IMPRO THEATRE’S TWILIGHT ZONE UNSCRIPTED MAR 16 – 18 / THE EDYE Directed by Jo McGinley & Stephen Kearin 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 Alex Caan, technical improviser ENSEMBLE Lisa Fredrickson, Kelly Holden Bashar, Brian Michael Jones, Stephen Kearin, Lauren Rose Lewis, Brian Lohmann, Jo McGinley, Dan O’Connor, Edi Patterson, Mike Rock, Ryan Smith, Floyd Van Buskirk 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. MAR 2018 23 ENSEMBLE Lisa Fredrickson Kelly Holden Bashar Brian Michael Jones Stephen Kearin Lauren Rose Lewis Brian Lohmann Jo McGinley Dan O’Connor Edi Patterson Mike Rock Ryan Smith Floyd Van Buskirk 24 MAR 2018 WELCOME TO THE SHOW! BIOS For the uninitiated, this unique form of LISA FREDRICKSON, ensemble, in theatre generates a few questions: addition to Impro Theatre, has been an ensemble member of Seattle Who writes these plays? Theatresports, SAK Comedy Lab Orlando, Everyone that is present on stage. Disney’s Comedy Warehouse and Inflatable Impro Theatre is an ensemble of actor/ Betty. She is the resident improv teacher playwrights who write theatre as they at California Lutheran University. She was perform it. Our crew is improvising the an original cast member of Fellowship! sound and light changes right along with The Musical Parody of “The Fellowship of us. the Ring” in Los Angeles, performed at How do you rehearse this kind of show? the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and performed in Boo at New York, New York We immerse ourselves in the particular in Las Vegas. TV credits include Greek, genre and then reinvent it in an entirely Desperate Housewives and The Tick. She new way, right in front of your eyes. has been in numerous TV commercials, Through the rehearsal process, we usually as some sort of uptight mother. embrace the essence of that particular She loves babies and banjos. performing style without saying or performing anything that has been KELLY HOLDEN BASHAR, ensemble, was previously written or performed. most recently seen on Speechless, and What is it like performing a play when you she played Martin Freeman’s wife Pearl don’t have a script? Nygaard in the Golden Globe and Emmy- winning hit miniseries Fargo on FX. Some It is terrifying, inspiring, and wonderfully of her other recent credits include Parks exhilarating. The performers are and Recreation, 2 Broke Girls, Dog With A embracing whole-heartedly the acting Blog, and Gilmore Girls. She co-starred tenet to “be in the moment” as they have with Rita Rudner in the film Thanks and no other choice. can be seen in numerous commercials. How do I know you are making it up? Kelly is also a writer and one of the credits We invite you to come back and see she is most proud of is being the co- another show – it will be completely writer of, (and portraying “Pippin” in), the different from this performance. It is one critically acclaimed play Fellowship! The of the reasons why people come back and Musical Parody of “The Fellowship of the see multiple shows! Ring.” In addition to being a main company member at Impro Theatre, Kelly is also For more information about Impro part of the teaching faculty. Her best role, Theatre, go to www.ImproTheatre.com by far, is mom to Brooke and Maggie. BRIAN MICHAEL JONES, ensemble, can currently be seen as “Chad” on Disney XD’s Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything. His puppeteering work can be MAR 2018 VISIT THEBROADSTAGE.ORG 25 seen on ABC’s The Muppets and Muppets: University, Dreamworks Animation and Most Wanted. Brian recently performed Cirque Du Soleil. with Channing Tatum in Joel and Ethan Coen’s film Hail Caesar! as a love struck LAUREN ROSE LEWIS, ensemble, can sailor in the musical number “No Dames.” currently be seen in PixL’s original TV In addition to his numerous national movie Sisters of the Groom in a supporting commercials, his TV/film credits include: lead role as the ex-girlfriend still in love Grey’s Anatomy, Castle, Community, with her old beau. Over the summer, Raising Hope, Wilfred, Bones, NCIS: LA Lauren appeared in the “thriller” film and the independent comedy film Tribute. Unforgettable, starring Katherine Heigl Theatre credits include: the role of Frodo and Rosario Dawson. In addition to in Fellowship! The Musical Parody of “The starring in the indie film First Period, she Fellowship of the Ring,” The Diviners, the has appeared on numerous television fool in King Lear, West Side Story, 42nd shows, including guest starring on Street and Boys Next Door. His work Showtime’s Dexter and Nickelodeon’s with The Jim Henson Company includes iCarly. Other television credits include: Unstable Fables and the improvised Presence, Friends with Better Lives, Hit puppet show Puppet Up! Brian