Have I got a career change for you

When the going gets tough, the pink-slipped professional might consider a more secure line of work - like sketch comedy.

Or so asserts Improv Asylum, an improv comedy theater in Boston, which notes that in these tough times, comics may have more job security than someone who works in the city's Financial District.

Improv Asylum recently released a press release that may raise such questions as: Is this for real, or is this a joke? Or is this a sales pitch to draw more customers to its shows in the North End? (The photo above this post, taken from Improv Asylum's website, features the cast of one of the company's shows.)

In any event, the press release opens with this paragraph: "Who would ever think that there would be more job security in an improvisational comedy club than in the world of business and high finance? But that is exactly the case at Improv Asylum, Boston's leading improv comedy theater. While companies such as Fidelity and CitiGroup are laying off workers by the thousands, Improv Asylum is on pace to record their most tickets sales in 10 years and has created new positions in several key areas of the company. And it isn't just increased ticket sales; enrollment in the Improv Asylum Training Center, which teaches the skills to the general public that the professional actors in the cast use on stage, has quadrupled its enrollment in the last year."

The press release included a statement from Improv Asylum co-owner Norm Laviolette.

Laviolette said: "The entertainment industry in general, and comedy in particular, traditionally does well during hard times. People need to laugh, and comedy offers both an escape from everyday worries as well as a forum to comment, make fun of, or just rant about what is going on in all of our lives. But there are certainly other factors involved as well. People are looking for more value in their entertainment dollar, so they are looking to spend it at places that they feel will be worth the money. With the economic downturn, people are often more likely to stay away from the $75-$100 priced event and the $15 dollar martini and look for something that fits into their budget better. A $20 ticket to a show in the North End of Boston starts to look pretty good by comparison. We haven't raised our prices in five years, and with where things are right now, we feel like it's important to continue to provide a place where people can have a great night out at a reasonable price."
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)