Fitler Square Theater Gets a Dungeons and Dragons Facelift
SideQuest Theater has an ambitious goal: they aim to transform improv theater from its grassroots origins into a polished, professional art form, in part by paying performers in a field where volunteering is the norm.
The troupe, founded by a dog sitter, a data analytics engineer, and two more artists from equally diverse backgrounds, has spent the past several months meticulously renovating the main stage of the Adrienne Theater complex on Sansom St, where they’ve signed a three-year lease.
Founded in 2017, SideQuest Theater specializes in performances based on role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. “All of the wizard spells are things that the audience wrote out [before the show],” cofounder Josh Holober-Ward explains. “So you get things like a ‘ray of disappointment’, goofy things that the audience submitted.”
The Renovation
Holober-Ward poured two-thirds of his life savings—earned from over a decade of professional dog sitting—into renovating a space that had fallen into disrepair.
The theater had been in poor shape when the last tenants packed up during the COVID shutdown, never to come back. Its condition only got worse during the next three years while it sat vacant.
But now, all 90 of the theater's antique seats, some torn and dusty from neglect, have been carefully restored, a process that cofounder Kelsey Hébert says she got better at with practice. “When I started doing the butts,” Hébert says, holding up a stripped-down seat cushion, “it was taking me about 25, 30 minutes a bottom. I got it down to 15 minutes. That's a lot. And that doesn't even cover the back or [the armrests].”
Besides the seats, there was the potholed stage to repair, faded walls to repaint, and old stage lighting to rewire. The list of repairs was endless. And it’s not finished yet, as evidenced by the green room’s plain white walls. “This is where the performers warm up before shows,” explains cofounder Cara Hammer, motioning to three green paint swatches. “The green room, right? We’re still trying to choose a green,” Hébert chimes in.
Don’t Call It “Improv”
SideQuest Theater aims to not only refurbish a venue; they’re after redefining improv theater itself. The founders call their shows "unscripted theater" to sidestep the casual, often undervalued connotation of “improv.”
“You'll notice we hardly ever say the word ‘improv’,” Hammer says. “We say ‘unscripted theater.’ If somebody says, ‘I'm going to go see an improv show’, you don't expect us to have a whole basement full of costumes. Unscripted theater is very playful and fun and relaxing and enjoyable. We put a lot of thought and intention into what it looks like.”
This rebranding is part of a broader effort to elevate the craft to the same status as conventional theater, promising a lineup of shows that includes everything from adults-only improv nights to game shows and collaborations with local artists.
Committed to Paying Actors
At the heart of SideQuest Theater's ethos is a commitment to compensating its performers, a departure from the norm in the improv community, where paying gigs are rare and performers often pay to play. This approach is based on the belief that investing in talent will not only enhance the quality of performances but also create a sustainable model for the theater itself.
“We're trying to set a new standard by building into the budget performer pay, including a baseline pay, and then also a split of profits that we make from the show,” said cofounder Josh Holober-Ward. “If you pay your performers and they make this a priority… then that brings more people in because the show is so good. It's a very worthwhile upfront investment to make sure everyone's being compensated properly. That money will come back from the audience's response because of how good the product is.”
The theater also aims to be a nexus for community engagement, offering workshops and classes to demystify improvisational theater and role-playing games for the uninitiated. By making these forms of play accessible, SideQuest Theater hopes to foster a new generation of performers and enthusiasts alike.
As SideQuest Theater prepares for its grand opening, its four cofounders say the community buzz is palpable. “The response we’re receiving was overwhelming right away,“ Holober-Ward said. “We just went public with the website and our social media and it has been a deluge.”
SideQuest theater’s grand opening show, Roll Play: An Improvised Adventure, debuts April 12. Tickets can be purchased at their website.
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