Quick Q&A session with the improv masters

Greg Tavares and Brandy Sullivan of Theatre 99 and The Have Nots! are funny. Really funny. We took a few minutes to ask them some questions, and told them to give us the first answer that comes to mind.

Q: What is your role/title with Theater 99?

Tavares: Co-founder, co-artistic director.

Sullivan: Co-founder, co-artistic director.

Q: How long have you been there?

Tavares: Since Day One, 2000 July 7.

Sullivan: Theatre 99 was founded July 7, 2000, at 30 Cumberland St. by The Have Nots! Comedy Improv Company (me, Greg and Timmy Finch). We have been at the 280 Meeting St. location since August 2005.

Q: What is your background in theater?

Tavares: Undergrad and grad degree, thousands of performances. A life in the theater.

Sullivan: I got involved in theater in high school and also have a B.A. in theater and speech from the University of South Carolina.

Q: What would you say your specialty is?

Tavares: Acting, directing and teaching improv.

Sullivan: Improvisation.

Q: The most serious thing about theatre 99 is:

Tavares: Our training program.

Q: The reason why Theatre 99's improv shows are funny:

Tavares: Our company members are great at working together and using what the audience gives us to come up with awesome scenes.

Sullivan: We take whatever the audience gives us (within reason. ... We don't take porno or bathroom as suggestions. That got old a long time ago.) and created unscripted, "off the top of our heads" scenes. That kind of spontaneity can be really funny.

Q: Theatre 99 is:

Tavares: Charleston's home for improv comedy.

Sullivan: Where Boredom Goes to Die!

Q: People will love Theatre 99:

Tavares: It is a place for adults to play.

Sullivan: Since they are based on audience suggestion, improv shows are a "renewable resource" and you can come back time and time again and never see the same show twice.

Q: I would describe our shows as:

Tavares: Spontaneous theater that is usually very funny.

Sullivan: Fun.

Q: We are at our best when:

Tavares: Doing the show for ourselves and not worried about anything.

Sullivan: We are playing well together as a group and the audience is along for the ride.

Q: Some of the things we are really good at are:

Tavares: Improv, having fun, drinking beer.

Sullivan: Creating scenes from nothing.

Q: I look forward to:

Tavares: Piccolo Fringe, Comedy Festival, 3 on 3 improv tourney, being a dad one day.

Sullivan: Piccolo Fringe (May 28-June 12), The 3 on 3 Long Form Improv Tournament (April 16, 17, 23 and 24).

Q: I am really:

Tavares: An NPR listener.

Sullivan: Left-handed.

Q: Which means:

Tavares: I dig below the surface.

Sullivan: I bump into stuff.

Q: At our shows, people can expect:

Tavares: Spontaneous fun in the form of make-believe scenes performed by humans.

Sullivan: A good time.

Q: I like it when the audience:

Q: While on stage:

Tavares: I am focused on my partner.

Q: My favorite joke is:

Tavares: I don't do jokes.

Sullivan: Too many to choose from, and we don't tell jokes in improv shows. My high school history teacher did make me tell a different joke every morning before class started. That's almost 180 days.