Ten years ago, performers Sabrina Hill, Jason Ades, Todd Stashwick, and Ezra Weisz got together to create an innovative and experimental improv show. The result, The Doubtful Guests, went on to garner critical acclaim, sold-out shows, and a devoted fan-base.
Sabrina Hill credits Stashwick’s vision of “an improv troupe [with] elements of Edward Gorey, Charlie Chaplin and the grand guignol.” Hill continues, “The original idea was to create characters that would have to improvise a play every time an audience filled the theater. This type of long-form improvisation wasn’t done back then, and it was very exciting to see it all come together and have audiences respond to it so positively.”
It set the precedent for future endeavours by other improvisers, introducing a fresh and hilarious approach that became known as “spontaneous theatre” and moved Hill and her collaborators from a tiny venue for “experimental improv” at the Chicago Improv Festival in 2001 to a 300-seat theatre in 2009, where they were headliners.
Every year, says Hill, the group tries something different while still maintaining the four core characters, each of whom has an elaborate back-story, and keeping with the theme of “performance within a performance.” The show they put on last Saturday (10/29) at Bang Comedy Theater, which also acted as a ten-year anniversary celebration, undoubtedly kept with the troupe’s tradition of providing something new and interesting, as well as keeping their long-time fans happy.
Degenerate souls killed in a brothel fire.The show, featuring characters who died in a brothel fire in 1888 and were subsequently damned to perform improv for the rest of eternity, also includes a back-up band of old-time instruments and an eerie and period-appropriate style. The band takes cues from the actors before breaking out a tune, accompanying fully improvised lyrics, and ultimately adding to the polish and overall unexpectedness of the show.
The actors themselves wear their roles comfortably, and their ten years’ worth of experience shows: they work together well, and always seem to know just how and when to act and react to their teammates.
Playing during the Halloween season, it comes as no surprise that The Doubtful Guests isn’t afraid of getting dark: dark and explicit humor are integral parts of the show; moreover, those on stage aren’t afraid of pushing one another, as well as members of the audience. It’s fully immersive for both actor and spectator, and there’s no way out for anyone — in a good way.
The Penny DreadfulRefreshingly, every performer is given an equal shake. True, there’s just one woman, but Hill holds her own and manages to shine through. And, in a world where improv comedy is dominated by men, we thought it crucial to ask Sabrina Hill a few questions about her experiences with The Doubtful Guests, and improv, in general:
What motivated you as an actress to pursue improv comedy?
I took my first improv class because I was completely terrified of it. I saw a group of improvisers from “The Groundlings” do a show. I had a hard time believing that they were making that stuff up on the spot, and that it was funny! So, it was out of fear and curiosity that I took my first long-form improv class with Ezra Weisz, the man who would become my husband a few years later. I very quickly abandoned my scripted theatrical pursuits and became a full time improviser.
Do you face any struggles being one of a very small minority? How do you overcome those struggles, and how might you advise female improvisers who are just starting out?
The improv community is probably 80 percent male and 20 percent female, by my estimation. I’m lucky because Bang Comedy Theater doesn’t reflect that. The place had a rep for strong female improvisers and still does to this day.
What I would advise other women is to check out shows at all the improv schools in town and when you see something that inspires you, find out how they got to where they are. And, never let a dude take all the focus. That goes for life as well. So many women performers are too polite. The strongest women improvisers are the ones who always seem confident and unapologetic about their choices.
Being that it’s the 10th anniversary of the very first performance, what are some of your favorite memories about the show’s premiere?
The first show was performed in North Hollywood, at a rehearsal space with white linoleum floors, about 30 folding chairs and very basic white lights. The show was especially exciting to do back then because we were still figuring so much out. We even had Jeremey Piven perform with us that first run. He’s a wonderful improviser and I remember him getting very, very nasty in the show. Which is a requirement when you are in a Doubtful Guests show.
How did you and the musicians meet, and how did you conceptualize the overall role of the music in the show?
We’ve always had live music as part of The Doubtful Guests experience. At first, we had one guy on accordion. A few more musicians joined him and “The Penny Dreadful” was born. Our regular band members are Geoffrey Schumann on Stand Up Bass and Weston Walls on Percussion. For this 10th Anniversary run, we also have a mandolin, violin, squeeze box, classical guitar and Hurdey Gurdey. And, everything they play (with the exception of our theme song) is completely improvised, as well. It’s an incredible feeling to have 11 people all improvising a musical number together.
Where do you see the show going in the future?
We are celebrating the 10 year anniversary of The Doubtful Guests this year. The cool thing about this show is that the older we get, the creepier the show becomes. I wish we could perform more often in the future, but the happy truth is that we all have wonderful careers now that keep us pretty busy. But, every Halloween season, we will creep back onto a stage and wait for the audience to take their seats and resurrect Vesta, Vascillus, Riffus and Bawk to entertain to the crowd’s delight, and their disdain.
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If you missed last Saturday’s performance, don’t fret! There are two more left on the calendar, on November 5th and November 12th.
Find out more information and get your tickets HERE.
