Teen Slasher Cast Interview

Last month we brought Teen Slasher back for it’s 8th season. This time Teen Slasher took the Rocklin audience to space!

Lots of murder, mayhem, and laughs ensued. I had a chance to sit down with the cast and ask them some questions about the performance, preparation, and favorite moments.

A lot of work goes into this improvised genre comedy! If you would like to see some pictures and videos from the show be sure to check out our Instagram.

What was your favorite kill during Teen Slasher?

Kevin:  It wasn't really a kill, but Troy's character during the first show was badly injured. He wasn't dead, so he crawled onto the stage, dragging himself across, and did it several time during the show and it killed me each time.

Dustin:  My favorite kill during teen slasher was a failed kill. Troys character was almost killed but never died and kept coming back crawling and dragging himself across stage. It was such a fun bit.

Jay:  That’s a tough one. We did one show where I was turned into a rat-man hybrid by Dustin’s character. I ended up eating Austin while Kevin (who was amazing on lights and sound) activated the blacklight strobe. Austin’s character was likeable and sympathetic, which made it a genuinely terrifying and emotional moment in which a character’s death truly mattered. It felt like a real, heart wrenching moment in a good movie and it stuck with me because of that

Troy:  In rehearsal we had an alien that would just make people explode.
So we had fun just bringing on random characters that would just be there to explode.

Sydney:  Oh, well during one of our rehearsals someone killed a monster with a giant condom.

Which has been your favorite character to perform and why?

Kevin:  While I wasn't a character this year, but I have done it in the past. I remember playing Chad, a jock, which was different for me since I am such a nerdy person in real life. It was a lot of fun to emulate that kind of person and confidence.  

Dustin:  My favorite character to play was Jays son that turned evil. It was a lot of fun playing with the transformation of the kid as he turned bad. I had a blast playing with the voice bouncing back and forth between sweet and innocent to possessed and evil.

Jay:  Les Talent was a joy. I rarely play villains or jerks, so playing an egomaniacal space captain on the verge of a psychotic break was a nice change of pace. Les ended up being the killer in that particular show, so I had the chance to get out of my comfort zone with a character.

Troy:  In rehearsal again I played an alien who could no longer feel emotions but

had them before. He had to make a choice to lose emotions and live or just die. It was interesting to see how that character felt about himself and other people after the incident that left him emotionless.

Sydney:  I have one character and he is a very old man. He's fun, cause he's sassy and usually has a storied past.

Tips for anyone looking to use fake blood?

Kevin:  If you get in on your clothes, make sure to NOT dry it in the dryer until the stain is completely gone. If you are not careful, the dryer can heat press the stain and it will never come out. Also, avoid getting it in your mouth.

Dustin:  Tips for using fake blood would be practice using it  lots before the show. I would also recommend finding fun ways to deliver the fake blood. My favorite was the water gun filled with fake blood.

Jay:  There are numerous types/brands of fake blood. Understand how yours works. If you’re spilling it (as opposed to using it as costume makeup), practice with it and understand how it sprays, whether it stains, etc.

Troy:  Practice Practice Practice. Know your blood capabilities and limitations. Have fun!

Sydney:  Either take careful precaution and... post-caution (?), or just be prepared to have everything covered in blood for the rest of all time.

What surprised you during your run of Teen Slasher?

Kevin:  The biggest surprise is was how quickly the cast was able to come together and put on an amazing show. We had less than 20 days from our first rehearsal to our first show. They all worked so hard and showed real passion.

Dustin:  What surprised me the most was how slippery the stage got with the fake blood. At moments I felt like a was doing blood ice capades.  

Jay:  No matter how many times I perform in Teen Slasher (this is my 6th year), the audience turnout never ceases to amaze me. Despite loving the genre, seeing full houses for every show was a huge surprise. Maybe October just gets people in the mood to see some bloodshed.

Troy:  Putting the Teen Slasher Genre into space was a more challenging than I thought it would be.  There were many ways to introduce a "killer". Rogue Alien on board. Or some biological mishap that changed crew members.  With no defined killer the story line could get a little confusing.

Sydney:  If you buy white pants from a thrift store, about 90% of what you find will be 10+ years old.


What's one tip you would give another improviser interested in genre work?

Kevin:  I would say there is a very delicate balance when doing genre work. It takes both researching the genre and experimentation. You need to be both truthful to the source material but also make it your own.

Dustin:  Genre work is a lot of fun. I would recommend anyone interested in working on genre work start by watching and researching the genre they want to perform. Make the plot simple and easy to follow. Focus most on the characters and relationship in the story they are most important.

