This April, CSz Philadelphia is proud to feature the one-woman improv show What If?, created and performed by Mary Carpenter. We chatted with Mary to get the inside scoop on this daring and celebratory show.
What If? started as part of CSz's 3-2-1 show. She says, “I realized no women had done a solo show for that program, so I decided to give it a try. I drew inspiration from the show Every Brilliant Thing, and wanted to find a way to involve the audience, since my favorite part of improv is the collaboration with other people. That drove my thinking in creating the format and rehearsing.” What If? is a solo improv show that tells the story of someone trying to overcome self-imposed obstacles in order to do something they've always wanted to try. It involves the audience in key elements through one to one interaction (ie: joining in as the good and bad voices in our heads that we listen to), calling for flashbacks and helping to shape the overall story. The result is a humanly funny story uniquely created by the performer and audience, that celebrates the flaws, fabulosity and funniness that we all have inside of us.
Since its original creation, Mary has had the opportunity to tour with this show, performing it in SideQuest's Weird Weekend, CSz Philadelphia's Mini Longform Festival, The Hartford Improv Festival, The Baltimore Improv Festival & the Countdown Improv Festival in 2025. In 2026, the show also was chosen for the Nestival, Hartford Improv Festival and the Ocean State Improv Festival.
Mary Carpenter has been with CSZ Philadelphia since 1992, where she has worked as a performer, teacher, Education Director, Business Manager, Artistic Director, and Executive Director. She holds degrees in theatre from Northwestern University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Her improv training began at The Second City in Chicago and continued with Mick Napier, Keith Johnstone, Joe Bill, and Jill Bernard. In addition to ComedySportz, Mary’s improvisation experience includes City of Nutterly Love with The Second City, It Doesn’t Matter, ‘Til Death Do Us Part, and 3M. She has directed I’ll Have What She’s Having, The SINsation, and co-created/directed Improvised Star Wars with Mykey Carpenter. Recently, she has appeared in Detective Improv, Odd at Sea, and Frankenstein’s Body.
Mary Carpenter
The show definitely explores Mary’s own life philosophies and curiosities: “As a performer, writer, director, improviser, human, I've always been drawn to the everyday courage people embrace to make it through a moment, day, lifetime. This show tries to highlight accessing that bravery. When it comes to the unknown, well, improv has been my tour guide there. It has taught me to embrace the unknown and trust that the answer will appear. Do I always succeed at that, no. I need to remind myself constantly, and it gives me great perspective when I do. As an improviser, the unknown is literally my favorite part. I've found that whenever I try to control something in improv, it makes things worse. I prefer the trust and adventure of letting go of the need to control, and embracing the joy of discovering where everyone's wonderful minds take us.” Mary shares Princess Leia's wise words with her students all the time: The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
With a tremendous amount of dedication to improv and theater, Mary Carpenter knows a thing or two about why live performance is important, now more than ever. She reflects on the unique and powerful effects of experiencing a show in a theater space: “None of us know each other, and yet we're all experiencing this performance together; we're all connecting to it on our own level, which connects us to each other. Even if we never actually talk to each other or see each other again, to be in a room with people laughing or crying or being amazed by something is a glorious reminder that we are not so far apart. And the magic of improv is that it will never be the same thing twice. The unique collection of souls in a room will create a show together that is uniquely theirs. The exchange of energy and laughter and all the things is one of a kind.”
And What If? you were part of that magic, too? You can be - see Mary Carpenter this April 10 at 7 PM at CSz Philadelphia - Home of ComedySportz. Tickets can be purchased AT THIS LINK. We’ll see you at the show!
