The No Proscenium Podcast Hanging Out At The 20-Sided Tavern
Dec 20, 2025
Alex Stompoly, performer and Tavern Keeper with a background in drag and theatre, guides live D&D one‑shots as MC, rules arbiter, and crowd‑work specialist. He explains how the audience shapes play via an app, how onstage rules and improvisation create surprises, and how drag performance informs playful crowd management and accessibility.
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Audience As A Sixth Player
- D&D The 20-Sided Tavern is a live, hybrid experience blending tabletop play, improv, and game-show elements for a large audience.
- The audience acts as a collective sixth player with real agency that changes each performance.
Fixed Quest, Infinite Paths
- The show uses a fixed quest structure with many branching choices, like a live choose-your-own-adventure.
- Dice rolls and audience choices run in parallel to create unpredictable, unique performances nightly.
Tavern Keeper As Rules Arbiter
- The Tavern Keeper role separates story-driving DM duties from on-stage rules arbitration and audience translation.
- That role keeps play fair, runs combat/effects, and acts as the audience's objective voice during the show.