About:
Impro Theatre gives Charles Dickens the same deep reading and in-the-know ribbing already doled out to Shakespeare, Austen and Sondheim. It’s an ever-changing always hilarious theatre experience. Make sure to stay for the festive holiday tea.

Dates:
November 20th-December 19th, 2010
(18 performances)

Time:
TBA

Where:
The Edye Second Stage, The Broad Stage
Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center
1310 11th St
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Tickets:
TBA

More information:
310-434-3200
The Broad Stage Website

Directed by Brian Lohmann and Dan O’Connor

Reviews for Shakespeare UnScripted

“Shakespeare Unscripted is a superlative example of what theatrical improv should be.” — Improv Review.com

“The real fun lies in anticipating where this patchwork story is going to go next, and in watching the actors doing whatever it takes to keep the narrative afloat.” — L.A. Weekly

“DEATH-DEFYING STUNTS OF IMPROMPTU PARODY…Comically gifted performers (who) fracture the Bard with a right good will….the theatrical equivalent of circus aerialists…these remarkably clever performers fly through the show with the very greatest of ease… all involved keep the laughs coming and the cadence astonishingly Shakespearean.” — F. Kathleen Foley, L.A. Times

GO. “The wit, charm, energy and creativity on display are delightful and entertaining.” — Lovell Estell III, L.A. Weekly

“OUTSTANDLINGLY TALENTED…Hilarious…This is a company worth watching.” — Kate West Reviews

Time:
TBA

Where:
The Broad Stage
Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center
1310 11th St
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Tickets:
TBA

More information:
310-434-3200
The Broad Stage Website

Reviews for Jane Austen UnScripted

“Eleven first-rate comedians…breathtaking wit…” — LA Weekly

“One of the funniest evenings in town… a stunning feat of performance and literary wizardry. And incidentally, it’s hilarious.” — Annie Gilbar, Los Angeles Times Magazine

4-STAR RATING by Los Angeles Times Readers

“ImproTheatre’s gift lies in far more than improv’s expected one-liners and zingers–rather, their gift is the more subtle and complex art of storytelling…Austen would be pleased, indeed.” — Laist.com

“I LOVED Jane Austen improv!” — CoolGrrrls.com

“Gorgeous period costuming and language…the players will make you laugh and then inspire you to read the classic works for yourself…you will want to come back for more.” — Kate West Reviews

“One thing that is for certain is the continued success of this outstanding group of actors and something absolutely not to be missed.” — SoCal.com

“A talented team of eight performers executes right before the audience’s eyes… Amusing…funny take of J.A. that really takes off!” — Accessibly Live

“Jane Austen UnScripted is a delicious combination of humorous wordplay and stiff upper lip mannerisms.” — Entertainment Today

Jane Austen only wrote six novels in her lifetime, but they are some of the most beloved tales of love and misunderstanding, wit and wisdom, and passion and betrayal ever written.

Now, for the first time in two centuries, Impro Theatre delivers a new Jane Austen story every night. Passionate, willful women flirt and verbally joust with handsome, brooding young noblemen. Hearts are broken, secrets are revealed and true love wins out in the end. Or does it?

The essence of Austen’s brilliant and timeless romantic comedies and social satires is brought faithfully to life by this expert team of funny and gifted actors, whose other explorations of great literary figures include Shakespeare, Dickens, Sondheim, and Tennessee Williams.

Reviews for Tennessee Williams UnScripted

“TENDERLY COMEDIC…savvy…lingers somewhere between satire and homage…a very smart choice.” —Steven Leigh Morris, LA Weekly

“IMPROV GENIUSES…Absolutely hilarious…a different show every time…they let loose their imaginations and the rest is magic.”
—Steven Stanley, StagesceneLA

“PLENTY OF LAUGHS…charming…delightfully manic…remarkably smooth.” —Jennie Webb, Backstage West

“Funny, moving and absolutely in keeping with Williams…Impro Theatre’s considerable agility and its infectious sense of play makes you want to go back again to see what else this group can conjure next out of Williams’ high humidity”. —Charlotte Stoudt, Los Angeles Times

Goldstar “Roar of the Crowd” Winner

As a fundraiser for Impro Theatre, The Student Company will perform 24 improvised episodes in the style of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone.

