Meet Jessica and Amanda of Ripley Improv

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Lynn Verdi and Amanda Troop.

Hi Jessica and Amanda, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today. 
Jessica: The founding members of Ripley Improv met at Impro Theatre in Los Feliz. Since then, we’ve added 3 new members, and while some of us are still in Los Angeles, a few have moved to different states. We continue to perform in Los Angeles and have had the pleasure of doing festivals in wonderful cities across the country. 

Amanda: Our first genre was Young Adult Dystopia, which we still perform. In 2018, we produced a series of completely improvised films called “As We Go Along,” directed by member Kelly Lohman. During the pandemic shutdown, Jessica Lynn Verdi had the brilliant idea of creating a live-streaming improvised TV show, “Heartbeats,” which aired on Twitch. Because we were performing online, we were able to improvise with people around the country, and it also allowed us to meet some of our newest members. 

Jessica: To me, how we met will always feel like magic. From our first show to how we expanded our membership, there is a sense of “meant to be” in our ensemble. 

Forming Ripley felt like the natural crescendo of a perfect time, perfect place situation. The original seven members of Ripley were either in classes together or in shows together and were inspired by each other’s work. All of us had found ourselves studying at this particular school because it met our career needs and our skills well. We knew we improvised well together, but what we didn’t know at the onset is how impactful we’d be in each other’s lives. More than creative partners, we’ve become sisters. Women and folx who help each other become the best versions of ourselves. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Jessica: Show me any venture without challenges and obstacles, and I’ll show you a project that hasn’t come out the other side better for it. We are all natural leaders, which proved challenging when one or two of us were set to direct a genre or show. It wasn’t born of distrust, but excitement for the work, however the difficulties with challenging the director remained the same. Thankfully, we’ve grown to be a very communicative group who can identify an issue and choose to work through it rather than ignore it. This communication has served us well in our ability to improvise together, as well! 

Amanda: We’re a group of motivated, natural leaders, and learning to incorporate rather than suppress those instincts is part of what makes our storytelling so powerful. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Jessica: Aside from the fact that we are an all-female and non-binary improv group, of which there are few, we specialize in long-form narrative improvisation. We weave hour-long narratives in the style of beloved movies, genres, TV shows, and books. Audiences are often amazed at the fact that our shows are completely improvised, but we can assure you they are. We deep dive into the source material for the show we are currently working on to make sure our improvisation, sound design, and technical improvisers are helping us produce quality work that fits neatly into what you might expect for that genre. 

The additional magic comes from improv. We don’t strive to be funny; our goal is truth. In that truth, the funny thrives. We strike a unique and satisfying balance of enjoyment and poignancy. 

Amanda: As well as our stage performances, we’ve also created multiple streaming shows for online audiences and a series of short films, “As We Go Along.” In all of our work, we strive to honor our mission of creating stories about people who save the day, save the world, and save each other. To awaken bravery, embrace weird, and cultivate play. 

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Jessica: I was born and raised in Los Angeles, more accurately, the valley. When I finally began exploring the city proper, I quickly found my friends and creative path. This city offers artists a multitude of options for expression. There’s so much art it spills into the street. I love a great mural or impressive graffiti. The harder to reach place, the more impressive. 

I’m disappointed by our city and its inability to be selfless and find a solution for the unhoused people. It is despicable that we allow outdated prejudices against our homeless population to color our opinions. NIMBY-ism kills any initiative to properly help these people, and we all are guilty of enjoying a brunch while someone is actively suffering just a few feet from us. It is a collective responsibility we all share that needs to be fixed instead of just being used as a talking point. We cannot consider ourselves a great city until actual action is taken. 

Amanda: Ripley Improv is by no means perfect or a finished product (it’s improv!), but as we’ve grown and developed together, we’ve strived to include normalization and diversity efforts into our company and as part of our group culture. Art is our love and passion, and we want to make it inclusive! For a long time, improv and comedy were nearly completely dominated by white men. Little by little, we hope to be part of the change to make it a space for everyone. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ripleyimprov.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ripley_improv/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ripleyimprov
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RipleyImprov
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RipleyImprov

Image Credits
Cameron Rice