What happens when you throw some dice around and add some improv? You get The Campaign an improvised theater show.
Kaitlin Noble
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Kaitlin Noble; I am the creator, director and DM of The Campaign.
So, The Campaign is improv, right? Don't you have to have some things scripted?
I don’t refer to it as a script so much as I do an outline. Sometime before the show, either the night before or morning of, I send an outline of the episode to the NPC’s (Non-Player-Characters). I write bullet points to give shape to the overall idea of an episode, with several different outcomes depending on what the characters choose to do. So yes, the DM and the NPCs have an idea of what direction the show needs to move in so we can all support and work towards a singular goal. The players have no idea what they are in store for and enter every episode blind. I am proud to say that there is no script; they’re really just that talented.
Photo by No Future Photography
How did you get into improv and The Campaign?
I started improv in college when I was trying to figure out the whole “making friends” thing. I’ve kind of been a bit of an alien my whole life; it took me a while to connect with social skills. Joining a club was an easy way to meet people, and I chose the improv club because I liked comedy. I was not good at it, but it’s because of that club that I met the people that would join me in my first Dungeons and Dragons campaign. I learned to love two things in college: comedy and tabletop roleplaying. When I had the means to produce my own show, it seemed like a natural progression to combine the two passions.
Whats your favorite story from The Campaign?
You have no idea how hard this question is. I think the moment I can remember loving the most was when our Monk was trying to do a simple arcana check on an amulet that lead them on all their quests. He rolled a 1, which is a critical failure, which means something really bad has to happen. We had a thief steal it, which throws the whole outline for the episode out of whack and we’re 10 minutes in. The party asks the monk where the amulet has gone and he says, “An amulet is like a bird in that it is small and now it is gone.” I cannot explain why, a year later, this moment and this line still tickle me pink, but it stands out as my favorite moment of all time.
Where can I find out about/see The Campaign myself?
You can see The Campaign monthy at the PIT Loft, Fridays at 7. January 19th is our next episode. Our official website is www.TheCampaignNYC.com. We have an instagram and a twitter under the following: TheCampaign_NYC. Tickets can be purchased through the website.
Photo by No Future Photography
Fun Questions:
If you were stuck on an abandoned island, what five items would you want with you?
I’m so bad at this stuff! Is there a size limit to these items? Cause I’d definitely bring a storage unit that I could convert into some rain-proof shelter. A comfy, high quality mattress, a good knife, a Walkman that never runs out of battery (don’t watch Guardians of the Galaxy and tell me its impossible), and a solar powered night light.
If you could be one D&D character in real life, what would it be and with what skill set?
I’d take the chance to be an elf; they have way longer lives and seem to have far better fashion sense than humans if Lord of the Rings has taught me anything. My class would be a bard, only because they possess my favorite attack in the entire fandom: you hurl an insult at someone and it is such a deep, cutting, well crafted insult that it actually does damage to the enemy. I would be so good at comedy central roasts.
