About Bunker 13
Scroll down to read the review
YOU DON'T KNOW.
YOU WEREN'T THERE.
WHAT: A personal look at the lives and friendships of five soldiers during the Vietnam war.
WHERE: 5510 University Way, Seattle (map)
WHEN: Thursday and Fridays at 8:00pm. October 1-23 and November 5-20, 2009. The show begins at 8:00pm and is about 90-minutes (with a 10-minute intermission).
IS THIS IMPROV, OR A PLAY? Yes! It is a fully UNscripted play.
HOW DO I GET TICKETS? Tickets are available at the door starting one half hour before showtime, or
you can by them online here.
Tickets are $10 for general admission, $9 for students/seniors/military, and $8 for students of UW, SU and SPU.
Tickets are $10 for general admission, $9 for students/seniors/military, and $8 for students of UW, SU and SPU.
CAN MY KIDS COME TO THIS SHOW? We will not turn anyone away at the door, but parents are advised that this show WILL contain adult language and situations. Children are not considered a target audience for this show. For shows that are more child-friendly, please see www.JetCityImprov.com
WHAT IF I WANT TO BRING A GROUP? Contact us at info@jetcityimprov.com.
WHERE CAN I FIND PARKING? Parking is usually available on the street within two blocks of the theater.
DO YOU SELL FOOD/DRINKS AT YOUR SHOWS? We have a concession stand that sells popcorn, candy, soda, water, beer and wine. We have a bar (open at most performances) that serves cocktails to those of you over 21.
More about the show:
Wing-It Productions is proud to present the world premiere of its latest original improvised play, Bunker 13.
Bunker 13 is a personal look at the lives and friendships of five soldiers during their downtime in the Vietnam War, as they await orders, get letters from home and combat their homesickness. Bunker 13 is improvised. The cast will use suggestions from the audience to create the stories of the soldiers. No two nights will ever be the same.
Bunker 13 is created and directed by Mike Christensen, a U.S. Army veteran and improviser with 20 years of experience. Christensen's desire in creating Bunker 13 is “that people get a better idea of what the life of a soldier is like…what they go through, that way we can make more informed decisions when we send people to war. And that they understand the bond that is created between these soldiers, and the gallows humor that is abundant.”
Bunker 13 performances are at 8pm on Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00pm October 1st to October 23rd and November 5th to November 20th at the Historic University Theater at 5510 University Way NE. Enjoy our concessions stand or full bar.
The cast of Bunker 13 is: Steve Lange (The Irish Wake), Conor McNassar (Dirty Laundry), Mike Christensen (Election Show), Ryan Miller (Dirty Laundry), and Dan Zertuche.
Wing-It will host an Opening Night Show and Gala on Thursday, October 1st. Champagne and cake will follow the show, with an opportunity to speak with the cast and crew, as well as members of Wing-It Productions.
Bunker 13 is sponsored by the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and 4Culture.
Bunker 13 is brought to you by Wing-It Productions, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to enlightening,
educating and entertaining audiences of all ages by producing theatrical events which explore theater by utilizing its improvisational roots.
All Bunker 13 artwork by Nick Edwards.
Review
Jet City Improv has another winner that shows just how funny soldiers can be. Bunker 13 has plenty of laughs and perfectly captures
soldiers at rest, when they aren't keeping us safe in an unfreindly world.
When I first learned about Wing-It Production’s latest show, Bunker 13, I was skeptical that the improv brilliance present in Dirty Laundry would be repeated using a politically contentious war as the setting. I worried that the creative minds behind the production would use this setting in order to score ideological points against a certain past Presidential administration that engaged in a conflict unpopular among many in the theater community.
My worries were allayed as the Jet City Improv actors took the stage and began improvising on suggestions from the audience. The suggestions come in forms of letters written to the soldiers for whom Bunker 13 is home during downtime in the midst of the Vietnam War. No one knows what will happen during each show, not even the actors. This show is another case of classic long form improv by a group that has mastered the art.
U.S. Army veteran and 20 year improv actor, Mike Christensen created and directed Bunker 13. He created the show so “that people get a better idea of what the life of a soldier is like…what they go through, that way we can make more informed decisions when we send people to war. And that they understand the bond that is created between these soldiers, and the gallows humor that is abundant.”
Mike is not the only veteran that graces the stage in this production. Ryan Miller served as an Army MP for four years and was a Drill Sergeant in the Army Reserves. In the performance I was lucky enough to witness, Ryan was comedic gold as “Rhino,” a soldier who got his name for being big and … well, let’s just say that it has to do with what is on front of a Rhino’s head.
I should note that the show is not for small children, after all is about soldiers in the midst of war. Off-color humor, sexual references, profanity and other bits that would get a film an ‘R’ rating are simply coping mechanisms for these guys. Speaking as a veteran, I can say that Mike Christiansen has created a show that perfectly captures the kind of humor military men throw at each other.
The show captures life among men in the military so well that one would have a hard time believing that it is improvised. There is no script. All the jokes, all the lines are made up on the spot. This fact makes it possible to see the show several times and never see the same thing twice. Will “Rhino” appear at another performance? I have no idea, and, amazingly enough, neither does the cast.
If you want a chance to forget about the economy for a few hours, to put high unemployment aside for an evening run do not walk to Seattle’s University District and the Historic University Theater for Mike Christiansen’s and Wing It Productions presentation of Bunker 13. You just might come away with a new appreciation for the men, and women, who serve in America’s Armed Forces.
- Daniel Crandall / examiner.com
When I first learned about Wing-It Production’s latest show, Bunker 13, I was skeptical that the improv brilliance present in Dirty Laundry would be repeated using a politically contentious war as the setting. I worried that the creative minds behind the production would use this setting in order to score ideological points against a certain past Presidential administration that engaged in a conflict unpopular among many in the theater community.
My worries were allayed as the Jet City Improv actors took the stage and began improvising on suggestions from the audience. The suggestions come in forms of letters written to the soldiers for whom Bunker 13 is home during downtime in the midst of the Vietnam War. No one knows what will happen during each show, not even the actors. This show is another case of classic long form improv by a group that has mastered the art.
U.S. Army veteran and 20 year improv actor, Mike Christensen created and directed Bunker 13. He created the show so “that people get a better idea of what the life of a soldier is like…what they go through, that way we can make more informed decisions when we send people to war. And that they understand the bond that is created between these soldiers, and the gallows humor that is abundant.”
Mike is not the only veteran that graces the stage in this production. Ryan Miller served as an Army MP for four years and was a Drill Sergeant in the Army Reserves. In the performance I was lucky enough to witness, Ryan was comedic gold as “Rhino,” a soldier who got his name for being big and … well, let’s just say that it has to do with what is on front of a Rhino’s head.
I should note that the show is not for small children, after all is about soldiers in the midst of war. Off-color humor, sexual references, profanity and other bits that would get a film an ‘R’ rating are simply coping mechanisms for these guys. Speaking as a veteran, I can say that Mike Christiansen has created a show that perfectly captures the kind of humor military men throw at each other.
The show captures life among men in the military so well that one would have a hard time believing that it is improvised. There is no script. All the jokes, all the lines are made up on the spot. This fact makes it possible to see the show several times and never see the same thing twice. Will “Rhino” appear at another performance? I have no idea, and, amazingly enough, neither does the cast.
If you want a chance to forget about the economy for a few hours, to put high unemployment aside for an evening run do not walk to Seattle’s University District and the Historic University Theater for Mike Christiansen’s and Wing It Productions presentation of Bunker 13. You just might come away with a new appreciation for the men, and women, who serve in America’s Armed Forces.
- Daniel Crandall / examiner.com