In Improv, They Get the Last Laugh

This is a big weekend for comedy in Washington. Warner Theatre has Margaret Cho on Friday, and Janeane Garofalo is hanging out at the Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse on Friday and Saturday. But for laugh-seekers looking for a different kind of comedy, there are two men standing by with slightly sillier fare for your entertainment.

Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood, improvisers best known for their work on TV's "Whose Line Is It Anyway?," land at the Warner Theatre on Saturday with a spectacle of ludicrous games and inane antics. "We always guarantee that it's going to be the second-funniest show audiences ever see in their lives," Sherwood says. "That way, we avoid lawsuits."

Fair enough. We caught up with the two jokesters -- separately -- for a chat about life, improv and each other.

So what should audiences expect if they come out [Saturday] night?

Mochrie: We say it's like a live version of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" -- without the tall guy, the black guy or the rich guy.

What is it that works between you and Brad Sherwood?

Mochrie: We both know who the funny one is. He doesn't have to prove anything. He just lets me do everything. And he, you know, lives off me. Like a parasite.

Does it ever get old?

Mochrie: It doesn't. It's not like we're a rock band and have to go out and sing our greatest hits every night. Every show is totally different.

Do you still get nervous?

Mochrie: Uh, yeah. I've got it down now, so it's only like five minutes before the show, where you're backstage, you think, 'There's a nice audience out there who've paid money to see two guys who have no idea what they're going to do.' That's when I tend to get a little nervous.

Any questions I should ask Sherwood?