“Serling placed average people in extraordinary circumstances so he could investigate the moral and political questions of his time.”

Directed by: Jo McGinley

Starring: Jim Babcock, Marianne Bennett, Stephanie Clayton, Courtney Flynn, Jack Jernigan, Alvin Lam, Jason Murphy, Jessica Jimenez Perry, and Gary Rae.

When: 2010 DATE TBA

What: Noon to Midnight
(episodes are 25 minutes, doors will open in between episodes to let audience in and out, no entry after an episode has begun)

Where: At the Impro Theatre Workspace

Click below for tickets and show times:

]]> http://www.improtheatre.com/first-photo/feed/ http://www.improtheatre.com/title-for-photos-ii/ http://www.improtheatre.com/title-for-photos-ii/#comments Sun, 09 Nov 2008 02:10:28 +0000 jo http://www.improtheatre.com/title-for-photos-ii/ http://www.improtheatre.com/title-for-photos-ii/feed/ http://www.improtheatre.com/sondheim-unscripted/ http://www.improtheatre.com/sondheim-unscripted/#comments Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:15:39 +0000 jo http://www.improtheatre.com/sondheim-unscripted/ “An outstanding cast that clearly understands the form they are spoofing and have the vocal power to sustain it.”
— LA Weekly

It’s classic romantic comedy formula–Boy Meets Girl, Boy Falls for Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Gets Girl–but it has its roots in the venerable tradition of BritLit icon Jane Austen, whose mere six novels continue to capture the modern imagination.

But imagine coming up with a full Austen-esque plot line, characters, witty repartee, and resolution in about 90 minutes? It’s no easy feat, but for ImproTheatre’s Unscripted Repertory performers (some pictured at right), it’s simply what’s on the bill tonight and tomorrow–the last two performances of a weekend run at the NoHo Actors Studio.

With improv, it’s of course made of the moment, and while last night’s hilarious performance is a thing of the past, it stands as a testament to the vast skills of the actors who fell deftly and quickly into roles on the spot. Working off an audience suggestion for a simple topic of conversation–in this case “flowers”–the troupe wove an elaborate melange of secret loves and sibling rivalries complete with Austenian touches such as mysterious letters arriving at the house, curious neighbors, dashing strangers, a parlor piano forte, and the ever-questionable suitability of suitors.

We met the Green sisters–ice queen Anne (Kari Coleman), demure Evelyn (Jo McGinley), and dimwitted Amanda (Michele Spears)–and the men who wished to woo them, including a bumbling horticulturalist (Stephen Kearin), an heir apparent (Dan O’Connor), a man of mystery (Brian Lohmann), and a con artist (Nick Massouh). Throw in a forgetful neighbor (Brian Jones) and his daft storytelling aunt (Lisa Fredrickson), a loving father (Floyd Van Buskirk), a manipulative upper-cruster (Tracy Burns) and a would-be Vicar (Paul Rogan) for good measure and you have a heap of lovelorn folk who make the most of a stroll about the grounds or an impromptu tea dance, all with clever takes on Austen’s flirtatious wordplay that often bends to be taken as witty wisdom. Highlights of the show included Fredrickson’s full-throttle commitment to the prune-faced and somewhat oversexed Lady Grey, Spears’ spastic skipping and mooning, Burns’ conniving, and the scene saves and quick wits of O’Connor, Kearin, and Jones. As the lights dim and rise from scene to scene you have to pinch yourself to remember that these talented actors are scripting the show as they go.

Of course, as often is the case in improv, it’s the flubs and goofs that get the most guffaws, and last night’s show was no exception. Mangled names and memory lapses became character traits and pulled the plotline towards punchlines, much to the audience’s delight. ImproTheatre’s gift lies in far more than improv’s expected one-liners and zingers–rather, their gift is the more subtle and complex art of storytelling in what’s known as Longform improv; the group has won great international acclaim for their takes on Shakespeare, Sondheim musicals, and Tennessee Williams’ drama. This is their first stab at Austen, and a worthy one at that. It is always a thrill to see talented performers (and you’ve probably seen these faces before on your tv or at the movies) dive headlong into the unknown and come up roses (or in last night’s case the vexing “pyrocampia” flower). Although Austen’s work is timeless, ImproTheatre’s Austen Unscripted is by its very nature of its time; Austen would be pleased, indeed.