Amy Vorpahl has the perfect show for comedy, musical theater, and Dungeons & Dragons fans. Vorpahl has appeared on Dungeons & Dragons, Dropout TV, Nerdist, and Geek & Sundry. Her upcoming one-person musical comedy, “She’s Got Non-Player Character Energy” began as a fun idea, but soon became much more. Exploring themes of self-worth, loneliness, and searching for one’s purpose.

As an experienced Dungeon Master Vorpahl can perfectly embody the countless NPCs and their experience. This, ironically, takes an opposite approach to the traditional Dungeons & Dragons experience. Where Dungeons & Dragons is a collaborative storytelling experience “She’s Got Non-Player Character Energy” is a one-person show. In order to bring this show to the world Vorpahl launched a Kickstarter that has already raised more than double the goal.

In an exclusie interview with Temple of Geek, Vorpahl shared how “She’s Got Non-Player Character Energy” became a tranformative experience. She explained her songwriting process and the inspiration for her show. Vorpahl also shared what she hopes audiences take away from “She’s Got Non-Player Character Energy.”

“It’s Reverse D&D”

Temple of Geek: This is such a cool concept! I’m very excited for it! I’m a big fan of live theater, I think it’s extremely important, but I’ve never seen a one-person show. Can you talk to me a little bit about that? What goes into creating that? What the experience is for people that haven’t seen that sort of live theater experience before?

Amy Vorpahl:

“I would say the first misconception about one-person shows is that you do it all by yourself. So this piece of theater, much like other pieces of theater, actually require a team. And it was the first misconception that broke me down and was like, “Oh, then I should do it.” I wanted to do it. I can’t tell you what drew me to this concept, this type of media, a one person show, but I got it in my head that I wanted to do it.

The second I learned that you don’t have to do it by yourself, then I was in. But I think what most one-person shows do is give you a personal, intimate, one-on-one experience with the artist about normally something they’ve gone through or something that’s true for them. That also could be a kind of edu-tainment. I want to teach you a little bit about this thing that I’ve learned or this thing that I’m continuing to learn.

My one-person show, “She’s Got Non-Player Character Energy,” is a narrative. So there’s a storyline. It’s also a musical. And I will say I have not seen a narrative one-person show. I guarantee that they exist, but the way mine is written, it actually feels a little bit more like a TV show episode or something like that. You’re tracking a storyline through the eyes of the main character who maps over me, but isn’t me.

It’s not like the Amy Vorpahl show. The main character is an NPC named Tori. Obviously, we share some traits, but it’s not, this is what Amy Vorpahl thinks about the world. And yet through the narrative, maybe it is.”

Temple of Geek: I love the idea of it being one person playing NPCs that want to be part of a D&D campaign because immediately I was like, “Oh, it’s reverse D&D. That’s hilarious!”

Amy Vorpahl:

“It’s reverse D&D. Yes, I got that idea. I had been making comedy reels for a while and a lot of the ones that I really liked making were from the point of view of an NPC. The ones that I really liked were when, one NPC got a stat block and the other NPC didn’t. And they were arguing about that. Basically it’s kind of like the entertainment industry, who’s more famous, who’s more important or who got cast, basically.

I would do these, like sitting in an audition or a waiting room, waiting to get put into the game and being passed by a little guy that just got made up. And it was like, “No, the little guy! No, no, wait.” I was like, “I was this NPC that had a whole thing. I had names, backstories, proper nouns, geographies and a little guy shows up and, of course, they’re more interested in that person.” So all of that kind of culminated in like, “Wow, there might be something here.” I see the entire world through the lens of games and TTRPGs, so path of least resistance.”

Temple of Geek: I love that, that’s so funny! I talked to Brennan a few weeks ago and he literally was talking about how as a GM, you’re gonna have these NPCs that are very important. But then you’re like, “also there’s like a little thing over there” and all the players are like “That one.“

Amy Vorpahl:

“Yes, yes! It’s like they can smell that you prepped it and they’re like, I want the other thing that you didn’t prep. I wanna see what’s on your mind right now. Make something up for me, dance monkey dance. And I truly don’t think it’s conscious. I think it’s subconscious and I think they can smell prep and they’re like, I prefer the thing that’s made up.”

Amy Vorpahl Reveals How “She’s Got NPC Energy” Began

Temple of Geek: I love the idea of getting a closer look at NPCs because that, to me, has always been something where it’s like, man, this character is so interesting, but they’re not the key to the plot or the narrative that we’re trying to push forward with so we don’t get to follow anything else with them. What for you was the motivator of getting to see more about NPCs, be it more comedic or even dig further into them as characters?

Amy Vorpahl:

“Where it started is very different from where it ends up in the show. Where it started, I thought, “Wow, this will be a fun way to do some goofs and some laughs and some jokes.” And where it’s ended is a truly vulnerable story about a person trying too hard and trying so hard that they lose themselves. Trying so hard that they couldn’t even be chosen if they wanted to because they’re not presenting their true selves anymore.

And where that leaves them and what they choose to do after that. I didn’t mean to write a heartfelt show. Let me just tell you that. I couldn’t not, as it was developing, it was like, “Oh no, I’m saying something real.” So, of course, there are some nods to NPCs and, of course, we get to hear how NPCs came into being.

