Tennessee Williams Unscripted, April 18, 2020 ****

Impro Theatre L.A. online 
Caterpillar -Tennessee Williams Unscripted
Online Sat April 18, 2020 (Melbourne time 1pm 19 April)
Available online:improtheatre 
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ****

The improvised plays keep on comin’ from Impro Theatre in LA. Improvisers in lockdown are finding new and exciting ways to create theatre live on Zoom from their desks.

This time, it’s Tennessee Williams Unscripted, directed by Brian Lohmann, and the title is Caterpillar. Williams might have created these characters and locations that are provided on Zoom Virtual background.

Annabelle (Madi Goff) is a naïve, Southern miss celebrating her Coming Out party with guests that include Miss Patricia (Kelly Holden-Bashar), a bitter, middle-aged woman, and Bertram (Ryan Smith), her bourbon-soaked husband.

Annabelle has several suitors: the reserved and awkward Griff (Mike Rock); the slightly demented Wilson (Brian Lohmann) whose love for Annabelle is unrequited;  and his disloyal and violent friend, John (Nick Massouh), who whisks Annabelle away, telling her she needs to be a caterpillar and escape this Southern community ­– with him.

The line of the show is from Wilson, who says about his treacherous, former friend, John, ‘He’s a walking broken promise in a pair of pants.’

There is a stately home on the Mississippi, a lush conservatory, a sleazy hotel room and the golden Bourbon Street, where John strangles Wilson.

When Annabelle ‘loses her voice’ (her microphone stops working at end), the improvisers take this mistake as gift, and Annabelle fades into an early, tragic demise. She is re-cocooned as a caterpillar and the story ends with Wilson’s funeral and Annabelle’s death.

Williams Unscripted requires a thorough knowledge of Williams’ plays and styles, and the company’s research, as well as the acting and improvising skills, make this a delightful performance.

By Kate Herbert

Cast:

Griff – Mike Rock

Annabelle -Madi Goff

Wilson -Brian Lohmann

John-  Nick Massouh

Miss Patricia- Kelly Holden-Bashar

Bertram – Ryan Smith??

Brian Jones -creative backgrounds/ live editor

Arlo Sanders -soundtrack (Taking Zoom performance and adding Zoom to Twitch video)