The crew of the USS McGinley is back for Season 4!
And I caught a pre-launch visit with four of them (video below) .
Yes, if you’re in SoCal on a Saturday night anytime from March 3 through April 28, you’d better grab a ticket early. Otherwise, come 9:15 pm you might not have a seat for the next nine adventures of “The Improvised Generation,” the best TNG-era narrative improvisation anywhere. They often sell out!
As this away team quartet tell me, their mentor Impro Studio and its narrative form of improv mean you do indeed see an unscripted but full-story night of Star Trek— with humor, but with a definite plot and a structure completely in the Star Trek “feel” — specifically TNG. It’s all possible because each has a character and backstory, and history with each other—and most if not all the cast are Trek fans of some stripe.
And since it’s live improv comedy by skilled performers, even low-key or even non-Trek fans will enjoy the show: “Sometimes thrilling, usually funny, always engaging” says the website—and basically anyone else. The audience then tosses out a plot keyword, and they’re off!
Check out my recent pre-season crew visit, along with several stills from past “mission nights.” We also mention the rest of Impro Studio’s genre-style improv companies, from Jane Austen to Jules Verne to The Twilight Zone, X Files, Game of Thrones, and who knows what next. Anything with a fanbase big enough so that actors and audience alike can share the fun of improv but within a well-known universe—and with an impromptu group performance in the right feel.
It’s Trek, Jim, and just as we know it
For the 10 featured crew of the McGinley, that means a teaser, opening voiceover intro and credits, act breaks for “commercials” (thankfully omitted) — and oh yes, even those sound effects. Especially the door chimes and button bleeps and replicator whirs. Especially door chimes!
Check out “TIG” ‘s Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube archives, and of course ticket info. But it’s a small house that often sells out, so don’t wait for day-of Saturday to buy!
My rogue vidchat thanks to (below, from left) Laurie Jones, Ahleeza Pearl, Rob Ullett and Amanda Troop (cameo by Paul Hungerford) as well as Impro Studio — who has been good enough to co-host the recent Discovery LA free watch-alongs on “big screen,” and also hosted my Trekland Live stage interview last summer of the amazing Andreea Kindryd, Gene Coon’s 1960s TOS assistant. I’ll be beaming in at least a few times this spring as shore leave allows—hope to see you there!
Cast, from left: Rob Ullett, Amanda Troop, Scott Palmason, Sara Mountjoy-Pepka, Ahleeza Pearl, Paul Hungerford, Laurie Jones, Matthew Pitner, Paul Vonasek.
