IMPRO THEATRE’S L.A. NOIR UNSCRIPTED NOV 10–12 / THE EDYE Directed by Brian Lohmann 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 Michael Rizzi, scenic designer Sandra Burns, costume designer Leigh Allen, lighting designer Mike Rock, assistant director Michael Becker & Alex Caan, technical improvisers Peter Smith, musical director / keyboard Bryan Lipps, trumpet Trevor Ware, bass ENSEMBLE Kari Coleman, Kelly Holden Bashar, Brian Michael Jones, Brian Lohmann, Nick Massouh, Mike McShane, Mike Rock, Paul Rogan, Ryan Smith, Michele Spears, Floyd VanBuskirk 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. OCT/NOV 2017 VISIT THEBROADSTAGE.ORG 23 ENSEMBLE Kari Coleman Kelly Holden Bashar Brian Michael Jones Brian Lohmann Nick Massouh Mike McShane Mike Rock Paul Rogan Ryan Smith Michele Spears Floyd VanBuskirk 24 OCT/NOV 2017 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 with Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig, as well actor/playwrights who write theatre as as reprising her role as Helen Stacy in The they perform it. Our crew is improvising Amazing Spiderman 2. She also starred the sound and light changes right along in the MTV series Zach Stone Is Gonna Be with 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 KELLY HOLDEN BASHAR, ensemble, was exhilarating. The performers are most recently seen on 2 Broke Girls, and embracing whole-heartedly the acting she played Martin Freeman’s wife Pearl tenet to “be in the moment” as they have Nygaard in the Golden Globe and Emmy- no other choice. winning hit miniseries Fargo on FX. Some How do I know you are making it up? of her other recent credits include Parks We invite you to come back and see and Recreation, Dog With a Blog, Gilmore another show – it will be completely Girls, I Didn’t Do It and Betty White’s Off different from this performance. It is one Their Rockers. She co-starred with Rita of the reasons why people come back and Rudner in the film Thanks and can be see multiple shows! seen in numerous commercials. Kelly is also a writer and one of the credits she is For more information about Impro most proud of is being the co-writer of, Theatre, go to www.ImproTheatre.com (and portraying “Pippin” in), the critically acclaimed play Fellowship! The Musical Parody of “The Fellowship of the Ring.” In addition to being a main company member at Impro Theatre, Kelly is also an original member of CHICKSPEARE. OCT/NOV 2017 VISIT THEBROADSTAGE.ORG 25 Her best role, by far, is mom to Brooke Fraudway LA’s improvised musicals, Music and Maggie. in the Key of Murder and Camenot at the Impro Studio. Favorite performances BRIAN MICHAEL JONES, director, include the Berkeley Jazz Festival with ensemble, can currently be seen as Bobby McFerrin, String of Pearls at “Chad” on Disney XD’s Gamer’s Guide to Carnegie Hall and Johnny Lonely in his Pretty Much Everything. His puppeteering critically acclaimed solo show Johnny work can be seen on ABC’s The Muppets Lonely’s Unhappy Hour, which toured and Muppets: Most Wanted. Brian recently the UK and Australia. He appeared Off- performed with Channing Tatum in Joel Broadway in Lifegame, and hosted eight and Ethan Coen’s film Hail Caesar! as a episodes of the television version. Other love struck sailor in the musical number TV and film appearances include Jack, “No Dames.” In addition to his numerous Raising the Toygantic, Thanks, He Was a national commercials, his TV/film Quiet Man, The Bunglers, Ask Rita and credits include: Grey’s Anatomy, Castle, World Cup Comedy. Stage credits include Community, Raising Hope, Wilfred, Bones, ACT, The Old Globe, Shakespeare Santa NCIS: LA and the independent comedy Cruz, Laguna Playhouse and The Magic film Tribute. Theatre credits include: the Theater. Brian taught for the American role of Frodo in Fellowship! The Musical Conservatory Theatre’s MFA program, Parody of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” Stanford, The Guthrie Theatre, The Public The Diviners, the fool in King Lear, West Theater’s Shakespeare