Improv Playhouse hosts virtual 'D&D' for adults
Improv Playhouse in Libertyville is launching a new, virtual adult program for "Dungeons & Dragons" players, from beginners to aficionados.
The sessions will run from 6:30-9:30 p.m. (with a break from 8-8:15 p.m.) on six Friday nights, Sept. 10 through Oct. 15. The cost is $10 for one session or $49 for six sessions (the entire campaign). Participants must be 18 and older. Audiences gains access to Zoom by buying a ticket on Eventbrite, which then emails them the Zoom link.
The primary designer for the program is Dungeon Master Kenzie Smith, along with Improv Playhouse creative directors Kat Phillips and Susannah Stengel, whose love for "Dungeons & Dragons" revealed the clear crossover between elements of improv, theatrical creativity, and genuine fun.
Improv Playhouse's live, virtual campaign of "Dungeons & Dragons" is centered around journeying to the lost city of Atlantis. Anyone can join from anywhere as long as they have a streaming device and internet.
How will this virtual game be different from the tabletop game? Smith explains: "One of the most genius and lovely things about D&D is that each game is curated to the group, depending on the experience of the Dungeon Master (leader of the campaign). There is no campaign, session, or group of people that is the same - unlike a repetitive board game.
"With board games, you generally know what to expect. With D&D, it's all about the unknown. The fantasy world is at your fingertips, not to mention the art of character/world building, encountering monsters, the rules of combat, forming relationships, discovering puzzles, avoiding traps, and going on a literal journey with a special group of people. D&D fills all of your gaming, social, creative, and entertainment needs unlike one simple board game."
Additional actor/facilitators include Kira Nutter, Griffin DeClaire and Gage O'Grady.
There is no limit to the number of people who can sign up. The six professional players will be playing for the duration of each session and for the entire campaign. Attendees/participants will be asked to participate by answering questions and providing suggestions for major choices, changes, and challenges throughout each session.
"This style and type of creativity is right in our wheelhouse," IP founder David Stuart said. "Actors acting. Adults playing. The tone and energy of the best fantasy can be found at the gaming table, with little bother. The fantasy world is a world of collaboration and improvisation.
"The beauty of the game is the simpleness with which one can call to convey a scene, and the prerogative given to the players to creatively interact. There's no programming language controlling the created world and the characters, just the imagination of the group to interconnect with a synergistic story."
For the registration link, visit www.improvplayhouse.com or call (847) 968-4529. To learn more about "Dungeons & Dragons," visit dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules.