Atlanta Loop has partnered with Dad’s Garage to provide recaps of their latest show: SCANDAL. This improvised soap opera takes place in a fancy hotel with a seedy male strip club in the bottom. Every week the improvisers at Dad’s Garage will make up the drama, the laughs, and the SCANDAL on stage at their theatre; and we’ll be publishing the recaps. Imagine Soap Opera Digest meets Atlanta Loop, and you get the idea. Subscribers to Atlanta Loop/Decaturish will have access to a limited number of free tickets each week. To purchase tickets for the next show, click here.
Act One
We go back to the locker room of Danglerzzz, where Jiarrhea is led by a seeing eye dog after recent cataract surgery. The dog seems a little green, and runs him all over the place. Fellow dancer Herb Patterson is upset that Jiarrhea has planned a surgery the week of the debut of their duo act, Shock and Awe. The success of their act will help Herb buy his granddaughter a face transplant. Before they could come to a conclusion, the dog drags Jiarrhea away.
Across town Derek lies in the hospital while Shedebra watches over him; after several attempts she finally revives him with one of his terrible jokes. Upon waking, Derek is terribly confused—Is he a Polish valet, or Nigel, the adroit American spy working for Shedebra and assigned to killing the owner of the Quadruple Tree Hotel, Bergeron Vandershite? Is it 2017 or 1732?
In the lobby of the hotel, Rusty confronts Bergeron for putting him in a compromising position with the Russian Ambassador, Pavel Bure. Bergeron explains he is in the business of pleasure and making every guest’s fantasy come true; Rusty points out that he has dreams too–dreams of being an artist. At that moment, Bergeron squashes Rusty’s dreams by taking his cap and striking him with it.
Close by in the hotel lounge, Pavel is pouring his heart out to Misty, who doesn’t let him down easy by flatly telling him that Shedebra never mentions him. Pavel throws in the towel and offers to fly back to Moscow the next day. Misty encourages him to take one last shot at winning Shedebra’s heart.
In the much darker Danglerzzz bar, Jiarrhea fails miserably at teaching his dog to make drinks while Nightstick does a dirty Star Wars routine on stage. Just before exiting Jiarrhea beckons him to the bar for a touching pep talk.
Meanwhile Herb has made a trip to the lobby vending machine and is spotted by Rusty, who begins fawning over him. Rusty laments not having any talent, and Herb literally slaps some sense into him, exclaiming that Rusty has so much heart, and that he shouldn’t be bogged down by doubt in a world where grandfathers have to do nefarious things to pay for their grandchildren’s face transplants.
Misty makes good on her promise to Pavel and attempts to lure Shedebra into a fun evening in the club. After some hemming and hawing, Shedebra agrees.
At another desk, Pavel confronts Bergeron for a variety of charges he’s racked up on his bill. Because of economic differences between the U.S. and Russia, he is unable to pay such a high bill. Bergeron angrily snatches the ambassador’s sash and gives him 10 hours to pay him $10,000.
Back at the hospital, Derek/Nigel struggles to remember things. He has difficulty with chairs and walking. Rusty comes to take him home, and we find that he believes he’s stuck in the 18th century.
Act Two
Later that night, Pavel finds a flier for a couples’ dance competition. The winner gets $10,000—what a coincidence! After some begging, Shedebra says yes!
Pavel isn’t the only one to discover a flier; an excited Rusty rushes to Misty and asks her to dance with him. Misty agrees and together they hatch a plan to bring Rusty’s Dirty Boy alter ego into the spotlight. They’re dreaming is interrupted by Herb’s entrance by Lube Diamond Phillips, who dances a dirty number of his own.
Meanwhile Jiarrhea and Herb are in the locker room after Herb’s set. Jiarrhea hands Herb the dance competition flier and our favorite geriatric swingers decide that it’s time to bring their long-awaited routine, Shock and Awe, out for a dramatic debut. The money could help Herb with his granddaughter’s face transplant surgery!
Upstairs in the lobby of the hotel Derek/Nigel runs into Bergeron, who is immediately aware that something is different about him. Bergeron reveals that he wants Derek to attack Shedebra during the dance competition that night.
At 10 on the dot, the Danglerzzz club is transformed for the dance competition. The race for the prize begins with Pavel and Shedebra performing an earnest number, one that was considerably better than their previous dalliance. Next up, Misty and Rusty show the audience a side of musical theater they’ve probably never seen before. The feeling was so magical that it ended on a sweet kiss. Finally, Shock and Awe stormed the stage in the duo’s most athletic set to date. Poor Herb broke his tailbone in the process. Thanks to audience response, Shock and Awe came out the victor. Just as celebrations began, Derek/Victor took a final swing at Shedebra and accidentally struck Pavel. Will he survive? Tune in next week to find out!
