From LA’s Underground Theatre Scene to Main Street Marion, Ohio
- Chip Gregory
- May 6
- 9 min read
Updated: Aug 27
Part rock concert. Part sketch-comedy riot. Part swanky dinner party. Rogue Theatrics has never been a “traditional theatre company.” And frankly, they don’t want to be. They’re best described as an underground cabaret — where irreverent sketch comedy collides with live rock music, chef-prepared dinners, and immersive audience mischief. Their story? It spans more than two decades — from Chicago’s alt stages in the ’90s, to velvet-lined cabaret rooms in Los Angeles, to a rebirth in 2023 right here in Marion, Ohio. And along the way, it’s included cult-like sold-out crowds, a near-TV deal that died in the 2008 Writers’ Strike, a marketing agency detour, a nurse asking “what’s next?” in the ICU, and a hometown revival in honor of comedy legend, the late Fred Willard.
Born from a hunger to make Marion, Ohio, the loudest arts and entertainment stop in the state, this underground cabaret redefines what live performance can be. Hailed as a “food truck of entertainment” the troupe trades the proscenium for bar tables and stage lights for nightclub vibes. Founder Chip Gregory and his collaborators pride themselves on being unapologetic misfits, determined to give central Ohio audiences something raw, edgy and immersive.
Chicago and the underground scene (1990s)
Gregory’s path to Rogue Theatrics began in Chicago in the early 1990s. With one foot in the city’s mainstream theatre circuit—playing Shakespeare, straight plays and musical theatre—and the other exploring its alternative stages, he built a résumé that spanned acting, directing and producing. He appeared in productions at venues such as Zebra Crossing, Turn Around Theatre, Chopin Theatre and the historic Organic Theatre, and studied improvisation at the legendary Second City. He immersed himself in Chicago’s sketch-comedy and alt-theatre community, acting in late-night sketch and underground shows throughout the city. Those experiences broadened his comedic range without eclipsing his work in more traditional theatre. Alongside his creative work, he freelanced in marketing and advertising for theatre companies and entertainment brands—a skillset that would later prove crucial.
While in Chicago he formed a friendship with playwright Jeff Goode, whose alternative plays like The 8 Reindeer Monologues and Larry and the Werewolf were staples of the underground scene. Goode later moved to Hollywood to write for television and create the Disney series American Dragon: Jake Long; Gregory followed years later, joining Goode’s live‑theatre production company and immersing himself in Los Angeles’ comedy scene.
Founding Rogue Theatrics in Los Angeles (2005)
In 2005 Gregory teamed up with fellow Ohio performers and long‑time friends Courtney DeCosky and Isaac Nippert, along with playwright Jeff Goode, to launch Rogue Theatrics, a rock‑infused, sketch‑driven cabaret. They collaborated with songwriter Richard Levinson and incorporated his outrageous songs into their shows. Their early productions—such as Playhouse of the Damned and The Serpent’s Guide (written by Richard Nathan and produced by Nathan)—featured outrageous costumes and wigs and a mad‑lab troupe of musicians, guest bands, dancers and actors.
The goal was clear: produce a show that felt less like a play and more like a crazy and wild midnight party. They debuted at Santa Monica’s Powerhouse Theatre, workshopping material through the No Shame Theatre writers’ lab. Pairing original sketches with live music and audience interaction, they quickly moved to gigs at Hollywood’s M Bar, the Unknown Theatre and other intimate venues. The crowds were a heady mix of theatre aficionados, comedy junkies and night owls chasing something they couldn’t find in mainstream clubs.
Soon after, Gregory was invited to join Hollywood funnyman Fred Willard’s live sketch troupe The Mohos, performing around the Greater Los Angeles area (Second City Hollywood, Acme Theater) with the comedy icon and sharpening his writing chops. The Rogue's team’s sensibility was forged by a long list of influences that spanned irreverent movies and TV shows: John Waters films, MADtv, In Living Color, Mad Magazine, National Lampoon, The Carol Burnett Show, Monty Python, Benny Hill, Lily Tomlin, South Park and Family Guy were all touchstones. Gregory and his collaborators wanted the cabaret to feel like a live mash‑up of these anarchic comedies—pushing the envelope, celebrating bad taste and shock humor but always with guard rails. That blend of influences gave Rogue its distinctive tone: part absurdist party, part sketch riot and part underground music gig.
Building momentum and a television pitch
By early 2007, Rogue Theatrics’ underground cabarets weren’t merely drawing crowds—they were routinely selling out their 200‑seat venues. Which wasn’t difficult given the intimate size of these rooms, but it proved that the formula worked: a vibe that made audiences feel like they’d stumbled into one of Hollywood’s best‑kept secrets. Gregory’s continued work with The Mohos during this period further matured his craft, and he credits Fred Willard and his wife Mary Willard—a comedy writer and theatre producer/director—as mentors who helped him hone his instincts, writing and character work.
