Stale Milk & Sour Cookies IV Is Coming!

Stale Milk & Sour Cookies IV: Two Evenings of Improv Comedy to Warm Our Neighbors on December 2nd & 3rd

Farmington - Many believe Black Friday signals the start of the dysfunctional holiday season and they would be wrong. It really begins on December 2nd and 3rd in UMF’s Lincoln Auditorium as western Maine comedians Teachers Lounge Mafia deliver Stale Milk & Sour Cookies IV, a weekend of irreverent holiday improv. All proceeds from these shows will go to Western Maine Community Action’s LIHEAP heating program.

For the past three years, Teachers Lounge Mafia have welcomed in the spirits of commercialism, familial stress, and eggnog with their own peculiar brand of improv and sketch comedy. This marks the fourth installment and should be the best yet with the audience providing the ideas and TLM providing the laughs. Those who have seen the group perform at regional venues such as Calzolaio Pasta Co., 49 Franklin St., or even in support of the A-T Hope with Every Step event in Livermore Falls, can expect much of the same. And there will be some new games, and a surprise or two, on hand as well.

Stale Milk & Sour Cookies is more than just a tradition for TLM. It marks the fourth anniversary of the group’s founding. Over its history, the group has raised funds for disaster relief, medical research, and other charitable causes. This year, one hundred percent of the suggested donations taken at the door will go directly to heating area homes in the form of WMCA’s Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). With an especially brutal winter forecasted and major cuts to its federal support dollars, LIHEAP now, perhaps more than ever, needs everyone to help however they can. Teachers Lounge Mafia hopes to reward that generosity the best way it can: laughter.

The western Maine troupe consists of local comic actors Jeff Bailey, Natalie Simmons, Alex Kreitzman, Gavin Pickering, Emily Pottle, Dan Ryder, and Kyla Wheeler. Taking inspiration from Saturday Night Live, Upright Citizens Brigade, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, The State, the writings of Dr. Suess and Gene Autry as well as their own twisted comic stylings, Teachers Lounge Mafia hope to bring something different to the foothills – and still be allowed to live here.

Stale Milk & Sour Cookies IV will be held in Roberts Learning Center’s Lincoln Auditorium on the University of Maine at Farmington campus. Doors open at 7 p.m. with showtime at 7:30 p.m. The show contains mature content. Suggested donations of $5 per person will be accepted at the door. For more information, visit www.teachersloungemafiaimprov.com or call 578-0357.

Portland Improv Festival THIS WEEKEND!

It's been an amazing couple of weeks for Teachers Lounge Mafia.

We've done workshops and performances at Camp Kawanhee for Boys, workshops with Pilgrim Lodge, performed for the Jay-Niles Summer Reading Camp, and brought good ol' fashioned TLM power (credit to Steve Muise for putting that word in the lexicon) at Calzolaio Pasta Co. in Wilton.

And now we get to the main event: Portland Improv Fest 2011 at the Lucid Stage in Portland, Thursday, August 11th through Sunday, August 14th. More info is here.

We will be bum rushing the stage on Friday night alongside Active Ingredients and ImprovBoston MainStage. But get there each night because there will be something amazing happening on each and every one of them.

More Teachers Lounge Mafia news coming soon including fall performances, appearance at Boston Improv Fest, and a brand new website!

Teachers Lounge Mafia Returns with Furious Vengance in August

It has been a fairly mild summer here in the western foothills of Maine.

Teachers Lounge members have been busy doing all sorts of stuff. Participating in intense workshops at Upright Citizens Brigade's Training Center in New York, directing children's summer theater, prepping film camps, guiding kayakers through New Hampshire wilderness, preparing for company audits. And that was just this past Thursday.

Like a coiled cobra, we've just been waiting to strike -- but without the poisonous fangs. Or a taste that mongoose find irresistible.

August brings two performance dates to mark on the calendars.

August 5th, we return to Calzolaio Pasta Company in Wilton for a full-on performance. Unlike past performances, this one will not feature the Italian buffet. The bar will be open, menus available, and as a result the show is a mere $5. Showtime is at 7:30 p.m. Seating is limited so get there early.

