Twilight Zone UnScripted Imagines New Dimension

Photo by Dan O’Connor

The Ensemble of Impro Theatre’s “Twilight Zone UnScripted” at the Falcon Theatre.

The comedy troupe Impro Theatre creates a new dimension of theater with their unique and literate adlibbed episodes of Twilight Zone UnScripted. Blending recognizable genre tropes with comedy improvisation, the group creates entertaining, thoughtful, and original Twilight Zone episodes that hilariously capture Rod Serling’s surreal series. Quick wits, funny characterizations, and sharp timing highlight their current Falcon Theatre production.

Each “episode” of the presentation involves a member of the cast asking the audience to throw out either a profession, place, or item dealing with the 1950s on which they will construct each individual act.

The talented cast possesses excellent mimicry and adlibbing skills, creating smartly original, hilarious pieces, especially “Pocket Watch” and “Bingo.” Solid Dan O’Connor brings a rich authenticity and likability to his characters. He possesses nice chemistry and timing with Lauren Rose Lewis, who possesses a charming vulnerability. Lisa Fredrickson’s wonderfully expressive face, Brian Michael Jones’ funny mimicry, and Mike McShane’s slightly sinister characters particularly stand out.

Lighting and sound crews also work on the fly, and both did an admirable job keeping up with quicksilver changes. Leigh Allen’s lighting followed typical lighting conventions of the Twilight Zone television program. Particularly impressive and hilarious were Allen Simpson’s creative sound effects of ticking clocks, changing tires, and swooshing doors.

Sandra Burns’ fifties’ era costumes captured the uptight mood of the era as well.

Impro Theatre combines quick comedy minds with recognizable genre patterns to produce hilarious parody spoofs in Twilight Zone UnScripted.

The Falcon Theatre presents Impro Theatre’s Twilight Zone UnScripted Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. through Sept. 29 at the Falcon Theatre located at 4252 Riverside Dr. in Burbank. Tickets cost $34.50-$37 Wednesdays/ Thursdays, and $39.50-$42 Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays. Student discounts are available. Purchase tickets at falcontheatre.com, or by calling .

Custom Search

More from this section

More from this author

rss

Tagged as: