When things go awry during a play or musical on stage, performers have to work to bring the story back to how it’s supposed to told. However, when things go wrong during an improv show, it only makes the performance that much more entertaining.

From May 6-21, SecondStory Repertory (SSR) at 16587 N.E. 74th St. in Redmond Town Center will give audiences the opportunity to enjoy those moments gone wrong with Split 2nd Improv.

Hayden Hiebert, a performer with Split 2nd, said because the story is improvised and formed “on the fly,” a performer’s idea has more potential to crash and burn.

“The audience loves to see this happen. So, one rule of improv is: if you are gonna fail, fail gloriously,” he said. “It’s okay to fail and usually it’s pretty funny. The audience wants to see it even if they don’t really know they do.”

The shows will be Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. with Fridays open to all ages and Saturday open for adults only. Performances are shaped by audience suggestions, so no two shows are the same. Admission is $10.

The Split 2nd troupe is about 25 members strong with a core group of 10 to 15 individuals. The remaining members rotate in and out of shows throughout the season. Hiebert has personally been with Split 2nd since its inception in the fall of 2007 when he was “wrangled” into it by the troupe’s founder and artistic director, Robert Bogue. The two men were fellow cast members in SSR’s production of “The Complete Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged)” during the theater’s eighth season in 2006. SSR is now in its 12th season.

Bogue, who had been in various improv groups in Utah before moving to Washington, said improv has had its ups and downs with the fluctuating popularity of shows such as “Whose Line is it Anyway?” He said not many people realize how difficult improv can be. He added that performing a completely different show each night is a very unique experience for the Eastside, explaining that other Eastside theaters may bring in improv troupes, but Split 2nd is the only troupe based in the Eastside.

“We’re the only ones,” he said. “You don’t have to travel all the way to Seattle (to see improv).”

To bring improv to the Eastside, Bogue and SSR partnered with Unexpected Productions, the improv troupe at the Market Theater in Seattle. The two theaters worked together for a few years before Split 2nd began operating on its own, Bogue said.

Bogue does a mix of scripted and improv work, but considers improv the purest form of acting because the performer has to become the character right there on the stage.

“Improv is pure reaction,” he said. “It happens right now.”

As artistic director, the Monroe resident’s role is a mix of managerial duties as well as the creative. In addition to guiding the team’s overall artistic decisions, figuring out the team’s strengths and weaknesses and deciding who performs when and with whom, Bogue also schedules and coordinates workshops and does other behind-the-scene work.

“Robert Bogue is our fearless improv leader,” said troupe member Danny Miller. “He had done a lot of improv in Utah before moving to Washington, so he arranged to have SecondStory start up its own improv troupe. This is his baby.”

Miller has been involved in Split 2nd from the beginning and also sits on SSR’s board of directors. He joined Split 2nd because he had previously done improv work and wanted to do more and improve his skills. Miller saw Split 2nd as the perfect opportunity.

“(SSR) was my home theater,” he said. “And Robert has generously been giving classes to the company for no charge.”

Although Bogue is the director, he is also a performer. He rotates among a few other troupe members as the show’s host so he is also able to participate in the different on-stage games.

For those who may have a difficult time understanding what improv is, Hiebert said the best way to figure it out is to see it.

“Just come see us. And if you like us, tell your friends about us,” Hiebert said. “If you don’t, remember it’ll be a completely different show next time.”