Displaying items by tag: Anthony LeBlanc
Otherworld Theatre's Starship Edsel - Second City’s De Maat Theatre - Through September 13
This summer, the Starship Edsel boldly goes where they maybe shouldn’t go as Otherworld Theatre, Chicago’s premier destination for Science Fiction and Fantasy performance, presents the premiere of Starship Edsel: Season 4. Running from August 9 through September 13 at Second City’s De Maat Theatre, this improvised Star Trek parody illuminates the ship you wouldn’t hear about in the greater Starfleet Universe.
The Director, Executive Producer, and showrunner is Anthony LeBlanc (Second City Mainstage alum, former Executive Producer/Artistic Director, and Jeff Award nominee), with Otherworld’s Director of Development Dylan Schaefer as Managing Producer and Wanjiku Kairu Oliver as Associate Producer. Starship Edsel is a Star Trek fan’s dream. Otherworld is widely known for hit genre‑bending shows including Improvised Romantasy, Moon, Prism, Power! and Twihard! A Twilight Musical Parody.
Coming off their recent stint in early TOS’s 23rd century, the Edsel crew is thrown into Starfleet Academy’s 32nd century. Will they be able to handle the cultural differences faced by the Starship Discovery? Will the entire crew have to attend Starfleet Academy with prepubescent teens to prove they can handle this new time period? What exactly can a Betazed do telepathically? All this—and a brand‑new captain—will be revealed in the latest six‑week mission of the Starship Edsel.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun while going to places we haven’t been to. Just like improvisation, we are playing in a part of Star Trek that hasn’t been defined yet. It’s great to play inside a limited container,” says LeBlanc.
Beyond its Chicago mainstage run, Starship Edsel has built a proven track record entertaining convention crowds across the Midwest, including C2E2, FanExpo Chicago, and Starbase Indy. Full cast includes Lilly Bolduc, Ian Deanes, Stephen Fauss, Eliana Decker‑Glick, Matt Kawa, Mike Mazzella, Edward Neequaye, Wanjiku Kairu Oliver, Croix Perkins, Carlos Rivera, Janice Rumschlag, Liam Ryan, Dylan Schaefer, Bernadette Santos Schwegel, and Keely Smith. Created from a LARP written by Brandon Brylawski. Special guests include Rich Alphonso, Alex Bellisle, James Dugan, Javid Igbal, Steve Nelson, Cassidy Russel, Andy Stagmeyer, CJ Tuor, and Craig Uhlir.
About the Show
Starship Edsel is an improvised farce set aboard Starfleet’s worst vessel, the USS Edsel. Plagued with mechanical problems and design flaws—and filled with Starfleet’s most problematic personnel—the Edsel was assigned to remain in parking orbit above a vacation planet, ordered to give VIP tours of an “authentic Federation Starship.” After an incursion by the Romulan Empire, the Edsel was thrust into the center of a galactic crisis.
The show follows the ship and her crew on their subsequent misadventures throughout the galaxy. Blending fast‑paced comedy with affectionate sci‑fi satire, each performance boldly explores strange new worlds, unexpected adventures, and the corners of the Federation no one wants to visit, with a special guest each night.
Performance Details & Tickets
Starship Edsel will be performed at Second City’s De Maat Theatre, located in Chicago’s Old Town district.
- Run Dates: Opening – Sunday, August 9 at 6 p.m.; Closing – Sunday, September 13 at 6 p.m. • Location: Second City’s De Maat Theatre, 1608 N. Wells, Chicago, IL 60614 • Tickets: $25 general admission • Direct Ticket Link: https://www.secondcity.com/shows/chicago/starship-edsel-an-improvised-star-trek-satire-chi
Media outlets, convention organizers, and programming directors interested in booking Starship Edsel or scheduling interviews with the cast and creative team can contact: Wanjiku Kairu Oliver at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
About Otherworld Theatre Company
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