Help bring "The Bomb" to Life

The Bomb is a comedy short film written and directed by Michael Rhoa. It stars a hilarious ensemble cast who have acted in shows ranging from Netflix’s Obliterated to NCIS: Los Angeles to The Late Late Show with James Corden.

The story centers around an improv troupe and their reluctant audience. The energetic performers believe that comedy can save lives, and on one fateful night in Los Angeles, performing to a near empty crowd, it just might….

Jess, Scott, Courtney and Lance are the members of the improv troupe Dollar Menu. They’ve been performing at rundown comedy theaters for years now, waiting to catch their big break. But tonight’s audience only needs to see 5 minutes of the show to know that this big break is never going to come. The improv team is used to having walk outs at their shows, but tonight is different. As the audience tries to leave, they’re turned around by the manager of the club. It’s not safe to go outside. It’s not safe to do anything but stay put at The Improv Dungeon because there’s been a nuclear attack on the city of Los Angeles.

As chaos ensues and the audience panics, Dollar Menu decides to save the day by continuing to perform. Can they lift the spirits of the terrified audience and make them forget their impending doom? Can the power of comedy save the day? Is bad improv actually worse than death by nuclear radiation? These are the deep, philosophical questions at the heart of this film.

The Bomb examines the role that comedy and art play in these dark times. It explores the line between art as a form of healing and the art as a form of delusion and ego.

We need your help to bring it to life!!

CREW

Michael Rhoa (Writer/Director)

Michael Rhoa is a Los Angeles based writer/director hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He previously wrote for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee where he won a WGA award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy/Variety Special. Michael previously trained and performed at various improv theaters around New York City, including UCB, The Pit and Magnet Theater, though he retired in 2018 due to his fear of bombing (his second biggest fear, with his first being that scene in Willy Wonka where Augustus gets sucked into the tube out of the chocolate river, which is way more horrifying than anything in this movie).

Justin Kohlas (Producer)

Justin Kohlas is a Los Angeles based writer/producer from Cleveland, Ohio. He was most recently a writer for the CBS drama, NCIS: Los Angeles. His pilot King Street became the highest rated pilot hosted on The Black List in 2018, while his other pilot, Horizon, was chosen by Valparaiso Pictures to be developed for their inaugural writer's lab "Writer's Out of Office." His writing has been placed in numerous writing competitions/fellowships all over the country including Final Draft Big Break, Atlanta Film Festival, Bluecat, Austin Film Festival, and Fresh Voices. He started his independent production company KimberMark in 2024 to champion independent stories and voices. KimberMark's first film HIDE will premier at Screamfest this fall in Los Angeles. The Bomb will be KimberMark's second film.

Keenan Buchanan (Producer/Actor)

Keenan Buchanan is an actor, writer, and comedian from Los Angeles. He studied improv and sketch comedy at The Second City and The Upright Citizens Brigade. His most recent productions include Beginners Luck and Kingpin Katie. He made his Executive Producer debut on the upcoming horror movie HIDE, which will premiere at Screamfest this year. He also stars in it as "Tyler." He is currently cohosting Nice Mic at the Clubhouse Theater in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Park Studio NYC (Producer)

Park Studio is a Brooklyn-based video production company founded in 2016 by five Ohio University alumni with a passion for storytelling. Their journey began with a shared love for creating impactful content, and over the years, they've built a reputation for delivering high-quality work that resonates with audiences. They've collaborated with top agencies like BBDO and brought compelling stories to life across industries — but narrative filmmaking is where their roots and passion lie. Their team thrives on crafting visually striking and emotionally engaging films. With a deep understanding of the filmmaking process and an unwavering commitment to storytelling and excellence, they're excited to help bring this story to the screen.

https://www.parkstudio.nyc

Chris Register (Producer)

Chris Register is a long time event producer, organizer, and caterer in Los Angeles. With over a decade of experience in live event production, and as a lifelong cinephile he has recently worked to bring his professional skills as a producer to the world of independent film; his goal to help talented creators bring their passion projects to life.