teaches the Floor, Melissa and Joey, CSI: NY, improv at the Impro School and directs LA Entourage, NCIS, Two and a Half Men, Theatresports and the Pepperdine Improv Rules of Engagement, Ugly Betty, Days of Troupe. Our Lives, the Hallmark Channel’s movie A Kiss At Midnight and the FOX pilot Inside STEPHEN KEARIN, co-director, Jokes. Lauren has also performed at ensemble, began his career with Bay Area the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, starring in Theatresports in San Francisco, where he David Mamet’s The Water Engine and John was a company member for 14 years. He Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. was a founding member of both Improv Theatre and True Fiction Magazine and is BRIAN LOHMANN, ensemble, has directed currently a founding member of 3ForAll L.A. Noir UnScripted (The Broad Stage, (Celebrating their 20th season). Last Oregon Shakespeare Festival mainstage, year he served as co-director of Impro John Anson Ford Amphitheater), Theatre’s Twilight Zone UnScripted and Tennessee Williams UnScripted (Odyssey The Western UnScripted (Ovation Award Theater/ South Coast Rep), Dickens nomination for his performance). Stephen UnScripted (Broad Stage/North Coast is the co-creator of Simlish and was the Rep/A Noise Within) and Shakespeare principal male voice of The Sims, Sims UnScripted (OSF Green Show/Carrie 2.0 and Sims Medieval. He is featured in Hamilton Theater.) He directed ModRock the DreamWorks Animation films Kung Fu at the El Portal, as well as many genres Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2 & 3, Madagascar of improvised musicals. Favorite 2 & 3, Monsters Vs. Aliens, Megamind, The performances include the Berkeley Jazz Penguins Of Madagascar and Home. He Festival with Bobby McFerrin, String of appears as the terrifying Principal Mitchell Pearls at Carnegie Hall and Johnny Lonely on Disney XD’s Kirby Buckets. Stephen in his critically acclaimed solo show has served as an instructor at Stanford Johnny Lonely’s Unhappy Hour, which 26 MAR 2018 toured the UK and Australia. Stage credits Theatre and many others. Stage acting include ACT, The Old Globe, Shakespeare credits include Improbable Theatre’s Life Santa Cruz, Laguna Playhouse and The Game (Off-Broadway) and shows with ACT Magic Theater. Brian has taught for the and A Noise Within. Television directing American Conservatory Theatre’s MFA credits include ABC’s Sons and Daughters program, Stanford, The Guthrie Theatre, and Oxygen’s Campus Ladies; acting The Public Theater’s Shakespeare Lab, includes Seinfeld, VEGAS, Raising Hope, The Old Globe/USD, Oregon Shakespeare Campus Ladies, Starstruck and Malcolm Festival and Shakespeare at the in the Middle; and he also co-created and Huntington. Awards include Garland, starred in NBC/PAX’s improv show World Drama-Logue, and StageScene LA. Cup Comedy. Dan has taught and directed www.brianlohmann.com improvisational theatre to universities and companies worldwide including USC, JO MCGINLEY, co-director, ensemble, Duke, Pepperdine, UT Austin, Dreamworks, has been directing unscripted theatre Disney Animation and Cirque du Soleil. since 1996. Passionate about a playwright, He is a graduate of the Webber Douglas writer or film style, diving into their world Academy of Dramatic Art in London and and having the great fortune of working recently gave a TED Talk about teaching with the most talented improvisers/actors the world to improvise. around is what keeps Jo inspired about www.danoconnor.net live theatre. She has also directed Twilight Zone UnScripted and Dorothy Parker EDI PATTERSON, ensemble, played Jen UnScripted for Impro’s main company. She Abbott on HBO’s Vice Principals with also loves bringing improvisation into the Danny McBride, and she plays Elizabeth sports and business worlds, and recent on Tracy Morgan’s upcoming The Last clients include The US Olympic Ski Teams, O.G. on TBS. Some other credits include Cisco, Accenture, Kaiser and Salesforce Nobodies, Black-ish, The League, Curb Worldwide. One of her favorite theatrical Your Enthusiasm, 2 Broke Girls, FX’s credits includes playing Superman’s wife Partners, guest writing for Saturday Night in The Legacy, which won Best Comics- Live, and doing various voices for We Related Film at Comic Con. Bare Bears. She is also a member of the Main Company at The Groundlings and DAN O’CONNOR, ensemble, producing performs there every Thursday night in artistic director, for Impro Theatre, the Cookin’ With Gas show. Instagram/ has directed Chekhov UnScripted and Twitter: @EdiPattersonHi co-directed Jane Austen UnScripted, Fairytales UnScripted, The Western MIKE ROCK, ensemble, has performed UnScripted, Shakespeare UnScripted and in Impro Theatre’s Chekhov UnScripted, Sondheim UnScripted.