Endgames takes its improv seriously

“I think a lot of people coming to improv being naturally talented — funny, gregarious, outgoing — honestly, in the long term, have a harder time mastering it than the people who have to work from day one,” says co-founder Max McCal.

On the evidence of an Aug. 24 performance at Stage Werx Theatre of the company’s flagship show, “Your F—ed Up Relationship,” that argument might seem incongruous or disingenuous. The eight Endgames performers who came up with scenes based on an audience member’s actual past relationship were wildly inventive, spontaneously conjuring whole exchanges about vacuum seals on bags of chips or “mountain town” dwellers rabid for new residents to join their ranks. If you’re an outsider to the art form, it might seem like the only way to create that material would be to have innate comedic virtuosity. How else could one instantly zero in on what’s funny in a situation and just as instantly communicate that thought to a whole audience?

Not all improv has to be funny, but that’s what Endgames specializes in, and that reputation has undoubtedly helped the company fill Stage Werx Theatre with shows five nights per week, often with multiple shows per night. Endgames also has a whole curriculum of classes, with college coursebook-style names like “Advanced Scene Work — imp401.” Demand for those classes is fueling the company’s expansion in the Mission District; Endgames

Steve Kaye / Endgames Improv Endgames Improv performers in “Your F—ed Up Relationship” at Stage Werx Theatre.