Nathan Smith (Director of Photography)

Nathan Smith is a Los Angeles-based cinematographer. He co-wrote and shot Mustang Island (2017 Dallas International Film Festival Special Jury Award Winner) and shot A Bad Idea Gone Wrong (2017 SXSW Jury Award Winner) and I’ve Got Issues (Austin Film Festival 2019). His recent work includes 40Hands (Austin Film Festival Texas Short Filmmaker Award Winner 2023) and Beeps (SXSW 2024, Salute Your Shorts Best Local Film Winner 2024).

CAST

Alyson Gorske (Jess)

Alyson Gorske is a Los Angeles-based actress known for her work on Netflix’s Obliterated and the Shudder horror film The Puppetman. Trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she has built a diverse career spanning television, film, and theater. Beyond acting, Alyson is also a writer and creator, currently developing a comedy series.

Nate Fernald (Scott)

Nate Fernald is a writer and comedian living in Los Angeles. He has written for and appeared in a number TV shows, but most importantly was in a 2015 Dannon Yogurt commercial where they pivoted to marketing yogurt to men by emphasizing the amount of protein that can be found in Greek yogurt (15 grams of protein per 3 ounce serving).

Aaron Dalton (Lance)

Aaron Dalton is a writer and actor. He is an alumnus of the Cannes Film Festival Storytelling Institute and the Telluride FilmLab. He is a graduate of New York University and UCLA’s Graduate Film Program. Most recently, he was in development with Level Forward on an alternative history limited series.

Stephanie Streisand (Courtney)

Stephanie Streisand is a writer/comedian/actor, whose acting credits include Amazon's "Matty Paz is a Noob," "The Detour," and Funny or Die's tv series "Coach Von Pidgeon." Her Off-Broadway credits include, "Songs for a New World," "The Future Tony Awardz," "Hidden Voices," and "Alice Au Pays Des Merveilles." She's also performed sketch comedy under "Streisand & Friends" at every comedy sketch festival, including SF Sketchfest.

Darian Michael Gray (Jim)

Excited to bring the Jim to life in "The Bomb," where improv comedy meets nuclear apocalypse. Darian's STL Improv Shoppe training will finally be put to darkly comedic use! Recent credits include P-Sam in "Paradise Blue" (Gloucester Stage Company), Mel in "The Pitch" (The Odyssey Theatre), and Ariel in "The Pillowman" (Theatre Lab). Currently, Darian is a Working Finalist at The Actor's Studio-West.

Matthew Mikita (Ronnie)

Matthew Mikita is a versatile SAG-AFTRA actor, voice-over artist, and screenwriter. He recently co-starred in NCIS: LA, Euphoria, and America's Most Wanted. Matthew has acted in leading roles for iconic plays and musicals, and he has originated multiple characters for world premiering theater productions. For the past 8 years Matthew partnered with USC where he helped train their graduate students in psychotherapy. He created a unique experience for USC’s Master of Social Work program and acted in thousands of hour-long mock therapy sessions with their students who were studying to become licensed therapists. His work with USC helped to inspire a passion for screenwriting and Matthew has written multiple feature films that are currently in development. He has headlined comedy improv shows in LA and performed at The Groundlings Theatre, UCB, and The Second City. In addition to starring in 'Hide', he also is producing the project.

Tori Piskin (Emma)

Born and raised in New York, Tori Piskin is an actor, comedian, and writer now based in Los Angeles. As a stand up comedian, Tori Piskin was in the 2019 New York Comedy Festival - TBS Presents: Comics to Watch. She was one out of ten performers picked from submission across the country. She has been featured alongside Pauly Shore, Judy Gold, and Michael Kosta. In 2019, she was selected to be part of a worldwide Facebook campaign featuring her standup material; the campaign was featured digitally and on billboards in NYC. she just released a new comedy special Prettiest Girl at the Special School premiers on Sirius XM and 800 Pound Gorilla. In 2024 she performed at Skankfest Comedy Festival and opened up for Jeff Ross and Dave Attell Bumping Mic Show. She was a writer on Netflix’s Torching 2024 A Roast Of The Year. Tori also just had her theatrical debut in A Nice Girl Like You opposite Lucy Hale. She has a successful podcast with her mom that is on the top 50 comedy iTunes charts (Got It From My Mama) and it has been featured on The Late Late Show with James Corden and Pix11.