Lab, The Old Side Story, 42nd Street and Boys Next Globe/USD, Oregon Shakespeare Festival Door. His work with The Jim Henson and Shakespeare at the Huntington. Company includes Unstable Fables and Awards include Garland, Drama-Logue, the improvised puppet show Puppet Up! and StageScene LA. Brian teaches improv at the Impro School www.brianlohmann.com and directs LA Theatresports and the Pepperdine Improv Troupe. NICK MASSOUH, ensemble, is an actor, improviser, and sketch comedian. He is BRIAN LOHMANN, director, ensemble, a founding company member with Impro For Impro, Brian has directed L.A. Theatre and head of The Impro Theatre Noir UnScripted (Oregon Shakespeare School. Nick is also a member of the Festival mainstage, John Anson Ford comedy troupe Summer of Tears, who Amphitheater), Tennessee Williams won the award for best sketch at the HBO UnScripted (Odyssey Theater/South Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen and filmed Coast Rep), Dickens UnScripted (Broad a sitcom pilot for Warner Brothers. He Stage/North Coast Rep) and Shakespeare has appeared in film/television including UnScripted (OSF Green Show/Carrie the Oscar winning West Bank Story, Hamilton Theater.) Brian served as Intelligence, NCIS:LA, Private Practice, Associate Artistic Director for Impro ER, Bones, and Californication. Nick has Theatre from 2006-16. He directed (and performed on stage at South Coast Rep, composed the score) for The Servant of The Broad, The Falcon, and originated the Two Masters at Pepperdine University, role of Tommy Marsico in Rita Rudner’s directed ModRock at the El Portal, and Tickled Pink at The Laguna Playhouse. Nick 26 OCT/NOV 2017 is a resident of Los Angeles with a BFA Goldbergs, Modern Family, The Mentalist, degree in acting from USC. Law & Order, Conan O’Brien, After Lately, Hello Ross, Monk. He is also an announcer MIKE MCSHANE, ensemble, was a regular for NFL Replay and KCRW. cast member of Whose Line is it Anyway UK and has taught improvisation for Pixar, PAUL ROGAN, ensemble, is originally Savannah College of Art and Design and from London, and has worked with many workshops in the U.S. and U.K. A all of the UK’s major improv groups, semi-regular with The Comedy Store including the Comedy Store Players and Players in London, he’s performed on with Eddie Izzard and Friends. He joined Broadway and the West End in London in Impro Theatre to co-direct and perform La Cage Aux Folles, Little Shop of Horrors, in Jane Austen UnScripted. U.S. TV One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and includes Castle, Timeline, KC Undercover, The Tailor Made Man, and the acclaimed I Didn’t Do It (as snarky science teacher production of Assassins at The Menier Mr. Jenkins), Anger Management (two Chocolate Factory. He was a company different roles), Legit, My Name is Earl, member of The American Conservatory Big Love, Cougartown, Jimmy Kimmel Theatre, The California Shakespeare Live, Sleeper Cell, and Cory in the House. Festival, He’s been seen in film and TV on Film includes Miss March, Thunderpants, Seinfeld, ER, Malcolm in the Middle, The and A Knight in Camelot. Theatre includes Drew Carey Show, Doctor Who, Wayward ‘George’ in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Pines, Bluestone 4-2, Robin Hood: Prince the ‘Emcee’ in Cabaret, and ‘Malvolio’ of Thieves, Richie Rich, Drop Dead in Twelfth Night. He has been on lots of Gorgeous and Office Space. You can also BBC Radio comedy shows, including 6 hear Mike’s voice in A Bug’s Life, Vampire full series. As a stand-up comedian, Paul Hunter D, Spawn: The TV Series, King of the has played the Improv in Hollywood, and Hill, and many other animated films. hundreds of live, TV and radio gigs. www.paulrogan.com MIKE ROCK, assistant director, ensemble, has performed in Impro Theatre’s Chekhov RYAN SMITH, ensemble, Ryan’s most UnScripted, Twilight Zone UnScripted, recent Impro credits are Jane Austen The Western UnScripted, Shakespeare UnScripted, Twilight Zone UnScripted UnScripted and Jane Austen UnScripted.