User:Pipedreamz/Theater Class

Theater Class
250px Current main cast
Genre	Comedy Mockumentary Web series
Created by	Brandon Rogers
Directed by	Brandon Rogers Rachael Ferris
Starring	Brandon Rogers Salim Razawi Rachael Ferris Stephen Weighill Karen Fokes Janet McCarroll Adam Neylan Tony Rogers Skylar Schock
Theme music composer	Tony Giangreco
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	10
Production
Executive producer	Brandon Rogers
Production locations	Livermore, California Las Positas College
Running time	Varies
Original release
Network	YouTube
Release	April 17, 2009 (2009-04-17)

Theater Class is a web-based comedy series about a group of misfits in a community college theater class. It began in April 2009 and was developed by YouTube personality Brandon Rogers. It features an ensemble cast of virtually unknown young actors led by Rogers.

Filmed in a style reminiscent of Greg Daniels' The Office and Parks and Recreation, Theater Class is a mockumentary in which characters not only address the camera in monologues but also openly acknowledge it during the course of the episode's plot.

It is filmed primarily in the East Bay Area of Northern California.

Synopsis

The series follows the misadventures of an under-enrolled theater class at the fictional Valley Village Community College in Akron, Ohio. Alex Rimmer, a stand-up comedian who has become a pariah in the entertainment industry, takes a job as the class' teacher, despite having absolutely no teaching background and little in the way of people skills. There are only six students in the class, and most of them seem to be taking the course for reasons other than a desire to learn drama. Rimmer's teaching methods include asinine versions of show-and-tell, role-playing (with Rimmer portraying characters like Mufasa from The Lion King and racist stereotypes of Far Easterners) and field trips and parties that have little or nothing to do with theater. Over the course of the initial episodes, Rimmer made an enemy of his boss, Dean Martin Shaft, and managed to alienate all of his students on one occasion or another. What they lack in productivity, however, they have come to build in a sense of community, which led to their banding together to keep the class from being canceled by the Dean.

Characters

Alex Rimmer (portrayed by Brandon Rogers) is a 24 year-old stand-up comic of questionable talent. He claims to come from a long line of successful performers, but he himself became more infamous for his antics outside of performing than his actual comedy routine. After a violent outburst at a talk show and subsequent arrest, Alex moved back from Hollywood to his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he was hired as a theater teacher at Valley Village Community College. Mr. Rimmer's teaching experience is non-existent and his style is brash and often counterproductive. He also has a staggering ability to say and do inappropriate things; though, for the most part, his intentions are good, and most of his students come to like him.

Mason Lucas (portrayed by Salim Razawi) has a genuine desire to pursue acting as a career, but is easily side-tracked by self-doubt and an unrequited crush on his best friend, Cici. As a result, he tends to put her needs in front of his own even if the act is not reciprocated. After Mr. Rimmer unintentionally causes the death of Mason's dog, he is given an automatic "A" for the semester but continues to come to the class and begins to open up to and even grow fond of Mr. Rimmer. He is often the voice of reason for the others.

Cici Lofte (episodes 1–7) (portrayed by Skylar Schock) is an aspiring actress and Mason's best friend. She is disgusted by Mr. Rimmer's lack of training and inability to teach the class, and is generally put off by the other students in the class, as well. She starts a petition to get Mr. Rimmer fired that fails and causes a strain in her friendship with Mason. In episode seven, Cici moves to Los Angeles to pursue acting as a career, leaving the class open to a new student and Mason heartbroken.

Marlena Lewton (episode 8–, recurring episodes 4, 6–7) (portrayed by Rachael Ferris) is the editor-in-chief of Valley Village's newspaper who ran a smear campaign against Rimmer and his class. She is enlisted by Dean Martin Shaft to gather enough evidence so that he may fire Rimmer without fear of a lawsuit. After being double-crossed by Shaft, she becomes a student of the class in earnest, but has a long road ahead to gain the trust of her classmates and Mr. Rimmer. Marlena has a crush on Oliver Hamilton.

Oliver Hamilton (portrayed by Stephen Weighill) is a football player whose motivations for joining the class are unknown, other than the fact that he seems to have varying degrees of sexual attraction to each female member of the class. His participation in the group's assignments and projects is limited at best, but he treats most members of the class with respect. He talks Mr. Rimmer into fighting for his job after a strict sub begins terrorizing the class.

Karen Shou (portrayed by Karen Fokes) is a frumpy, clinically depressed girl. Karen's mother recently died, though Karen seemed to be just as depressed before this happened, and has taken to carrying her mother's urn around with her at school; a regular gag involves the urn being spilled or dumped out. She is a frequent target of disdain (not to mention physical harm) from the other members of the class, particularly Mr. Rimmer and Jaime Bolton. Her "buzzkill" ways are a drain on the class, and she is the only student remaining in the class who seems to continue to harbor bad feelings for Mr. Rimmer.

Linda Starford (portrayed by Janet McCarroll) is a happy-go-lucky student who probably has ADHD. She is amused and delighted by the smallest of things, such as the sound of her own voice on a tape recorder and winning a chair as a prize. Linda is generally found smiling and treats most everyone kindly, though she does have her limits in the face of her antithesis, Karen, and also Dean Shaft, who she is aware has attempted to sabotage the class.

Jaime Bolton (portrayed by Adam Neylan) is the oldest member of the class (telling Rimmer he had "warts older than" him) who has joined just to "meet younger guys". He has an extreme fetish for exhibitionism, wearing outlandish outfits that show off his body despite being overweight and frequently abandoning with clothes all together. He has a sexual desire for Oliver and an antagonistic relationship with Karen. Jaime has a drinking problem and has previously been and may still be a prostitute and/or exotic dancer.

Martin Shaft (portrayed by Tony Rogers) is the Dean of Admissions and Records at Valley Village Community College who inexplicably hired Alex for his job and is constantly trying to find a way to ouster him, as well as shut down the class as a whole. He is shown to engage in many illicit practices to try and save money for the school, and possibly pocket the money himself. Shaft fired Mr. Rimmer but was forced to rehire him when incriminating evidence of his conspiracies surfaced, thanks to Marlena. Dean Shaft does not appear in all episodes, nor does his title card.

Episodes

Season #	Episode #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Debut
1	1	"Pilot"	Brandon Rogers	Brandon Rogers, Tony Rogers & Mathew Stephens	April 17, 2009 (2009-04-17)
Stand-up comedian Alex Rimmer returns home to Akron, Ohio after being virtually chased out of Hollywood. He is set to begin teaching a Theater Arts course at Valley Village Community College, but it's not exactly what he or his new students expected.
2	2	"Confiscation"	Brandon Rogers	Brandon Rogers	May 31, 2009 (2009-05-31)
Mr. Rimmer is determined to prevent any distractions from coming between he and his class, but when he unintentionally causes the death of a beloved pet, he's forced to pay the price. Elsewhere, Karen tries to make friends with some baked goods that fall flat (and into the trash).
3	3	"The Art of Competition"	Brandon Rogers	Brandon Rogers	June 6, 2009 (2009-06-06)
Mr. Rimmer tries to entice the class with a monologue competition by giving out a prize, but it isn't much of one. Elsewhere, Mason is disappointed by Cici's obliviousness to his feelings for her, and Karen has a reason to be more depressed than usual, but no one seems to care.
4	4	"Teamwork"	Brandon Rogers	Brandon Rogers	August 13, 2009 (2009-08-13)
The class splits into teams to see who can put on the best performance, but the school newspaper's brutal attacks on them are their primary source of concern. Note: First appearance of Marlena Lewton.
5	5	"Camping"	Brandon Rogers	Brandon Rogers	September 2, 2009 (2009-09-02)
The class embarks on a camping trip, supposedly to broaden their abilities in method acting, but Mr. Rimmer's wired on caffeine, Jaime's naked again and one classmate is MIA. Mason is closer than ever to making a move on Cici, but the results could be disastrous.
6	6	"Bye Mitzvah"	Brandon Rogers	Brandon Rogers	October 13, 2009 (2009-10-13)
Cici angles a petition to get Rimmer fired at the same time he's planning a goodbye party for her -- during class time, of course. Meanwhile, a familiar face returns as a guest to Theater Arts, but for how long?
7	7	"Show and Tell"	Brandon Rogers	Brandon Rogers	October 31, 2009 (2009-10-31)
It's Halloween, and also show and tell day in theater class, so things are even more chaotic than usual. New student Marlena has her marching orders from Dean Shaft and delivers. Before the end of the day, two people are gone from class, maybe for good. Note: Final appearance of Cici Lofte.
8	8	"Shafted"	Brandon Rogers	Brandon Rogers	December 10, 2009 (2009-12-10)
A new teacher arrives (Leah Schaefer) and begins terrorizing the class, while Shaft schemes on how to eliminate the class all together -- But Marlena and Linda have a way to stop it from happening. Meanwhile, Mr. Rimmer starts his new job but finds that his performance style is just as unwanted in his new career. Note: Rachael Ferris now a regular.
9	9	"The Comeback"	Brandon Rogers	Brandon Rogers	January 25, 2010 (2010-01-25)
Oliver visits Mr. Rimmer at Sir Save-a-Lot to try and convince him to fight for his job. Meanwhile, Marlena's aspirations for the class are questioned.
10	10	"History Class"	Brandon Rogers	Brandon Rogers	February 9, 2010 (2010-02-09)
The class gets some unwanted visitors crashing their rehearsals for Mr. Rimmer's holiday play, but can they band together to fight their problem? Elsewhere, Jaime has a run-in with an ex.
11	11	"Slumber Party"	TBA	TBA	TBA