OTHERWORLD THEATRE'S SEASON 4 OF “STARSHIP EDSEL” To Play Second City’s De Maat Theatre Sundays Through September 13, 2026

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OTHERWORLD THEATRE ANNOUNCES THE PREMIERE OF SEASON 4 OF 

“STARSHIP EDSEL” 

STILL BOLDLY GOING WHERE NO ONE THINKS THEY SHOULD!

Directed by Second City Alum Anthony LeBlanc, Chicago’s Premier Sci-Fi Theatre Company Brings Its Hit Improvised Star Trek Parody to The Second City’s De Maat Theatre.

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 9th through September 13th at Second City’s De Maat theatre, this improvised Star Trek parody illuminates the ship you wouldn’t hear about in the great Star Fleet Universe.

The Director, Executive Producer, and show runner is Anthony LeBlanc (Second CityMainstage alum, former Executive Producer/Artistic Director, and Jeff Award nominee), whileOtherworld’s Director of Development Dylan Schaefer serves as Managing Producer, and Wanjiku Kairu Oliver serves as Associate Producer. STARSHIP EDSEL is a Star Trek fan’s dream.

Otherworld is widely known for the hit genre-bending shows, including Improvised Romantasy, Moon, Prism, Power!, and Twihard! A Twilight Musical Parody. Coming off of their recent stint in early TOS’s 23rd century, the Edsel crew is thrown into Star Fleet 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 Star Fleet 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 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. Starship Edsel 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 DeMaat Theatre, located in the heart of Chicago’s Old Town district.

• Run Dates: Opening – Sunday August 9th @ 6PM, Closing – Sunday September 13th @6PM

• Location: Second City’s De Maat Theatre, 1608 N Wells, Chicago, IL 60614

• Tickets: $25 general admission

• Direct Ticket Link: Purchase Tickets Here

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 wanjiku.kairu@paramount.com

About Otherworld Theatre Company:

Otherworld Theatre Company (501c3) was founded in 2012 by Tiffany Keane Schaefer to bring a theatrical home to the fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy. By putting the "nerd" in "theatre," Otherworld has become a staple of the Chicago arts community, producing immersive, high-quality genre storytelling.

LOST REALMS: IMPROVISED MUSICALS FROM BEYOND VIA OTHERWORLD THEATRE Every Friday Starting March 3, 2023

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OTHERWORLD THEATRE ANNOUNCES CAST, DETAILS FOR “LOST REALMS: IMPROVISED MUSICALS FROM BEYOND”

A Different Genre Musical Performance Every Friday 

Starting March 3, 2023

Otherworld Theatre Company, the premier science fiction and fantasy production company in North America, today announced casting and details for its brand new recurring improvised musical show, LOST REALMS: IMPROVISED MUSICALS FROM BEYOND. Opening March 3, 2023, the show is performed every Friday night at 10 p.m., with no two performances the same.

Each week, LOST REALMS visits a different genre of sci-fi and fantasy, transforming audience suggestions into an entirely original full-length musical packed with comedy, drama, otherworldly spectacle, and epic melodies, featuring live music from in-house band The Lost Band.

Creator and director Keenan Camp has deep experience in the Chicago musical theatre and improv scenes, having performed in productions including THE VERSE: AN IMPROVISED FIREFLY STORY and WHOPROV: IMPROVISED DOCTOR WHO, as well as co-writing and directing ALL THAT JAWS! A SHARKTASTIC MUSICAL, the musical adaptation of cinema classic JAWS. Most recently, Camp has been using his show RIFF: CHICAGO’S MUSIC IMPROV PARTY at iO Theater as a vehicle to teach improv and musical skills to aspiring performers. 

“I don’t believe there’s any type of comedy or theatre out there that’s more difficult to do than an improvised musical. Not only are the performers responsible for creating the plot, characters, and dialogue as they go, but they’re also creating lyrics, melodies, and harmonies all on the spot,” said Keenan Camp, creator and director of LOST REALMS: IMPROVISED MUSICALS FROM BEYOND. “Otherworld has offered us a great opportunity to showcase the profound talents of the LOST REALMS cast, letting us really dive deep into some niche areas of sci-fi and fantasy, all through a musical lens.”

The cast of LOST REALMS rotates from week to week, and includes Austin Packard, Barb Jackson, Ben Hebert, Carlos Rivera, Christian Torres, Cosmo Coniglio, Derek Demkowicz, Hayley Karlson, Hugh Walker, Jono Mammel, Kaitlyn Nibbelin, Kimberly Perry, Lily Ludwig, Margaret Hunsicker, and Will Nicholson. 

LOST REALMS: IMPROVISED MUSICALS FROM BEYOND opens March 3, 2023, and is performed every Friday at 10 p.m. at Otherworld Theatre (3914 N. Clark St.) before being streamed on Otherworld’s YouTube page. Each performance is approximately 90-100 minutes with one intermission. Tickets are $20, with some Pay-What-You-Can tickets available for each performance. Tickets are available online at www.otherworldtheatre.org. 

ABOUT OTHERWORLD THEATRE COMPANY

Otherworld Theatre Company (3914 N. Clark St.) was founded in 2012 to bring a theatrical experience to the science fiction and fantasy genre. The Company’s work celebrates the depth of human imagination by engaging spectators in high quality storytelling. Otherworld Theatre Company stages original works in its pay-what-you-can Chicago, Illinois venue, presents virtual programming online, and produces immersive Live-Action Role Playing events through its partner company, Moonrise Games. For more information: www.otherworldtheatre.org.

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