Before she was The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Erin from The Office, Becca from Bridesmaids or BUST’s April/May 2015 cover star, Ellie Kemper got her start with improv – and last weekend, she returned to her roots with a performance at New York Comedy Fest.
On Saturday, November 14, KempSas – that’s Ellie Kemper and comedian Christina Gausas’ improv duo – kept a packed crowd at UCB Theatre Chelsea in stitches as they presented an hour-long show depicting perhaps the most codependent friendship to ever exist.
The show was amazing – showcasing a creatively bizarre comedic sense that included a married Episcopal bro priest, the scuba-diving champion daughter of a billionaire family living on a remote island, a Ludacris Instagram post of a woman drooling while sleeping on a plane, a tire-slashing Bobby Flay and the smell of freshly sliced pita bread. The only drawback: a date rape joke that made me cringe a little. Without that, it would have been perfect.
In her 2013 improv diary for Vulture, Kemper wrote, “Improvising with Christina is one of the greatest things in the world,” and it seems like more than two years later, she was having just as much fun. KempSas performs only a few times a year, so keep an eye out for their next show announcement!
Photo credit: BUST magazine
More from BUST
10 Times Kimmy Schmidt Said Something Awesomely Empowering
Neko Case, Kelly Hogan And Ellie Kemper: The Sci-Fi Lady Squad That Will Rock Your World