Horror UnScripted

Before we officially leave the Halloween season behind, I had to make it to one last spooky show. And what better than a night of fun with a scary twist from the talented team of Impro Theatre? I've had the pleasure of seeing a handful of this troupe's unscripted works, and whether they are wrangling the Wild, Wild West or seducing the audience with the songs of Sondheim, the group is always impressive. This time they were slashing their way through murder and mayhem with "Horror Unscripted," an evil offering full of fun frights.

No strangers to the world of horror, one of their most popular shows being "Twilight Zone Unscripted," the actors dove into the material creating a catastrophic masterpiece on stage solely on a suggestion from the audience. That is the great thing about improvisation theater, you never know what you're going to get. With various audience creepy settings being shouted to set the scene, everyone settled on Church, which led us on an adventure through the worlds of good and evil... minus the good.

The story was a strange one, full of spiders, murder, maybe a religious cult (I'm still unsure), cannibalism and a very unholy wedding. It seemed to fly off the tracks more than once, but the actors were always able to bring it back and make it somehow all tie together. The flaws and sometimes incoherent paths the story took is what I like about improv, even when it's not at it's best, it is always hilarious.

I always look forward to seeing some familiar faces when I attend an Impro Theatre show. I was thrilled to see Lisa Fredrickson on stage, who always delivers the laughs. This time she was playing a strange church worker named Raphael, and like always, she stole the show. Another standout was Ryan Smith, who played a disturbed groom, He did a fantastic job of rolling with the many punches the show threw at him.

The stage was bare except for some metal chairs, with the audience set up on every side. It was up to the actors to light up the stage, which they did effortlessly. They brought the story to life (and death) and ignited our imaginations with all the props and sets we needed.

The great thing about the Impro Theatre team is that not only are they expert improvisers and actors, but they guarantee a fresh, new show every night they perform. You'll never know what to expect, and you'll never see the same show twice. They were excited to announce a new residency at The Broad Stage this upcoming season which means you'll have plenty of chances to take in a show.

Next up is "L.A. Noir Unscripted" later this month, and you can expect new "Unscripted" shows based on everything from fairy tales, to Shakespeare, to Chekhov, to Tennessee Williams and much more. If you're looking for some hearty laughs and just an all-around good time, I suggest checking out one of Impro Theatre's upcoming productions; you will leave the show a new life-long fan.

"Horror Unscripted" played October 27-29 at The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., in Santa Monica. For tickets or information on upcoming shows, visit www.thebroadstage.org

This story is part of our special report: "10 Days of Halloween". Want to read more? Here's the full list.