A week later, August 12th, TLM performs at the 2nd Annual Portland Improv Festival, being held at the Lucid Stage on Baxter Blvd. in Portland. We will be appearing alongside Boston-area groups Active Ingredients and ImprovBoston's Mainstage. Showtime is 8 p.m. Be certain to check out the PIF 2011 website for the rest of the line ups. Brilliant stuff from throughout New England.

And we're doing a bunch of other cool stuff as well: working with summer camps, running some workshops, and setting up a mighty fierce Teachers Lounge Mafia fall season. You'll forget all about us being awful quiet June and July.

Amazing Spring So Far . . . More to Come?

We've had a tremendous spring thus far with two great shows, one at Calzolaio's in Wilton and another at Mt. Valley Middle School in Mexico.

What's on the horizon? We're workshopping some new games, making some connections, and performing at a handful of private events.

PRIVATE EVENTS!?!? What? Teachers Lounge Mafia Improv is available for hire?

We sure are. Follow the link on the blog to our request form or just sling a line to teachersloungemafiaimprov at gmail.com and we will get right back to you. Birthday and graduation parties, Project Graduation, fundraisers of all sorts, workshops and showcases, summer camps, festivals and fairs, professional development and company retreats; give us a holler if you have any interest at all in having custom-built improv be part of your next gathering.

Calzolaio Sold Out!

The response has been overwhelming again and our return performance at Calzolaio Pasta Company on April 8th has sold out!

We are looking forward to another amazing crowd -- and some seriously fantastic eats.

And if you didn't make the show, drive just a short ways down the road on Saturday the 9th for TLM Improv dinner theater at Mountain Valley Middle School in Mexico to support the RSU #10 afterschool program. $10 for a great cause. Please note: it's a full on, mature content show.

Teachers Lounge Mafia Returns to Calzolaio Pasta Co. in Wilton!

Teachers Lounge Mafia Improv Comedy Returns to Calzolaio Pasta Co. on April 8th

WILTON - Last time they landed three days early for Valentine’s Day; now they are a week late for April Fool’s. At some point Teachers Lounge Mafia will perform at Calzolaio Pasta Company on a date of significance. Until then, audiences will just have to be content with an evening of pasta and comedy on Friday, April 8th at the Italian restaurant located in the heart of Wilton’s downtown.

Built from audience-provided suggestions, Teachers Lounge Mafia delivers improvisational games and sketches designed to yank people right out of mud season and on to higher ground. The group performs interactive games similar to those popularized on television’s “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?” as well as original formats and scenes. No two shows are ever just alike. The only guarantees for the evening are high energy comedy and brilliant Italian cuisine.

For these unique evenings out, Calzolaio Pasta Company serves up an Italian buffet featuring a served salad, meat lasagna, pasta primavera, chicken parmesan, crusty Italian bread and a soft drink. A cash bar will be available as well. The event marks Teachers Lounge Mafia’s return performance to the downtown Wilton eatery after a sold out show in February.

Teachers Lounge Mafia consists of local comic actors Jeff Bailey, Emily Pottle, Dan Ryder, Natalie Simmons and Kyla Wheeler. Most recently seen raising funds for the Jay PTO, Teachers Lounge have performed throughout Maine and New Hampshire, including the Portland Improv Festival. Inspired by Upright Citizens Brigade, Saturday Night Live, The State, and the works of G. Gordon Liddy and Hugh Beaumont, Teachers Lounge Mafia strives to bring something different to the foothills of western Maine and still be allowed to live here.

Tickets for matured-rated event include salad, buffet, bread, soft drink, tax and gratuity, and an extra large helping of comedy, for $20. Seating begins at 6 p.m. with food served at 6:30 p.m. Seating is extremely limited and reservations are strongly suggested by contacting Calzolaio Pasta Company at 645-9500, or e-mailing teachersloungemafiaimprov@gmail.com.

Photo by Kaija Fellman

Parents' Night Out with Teachers Lounge Mafia in Jay on March 18th!

