Best of 2003: Best Local Comic Deserving Of A Break

Mitzi Gussow, Improv Comedienne
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Mitzi, 71, thrives on the interplay of ideas, picking up on whatever is thrown at her. "It's the best training for life you can imagine," she says. Gussow performs a couple of times per month with "the oldest improv troupe in the country" -- Late Bloomers. Says her director, Summer Golden, "What cracks you up is her facial expressions. And the way she goes risque. At her age!" Mitzi's only beef: men. "Once they pass 17, their egos get in the way. I like working with women. They're more generous, vulnerable, and open." But, 71? "Trust me. I'm ready for my close-up."