Improv at SBMM: Laugh It Up and Learn

I might be all wet, but maybe the reason Dean Noble left his position as executive director of Elings Park to take up the same role at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum was simply to be able to resume producing and hosting science-based improv shows again. After all, the veteran improv pro – he who shelved making up stuff on stage to serve in top roles at nonprofits in town – almost inevitably created IMPROVology in 2015, almost a decade into his tenure as Director of Education at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Each episode of the lively science-comedy mash-up featured Noble interviewing scientists or Zoo staff involved in animal behavior and beyond, and then challenging professional Los Angeles improv actors to create comedy scenes through improv episodes based on the information. 

The shows were such a hit that they moved from the 80-person capacity of the Zoo’s multipurpose space to the Lobero, where more than 600 people could not only partake of the fun, but learn something about creatures and the Zoo along the way. IMPROVology also expanded to UCSB and the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. But then Noble took on the job at Eling which, though the privately-owned space is as spectacular a natural park as there is in town, doesn’t have any public indoor spaces to accommodate performances. 

Now, not even nine months into taking over the position at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum from Greg Gorga, who retired after 17 years at the helm, Noble is resurrecting the concept for a more water-based, ocean-centric theme. Call it satisfying a seven-year itch. Or maybe improv remains a fantastic way to introduce people to the museum, its special place in the Santa Barbara Harbor, and its role in preservation and education. 

“Well, I wanted to get back a little bit more into the conservation world,” Noble said. “But why not bring in something I know works well at breaking down any barriers to science, and open it up to everyone in a fun way?”

SBMM’s new series is called Unscripted Voyages, emphasizing the spirit of spontaneity at the waterfront. The performers, within structures suggested by Noble, determine the voyage’s controlled freefall into the unpredictable with no navigational maps, so they can just go with the current. 

The first evening, slated for November 7 at the museum’s literal waterfront harbor location, focuses exclusively on whales and whale stories through a collaboration with the initiative called Blue Whales and Blue Skies (BWBS). This is a voluntary Vessel Speed Reduction program aimed at reducing the environmental impacts of commercial shipping in areas where whales, coastal communities, and commerce intersect. It is no accident that the program originated in the Santa Barbara Channel. The experts sharing stories facilitated by Noble include John Ryan of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, a biological oceanographer who studies the ocean soundscape; Holly Lohuis, a marine biologist, naturalist with Island Packers, and co-director of the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area; and Dr. Lindsey Peavey Reeves, program manager with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) Sound Monitoring. Dr. Reeves leads a diverse team of government and academic partners working to continuously monitor ocean soundscapes.

“We are putting a spotlight on a key local environmental initiative,” Noble said. “We’ll hear some whale sounds and see some home video footage of whales as well as hear about the research and programs they’re all working on.”

What could be relatively, ahem, dry information will then be turned into comedic scenes by six highly-experienced improv actors, with scheduled performers including Edi Patterson, Dan O’Connor, Stephen Kearin, Kari Coleman, Ryan Smith, and Lisa Fredrickson. Their collective credits run from HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones, to 30 years as founder of Impro Theatre, guest shots on Seinfeld, voice roles in Kung Fu Panda, writing and producing for Fox’s MADtv, and co-creating the upcoming Sketch Box.

“Most people have never seen a show like this,” Noble said. “It’s really a very memorable evening. The songs and stories will linger long after the lights go down, just like with IMPROVology, when people would stop me at Trader Joe’s to remind me of moments they loved from months before. It’s really remarkable.”

With future Unscripted Voyages shows, Noble plans to expand the field beyond the scope of the Zoo’s IMPROVology. 

“We can have biologists and scientists, of course, but also sailors and navigators,” he said. “The ocean has many more stories that can be told.” 

The intention is also to broaden the Maritime Museum’s already popular Distinguished Speaker series into other artistic fields. 

“We can use world class artists to help explore and interpret the stories of the museum, not just with actors, but also artists, sculptors and photographers.”

It’s all just an innovative way to bring more people into SBMM’s sphere, where they can view fascinating seafaring exhibits with strong local ties, and learn about the museum’s enviable education programs, which number more than a dozen and span from age 2 to adults. Every year, nearly 5,000 students are introduced to the sea via hands-on offerings that include trips on the Mystic Whaler tall ship, excursions to tide pools, and, more recently, trips on the Lil’ Toot ferry as part of the Meet the Harbor Seal curriculum for first graders.

“They come to the museum to learn about the seals, get a children’s book that we created and then go out on Lil’ Toot and meet the harbor seal up close,” Noble said. “We’ve also started doing some adult hikes and expeditions led by naturalists. So we really do have educational programs for all ages where people can learn about the Blue Economy, and how important the oceans are to our future.” 

Unscripted Voyages’ marine education is made even more memorable by scientific fact-based, spontaneously invented songs and stories. And laughter.  

Visit www.sbmm.org