Impro Theatre's Shakespeare Unscripted
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IMPRO THEATRE’S SHAKESPEARE UNSCRIPTED APR 20 – 22 / THE EDYE Directed by Brian Lohmann & Dan O’Connor IMPRO THEATRE STAFF Dan O’Connor, producing artistic director Rick Bernstein, managing director Nick Massouh, director of the Impro Theatre School Madi Goff, associate director of the Impro Theatre school Paul Hungerford, Impro Studio producer Matthew Pitner, Impro Studio manager Emily Rose Jacobson, social media coordinator PRODUCTION STAFF Trefoni Rizzi, scenic designer Sandra Burns, costume designer Leigh Allen, lighting designer Emily Rose Jacobson, technical improviser ENSEMBLE Kari Coleman, Lisa Fredrickson, Kelly Holden Bashar, Brian Michael Jones, Brian Lohmann, Dan O’Connor, Mike Rock, Paul Rogan, Michele Spears Impro Theatre is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. Impro Theatre’s programming is made possible, in part, by a grant from the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs. There will be one 15-minute intermission. 16 APR/MAY 2018 ENSEMBLE Kari Coleman Lisa Fredrickson Kelly Holden Bashar Brian Michael Jones Brian Lohmann Dan O’Connor Mike Rock Paul Rogan Michele Spears APR/MAY 2018 VISIT THEBROADSTAGE.ORG 17 WELCOME TO THE SHOW! BIOS For the uninitiated, this unique form of KARI COLEMAN, ensemble, began theatre generates a few questions: improvising with LA Theatresports as a founding member. She was most recently Who writes these plays? seen in Rizzoli and Isles, It’s Always Sunny Everyone that is present on stage. in Philadelphia and The Spoils Before Dying Impro Theatre is an ensemble of actor/ with Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig, as well playwrights who write theatre as they as reprising her role as Helen Stacy in The perform it. Our crew is improvising the Amazing Spiderman 2. She also starred sound and light changes right along with in the MTV series Zach Stone Is Gonna Be us. Famous and played Whitney on Switched How do you rehearse this kind of show? at Birth. Guest star appearances include Scandal, NCIS: LA, Grey’s Anatomy, Glee, We immerse ourselves in the particular Wilfred, Major Crimes and NCIS. She’s genre and then reinvent it in an entirely played George’s psychotic girlfriend new way, right in front of your eyes. on Seinfeld and an embittered sex-ed Through the rehearsal process, we teacher on Veronica Mars. She’s also embrace the essence of that particular been a fire-eater with Penn & Teller in Las performing style without saying or Vegas, debunked paranormal phenomena performing anything that has been on syndicated TV and fallen off a mountain previously written or performed. in an IMAX 3-D film T-REX. She is married What is it like performing a play when you to fellow actor Kyle Secor and they have don’t have a script? two amazing daughters. It is terrifying, inspiring, and wonderfully LISA FREDRICKSON, ensemble, in exhilarating. The performers are addition to Impro Theatre, has been embracing whole-heartedly the acting an ensemble member of Seattle tenet to “be in the moment” as they have Theatresports, SAK Comedy Lab Orlando, no other choice. Disney’s Comedy Warehouse and Inflatable How do I know you are making it up? Betty. She is the resident improv teacher We invite you to come back and see at California Lutheran University. She was another show – it will be completely an original cast member of Fellowship! different from this performance. It is one The Musical Parody of “The Fellowship of of the reasons why people come back and the Ring” in Los Angeles, performed at see multiple shows! the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and performed in Boo at New York, New York For more information about Impro in Las Vegas. TV credits include Greek, Theatre, go to www.ImproTheatre.com Desperate Housewives and The Tick. She has been in numerous TV commercials, usually as some sort of uptight mother. She loves babies and banjos. 18 APR/MAY 2018 KELLY HOLDEN BASHAR, ensemble, was Theatresports and the Pepperdine Improv most recently seen on Speechless, and Troupe. she played Martin Freeman’s wife Pearl Nygaard in the Golden Globe and Emmy- BRIAN LOHMANN, co-director, ensemble, winning hit miniseries Fargo on FX. Some has directed L.A. Noir UnScripted (The of her other recent credits include Parks Broad Stage, Oregon Shakespeare and Recreation, 2 Broke Girls, Dog With A Festival mainstage, John Anson Ford Blog, and Gilmore Girls. She co-starred Amphitheater), Tennessee Williams with Rita Rudner in the film Thanks and UnScripted (Odyssey Theater/ South can be seen in numerous commercials. Coast Rep), Dickens UnScripted (Broad Kelly is also a writer and one of the credits Stage/North Coast Rep/A Noise Within) she is most proud of is being the co- and Shakespeare UnScripted (OSF writer of, (and portraying “Pippin” in), the Green Show/Carrie Hamilton Theater.) critically acclaimed play Fellowship! The He directed ModRock at the El Portal, Musical Parody of “The Fellowship