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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Whole World Theater

Aired July 07, 2002 - 08:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: All right -- we are going to bring you the news -- sort of -- kind of. Actually we're going to have some other people bring you the news -- they make you laugh.

And today we're going to try to do both with improv comedians from Atlanta's Whole World Theater. The theater opened its doors seven years ago and it's been performing to sold out audiences ever since. And we're joined by three of the actors from the improv troop.

On the anchor set with me is Sarah Baker, who you saw just a moment ago. We're working on -- I think we're going to get you a new job here. Is that all right?

SARAH BAKER, WHOLE WORLD THEATER: Good.

PHILLIPS: Because of the stress -- you're good at playing it and improving so -- OK -- it's perfect. And then Whole World correspondents Phil Caner and Bob Wood.

Hey, guys.

PHIL CANER, WHOLE WORLD THEATER: Hi. How are you doing?

BOB WOOD, WHOLE WORLD THEATER: How are you doing?

PHILLIPS: Good looking correspondents. They've got the look right.

They've got the really bad hair, the serious look. Nice suits, though.

WOOD: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Yeah -- no problem. All right, Sarah, let's talk a little bit first about the improv. I've been there -- I've been there a couple of times and it reminds me a lot of in -- you probably hear this a lot. I used to live in Hollywood in Los Angeles and there was the Ground Link Theater (ph) -- exactly.

BAKER: Right.

PHILLIPS: Improv is so much fun. Let's talk about the difference between that and stand-up comedy. BAKER: Well, it's completely different really because stand-up comedy is more focused. It's one person. It's usually a set routine that they've prepared ahead of time. I'm sure they do some improv in their act. But at Whole World, we try to do theme work and really concentrate on the emotions of the theme. You know, it's real acting with fun involved, with comedy involved.

PHILLIPS: Did you know you were funny?

BAKER: I don't know.

PHILLIPS: Did your friends always come up to you and say, "Sarah, you're a crack-up?"

BAKER: Actually, a little bit I guess -- I don't know.

I didn't -- I never knew I wanted to do improv. And I went to an audition for an improv group in college -- Silly (ph) -- at James Madison University. And I just auditioned on a whim and I was like, "Well, I guess I could maybe possibly do this."

PHILLIPS: And here you are.

BAKER: Yep -- here I am.

PHILLIPS: All right, Phil -- what about you? How did you get started?

CANER: Same thing as Sarah. I went to this audition and played this game where you tell a story. If you mess it up you get killed. And I stayed alive and I did it, and I love it and I haven't turned back since.

PHILLIPS: And here you are. Bob, what about you?

WOOD: What was the question?

CANER: How did you get started in improv?

PHILLIPS: Well, I thought correspondents were supposed to listen in detail about ...

WOOD: Actually, I just came out and saw a show and just fell in love with it -- just a guy off the street, started taking classes and here I am.

PHILLIPS: So, Phil, did your friends always tell you you were a funny guy?

CANER: Yeah.

PHILLIPS: Yeah?

CANER: Yeah -- pretty much. I'm pretty funny and I've always been funny.

PHILLIPS: I can tell. And, Bob, what about you?

WOOD: Yeah -- pretty much -- silly -- strange.

CANER: Funny-looking.

BAKER: Odd-looking.

PHILLIPS: You've got to be pretty wacky to do this, don't you?

All right -- as you know, we do a lot of improv, as you've seen this morning. We really fly by the seat of our pants. So let's not waste anymore time and just get down to it, OK?

BAKER: OK.

PHILLIPS: Let's talk about how is this going to work? And I've got a list here of what Bob and Phil do pretty well. I guess from ...

BAKER: Right.

PHILLIPS: ... impersonations, et cetera. But I'm going to let you get the ball rolling, OK?

BAKER: OK -- great.

PHILLIPS: OK.

BAKER: I'm going to start my official news report.

PHILLIPS: OK. Should I look serious like your co-anchor?

BAKER: Yeah.

PHILLIPS: OK -- there you go. And now Sarah.

BAKER: This just in from Washington -- lawmakers unable to decide whether to store nuclear waste at the Yucca Mountain site have instead decided to change the name. New possibilities for the Yucca Mountain site are Pleasant Mountain, Sunshine and Puppy Dog Mountain and Not Unsafe Mountain.

I'm Sarah Baker reporting, and our first story tonight we'll go to Bob Wood. And what are we reporting on, Kyra?

PHILLIPS: We are reporting on running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

BAKER: Great. Now, is there something that has happened there with the running of the bulls?

PHILLIPS: Well, we've nicknamed it "running with the boneheads and the bulls."

BAKER: Ah!

PHILLIPS: Yes. BAKER: OK -- running with the boneheads. Bob Wood, are you there?

WOOD: Yes, Sarah -- I am. I can hear you.

BAKER: Now, Bob, tell us -- what exactly. I can see you're in danger there. Bob, be careful.

WOOD: OK -- thank you, Sarah -- thank you, Sarah.

