The Transformers

The Transformers - No they are not for kids.

By Brad M. Bucklin

Nick enters the lobby of the Empty Stage, a theatre tucked away behind Samuel's Furniture a block West of the Westside Pavilion. He has long hair that looks like he slept in it for the past...well pretty much since he was born. He is wearing a beat up t-shirt and pants, jean jacket and has the air of someone who has been around the Entertainment Industry for a long time, still there is a naivete about him, he is after all thirteen years old. Nick is a Transformer groupie. He is the youngest and perhaps the most stalwart fan of this irreverent group of entertainment industry professionals, including award winning writers and producers.

Why do they hang out on Saturday nights at this intimate theatre on Los Angeles' West Side to perform their unique form of improvisation comedy? Scott Wanio, an Emmy winning writer from Saturday Night Live explains, "I feel the most myself when I am doing the Transformers... when I am with these guys trying to make people laugh." According to John Stark, a veteran Transformer and the co-creator/producer of the hit television series "According to Jim," "It's my poker night, it's like a kid playing in a sand box. When you're playing, you say can you do this and the other kids say, yeah, but can you do this?"

Eleven years ago Stan Wells, a former director of the Groundlings and one of the main forces behind Long Form Improvisation, banded together some already seasoned improv veterans to form a group based on a classic improvisational game called Transforming. Who knew that eleven years later, after over 500 shows, they would still be going strong and boast numerous well known performers and Emmy Award winning writers and producers among their ranks, including Lisa Kudrow, Jay Kogan, Cynthia Stevenson. Current performers also include Ted Michael's, Chris Ellis, Harry Hannigan, Mike Castagnola, with special guests popping in on any given Saturday.

Mike Castagnola, one of the original three Transformers, keeps a record of the groups antics. Most of the shows contain a lot of blue humor, but even the most sexist and lewd jokes become uproariously funny when done by this band of irreverent performers. John Stark explains, "My wife came to see the show and Mike played my wife and he was cowering from me. If that had been a woman it would have been too scary, but as a man...I mean we aren't Monty Python, but for some reason it being all men seems to work." Some other memorable excerpts include the performers playing trolls on a date, Jesus doing standup, super heros being reviewed in the local press and of course the famous "Vagina Apartment" available on their web site.

Invariably, when asked how long these seasoned improv veterans will keep performing, they say as long as they can get up on stage without breaking a hip. Loyal fans like Nick hope that will be a long, long time.

The Transformers perform at the Empty Stage Theatre, 2372 Veteran Ave. (Corner of Veteran and Pico) at 9 p.m. call 310-470-3560 for groups or reservations.