The Awkward Show by Bandit Theater

Stories of commencement speakers both good and dead lead to scenes about staying in college, looking so good in wedding photos you want some solos, maybe the best excuse to skip book club, a will reading, giving little kids more responsibilities, and (spoilers) some graduation speeches! The cast includes Jess Lechtenberg, Mike Kroner, Coonoor Behal, Winnie Yeung, Kristine Antonsen and Jess Lampe. Chris Carter directs.

Jess Lechtenberg kicks off a lively chat with the story of a surprising choice by a fellow bus rider. The set that follows features heavy testing in the fitting room, some creative window washers, a vampire accountant, and Day 3 of the Safety & Charging into Action seminar. The cast includes Jess Lampe, Mike Kroner, MP Piper, Geena Pietromonaco, Kristine Antonsen, Sarah Kylie, and Jess Lechtenberg. Chris Carter directs.

Chris and the cast talk mother figures and divorce. The setthat follows features a scrupulous ex-girlfriend, an unusual vision of family life, a misguided Maid of Honor, unavailable dads, an intimate firing, acquaintances in couples therapy, and a new kind of Santa. The cast features Coonoor Behal, Mike Kroner, MP Piper, and Jess Lechtenberg. Chris Carter directs.

For our last show of 2025, we brought in SL Rao (Jet City), who shares a story about conflict avoidance and then plays in with the cast. The set that follows includes a CEO with a problematic advice giver, a man who does super deep background research before a first date, detectives trying to unpack ambiguous murder clues, and a team trying to put the "ultimate" back in ultimate frisbee. The cast features Mike Kroner, Jess Lechtenberg, Geena Pietromonaco, Jess Lampe, Winnie Yeung, and Kristine Antonsen (Coonoor Behal also took part in the conversation but not the set). Chris Carter directs.

A conversation about attachments and career choices leads to a set that includes a divorce lawyer indulging a client's aesthetic, a heart-to-cart romance, an insult restaurant assessing the upper limits of offense, and an emotional twist on a body-horror concept. The cast includes Geena Pietromonaco, Winnie Yeung, Sarah Kiley, and Jess Lechtenberg. Chris Carter directs.

A trip to the archives finds a pandemic-era Will Hines sharing stories of awkwardness with Bandit founder Annie Barry. The set that follows includes a hunt for wedding supplies, prank improvements, a justifiably suspicious spouse, an underprepared camper, a very helpful server, a sartorially dependent love, and a cleaned-out Rite Aid. The cast includes Austin Olson, Chrysta Storm, Grant Michael Scott, Jake Foerg, & Lee Yang. Annie Barry directs. Will Hines has been teaching long-form improv since 2004 at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, at both its New York and Los Angeles branches. He’s published a best-selling book on improv called How to Be The Greatest Improviser on Earth. He’s also a working comedic actor and has appeared on many terrific television programs (The Sex Lives of College Girls, Brooklyn 99, Search Party). He also hosts the podcasts Screw It We’re Just Gonna Talk about the Beatles and Screw it We’re Just Gonna Talk About Comics

The cast shares awkward Halloween moments, from college to the workplace. Then our set includes someone with a profound relationship to video game characters, a glimpse into the hallowed traditions of the Royal Family at Christmastime, some surprising musical influences, and a meeting of corvids. The cast includes Winnie Yeung, Jess Lechtenberg, Geena Pietromonaco, Coonoor Behal, Jess Lampe, Mike Kroner, and MP Piper. Chris Carter directs.

Jessi Smith (Mad Science) once again joins the cast, this time in a conversation about HoCo, as the kids call it, unearthing memories from years and decades past. Then she joins us in a set that includes an excessive HoCo gesture, competitive sandwich artistry, an insecure seaman, some creative bullies, and the unexpected consequences of a HoCo gesture. The cast includes Jess Lampe, Jess Lechtenberg, Geena Pietromonaco, MP Piper, Winnie Yeung, and Sarah Kiley. Chris Carter directs.

This week, M.J. Kang (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew) tells a story from her nights as a young woman in Toronto. Then, Holly Vander Hyde (Almost Yours, Seattle) plays in with the cast on a set that features a quest for managerial respect, a guy indulging the pizza rats, a haunted apartment, an unusual father-of-the-bride speech, and a visit to a bakery. The cast features Winnie Yeung, Geena Pietromonaco, MP Piper, Sarah Kiley, Jess Lampe, Kristine Antonsen, Jess Lechtenberg, and Mike Kroner. Chris Carter directs.

Ilana Degann (First Date, in Seattle) tells us about a very awkward first date, and then Sabahat Chaudhary (Press Play, in D.C.) plays in with the cast on a set that features a new kind of speed dating, an unusual venue for a team-building event, an ex who is disappointed with his ranking, star-crossed singers, and an overenthusiastic taxidermist. The cast includes Mike Kroner, Geena Pietromonaco, Winnie Yeung, Jess Lampe, and Jess Lechtenberg. Chris Carter directs.

This week, Melissa Zargon (Almost Yours, Seattle) tells a story of getting a little too high before starting a dance class. Then Zoser Dunbar (First Date, Tacoma) plays in with the cast on a set that includes a serious date, a clash of cultures at an H&R Block, a nervous outing at the cinema, and parents who prioritize their marriage over their child. The cast features Jess Lechtenberg, Jess Lampe, Mike Kroner, Geena Pietromonaco, MP Piper, Kristine Antonsen, Winnie Yeung, and Coonoor Behal. Chris Carter directs.

This week the host of The Awkward Show, Chris Carter, shares a story of awkwardness and heartbreak from his early 20s, and guest Phillipos Haile plays in with the cast on a set that features a couple that likes to keep it simple, a company that takes an interest in its employees romantic lives, an OBGYN who's sensitive to wind, and a CPA whose clients really love her ads. The cast includes Sarah Kiley, Kristine Antonsen, Winnie Yeung, and Jess Lampe. Chris Carter directs.

Jonny Riecke (Swipe Right) dishes from his former life on the road in a Texas punk band. Then Annie Henderson (Inkprov) plays in on the set that follows, which features a well-matched couple with very specific geographic opinions, an irascible group of musicians, a birthday boy whose bros may be too old for a hard-core celebration, a Speed Dating 101 class, and a slow-motion-maybe-bank-robbery. The cast includes Winnie Yeung, Kristine Antonsen, Mike Kroner, MP Piper, and Jess Lampe. Chris Carter directs.