Y’allmark Christmas: An Improvised Holiday Movie


Horizon Theatre Presents Dad’s Garage: Y’ALLMARK CHRISTMAS
Created & Directed by Amber Nash and Topher Payne
Narrated by Topher Payne

WE’RE BACK FOR A SECOND YEAR OF IMPROVISED HOLIDAY HILARITY!

Deck the Halls with Dad’s Garage and Horizon Theatre this season with Y’allmark Christmas: An Improvised Holiday “Movie,” live onstage at Horizon! It’s a Christmas collaboration miracle!

Led by Atlanta playwright and bonafide Hallmark movie screenwriter, Topher Payne (also “Crumpet” in Horizon’s holiday hit The Santaland Diaries), this show takes tried-and-true holiday tropes, audience suggestions, a rotating cast of three veteran improvisors from Dad’s Garage, and a different daily guest Horizon actor to create an all-new, live, onstage holiday “movie” from scratch every night. 

No two shows will be the same! Cozy up with Horizon and Dad’s Garage for the perfect dose of holiday-time laughs!


Performance Dates & Times

DECEMBER 8-17, 2023 • Thursdays-Sundays at 8pm
DECEMBER 19-30, 2023 • Tuesdays-Sundays at 8pm

ALSO Matinees:
Thursday, December 14 at 4pm
Monday, December 18 at 2pm 
 

NO performance on Christmas Eve


General Admission & VIP Tickets

PRICES START AT
GENERAL ADMISSION: $30*
VIP (includes reserved seat & a beverage): $45*

*Reserve now for best prices! Prices subject to change.

Bring your neighbors!
Group pricing is available for parties of 10+. Groups of 10-24 receive $3 off the general admission ticket price. Groups of 25+ receive $5 off the general admission ticket price. Call 404.523.1477 x100 or e-mail groups@horizontheatre.com for more information.

Ticket prices are subject to change. Buy early for best pricing. Internet convenience fee added to all online orders. No refunds, exchanges, or late seating. Cannot combine discount offers.


Cast & Creative Team (2023)

Click on a cast member’s name for their bio!


2023 Team
Co-Producers: Lisa AdlerEve Krueger
Co-Directors: Amber NashTopher Payne
Narrator: Topher Payne
Musicians: Dave “DB” Biemiller
Set Designers: Isabel Curley-Clay & Moriah Curley-Clay
Lighting Designers: Elisabeth CooperMary Parker
Costume & Props Coordinators: Lisa AdlerTopher Payne
Stage Managers: Alyssa BrosyElisabeth Cooper


Press


Guest & Cast Schedule (2023)

Topher Payne leads every performance.
All cast members and guests are subject to change.

Thurs, DEC 7, 8pm:
GUEST:
Tim Stoltenberg
CAST:
Abel, Matt, Whittney

Fri, DEC 8, 8pm:
GUEST:
Enoch King
CAST:
Abel, Whittney, Josh

Sat, DEC 9, 8pm:
GUEST:
Shelly McCook
CAST:
Karen, Josh, Gina

Sun, DEC 10, 8pm:
GUEST:
Rob Cleveland
CAST:
Karen, Matt, Gina

Thurs, DEC 14, 4pm:
GUEST:
Eve Krueger
CAST:
Karen, Whittney, Josh

Thurs, DEC 14, 8pm:
GUEST:
Jordan Patrick
CAST:
Abel, Karen, Matt

Fri, DEC 15, 8pm:
GUEST:
Parris Sarter
CAST:
Abel, Whittney, Gina

Sat, DEC 16, 8pm:
GUEST:
Courtney Patterson
CAST:
Karen, Matt, Amber

Sun, DEC 17, 8pm:
GUEST:
Raymond Carr
CAST:
Abel, Karen, Gina

Mon, DEC 18, 2pm:
GUEST:
Tim Stoltenberg
CAST:
Abel, Karen, Matt

Tues, DEC 19, 8pm:
GUEST:
Jon Carr
CAST:
Abel, Josh, Gina

Wed, DEC 20, 8pm:
GUEST:
Tara Ochs
CAST:
Karen, Matt, Whittney

Thurs, DEC 21, 8pm:
GUEST:
Jennifer Alice Acker
CAST:
Abel, Whittney, Josh

Fri, DEC 22, 8pm:
GUEST:
Jordan Patrick
CAST: (all-male)
Abel, Matt, Josh

Sat, DEC 23, 8pm:
GUEST:
Reay Kaplan Maxwell
CAST:
Abel, Matt, Gina

Tues, DEC 26, 8pm:
GUEST:
Freddy Boyd
CAST:
Karen, Josh, Gina


Wed, DEC 27, 8pm:
GUEST:
Brian Kurlander
CAST:
Karen, Whittney, Gina

Thurs, DEC 28, 8pm:
GUEST:
Eve Krueger
CAST:
Matt, Josh, Gina

Fri, DEC 29, 8pm:
GUEST:
O’Neil Delapenha
CAST:
Matt, Whitney, Gina

Sat, DEC 30, 8pm:
GUEST:
Spencer Stephens
CAST:
Karen, Whittney, Josh


Recaps by Performance (2023)

(click image for larger view)


About the Show: What is it and where did it come from?!