BAKER: Now, Bob, what exactly is going on there? Is this an unusual year for the running of the bulls or is it a typical affair?

WOOD: Sarah, this year -- actually this is a spectacular year for the running of the bulls. Actually a bunch of the local yokels have actually gone out and opened up a lot of gates to a lot of the farmers' farmland. So we actually have some wild and some untrained bulls out on the streets today with us.

BAKER: OK -- now -- so these are untrained bulls? Are the bulls typically trained in some way?

WOOD: Yes, they are. Most of the bulls -- the older bulls -- they are. They know how to read, they've learned ...

PHILLIPS: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

WOOD: ... they know how to stay on a good diet. They know -- "I don't want to eat this grass because it doesn't have enough carbs for me to survive. So ...

PHILLIPS: Sean Connery.

WOOD: So that's pretty much it. Yes -- we have very intelligent beasts here.

BAKER: And have there been any injuries thus far? Any problems? Any reported injuries?

WOOD: Absolutely -- some guy got a whole put in him.

BAKER: OK. Now, is he in danger? Are they thinking about shutting down the event? I know the animal rights activists are up in arms. What are they doing today?

PHILLIPS: Robert DeNiro.

WOOD: What are they doing?

BAKER: Yeah.

WOOD: You're asking me what they're doing?

BAKER: Well, you're there, Bob, so I don't ...

WOOD: Ask another question. BAKER: OK.

WOOD: Ask another question.

BAKER: All right. Bob, is there anything going on there that you would care to tell us about or ...

WOOD: It smells. Let me tell you what it smells like -- it smells. It smells bad -- it smells real bad. I'm ready to get out of there. I'm ready to come back to the United States out of Spain. I don't like it.

BAKER: OK -- well, why don't you do that, Bob. Thank you very much for your report. Thank you.

And next up we have Phil Caner. Now where is Phil Caner reporting to us from?

PHILLIPS: I believe he's from the around the world bachelor -- or, no, the balloon trip -- that's right. Steve Fossett -- not Steve Fossett. Actually, Phil is with Steve Fossett. I think that's what I was told -- in the balloon, up in the air ...

BAKER: Right.

PHILLIPS: ... circling around. I don't think he's landed. We might have reported that last week but it's not right. So ...

BAKER: OK -- so he's doing an around the world in 80 days sort of thing?

PHILLIPS: Exactly.

BAKER: OK -- now Phil Caner, are you actually up in the balloon at this time? Where are you right now?

CANER: Yes, Sarah -- I am in the balloon. Right now Steve's up on the luau deck of the balloon, so he's not really with me. He should be coming down later on and we're going to throw some sandbags over the side of the balloon.

BAKER: Wonderful. What is he trying to accomplish with this trip? Is he just doing it for fun? Is he setting a record? What is going on, Phil?

PHILLIPS: John Travolta.

CANER: Well, it's like he is like trying to set like a world record, right? But like the guy has got the biggest, shiniest, silverest balloon up in the sky. And like people are looking at that thing and they're like, "Wow! I don't know. Is it a UFO? What's going on with that crazy balloon?" Right?

It's like I'm up here with Steve, we're having a party and having a couple margaritas and it's all good.

BAKER: Wow! It sounds like a good time. How do you have supplies up there on the balloon?

PHILLIPS: Howard Cosell.

CANER: We have many, many supplies. They are flown up here and also brought up by rope. You should see it. Steve Fossett gets a bunch of margarita mix and some Tequila and lime on a rope and pulls it up hand over hand. Look at those shoulders bulging with muscles, glistening with sweat as he pulls up the party supplies over the side of the balloon. It's quite a sight, Sarah Baker.

BAKER: Wonderful, Phil. Now, where else does he plan to go? What has he seen so far? And what does he still want to see?

CANER: He has seen the sites from the balloon such as the Pyramids of Egypt.

PHILLIPS: Crocodile hunter.

CANER: Such as a great big snake hanging out in a tree in the middle of the African continent. As we flew over that snake, Steve said, "Be very careful, these snakes can fly. That's right -- they can fly right up in the air, bonk the balloon. And the first thing you know, there's air flowing out of the balloon and you're plummeting right down to the ground.

You've got to be real careful as you're flying over Africa.

Right now we're about to come down in Korea. I don't see any snakes, but there could be some very angry pygmy pigs.

BAKER: Thank you very much, Phil, for that report. Good luck and continued success on your journey.

That's all we have for you right now, but we would like for you to stay tuned, viewers, because we will be back in about 30 minutes for an encore performance. Thanks very much for joining us. We'll see you soon.

PHILLIPS: Send in your questions now for Improv's scenarios on the way to wam -- W-A-M -- @ cnn.com.

Look at our cutie pie little correspondents there. They are with The Whole World Theater. They will be back to give us an encore performance, like Sarah said, and continue giving the news.

BAKER: Yes.

PHILLIPS: All right.

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