of the as well as many genres of improvised Ring.” In addition to being a main company musicals. Favorite performances include member at Impro Theatre, Kelly is also the Berkeley Jazz Festival with Bobby part of the teaching faculty. Her best role, McFerrin, String of Pearls at Carnegie by far, is mom to Brooke and Maggie. Hall and Johnny Lonely in his critically acclaimed solo show Johnny Lonely’s BRIAN MICHAEL JONES, ensemble, can Unhappy Hour, which toured the UK currently be seen as “Chad” on Disney and Australia. Stage credits include XD’s Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much ACT, The Old Globe, Shakespeare Santa Everything. His puppeteering work can be Cruz, Laguna Playhouse and The Magic seen on ABC’s The Muppets and Muppets: Theater. Brian has taught for the American Most Wanted. Brian recently performed Conservatory Theatre’s MFA program, with Channing Tatum in Joel and Ethan Stanford, The Guthrie Theatre, The Public Coen’s film Hail Caesar! as a love struck Theater’s Shakespeare Lab, The Old sailor in the musical number “No Dames.” Globe/USD, Oregon Shakespeare Festival In addition to his numerous national and Shakespeare at the Huntington. commercials, his TV/film credits include: Awards include Garland, Drama-Logue, Grey’s Anatomy, Castle, Community, and StageScene LA. Raising Hope, Wilfred, Bones, NCIS: LA www.brianlohmann.com and the independent comedy film Tribute. Theatre credits include: the role of Frodo DAN O’CONNOR, co-director, ensemble, in Fellowship! The Musical Parody of “The producing artistic director, for Impro Fellowship of the Ring,” The Diviners, the Theatre, has directed Chekhov UnScripted fool in King Lear, West Side Story, 42nd and co-directed Jane Austen UnScripted, Street and Boys Next Door. His work Fairytales UnScripted, The Western with The Jim Henson Company includes UnScripted, Shakespeare UnScripted and Unstable Fables and the improvised Sondheim UnScripted. Collectively, these puppet show Puppet Up! Brian teaches shows have performed at The Broad improv at the Impro School and directs LA Stage, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, APR/MAY 2018 VISIT THEBROADSTAGE.ORG 19 Laguna Playhouse, North Coast Repertory, is also an announcer for NFL Replay and Falcon Theatre, Carrie Hamilton Theatre KCRW. at The Pasadena Playhouse, Lewis Family Playhouse, New Vic Theatre, Odyssey PAUL ROGAN, ensemble, is originally Theatre and many others. Stage acting from London and has worked with all of credits include Improbable Theatre’s Life the UK’s major improv groups, including Game (Off-Broadway) and shows with ACT the Comedy Store Players and with Eddie and A Noise Within. Television directing Izzard and Friends. He joined Impro credits include ABC’s Sons and Daughters Theatre to co-direct and perform in and Oxygen’s Campus Ladies; acting Jane Austen UnScripted. U.S. TV includes includes Seinfeld, VEGAS, Raising Hope, Castle, Timeline, KC Undercover, I Campus Ladies, Starstruck and Malcolm Didn’t Do It (as snarky science teacher in the Middle; and he also co-created and Mr. Jenkins), Anger Management (two starred in NBC/PAX’s improv show World different roles), Legit, My Name is Earl, Cup Comedy. Dan has taught and directed Big Love, Cougartown, Jimmy Kimmel improvisational theatre to universities Live, Sleeper Cell and Cory in the House. and companies worldwide including USC, Film includes Miss March, Thunderpants Duke, Pepperdine, UT Austin, Dreamworks, and A Knight in Camelot. Theatre includes Disney Animation and Cirque du Soleil. “George” in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, He is a graduate of the Webber Douglas the “Emcee” in Cabaret and “Malvolio” Academy of Dramatic Art in London and in Twelfth Night. He has been on lots of recently gave a TED Talk about teaching BBC Radio comedy shows, including six the world to improvise. full series. As a stand-up comedian, Paul www.danoconnor.net has played the Improv in Hollywood and hundreds of live, TV and radio gigs. MIKE ROCK, ensemble, has performed www.paulrogan.com in Impro Theatre’s Chekhov UnScripted, Twilight Zone UnScripted, The Western MICHELE SPEARS, ensemble, is an actor, UnScripted, Shakespeare UnScripted improviser, director/choreographer and Jane Austen UnScripted. Former and arts educator. A founding member artistic director of Madison, WI Theater of Impro, she has also performed with Sports, later producer/artistic director Theatresports, Inflatable Betty, Pulp NYC’s ComedySportz and co-founder Playhouse and Disney’s Laughing Stock of The Bert Fershners sketch comedy Company. Recent projects include: group (Comedy Central, MTV, VH-1 at The Object of Her Affection at REDCAT Edinburgh Fringe, Aspen & Montreal’s Just (director); Traveling Music at Stage 72 For Laughs.) He is also a member of the in NYC (director/choreographer); The faculty at Nerdist School. Other recent L.A. Gay Men’s Chorus Down Under improv: Mannerhouse Manor, Mission: Star Concert (choreographer); The Soltanoff/ Mission, and The High.