Laughter Shocktober Brings Dangerously Unrehearsed Comedy to Nevada City

NEVADA CITY, Calif. — Laughter Shock, Nevada County’s notoriously unpredictable improv troupe, returns to the Nevada Theatre for one night of unscripted comedy with Laughter Shocktober, Thursday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m.

They said, “never summon what you can’t put back.”  Laughter Shock did it anyway.

For one night, the troupe will crawl out of the crypt and onto the Nevada Theatre stage for an evening where absolutely nothing is written in advance—and nobody, including the performers, knows exactly what is going to happen next.

No scripts. No safety net. No idea what comes next.

Laughter Shocktober is powered entirely by the players’ instincts, unfiltered thoughts, split-second decisions and, most importantly, suggestions from the audience. Those suggestions become the raw material for scenes conjured out of thin air. A perfectly innocent idea can become a character, a setting, a relationship, a crisis—or something considerably harder to explain.

The troupe features Marsha Burch, Brian Coe, Lindsay Dunckel, Anna Durga, Kimberly Ewing, Heather Federmeyer, Ehrland Hollingsworth, John Paul, Sandra Rockman, Chel Svendsgaard, and Rod Tayler. The eleven performers range in age from their 30s into their 70s, bringing together a remarkably diverse collection of personalities, experiences and comic instincts.

Together, they willingly step into the unknown, creating scenes that can soar brilliantly or spectacularly collapse—and doing it all live, in front of an audience.

That unpredictability is the essence of Laughter Shock.

“With a name like Laughter Shock, expect the unexpected,” the troupe promises. “With a night called Laughter Shocktober, expect the unexplainable.”

The audience isn’t simply watching the show; audience suggestions help determine what happens onstage. That means every performance is unique and every scene exists for one night only.

So bring your strangest ideas. Bring your worst suggestions. Bring a friend to hold onto.

Just don’t expect anyone to be able to explain what happened afterward.

Laughter Shocktober takes place Thursday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Nevada Theatre, 401 Broad Street, Nevada City, California. Tickets are $20 for General Admission and $30 for Reserved Seating.

For tickets and additional information, visit Paul Emery Music — Laughter Shocktober.

Follow Laughter Shock on Facebook and come prepared for an evening that cannot be rehearsed, cannot be repeated, and probably should not be attempted at home.

Laughter Shocktober:
No scripts. No safety net. No idea what happens next.