Jay PTO Benefit Show

Logo By Sam Allen
(How Great Is This? Right? Check Out Her Portfolio Here)

Come and join Teacher's Lounge Mafia in support of the Jay Parent Teacher Organization. We will be performing at 7PM, March 18th, in the Jay Middle School Cafeteria. Admission is $5 and the proceeds will benefit Jay PTO.

THIS WILL BE A MATURE AUDIENCES SHOW.

New Videos from our Stale Milk & Sour Cookies III show!

If you missed our December performance of Stale Milk and Sour Cookies III, this week our YouTube Channel has some clips from the show. Here's one you might like, but check out our YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/teachersloungemafia to see more. Consider subscribing to it for the newest videos yet to come.

EAT. LAUGH. LOVE.

'Come and celebrate the glorious feeling of love in the air on Feb. 11th at 7PM with Teacher's Lounge Mafia Comedy Improv at Calzolaio Pasta Co. on Main Street in Wilton. Or, just come and have some laughs at the expense of those other sappy schmucks that are there. $20 per person will cover salad Italian bread, soft drink and an Italian Buffet, with Meat Lasagna, Chicken Parmesan and more. Tax and Gratuity included and $20 covers the food AND the entertainment. Dessert and cash bar will be available too. This is a mature content show. For ticket information call Calzolaio Pasta Co. at 645-9500 or email us at TeachersLoungeMafiaimprov [@] gmail.com.

Now Booking Private Events Including . . .

Want Custom-Built, Interactive Comedy for Your Next Event?

Teachers Lounge Mafia is now available for private parties and functions, including Project Graduations and Senior Nights this spring.

Content flavored to taste; we've brought squeaky clean comic goodness to church camps and made a motorcycle gang blush from our blue material.

Interested? Dates are limited. Contact teachersloungemafiaimprov[at]gmail.com. (Say no to spam. Copy and edit the address to your email.)

TLM Returns to Rumford, January 7th

Updated 1/2/2010 with a showtime!

Teachers Lounge Mafia Improv Comedy at 49 Franklin Street

Rumford - One week into the new year, trouble will already be landing on the doorstep of the Androscoggin Valley -- or at least 49 Franklin St. On Friday, January 7th, western Maine’s Teachers Lounge Mafia return to Rumford with a night of custom-built comedy at 49 Franklin Reception Hall.

Teachers Lounge Mafia perform a combination of crowd-suggested improv and all-original sketch comedy. Audience members provide the ideas and the actors play out the absurd and ridiculous situations that follow. In addition to the sorts of games made popular on TV shows such as “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?” Teachers Lounge Mafia offers up its own, including the Facebook-inspired “Clickable” and the awkward-eavesdropping-in-the-restaurant-inspired “Three Course Meal.”

The western Maine troupe includes local comic actors Jeff Bailey, Natalie Bean, Alex Kreitzman, Gavin Pickering, Emily Pottle, Dan Ryder, and Kyla Wheeler, several of whom have appeared onstage as members of area comic groups Lawn Chair Pirates and Curtain Raisers. Taking inspiration from Saturday Night Live, Upright Citizens Brigade, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, The State, the writings of R.L. Stine, D.H. Laurence and other authors with initials for names, Teachers Lounge Mafia hope to bring something different to the foothills – and still be allowed to live here.

There will be food and drink to order off a special limited menu provided by Grapevine Catering.
Advanced admission is only $8, with tickets $10 on the day of the show. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. Go to http://www.49franklin.com/ or call 207-369-0129 for tickets. For more about Teachers Lounge Mafia, you can find them online at www.teachersloungemafia.blogspot.com or e-mail teachersloungemafiaimprov@gmail.com.

Press Contact:
Dan Ryder
Teachers Lounge Mafia Improv
teachersloungemafiaimprov@gmail.com
207 578-0357

Stale Milk & Sour Cookies III Is Coming

Teachers Lounge Mafia at The Granary Upstairs - November 5th!

Farmington – Questionable research and dubious studies indicate that intense laughing fits several weeks in advance of Thanksgiving improves poultry and gravy digestion. Teachers Lounge Mafia intend to verify these important findings with a late-night edition of mature-rated improv comedy at The Granary Upstairs in Farmington at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, November 5th.

