Bleach Improv

Formation (2013)

Bleach Improv was formed in 2013 when comedian Paul Mattingly, who ran the Las Vegas improv scene at the time, encouraged several improvisers he had trained to perform together as an ensemble. Founding members Eric Angell, Neil Corso, Kimberly Faubel, Philip Kotler, and Tommy Todd adopted crisp white shirts and black pants as their stage uniform, a deliberate inversion of the all-black convention in improv, giving the group its name. Musical accompanist Faustino Solis joined as a core collaborator.

Regular Programming and Recognition

Bleach settled into a regular Thursday night slot at Art Square Theatre in Las Vegas, presenting hour-long unscripted shows driven entirely by audience suggestions. The ensemble was named 2018 Guest Troupe of the Year at the Vegas Theatre Hub and performed at festivals nationally. A 2022 Las Vegas Weekly profile described the group's appeal in terms of performer chemistry and consistent audience-driven spontaneity.

Ongoing Operations

Bleach continues to perform weekly in Las Vegas, co-located at 3441 W Sahara Ave with ComedySportz Las Vegas, though the organizations are entirely separate entities.

Bleach presents long-form improv structured as hour-long audience-suggestion-driven performances. The ensemble functions as a performing troupe rather than a training center, built around performer chemistry and spontaneous narrative. The group's ethos prioritizes accessibility and fun-first performance over formal technique demonstration.

Bleach Presents: Your Show is the ensemble's signature long-form production, performed weekly at Art Square Theatre on Thursday evenings. The format invites a single audience-supplied word that inspires an entirely improvised one-hour play, sometimes featuring music from accompanist Faustino Solis and drawing on special guests from the Las Vegas Strip. Bleach also produces Mugshots: Two of Us Have Been to Jail, a sketch comedy piece with heart that earned the 2018 Best of LV Fringe Festival award as founding members of Grey Envelope Theatre (The GET).

Bleach came together in 2013 on the encouragement of comedian Paul Mattingly, who watched the group work and told them they should formalize their collaboration. The founding five members, Eric Angell, Neil Corso, Kimberly Faubel, Philip Kotler, and Tommy Todd, chose their name from the laundry room as a wry counterpoint to the informal improv uniform of black t-shirts and jeans, opting instead for crisp white shirts and black pants. Over twelve years the ensemble built a weekly performance habit rare among independent long-form groups in Las Vegas, earning the 2018 Guest Troupe of the Year honor at the Vegas Theatre Hub and traveling to improv festivals across the country.

As founding members of Grey Envelope Theatre, Bleach extended their reach into sketch comedy and festival competition. Tommy Todd, the most experienced member with approximately twenty-five years in improvisation, anchors an ensemble whose individual strengths, Angell's character work, Corso's ensemble support, Faubel's narrative coherence, and Kotler's versatility, reflect the company's investment in balanced ensemble craft rather than star-driven performance. Bleach has served as a consistent anchor for long-form improv culture in Las Vegas, a city whose entertainment landscape is dominated by scripted variety and residency shows.