Dave Roden is no Ryan Stiles. But then again, he’s not trying to be.

His production company, Zip Drive Productions, which consists of Roden, Alex Dittmer, and Andy Decker formed an improv group called As Seen on TV.

The group was formed last May out of an idea the trio had been kicking around. At one time or another, the three have worked together in Stage 212 productions with each other.

Dittmer has performed in an improv group while he was in college and Roden performed with a group in Coconut Grove, Fla.

While the name is partially derived from the ABC television show Who’s Line is it Anyway, starring Drew Carey and Stiles, Roden insists there’s more to it than that.

"I’m from the generation that was raised in front of the television," says Roden. "We do a lot of spoofs on certain television shows and commercials. People from all over the country can connect with an episode of Leave it to Beaver or something else like that because we’ve all seen that."

In addition to the trio, the group consists of J. Michael Rodriguez of Aledo, Scot Smigel, Larry Kelsey, and IVCC student Angela Brown.

"It’s been going really well for me; it’s a lot of fun," said Brown. "The Illinois Valley area has been very perceptive; the crowds are bigger each time."

Brown has done several shows with Stage 212, and at IVCC, she says doing improv is a completely different experience than traditional theatre.

"Your first gut reaction when someone says something really funny is to laugh hysterically," said Brown. "But you just have to keep concentrating and focus on what the other player is giving you. It’s like playing catch."

All of the material that is performed is taken by suggestions from the audience, creating a different show each night.

The groups next performance will be Feb. 16-17 at the Manahan Theatre in downtown La Salle. Tickets are $7 at the door. Groups of 10 or more are encouraged to contact ASOTV by telephone (795-3357) or by e-mail, asotv@mtco.com.

While auditions and practices were held Jan. 27, the group is always looking for new performers. Roden says no prior acting experience is needed.

"We’re looking for creative people who feel as though they have the ability to work on a team," says Roden. "We’re looking for people that can be flexibile and open and are willing to react with confidence and trust and are also willing to take a chance."

Roden says so far things are going better than he expected them to be.

"We’ve had a really positive response so far," says Roden. "We’re still in the black."