Jay:  First, make sure you understand how to tell a story. Being a good storyteller will make any genre show easier. Second, understand your genre. Read it, watch it and absorb it as much as you can. Recognizing the tropes that pop up in your chosen genre means you can take utilize them to tell your story well.

Troy:  Focus on characters not plot. Keep it simple. Foreshadowing can be really fun.   Example: setting up rooms with weapons or different ways someone could die. Then using those things later in the show.

Sydney:  Do your research! Genre work is the same as anything else really, you just have to know what you're drawing from.

Improv Burnout and Teen Slasher

The cast of TEEN SLASHER 8: INSPACE!

Burnout happens. Nothing is immune! Even passions can feel like more work than joy.

I was there in Burnout City (not Burnout Paradise...which is a really fun game! Go download it on XBox...they just released a remastered version...and it sure is purty. I think it's exclusively on XBox. If it's on PS4, I apologize. I have no allegiance to XBox. Just go experience the game...but after reading the rest of this post of course. I think you'll enjoy it...the post...and the game….but let’s focus on the post right now. Onward!)

And, damn, the population always feels like one, right? When you feel burnout it feels like the world is moving at a different speed, and you wish you were there, but you don't know how to feel that again. All around me are people loving improv excited to perform, and here I am sitting there thinking, "I don't feel the spark." I wanted to be excited, I wanted to feel passionate, but you can't force it. At least, I discovered you can't force it. When you "attempt" to get passionate again, and it doesn't work, you just slide further down into burnout and disappointment.

And, then, a wonderful thing happened! I walked onto the Teen Slasher set! I felt so warm, and fuzzy, and excited. The team had transformed the theater into a giant tarp covered kill room. It felt like walking into an episode of Dexter. The theater stage was quarantined with tarps.

Jay, Kevin, Sydney, Dustin, Troy and Austin had worked hours on designing the space for a very special two night, blood-soaked spectacle called Teen Slasher 8! Kevin and Jay co-directed this years show, and together with the cast developed the vision. They worked together, and came up with something special.This year Teen Slasher takes the bloody good time to space. Like any good franchise, eventually, you put that series in deep space.. All the greats do it! Halloween. Leprechaun. Jason. Dracula Hollywood have even tossed some Killer Klowns into space!

When I entered the theater I was awestruck.

And...

...more then awe. I felt that spark, I felt that joy. I felt that, "wow. We can do anything in improv," feeling. You never know when it hits, but you never forget when it does. I’ve felt that way a few times. The first time was when I discovered long form improv. It was in San Francisco, and the team was Revolving Madness (they no longer perform...but damn they were fun). I remember walking away from that show saying, "you can do that?! That was amazing." That's how I felt walking onto the set of our Teen Slasher show, "this is beautiful, and amazing."

You can walk onto the set too, and feel all the feels. And, who doesn’t want to feel all the feels? But, your chance to feel the feels is fleeting!

Halloween, is your final chance.

You will laugh, you will be sprayed with blood*, and you will realize just some of the beautiful things you can do with improv. Will you be inspired? Maybe. Will you laugh? Definitely! Will you score some free candy at the box office on your way in? Of course! It's Halloween! Let's enjoy a sugar high together and watch improv comedy survival horror!

*We help you guard against that blood splatter by offering you the best in high-tech, space-age ponchos. Working closely with NASA**  and the CIA***, Blacktop has created a marvel in protective gear.

"But, Paul," you begin, "are these just garbage bags?"

"Garbage bags with 3 holes cut in them! That's top-shelf tech."

**NASA: Nurturing And Sassy Animals

***CIA: Collective of Interesting Apples

You Will Be Supported

Today's guest blogger is Aeriel. 

I started crying before I started typing which seems like a pretty typical reaction of me. I don’t think I used to embrace crying as much as I do now, but here I am -- crying and glad I am. I feel so invigorated, thrilled, uplifted even to be a part of such a wonderful team and community in which support is a main foundation. Finding improv, more specifically, finding Blacktop Comedy theater has been an absolutely transformative experience for my life, well-being, and ultimately -- my soul.