Soon after, an opportunity arose to develop a television version of the Rogue cabaret. Gregory pulled in writer friends Charles Disney and Dante Eaton to help craft a treatment. Filmmaker Joshua Michael Stern—a friend whose credits include Swing Vote, Jobs and Graves—championed the concept and connected them to a development executive at Here TV!. With an agent on board and positive responses from the network to move forward, Rogue TV suddenly felt within reach. But then the 2008 Writers Guild of America strike hit. Overnight, Hollywood went dark; development deals froze and phones went silent. “We had momentum, we had believers, and then we had nothing,” Gregory later recalled. With the network’s interest on hold and no TV future in sight, he decided to end this first chapter with one final performance—Spring Fever Cabaret at the M Bar on March 14, 2008. The show sold out to a standing‑room‑only crowd, and after the curtain fell that night, the original era of Rogue Theatrics was over.
Gregory had been working as a technical writer at HBO, but when the strike dried up opportunities and the income became unstable, the group shuttered Rogue and Gregory moved back to central Ohio. Exhausted and disenchanted, he pivoted into freelance marketing, unsure if he would ever resurrect it. In the quiet aftermath of the strike, Fred gave Gregory a simple admonition: “Keep writing and performing, no matter what.” Mary added: “If Hollywood doesn’t bite, keep Rogue alive in Ohio.”
For the moment, Gregory couldn’t heed their counsel.
Intermission: marketing, Columbus and creative detours
Back in Ohio, Gregory channeled his storytelling instincts into freelance marketing, taking on projects for local clients while trying to rebuild financially. After seven years of freelancing, he and his then‑husband launched a marketing and media‑production agency in Columbus in 2015, blending creative narratives with strategic business. Over the next decade he built a client roster that stretched from Los Angeles to New York, Napa Valley and Chicago. He produced and directed television commercials, training videos and music videos for bands and musicians, blending his theatre sensibility with corporate communication.
Theatre never strayed far from his orbit: he continued to perform, direct and teach, served as vice president of the Central Ohio Theatre Roundtable and produced a short independent horror film, Late Lunch, in Los Angeles. These years of professional pivots and creative side projects—coupled with relationships forged since the early Rogue days—would later prove invaluable.
The ICU reset and a sketch‑pad epiphany (2020)
In 2020 Gregory’s life took a dramatic turn when he suffered a massive heart attack. He was life-flighted to the hospital, and along the way medics shocked him back to life. He flatlined for about 30 seconds before they revived him.
Hours later, lying in the ICU, he quipped to his husband at the time, : “Apparently death is harder than comedy.”
He was later diagnosed with coronary heart disease and stage 3 congestive heart failure.
During his stay, a nurse asked what he planned to do during his “medically induced retirement.” Gregory answered with dark jokes about moving back to his hometown, read books, smoke cigars, and drink bourbon on a patio. Instead his brother brought him a sketch pad to pass the time. Instead of doodling, Gregory began mapping out a plan to resurrect Rogue Theatrics.
In those quiet hours, he realized the project he’d shelved in 2008 was the one thing still burning. The sketch pad became the blueprint for a second act. And the words of Fred and Mary Willard — “Keep writing” and “Keep Rogue alive in Ohio” — returned with new urgency.
Back to Marion: family, mentors and a hometown stage (2021–2022)
Recuperating at his sister and brother‑in‑law’s home in his hometown of Marion, Gregory confided in his longtime mentor Clare Cooke about the possibility of a comeback. Cooke’s response—“Marion is ready”—gave him permission to dream. He considered the advice of Fred and Mary Willard and decided to revive Rogue in Ohio, both to honor their memory and to energize his hometown’s arts scene.
Reassembling the dream team (2022–2023)
Gregory knew he needed collaborators who understood both artistry and grit. He called freind, Kristi Wink, a Broadway veteran and choreographer he’d worked with as a teenager on the Marion Palace Theatre stage. Wink jumped aboard as producing artistic director. While performing in Clare Cooke’s 2023 production of Nunsense: Amen, Gregory met Eric Mosley, a charismatic radio personality and comedian. Mosley—a member of Marion’s Shovel City Improv—was a big influence for Gregory to relaunch and soon joined as managing producer. Mosley then introduced Gregory to Daniel Bradshaw, also with Shovel City Improv—a multi‑talented performer, composer and comedy writer who rounded out the leadership team.
The last piece was finding a stage. That’s when local developer Luke Henry entered the picture. Henry had been steadily investing in downtown Marion’s revitalization and saw the potential for Rogue to bring a new kind of energy to the city’s nightlife. He offered them the chance to stage the first comeback show at Urban501, one of his newly renovated venues. The offer was generous, but the timeline wasn’t: just three months to mount a brand‑new show with no existing tech, no lighting plot, no sound system and no budget for bells and whistles. “We had no real gear. Just a wild idea,” Gregory remembers. “But the energy in that room from day one told us we were onto something.”
