The Un-Scripted Theater Company
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The Un-Scripted Theater Company is an improv theater company based out of San Francisco, California. Unlike most improv troupes, The Un-Scripted Theater Company does not perform just one kind of improv format, but rather 4 to 7 runs of uniquely different improv formats each year. Each season is set up like a "normal" theater season with 4 to 8 week runs of shows, each with its own Director, format, and vision.
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[edit] History
The Un-Scripted Theater Company was founded in 2002 when the Thursday night performance group, The Belfry, was cut from the line up at San Francisco's BATS Improv. Determined to continue their performance work, 8 of the original 20 improvisors of The Belfry left and started The Un-Scripted Theater Company in January 2003. Since then, the Un-Scripted Theater Company has performed hundreds of shows all over the Bay Area, including shows across California and the United States.
[edit] Structure
The Un-Scripted Theater Company has Full-time Staff, Part-time Staff, and Guest performers that make up the actors who perform in any given show. The Full-time staff can perform is as many show runs a year as they wish. In return they perform the bulk of the work required to run the company. The Part-time staff can perform in 2 show runs a year with extra playtime earned through extra work. Each run of shows has performance slots reserved for improvisors who aren't part of the Un-Scripted Theater Company. These slots are filled with Guest improvisors chosen by the Director of the show at improv auditions held before the start of the show's rehearsal period. Because the rehearsal period and performance schedule is more rigorous than that of a standard improv troupe, the Un-Scripted Guest Program allows improvisors to come work with the Un-Scripted Theater Company for a couple of months and then go back to their regular lives without committing to the theater company full time.
Each show has a larger cast size than the number of play slots in any given night's performance, so the cast changes each night depending on who is scheduled.
[edit] Improv Formats
The Un-Scripted Theater Company performs both Shortform and Longform improv shows. San Francisco has a distinctly different style of improv than much of the rest of the country. Unlike Chicago where one venue will host three 30-45 minute shows in one evening, most San Francisco improv shows are 2 hours long, complete with their own intermission. And while Chicago and New York are full of improv companies who perform formats based on the Harold (with multiple storylines going on at the same time), San Francisco is full of improv shows with single-story formats. Often referred to as play-length improv shows, these improv shows are rooted in the idea that if someone can perform something scripted (like a play, movie, or musical) then it can also be improvised just as well.
The shows that the Un-Scripted Theater Company has performed to date are:
2007:
The Great Puppet Musical
You Bet Your Improvisor
2006:
Supertrain
The Impossible Film Project
Theatresports RAW
Two Man Longform at the The Bay Area Comedy Festival
You Bet Your Improvisor
The Short & the Long of It (Abridged) at the Chicago Improv Festival Nine
Love at First Sight
2005:
Let it Snow!
The Impossible Film Project
The Short & the Long of It!
Love at First Sight
You Bet Your Improvisor
2004:
Let It Snow!
Fear
The Short & the Long of It!
Improvised Bawdy Shakespeare
Aussie Rules Theatersports
"Three"
Bawdy Shakespeare at BATS Improv
Improv Survivor
2003:
The Cafe Sappore series
FEAR. reborn
The Amazing Improvised Musical!
Improvised Bawdy Shakespeare
Impro Bingo
The Short & the Long Of It!
Spring Sing and Improv Carnival Gala
[edit] Founding Members
- Alan Goy
- Brian McBride
- Christian Utzman
- Cort Worthington
- Glenn Etter
- Jennifer Kah
- Susan Snyder
- Tara McDonough