In addition to some fast-paced games to warm up the evening, Teachers Lounge Mafia will deliver its Facebook-inspired long form, “Clickable.” The stage becomes the screen as audiences click through character after character, scene after scene, story after story. The audience controls the action as the performers make everything up on the fly. The group has been performing around the state in recent months and hopes to bring some new crowd-participation games and material to western Maine audiences. And for returning audiences, there are guaranteed to be some crowd pleasers as well.

Teachers Lounge Mafia most recently appeared on stage at the University of Maine at Farmington alongside Portland’s Running with Scissors. They also performed at a number of private functions and as part of the first annual Portland Improv Festival. In coming months, the group will continue its regular appearances at Wicked Gelato in Farmington and celebrate its third year of existence December 3rd and 4th with “Stale Milk and Sour Cookies III,” two irreverent nights of comedy at UMF’s Lincoln Auditorium with proceeds going to benefit Ataxia Telangiectasia research.

The western Maine troupe consists of local comic actors Jeff Bailey, Natalie Bean, Alex Kreitzman, Gavin Pickering, Emily Pottle, Dan Ryder, and Kyla Wheeler, several of whom have appeared onstage as members of area comic groups Lawn Chair Pirates and Curtain Raisers. Taking inspiration from Saturday Night Live, Upright Citizens Brigade, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, The State, the writings of Franklin W. Dixon and Sappho as well as their own twisted comic stylings, Teachers Lounge Mafia hope to bring something different to the foothills – and still be allowed to live here. 


This late night, mature audience comedy event at The Granary Upstairs runs for one night only, Friday, November 5th, at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are only $5 and may be purchased at the door or reserved by contacting Teachers Lounge Mafia at (207) 578-0357 or teachersloungemafiaimprov@gmail.com. The group can also be found on Facebook and at http://www.teachersloungemafia.blogspot.com.

Portland Improv Fest Begins Tonight!

It all starts going down this evening!

And Teachers Lounge Mafia will be performing Friday night!

More information: http://portlandimprovfest.weebly.com/index.html

Teachers Lounge Mafia Post-Fest Hoorah at The Granary Upstairs

Farmington – The first night of Farmington’s SummerFest culminates with a downtown street dance on Friday, July 30th. However, for Teachers Lounge Mafia, that means the party is just getting started. Teachers Lounge Mafia will perform a special late night edition of their custom-built, mature-audience brand of improv comedy at The Granary Upstairs at 9:30 p.m.

In addition to some fast-paced games to warm up the evening, Teachers Lounge Mafia will deliver its original long form improv comedy structure "Three Course Meal.” The audience members become flies on the wall as they watch three different scenes featuring the flirting, fighting, accusing, apologizing, confessing and stalking that one typically doesn’t get a chance to hear at one’s preferred casual dining establishment. And the group also has some new games for the veteran fans to experience, so one should not think for a moment that seeing one Teachers Lounge show means one has seen them all.

Teachers Lounge Mafia have performed throughout western and central Maine, including dinner theater events at The Granary Upstairs, hospital benefits in New Hampshire, and Haitian relief efforts at Mt. Blue High School. In the coming weeks, the group takes to southern Maine as part of the Porltand Improv Festival. The group consists of local comic actors Jeff Bailey, Natalie Bean, Alex Kreitzman, Gavin Pickering, Emily Pottle, Dan Ryder, and Kyla Wheeler, several of whom have appeared onstage as members of area comic groups Lawn Chair Pirates and Curtain Raisers.

Taking inspiration from Saturday Night Live, Upright Citizens Brigade, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, The State, the writings of Carolyn B. Cooney and Thomas Paine as well as their own twisted comic stylings, Teachers Lounge Mafia hope to bring something different to the foothills – and still be allowed to live here. 
 


This late night, mature audience comedy event at The Granary Upstairs runs for one night only, Friday, July 30th, at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at the door or reserved by contacting Teachers Lounge Mafia at (207) 578-0357 or teachersloungemafiaimprov@gmail.com. The group can also be found on Facebook and at http://www.teachersloungemafia.blogspot.com.