Lighting and sound designer Brian Jester volunteered his skills; he had unknowingly been in the audience for Rogue’s final Los Angeles show in 2008, bringing the story full circle.
In October 2023, Fright Night Cabaret debuted at Urban501. Both nights sold out. Rogue Theatrics had returned—not as a nostalgic tribute to what it once was, but as something bigger, sharper and braver.
The comeback: Fright Night Cabaret and sold‑out shows (Oct 2023)
On October 26–27 2023 Rogue Theatrics debuted “Fright Night Cabaret: Comedy, Music & Mayhem” at Urban501. The show blended Halloween‑themed sketch comedy, live rock music and gourmet dining. Both nights sold out, proving that Marion audiences were hungry for edgier, more immersive entertainment. Gregory emphasized that the show contained adult themes and strong language—a deliberate signal that Rogue was not for everyone and more of a wild underground vibe.
Making Marion louder: multiple venues, philanthropy and community buzz (2024–2025)
Within two years of its revival, Rogue Theatrics had staged six sold‑out productions, filling venues from Urban501 and The Brickyard to Twenty Three North and the May Pavilion at the Marion Palace Theatre. Each show drew between 100 and 200 guests and generated buzz that spilled into downtown bars and restaurants. The company partnered with local nonprofits—Marion Makes Music, Homeless to Home, Downtown Marion Inc. and the Marion Palace Theatre—raising thousands of dollars for community causes. Media outlets including Daytime Columbus, Good Day Columbus, WDLR Radio and the Marion Star took notice.
Meet the Team
Chip Gregory, Founder & Executive Producer
Veteran of the Chicago, NYC, LA, Austin, and Columbus scenes; Second City-trained comedian; writer/performer with Fred Willard & The Mohos.
Kristi Wink, Producing Artistic Director & Choreographer
Broadway performer; choreographer; director; owner of Douce Dance Studio; teacher of dance and acting.
Eric Mosley, Managing Producer
Background in acting, improv, comedy writing; producer of live events and concerts with iHeartMedia.
Daniel Bradshaw, Producer & Creative Development
Composer, writer, performer, improv artist; brings Rogue’s unpredictable comedic voice to life.
Their resident band, Rogues To Nowhere, features: Kathy Hill (keyboards), Ben Zucker (guitar), Kyle Goings (drums), Joe House (drums) Guy Schlichting (guitar), Stephen Patterson (bass), and Ryan Bales (bass).
Ben Zucker not only plays guitar for Rogues To Nowhere but also serves as Music Director for Rogue Theatrics. A talented guitarist, keyboardist, and singer in his own right, Ben is also a member of the band SafeKept, which has been an independent force in the Midwest music scene since 2014. With over 400 performances across a dozen states, two EPs (Remarkable in 2015, Modern Mortals in 2018), and their acclaimed 2024 single Smoke & Mirrors, SafeKept has earned strong reviews, steady radio play in North America and abroad, and consistent streaming success.
Miranda Werner, Vocal Director, is a beloved music teacher for Marion City Schools and a powerhouse vocalist and keyboardist with Girls Night Out (GNO), Ohio’s premier women-led party band. A frequent face at the Marion Palace Theatre, Miranda has appeared in major productions like The Little Mermaid and Rent. As a Rogue ensemble member, dancer, and a director of musicals at Marion City Schools, Miranda brings unmatched vocal and theatrical expertise to the company.
At the core of Rogue Theatrics’ magic is its extraordinary ensemble of vocalists, dancers, and actors — a powerhouse group of talent from Marion, Columbus, and even Cleveland and Cincinnati who bring every show to life with energy, precision, and passion. It includes the talents of:
Amanda Zucker
Heather Giglio
Darren Sites
Vaneeda Keowmang-Goings
Tanner Wink
Paige Christiansen
Joseph Karrick
Beatrice Oldfield
Karellyn Sterling
Kim Bradshaw
Miranda Werner
Benjamin Blankenship
Eric Mosley
Ralph Hill
Daniel Bradshaw
Madi Blankenship
Hannah Fuller
Michael Fuller
Morgan Schwartz
Sami-Kay Mergy
Hannah Fuller
Michael Fuller
Kyle Goings
Nancy Shaffer
Madi Schenk
Parker Baird
Ava Stover
Ryan Ratliff
Brady Wink
This ensemble blends seasoned veterans and rising stars, many of whom have trained or performed at the Marion Palace Theatre and other regional stages. They are the beating heart of every Rogue production, delivering everything from powerhouse vocals to dazzling dance numbers and razor-sharp comedic timing.
With each production, the Rogue ensemble proves that Marion is home to world-class talent. These performers don’t just entertain — they create an electric atmosphere, transforming each show into an unforgettable night where the line between stage and audience disappears.
Their artistry and commitment fuel Rogue’s reputation for delivering fresh, edgy, and immersive experiences that leave audiences laughing, singing, and cheering for more.