Deck the halls with Horizon Theatre and Dad’s Garage this season with Y’allmark Christmas: An Improvised Holiday “Movie” LIVE ONSTAGE.  This witty, warm and wacky send-up of made-for-TV holiday movies takes tried-and-true holiday tropes, audience suggestions, a rotating cast of three veteran improvisors from Dad’s Garage, and a different daily guest actor to create an all-new, live, onstage holiday “movie” from scratch every night. Guiding the merriment as director/narrator is Atlanta playwright and bonafide Hallmark movie screenwriter Topher Payne (“Crumpet” in the final year of Horizon’s longtime holiday hit The Santaland Diaries). No two shows will be the same – each experience is special! Cozy up with Horizon and Dads Garage for the perfect dose of holiday hilarity! 

Audiences can expect a completely new, unique show each night. Writer/director and holiday enthusiast Topher Payne has gathered this group of improvisers to create an inspired-by-Hallmark holiday movie live onstage. Each night they will choose one of three basic story outlines that involve romance during the holidays (City Mouse, Country Mouse, and Royal Romance). But it will be up to the actors and the nightly special guest to let their imaginations run wild as they incorporate the audience suggestions to create a hilarious, Hallmark holiday romance!

Created by Amber Nash and Topher Payne, the show began in 2017 at Dad’s Garage as a late-night show under the title An Improvised Hallmark Movie, starring Amber, Topher and Dan Triandiflou. A surprise hit, it was brought back for late night performances in 2018 and 2019.  In 2020, it returned again for a live-streamed, virtual performance, under the less litigious title An Improvised Made-for-TV Christmas Movie, performed by Amber, Topher and Amber’s real-life husband and former Dad’s Artistic Director Kevin Gillese. This year, the show is back – bigger, better and in prime time at Horizon Theatre for a full run with a new title! The cast has expanded to 5, and their playground is a large set festooned with holiday magic – and lots of wigs, hats, costumes, and props! Horizon is thrilled to be able to open its doors for hilarious holiday cheer again. Prior to the pandemic, Horizon had produced holiday shows annually, The Santaland Diaries (for 19 years), Madeline’s Christmas (12 years) and Waffle Palace Christmas (2 years). The collaboration between Horizon Theatre and Dad’s Garage for this holiday show is exciting and will pave the way for future collaborations between the two theatres.

Topher Payne leads the Dad’s Garage improvisers as the onstage director, narrator, and guide. An award-winning playwright, he began writing Hallmark movies in 2016 and has scripted five films for The Hallmark Channel which include Broadcasting Christmas, A Gift to Remember, Cherished Memories, My Summer Prince and Rome in Love. Topher is no stranger to the holidays at Horizon – audiences will remember him as “Crumpet” in the final year (2017) of Horizon’s holiday hit The Santaland Diaries. In fact, during that run, Topher would hop from the Santaland shows at Horizon to go perform late night in the Improvised Hallmark Movie at Dad’s Garage.  

The merry band of improvisers features show co-creator Amber Nash (the voice of Pam Poovey on FX’s Archer). Inspiration struck Amber after watching a Hallmark Christmas movie.  “I thought, improvisers could have a field day with this. Then I remembered I knew a real-life screenwriter for these beloved movies, Atlanta theatre darling Topher Payne! Topher made the show a reality with his deft improvised narration, humor, and love for the genre. It’s been an absolute joy every time we’ve stepped on stage to do it.”

The rotating cast also includes Kevin Gillese (Amber’s husband and former Artistic Director, Dad’s Garage), Eve Krueger (Horizon’s Designing Women and past improviser at Second City in Chicago), as well as Dad’s Garage favorites Freddy Boyd (Lawrenceburg, Black Nerd), Jamila Porter (Invasion: Christmas Carol), and Joshua Quinn (Ad Nauseam, Invasion: Christmas Carol).   Every night Topher will lead three improvisers, a special guest, and a musical improviser through the creation of an original story inspired by Hallmark Christmas movies.

The daily special guests will be performers you’ve seen at Horizon and at theatres across the city, as well as on the big and small screens. Featured guests (with their Horizon or other credits in parentheses) include Enoch King (The Light), Rob Cleveland (comedian, Waffle Palace Christmas)Tom Key (former Artistic Director of Theatrical Outfit), O’Neil Delapenha (Every Brilliant Thing), Chris Kayser (Sweet Water Taste), LaParee Young (Sweet Water Taste), Justin Walker (Sweet Water Taste) Terry Burrell (Da Kink in My Hair), Cara Mantella (Elemeno Pea), Denise Arribas (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike), Justin Walker (Sweet Water Taste), and Katherine LaNasa (Designing Women). Check the Horizon website for specific dates for each special guest. All guests and the dates performed are subject to change.

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Dad’s Garage Theatre Company has been Atlanta’s premier source for improv, levity and laughter for over 27 years. Our ensemble of talented artists bring smiles to the faces of over 30,000 audience members at our home in the Old Fourth Ward with original scripted plays and hundreds of innovative improv shows each year. Thanks to the nature of improv, no two shows are the same at Dad’s Garage. We are passionate about the power and importance of the arts. Our young audience base, financial accessibility, and collaborations in the Atlanta arts community have earned us the nickname “The Gateway Drug to the Arts.” We’re proud to share our enthusiasm and expertise by offering a range of classes and workshops that teach people of every age and skill level how to harness the magic of improv and the power of “yes, and.”