Joe Fehey (Arlo)

Joe was born and raised in Connecticut. He is one of five brothers.

He started acting when he was a little boy. He started writing when he was a little man. Since he started acting, he's worked on numerous film and television projects, some being: Argo, Entourage, Parks and Recreation, and NCIS. Since he started writing, his feature films, pilots, and shorts that have placed in numerous film festivals and competitions, some being: The PAGE Awards (finalist), Screencraft (finalist), and Dances With Films (short film). He's also done comedy around Los Angeles Comedy scene since 2008, performing stand-up and improv at: Upright Citizens Brigade (house team), The Comedy Store, and The Improv

Jovanna Valladares (Mary)

A native to the Steel City, Jovanna Valladares has worked professionally in the film industry for over 13 years. Starting in Pittsburgh, she worked on films such as Southpaw, The Fault in Our Stars, & Concussion. Alongside, she received a B.F.A .in Film Production with a concentration in Art Direction. After graduating, she transitioned into acting and began booking many projects and commercials. She now resides in Los Angeles, CA and is represented by Daniel Hoff Agency, iT Model Management, & BiCoastal MGMT. She’s studied with Margie Haber Studio, Playhouse West, and UCB. Her production experience lends an edge to her on-screen performances and an authentic appreciation for every department in the art. Jovanna has a huge heart for the outdoors and is a professional hunter/jumper equestrian, experienced Lindy Hop swing dancer, and surfer.

Maura Mannle (Tessa)

Maura Mannle is a Los Angeles-based writer, performer, clown, and educator, celebrated for her award-winning solo show Extraterrestrial Kink, which debuted at the 2024 Hollywood Fringe Festival. She has guest-starred on NCIS LA and stars in the award-winning feature film A Trip Elsewhere, now streaming on Amazon.

She studied at the American Conservatory Theater and is a graduate of the Second City Improv Theatre. Maura has toured internationally as an improviser and teacher. Her training spans acting, clowning, mime, bouffon, neutral mask, and movement theatre under renowned artists and companies, including Desean Terry, Chad Damiani, Dean Evans, Idiot Workshop, Clown Church LA, Frantic Assembly, Kennedy Brown, Allan Miller, and Emmanuel Depach of Pig Iron.

Regularly performing at venues like the Elysian Theatre, The Pack, and the Clubhouse, Maura also hosts Night Zoo, a workshop-clown theater hybrid at Griffith Park’s Old Zoo. She collaborates on films, immersive theater, and clown shows, fostering connections through vulnerability and play.

Katie Nathan (Desiree)

Katie Nathan is an actress and writer from Indiana. She's a house team performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles, and her original work has played to sold-out audiences at The Comedy Central Stage, UCB, Second City, and at festivals across the country. She has also written and performed in projects for NBC, Showtime, College Humor, and Funny or Die.

Andrew Grace (Kyle)

Andrew Grace is an actor and comedian originally from New York City. He is currently on Harold Night. Andrew got a surfboard when he moved to Los Angeles and has used it 2 or 3 times.

WHY NOW?

The last few years in our industry have been rough. Things were already not looking good after Covid, but since the writers and actors strikes ended, production has mostly come to a halt and work is hard to come by.

While this has been devastating to so many in our field, it’s allowed many of us to realize that there’s no better time than now to make that passion project. I’ve wanted to direct a short film on this scale for years, and while most of the pieces have finally come together, the fact is that it simply cannot be done without raising a significant amount of money through generous donations.

Any help you can give would mean the world to us and help me and my team reach this goal that we’ve been working like crazy to achieve all year.

Thanks for taking the time to read, and we can’t wait to show you this crazy movie!