Improv Comedy Dinner Theater with Teachers Lounge Mafia, April 30

Farmington -- With the snows long gone, or mostly gone, or at least, on their way out, it is time to welcome spring in grand style with food, drink, and laughter. Western Maine improv troupe, Teachers Lounge Mafia, returns with another exclusive evening of improvisational comedy dinner theater, Friday, April 30th at The Granary on Front Street in Farmington.

The Teachers Lounge Mafia’s signature comedic performance, “Three Course Meal,” features a trio of scenes or vignettes occurring inside a restaurant’s dining room. Every scene is improvised, built from the suggestions of the audience. As the stories play out, audience members find themselves in the middle of the action, maybe even becoming part of the event itself. Following a brief intermission, Teachers Lounge Mafia will offer a nightcap set of crowd participation improv games designed to get willing participants a chance to flex their comic chops.

Teachers Lounge Mafia performs throughout western Maine and parts beyond, delivering their original brand of improvisation and sketch comedy. Most recently, they brought laughter to a hospital benefit in New Hampshire and a Haitian relief effort at Mt. Blue High School, Serious Fun. Last August they delivered their first dinner theater at The Granary to a tremendous audience. On April 30th, the good times should keep on being good with the help of The Granary and a legion of fandom second-to-none.

Teachers Lounge Mafia consists of area comic actors, Emily Pottle, Gavin Pickering, Jeff Bailey, Kyla Wheeler, Natalie Bean, Alex Kreitzman and Dan Ryder. Several actors are former members of other improv groups including The Curtain Raisers and Lawn Chair Pirates, while the rest aren't. Taking inspiration from Saturday Night Live, Kids in the Hall, The State, the works of Sam Peckinpah and A.A. Milne, as well as their own twisted comic stylings, the Teachers Lounge Mafia hope to bring something different to the foothills – and still be allowed to live here.

This special evening of improv dinner theater runs for one night only, Friday, April 30th, at The Granary on Front St. in Farmington. Doors open and dinner seating begins at 6:15 p.m. Admission is $5, food and drink not included. Seating is limited. Advance tickets available in person at The Granary or by calling (207) 578-0357. Please call at least two hours prior to showtime. The show contains mature content. For more information, contact Teachers Lounge Mafia at teachersloungemafiaimprov@gmail.com, call (207) 578-0357, or look for the group on Facebook and Blogger.

Black Mountain of Maine Videos Posted

Weren't able to see our Black Mountain Performance? Too bad. Better luck next time...







Just kidding. Thankfully we have a few video clips to share on our blog and Youtube Channel. There is an embedded player with all of our Youtube videos right on our blog but if you prefer a larger view, visit our You Tube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/teachersloungemafia

Enjoy. Laugh. Comment. Forward. Share. More to come.

Teachers Lounge Mafia at Black Mountain on January 8th!

Teachers Lounge Mafia brings the funny to the snow-capped mountains of Rumford on Friday, January 8th, for an evening of improv dinner theater. For a mere $12, audiences will be treated to a fabulous dinner from the kitchen of Black Mountain's base lodge and an evening of improv comedy including our signature dish, "Three Course Meal," a voyeuristic look at what other people do while the rest of us are dining.

For more tickets contact Black Mountain at 207 364-8977 or visit them online at www.skiblackmountain.org

What's Coming Up for Teachers Lounge Mafia Improv

Hey hey,

We are continuing to bring the funny to western Maine, Teachers Lounge style.

We are proud to be part of the University of Maine at Farmington Relay for Life event happening at the FRC on Friday, April 10th and running all night into Saturday, April 11th. We'll be performing in the wee hours so if you want to enjoy all the tasty improv goodness, you'll have to get yourself involved. Fire us a line at teachersloungemafia207@gmail.com and we'll forward your interest to the right party.

Plans are in the works for a late March event. Check back here regularly for more info. And we are working on booking spring and summer events. Got ideas or needs for comedy? Holler our way.