LA's own Impro Theatre continues their residency at The Edye at The Broad Stage, presenting a different style of their signature improvisation for one weekend, each month. For the penultimate show in their residency, Impro Theatre will pay homage to the genius of the American satirist Dorothy Parker with Dorothy Parker UnScripted (May 18 - 20). Starting with audience suggestions, Impro Theatre picks up Dorothy's comedic scalpel and recreates an impressionistic night of Dorothy-style scenes and observation, reminiscent of the Roaring 20's.
Dorothy Park once wrote, "The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue." She is known for her stories and screenplays, poems and epigrams, and witticisms and criticisms. She was a mordantly funny and cynical dissector of early twentieth century high society, and a brilliant observer of the tiny and telling details that reveal the truth about our relationships. Her stories still read like a modern, brilliant stand-up comedian taking to task men who can't understand women, and women who can't understand each other.
Jo McGinley, Co-Director of
Dorothy Parker UnScripted said, "When people think of Dorothy they think of her sharp wit, but what struck me about her writing when I first read 'Here We Are' was how little has changed in our interpersonal relationships from when she was writing 100 years ago. She is at once hilariously funny and then very moving. Her stories have it all. She had deep compassion for those stuck in relationships that were not working. She knew what it was like to be an outsider. She (like Chekhov) wrote stories to comment on how we are when we are together, and when we are alone with our thoughts. She was a woman writing in a man's world before women could vote and left all of her estate to the NAACP. Dorothy's writing connects us to one another, and makes us laugh with recognition at the truth of who we are."
Stage Raw says of
Dorothy Parker UnScripted, "RECOMMENDED!
Dorothy Parker UnScripted is another sterling entry in Impro's repertoire. Parker is a delicious choice - her biting wit and unique take on Prohibition-era Manhattan provide a fun world for the Impro ensemble to play in. The entire ensemble is as sharp on their feet as Parker was with her pen. The show is like Parker's work itself... sublime in its biting humor and send-up of the foibles of the upper classes."
The residency continues with one more month of unpredictable, improvised plays in the styles of
Tennessee Williams UnScripted (June 15 - 17).
Impro Theatre received two 2016 Ovation Award nominations: "Best Presented Production" for
Jane Austen UnScripted at The Broad Stage and "Best Featured Actress in a Musical" for Michele Spears' performance in Sondheim UnScripted. The Los Angeles Times says, "Impro Theatre has evolved into a powerhouse improvisational company in full-length shows that are off-the-cuff and consistently hilarious. An indigenous Los Angeles treasure, the company should be seen - and reseen!"
Impro Theatre has a long history with The Broad Stage, where the company performed
Jane Austen UnScripted for several years, performed the world premiere of Fairytale UnScripted and performed the world premiere of 1966 Holiday Variety Extravaganza in December of 2016.
Founded as Los Angeles Theatresports, Impro Theatre has evolved from a successful short form improv troupe into a critically acclaimed theatre company.
Impro Theatre creates completely improvised, full-length plays in the styles of the world's greatest writers. With no pre-planning or prepared scenarios, the performers start with audience suggestions and then write theatre as they perform it, combining verbal dexterity and dynamic physicality to bring character and plot to life in an instant. Impro Theatre's performances are unique; there are no repeated characters and no set story structure. Each performance offers an exploration into the process of spontaneous creation while encouraging a profound level of engagement between performers and audience, who are all united in discovering what happens in the moment on that particular night.
In Southern California, Impro has performed sold-out shows at
South Coast Repertory, The Broad Stage in Santa Monica,
The Pasadena Playhouse, North Coast Repertory in San Diego, The
Falcon Theatre in Burbank, and many more. Venues around the world include the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago, Evans Auditorium at Texas State University, The Melbourne Fringe in Australia, and Theatre Adyar in Paris.
Impro has received multiple Ovation Recommended honors and Critics' Picks in Los Angeles Times, Backstage and L.A. Weekly.
