improv.