Where to begin -- as I realize my blogging experience is more of a confession, here we go. I moved across the country, seemingly on a whim and began a new gray and drab job at ye olde government office. I will peep the bright and bubbly fellow Gordon Sharp for recognizing the light in me at the time and encouraging me to come to shows at Blacktop Comedy. Whether it be his shameless self-promoting that played a factor, or honestly the divine timing of the universe, I attended a couple of shows, short form then referred to as Shorties, and the box office hit - Teen Slasher -- I was hooked. I got my roommate and friends involved, I loved this place! I was so amazed! I had volunteered for a couple of the short form shows when it called for it, and I loved shouting out my suggestions (still do!), but I never had the thought, that could be me up there! I think I owe a lot to my good pal, Gordon, for HEAVILY encouraging the level one intro to improv class until one fateful summer, I took it.

I had been going to shows for a couple months and after a recent breakup and a BRAND new change in scenery, I was in my mind, ready to let go and do something for ME. I also give so many props to watching the amazing Blacktop performers for inspiring, and even more specifically -- the hosts I saw, Betsaida Lebron and Paul Burke, ALL of which I have grown to get to know and love as my own family. <3 Anyways, taking the class quite literally changed my life. (crying again per usual :P ) Are emoticons chill in a blog post? Haha.

I finished the course with excitement and still a lot of nervousness, but grateful that I did something for ME! I still see some of my fellow graduates in the weekly playgrounds - you know who you are! After the course graduation, I continued to volunteer with Blacktop and ultimately tried out to be a part of the team. I had no theater experience prior and honestly not a whole lot of confidence in myself at that point, but I did it anyways. I was ecstatic to hear that Blacktop wanted me to be a part of their performer cast after auditions. I didn’t know what it meant for my life at the moment, I just knew it was a place I wanted to be.

BOY WAS I RIGHT. Haha. In all seriousness though -- as serious as a blog post can get, it quite literally change the trajectory of my life, or better yet, was destined to be the trajectory of my life.

The summer of 2014, only two years ago, I know -- because I tweet everything, was the start of a new life. Now, I’m not saying since finding improv, more specifically Blacktop Comedy (‘cause there is a difference), made my life peaches and cream; No, I’m saying my sense of self and how I react to LIFE (this almost unmistakable force I once felt victim to) is completely different.

Often people hear the rules/guidelines of Improv and think it sounds like a cult… and yeah, they’re not entirely wrong! If it’s a cult, I’m drinking the kool-aid, making the kool-aid and endorsing the fXXX out of it! I live this Kool-aid. (product placement) OH YEAH!

It’s not something I was able to integrate ENTIRELY into my life right away, but the longer I have lived, the more I have been able to understand life by “rules” of improv. Rules is a stupid word because no one likes rules, how about supportive guidelines?

These supportive guidelines, “yes and”, “support others”, “take care of yourself”, “be in the moment”, sound so broad and out of context, but they can truthfully be placed into any situation you may be faced with in life. I think with all of that in mind, the best lesson I have learned -- trust yourself. I think the ultimate lesson for me was, confidence. Trusting myself, helped others trust and support me, and to create a beautiful scene! Whether it be an improv scene of jumping on a jet ski with my true love or another scene of playing violin for a concert of one OR better yet, LIFE IN REAL LIFE ITSELF -- taking risks and trusting that I (CAPITAL I) will be okay, was the most valuable lesson I could EVER learn.

I will be okay, you will be okay, we will all be okay. What a comforting thought. Even when it feels like we won’t, or we judge/question what is OKAY or what is not, knowing, someone out there is ready to support us, is so beautiful. Ultimately, it all ties back to everything! Full circle --  another recurring theme of improv in general! The universe will support you when you are in the right intentions (right intentions may be subjective, but I think as humans we can gather what that means for us individually.) Whether it be the wonderful, talented, beautiful improvisers of Blacktop Comedy, or wherever -- know that the Universe has your best interest in mind and that you will be supported.

That magnanimous (I didn’t even have to use a thesaurus for that feeling) support that I get from my Blacktop improv Community is something I wish everyone could find for themselves and I KNOW it’s out there. I know I said the best lesson was finding my confidence/sense of self, but with that comes finding your joy. Whatever that means for you, performing on stage, creating with friends, hanging out with kittens, whatever that means - is where you are supposed to be. Joy and love is not something to “capture” or “strive for” (in my opinion), but rather a state of BEING. Be love. Be joy. Be the person, the human person, that is capable of these transformative and influential states of being that reverberates to others.

I hope that my journey in finding my joy is helpful to others in finding theirs as well. I think that’s the ultimate sense of self, JOY (LOVE). We all deserve this greatness and can share with others. I thank sincerely the people of Blacktop and Paul and Betsaida, for bringing me such a beautiful realization and it is only my hope that I can pass this on to others on their own personal journey. I love you all, I don’t know you all, but I know I love you. (crying again, out of love) ~~ <3