Impro Theatre and Company of Angels Collaborate on EASTSIDE NOIR
The show takes place today, the 1940’s L.A. of classic Film Noir, and in an imagined futuristic fantasy noir.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz
Impro Theatre and Company of Angels have joined forces to create "Eastside Noir," an improvised Film Noir that will livestream one night only, May 1, at 8:15 pm PDT for free. The live performance will be broadcast on Impro Theatre's Twitch channel, which is accessible at www.ImproTheatre.com
"Eastside Noir" is Film Noir reimagined in one of the cities where it originated. The show takes place in three different time periods: today, the 1940's L.A. of classic Film Noir, and an imagined futuristic fantasy noir. The cast of 9 has created 27 set characters - 3 for each era - that range from Noir staples including a power mad businessman, a Japanese nurse, a retired Mexican American boxer and an eviction android who smiles while she throws you out your door. The diverse cast features performers from many neighborhoods in Los Angeles, but the story will take place in Boyle Heights. Boyle Heights is famous for its multiculturalism and the show will celebrate the melting pot that thrived there and the community that is active there today. Boyle Heights is also the home base for Company of Angels. The "Eastside Noir" cast includes Eric Carthen, Corinne Chooey, Kari Coleman. Robert Covarrubias, Leanna Dindal, Joseph Limbaugh, Nakasha Norwood, Julianna Stephanie Ojeda and Leah Zhang. "Eastside Noir" is a new cross-media experiment that uses improv comedy to bring history and place to life through story. This performance is a pilot that aims to connect creative artists to the places they live. By using social media to roll out the project, the audience gets to share their own stories about Boyle Heights as well as watch new stories emerge behind the scenes and in front of the camera while they join in the fun. Like Impro Theatre's other performances, "Eastside Noir" will start with audience suggestions. No one knows what the story will be, or who will interact with whom. "Eastside Noir" is a completely improvised story, like Impro Theatre's audience has come to expect from such signature offerings as "Jane Austen UnScripted," "Sondheim UnScripted" and "L.A. Noir UnScripted." Co-directed by Impro Theatre veterans, Robert Covarrubias and Brian Lohmann, "Eastside Noir" has been crafted with input from fans on social media. Producers Corinne Chooey, Nakasha Norwood and Julianna Stephanie Ojeda from Company of Angels have led an online campaign that encourages audience input to help the actors build their characters. From asking for costume advice, to sharing the acting process of researching historical context, to demonstrating how to create a character's physicality based on animal characteristics, to imaginary slogans, the actors got personal input from followers on Instagram. "Eastside Noir" is the first of a series of planned cross-media shows that would celebrate different neighborhoods across Los Angeles and invite residents to partner in the process of creating characters and narrative elements.
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