Heather Anne Campbell Might End Up Breaking the UCB Cagematch Record She Helped Set
Simply put, Heather Anne Campbell (who just happens to be on the new Whose Line Is It Anyway?) is one of the best improvisors around right now.
At any comedy theatre that hosts improv comedy (especially long form improv), there is usually some sort of “cagematch” that pits improv teams of that theatre/school against each other and having the winner advance or return to face another competitor The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre has had a long tradition of doing this on a weekly basis in the theaters that they have on either coast. Also, at UCB, if your team loses, your run is over (i.e. go undefeated or bust).
In LA, the record for Cagematch wins is 50 (that’s almost an entire year of consecutively winning) currently held by the improv duo Heather & Miles. That record is about to get challenged by another improv duo, Hebecky Drysbell, which is currently at 49 wins.
An interesting twist to this historic Cagematch coming up is that one Heather Anne Campbell (whose work currently spans The Midnight Show, Fox ADHD, Party Over Here, and way more) is on both teams. Heather is the ‘Heather’ in Heather & Miles (Miles is another fantastic veteran improvisor Miles Stroth) and she is also one half of Hebecky Drysbell (Rebecca Drysdale, also another fantastic improvisor and writer on Key & Peele, is the other half).
So, next Wednesday at UCB Franklin, Heather will be playing both sides and simultaneously trying to break and defend her own seemingly untouchable Cagematch record. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the show is already sold out. However, per usual at UCB, there will be a stand by line on the night of.
If you can’t go to the Del Close Marathon in NYC this year, this might be the one of the big improv events to catch on this side of the country.