Interview: Alex Stompoly of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: THE TWENTY-SIDED TAVERN at Broadway San Diego
When the dice hit the stage at Broadway San Diego this month, audiences are in for more than a quest; they’re stepping into a world where comedy, chaos, and camaraderie reign supreme. Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern makes its West Coast debut, bringing with it an experience that’s part improv comedy, part fantasy adventure, and entirely unpredictable. Described by Nerdist as “Rip-roaring funny,” the show invites audiences to choose heroes, battle monsters, and shape the story in real time, and for Tavern Keeper Alex Stompoly, every performance is a fresh campaign.
Alex Stompoly affectionately refers to his role as the Tavern keeper as the “rules lawyer,” a title that sounds a bit intimidating until you hear it delivered with a wink.
“We've taken the idea of the Dungeon Master around a traditional table, who would be your one point person who is both solely responsible for the rules of the game and to help build the story.
For us, we have split that into two people. We have our Dungeon Master, and then me. So while my Dungeon Master and my players are figuring out what they're going to do or what they want to do, and pitching those ideas, I get to sit there and say, ‘I know what you're saying. I don't think you can do that, but I'll offer you this.’”
In other words, Stompoly is the tavern’s mixologist of mayhem, part referee, part ringleader, part chaos curator. Like any good game night, the audience doesn’t just watch; they play.
“The audience starts from the very beginning with us, where they actually pick what characters are going to be featured in the show.
Everyone who's a player in the tavern has three to four characters they pose as options to the audience who will vote, and that's how we find out who's actually joining us on our adventure.
So the audience sets the tone immediately, and as the story progresses, they are given a series of mini-games to play that can help boost or diminish the role as they succeed or fail in the challenge.
Whatever the audience votes on, that's what we're going to do. The audience is very much the sixth cast member for our show, which is incredible, because for us it keeps everything so fresh, and it makes sure that no show will be the same.”
National Touring Company of DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern-Photo by André Chun
That sense of shared mischief defines The Twenty-Sided Tavern. For Alex, an actor, comedian, and Renaissance drag queen, it’s a perfect storm of performance styles.
“This show has a throughline: it's a comedy improv show, and D&D is what we use. I love comedy and improv, and my fantastic, sassy element comes from my Renaissance drag background. Comedy is really at the forefront of what I do every night.”
That mix of humor and heart also extends to the show’s ever-changing cast of guest adventurers. For San Diego’s week, fans will recognize Anjali Bhimani (Ms. Marvel, Overwatch, Critical Role), appearing as a special guest for the first two performances on November 18 and 19. According to Stompoly, having a new adventurer join the party keeps everyone on their toes.
“We've been very blessed and work with some just incredible individuals. They bring their expertise, fold right in, and spice it up. It’s like when a friend you haven't seen in months returns. They inject just a little bit of chaos that keeps us on our toes, and it's just a lot of fun; we learn so much from them. I also love that they are coming in and have their own established characters to play with in your world.”
Of course, no D&D story is complete without the roll of that famous 20-sided die, the ultimate arbiter of triumph or tragedy. Alex says that while the dice decide the fates, the fun lies in how the cast and audience react.
“The show is phenomenal in teaching people from the jump in our little intro. We never want anyone to think that knowledge of D&D is really what you need to enjoy it. All you really need to know is that over the course of the show, when our characters want to do something, they're going to roll a 20-sided die.
If the number is high, chances are they do a good job and they succeed. If the number is low, chances are they'll slip on a banana peel, or fail, and we're all going to enjoy watching them do so.”
And when the dice deliver disaster? “It actually opens us up to a brilliant opportunity to tell an important story that just gets flavored differently. You'll hear my DM and my players say, ‘The dice want to tell a story.’ Having that kind of very variable narrative device at our fingertips is really just exciting, and it keeps it fresh for us.”
Every roll, every laugh, every audience vote reshapes the story into something unique. It’s theatre by way of tabletop, a place where the audience is the hero and failure can be as fabulous as victory. As Stompoly sums it up, “It is never the same show twice.”
How To Get Tickets
Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern at Broadway San Diego plays November 18 - November 23rd.. For tickets and more information, visit BroadwaySD.com.