Impro Theatre (Dan O’Connor, Artistic Director) announced a limited engagement of three productions in repertory which will perform at The Carrie Hamilton Theatre at The Pasadena Playhouse. The Pasadena premiere of TENNESSEE WILLIAMS UNSCRIPTED will be joined by the Los Angeles premieres of CHEKOV UNSCRIPTED and TWILIGHT ZONE UNSCRIPTED. Performances begin on October 7, 2011 and will perform through November 13, 2011, with an official press opening for all three productions on Saturday, October 8, 2011, at The Carrie Hamilton Theatre (39 S. El Molino Avenue, Pasadena).
"It is tremendously exciting to bring our ensemble to the thriving Pasadena theater scene," stated Artistic Director Dan O'Connor. "Pasadena is the 'undiscovered country' for us and we look forward to turning audiences onto Impro Theatre's immediate and visceral form of theatre where the play is 'written' as it is performed - making each play brand new and completely unique. The cast submerges itself in the author's work during the rehearsal process, learning everything possible about the genre and everything associated or attributed to it. The ensemble makes a point to glean so much about the actual genre that we can then forget everything once we step onto the stage, and create something none of these writers actually wrote, but is entirely of their world. The cast gets a suggestion from the audience, and then a never before seen (and never to be seen again) play begins with the cast truly 'being in the moment' for the entire show. Our season in Pasadena completes our Southern California trifecta! And we're so excited to be at The Carrie Hamilton Theatre with TENNESSEE WILLIAMS UNSCRIPTED and two Los
Angeles premieres – CHEKHOV UNSCRIPTED and TWILIGHT ZONE UNSCRIPTED (our first ever television genre)!"
Having first premiered in March 2009 at Hollywood’s Theatre Asylum, the essence of Tennessee Williams’ brilliant and timeless poetic dramas and bittersweet meditations on human frailty is brought faithfully to life for the Pasadena premiere by director Brian Lohmann and this expert team of actors in TENNESSEE WILLIAMS UNSCRIPTED. Tennessee Williams is one of the most celebrated and widely produced American playwrights. In an attempt to bring his genius to life through the medium of improvisational theatre, Impro Theater has invented spontaneous full-length plays about troubled families, innocent outsiders and the haunted youths who destroy them that are true to Tennessee Williams’ intent to be both comic and dramatic. Without any pre-planning, or set scenarios, Impro Theatre uses their dynamic characterizations, poetical wits and narrative skills to deliver a new Tennessee Williams play every performance. Drifters, Southern aristocrats, rebels, harpies and wounded youth all might be conjured out of thin air, without any actor knowing who they will be portraying until the story starts. TENNESSEE WILLIAMS UNSCRIPTED takes clichés from mid-century American realism and transforms them into in a wildfire of seduction and despair that leaves some hope glowing in the ashes.
Under the directorial helm of Artistic Director Dan O’Connor, the Impro Theatre troupe now bring their particular brand of comic genius to bear on Russia’s comic genius – Anton Chekov. The beautiful, damaged, poetic, joyous, petty, coarse and tyrannical characters of Chekov’s renowned masterpieces are improvisationaly reborn in the Los Angeles premiere of CHEKOV UNSCRIPTED. Chekov’s world is populated by people who dream of a different life, all the while dealing with the everyday unpredictability of feeling love, disillusionment and the certain catastrophe that is the next moment. And because that moment will be improvised, who knows what it might bring.
The directors of TWILIGHT ZONE UNSCRIPTED, Jo McGinley and Stephen Kearin, describe this new production as: “The show you are about to see will be completely improvised. For those of you who are Impro Theatre regulars, you will be witnessing a slightly different format. The cast will improvise two episodes before intermission, and then one more following the intermission. The audience will have three chances to influence our stories as the performers will be coming to them for a suggestion at the top of each improvised episode. To truly enter the world of “The Twilight Zone” meant we had to come to know the life of its creator, Rod Serling. We learned how his small town roots and service in World War II would greatly influence his outlook on life and eventually give birth to his breakthrough series. When one remembers “The Twilight Zone,” certain fantastic images will always stick in the mind, but all of them were deeply grounded in the themes that Rod was intent on exploring. The more we studied Serling’s motivations, the deeper our respect grew for his writing and his vision. We have no idea in advance the content of our episodes at each performance, or the character’s the performers be playing. Once we receive the suggestions, the lights will go out, the theme music will begin and we, like you, will enter an unexplored dimension, known only as ...”The Twilight Zone.”
The repertory schedule for the three productions is as follows:
Friday, October 7, 8:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Saturday, October 8, 2:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Saturday, October 8, 8:00pm Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Saturday, October 8, 10:00pm Twilight Zone Unscripted
Sunday, October 9, 2:00pm Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Sunday, October 9, 7:00pm Twilight Zone Unscripted
Friday, October 14, 8:00pm Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Saturday, October 15, 2:00pm Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Saturday, October 15, 8:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Saturday, October 15, 10:00pm Twilight Zone Unscripted
Sunday, October 16, 2:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Sunday, October 16, 7:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Friday, October 21, 8:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Saturday, October 22, 2:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Saturday, October 22, 8:00pm Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Saturday, October 22, 10:00pm Twilight Zone Unscripted
Sunday, October 23, 2:00pm Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Sunday, October 23, 7:00pm Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Friday, October 28, 8:00pm Twilight Zone Unscripted
Saturday, October 29, 2:00pm Twilight Zone Unscripted
Saturday, October 29, 8:00pm Twilight Zone Unscripted
Saturday, October 29, 10:00pm Twilight Zone Unscripted
Sunday, October 30, 2:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Sunday, October 30, 7:00pm Twilight Zone Unscripted
Friday, November 4, 8:00pm Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Saturday, November 5, 2:00pm Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Saturday, November 5, 8:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Saturday, November 5, 10:00pm Twilight Zone Unscripted
Sunday, November 6, 2:00pm Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Sunday, November 6, 7:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Friday, November 11, 8:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Saturday, November 12, 2:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Saturday, November 12, 8:00pm Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Saturday, November 12, 10:00pm Twilight Zone Unscripted
Sunday, November 13, 2:00pm Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Sunday, November 13, 7:00pm Chekhov Unscripted
Impro Theatre lies somewhere between the Royal Shakespeare Company and “Whose Line Is It Anyway.” The company consists of classically trained actors who are also masters of improvisation. Impro Theatre has grown into a theatre company that has performed their unique productions on some of the most prestigious stages in the Los Angeles theatre scene including The Broad Theatre, The Odyssey Theatre, Theatre Asylum and now The Pasadena Playhouse’s Carrie Hamilton Theatre. Their productions are rooted in the great classics of literature and theatre as a springboard for their unique improvisational twists with a 21st century appeal. True narrative daredevils, Impro Theatre is bent on writing and performing in the moment to create a unique theatrical experience at every performance.
Critical praise for Impro Theatre includes: “Best Theatre of 2009!,” “GO!” (L.A. Weekly); “You gotta go! One of the funniest evenings in town!” (L.A. Magazine); “At turns hilarious, absurd and genuinely moving, the evening showcases the troupe’s tremendous agility and infectious sense of play. Irresistible!” (Los Angeles Times, CRITICS CHOICE); “Hilarious!” (LAist); “Substitute an ensemble well-versed in improvisational wickedness, add dramaturgical history and unforeseeable audience suggestions, and the result couldn’t be more hilarious than this latest offering from the recently renamed Impro Theatre.” (Backstage); “the talents of their entourage with quick wit and improv skills that has to be seen to be believed.” (NoHo L.A.). Impro Theatre is also the recipient of five 2010 L.A. Stage Scene Awards.
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS UNSCRIPTED, CHEKOV UNSCRIPTED and TWILIGHT ZONE UNSCRPITED will play at The Carrie Hamilton Theatre at The Pasadena Playhouse from October 7 – November 13, 2011, with the official press opening on October 8, 2011. The Carrie Hamilton Theatre is located above The Pasadena Playhouse at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101. The performance schedule is Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 2:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.; and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Please refer to above repertory schedule for information on which show is performing on each date and time. Regular ticket prices are $25.00 each (General Admission) with Saturday late night performances at 10:00 p.m. available for $15.00 each (General Admission). Student and senior (55+) priced tickets are available for $20.00 each (General Admission, student/photo I.D. required for purchase) with Saturday late night performances available for $10.00 each (General Admission, student/photo I.D. required for purchase). Tickets are available by calling The Pasadena Playhouse at 626-356-7529 or by visiting The Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, Monday from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday – Sunday from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. during non-performance dates and Tuesday – Sunday from 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on performance dates. The box office is closed on holidays. Tickets are available 24 hours online at www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org. For additional information about Impro Theatre visit www.ImproTheatre.com.
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