There’s some Nepo baby jokes of like, “You were like an NPC that got inherited.” There’s villains. And then Acts 2 is like a reconciliation of what it means to make your life matter based on someone else’s standards. And then how you have to reconcile with stop doing that.”

Temple of Geek: I mean, it makes sense. The NPC has become the main character. There has to be emotion and pathos there.

Amy Vorpahl:

“Exactly. I think I’m drawn to the NPC thing because they’re not player characters and they’re not the Dungeon Master. They’re actually on many levels replaceable and completely deletable, honestly forgettable in some cases. I have a whole song that’s called the basic boys. And it’s about the Jeffs and the Kevins and the Bobs and the Jim, Jimmy Johns.

Whenever a player is like, what’s the guard’s name? And all of a sudden an NPC is created because you have to come up with a name. And it’s like, “Yeah, but they’re all basic and generic and what is that about? Why do they get to exist in this world where this other person is trying so hard?” So let that metaphor be what you want it to be. I don’t think it’s subtle, but it is like, yeah, where do you fit in a world where some things seem to come so easily to other people?”

Temple of Geek: It is that thing, when you’re playing, there’s an NPC with important information, the Dungeon Master needs to pass on and they die. The Dungeon Master is not necessarily like, “Well, info’s gone forever.” You can find another NPC real quick around the corner who also knew that. Wow, weird.

Amy Vorpahl:

“Yes, yes. And the level of effort put in to an idea doesn’t always directly relate to the output or the result that is experienced by the players. There’s another metaphor, sometimes people just slip and fall into luck. Totally possible. One of my best songs I ever wrote and that got way super popular, “The DMs Lament,” I wrote in 30 minutes before a gaming session.

I was like, “Oh, I had told everyone I was gonna write a song this week. Oh, I have 30 minutes, okay.” That turned into the best song. The other song I’m thinking of is, “I DM,” and I spent weeks on that song, trying to make it like a really cool 90s pop anthem. It worked out great, but it took three weeks versus 30 minutes.

And then some I’ve worked really hard on and I can’t even put on the album. They’re like, “Oh, I wrote a bad song.” It’s like the indirectly related stuff. Everyone’s like, love the process. Yeah, and also completely surrender, like nothing means anything.”

Amy Vorpahl Shares Her Songwriting Process

Temple of Geek: What is your songwriting process for this? Was it around the plot? Was it an idea where you were like, I know I wanna talk about this.

Amy Vorpahl:

“It meandered. It started with one song and actually the show began being named ‘As Long As There’s Magic’ because that was the point of view, the philosophy that the main character had and still does. That song is still in the show, which is, man, as long as there’s even a little bit of magic, it hides a multitude of sins. I’ll forgive anything. I’ll go along with any kind of plot. I’ll do anything if there’s just a little bit of magic. It’s nostalgic and sentimental.

At the same time, it’s also a little toxic. Like, really? You’ll do anything and you’ll say yes to anything if there’s a little bit of magic. Where are your standards? I think at the beginning of the show, it’s this almost like Disney princess kind of point of view. The song is written like that. But by the end, you kind of get a little peek behind the curtains of like, I think there has to be magic as, like what is your definition of magic? It’s a cute thing to say, but really you also need to have a backbone.

Anyway, so that song began and then there were other character songs. I’ve been doing a lot of musical improv. Let me just tell you that. When you do musical improv, you can kind of feel what a song is. So sometimes it’s like a character song. This is my philosophy, this is who I am. Sometimes it’s a, “Gosh, I wish this were true, but it’s not. I wish this could be true. And I know I’ll get there.” Just this philosophy or villain or seduction, or the song is just, “Hakuna Matata.” This song is just for sh-ts and giggles and here we go. 

And so as I was writing it, I tried to plug them a little bit more into the plot, but there were a few, one of the songs I wrote, it didn’t have a spot in the show. I just knew I had to write it. It’s called “We Are Friends.” And it’s about an experience, I think we’ve all had. Where the song is called “We Are Friends” and it’s a very celebratory, like jazzy, song, but she does protest too much that we are friends.

Because you can tell the character really wants us to be more than friends, but one of the lines is, if the entire playing field is friendship, how can you be friendzoned? There’s nothing more than friends. We have nothing more to talk about. We are friends, over and over, we are friends. And so I wrote it just because I knew the character’s point of view. I didn’t know who was gonna sing it. I didn’t know where it was gonna fit in the show, but it’s found its home and it’s a nice little funny comedic moment right after some darkness in the second act.”

Temple of Geek: I’m really liking this layered duality that you have really infused into the show. It’s one of the things I always love. When I’m reading a book or watching something where the top layer seems very, not simplistic, but you understand what’s going on. And then you think about it just for a second. You’re like, “Oh, that is dark as sh-t. What is happening”? I love that because to me, one it’s perfect for comedy, but two, it just brings out a deeper story than you might anticipate. That’s such a cool piece that I’m getting just from talking about it.

Amy Vorpahl:

“The Sad Girl song that I wanna tell you about, it’s called, “Does the Disappointment Cancel the Delight?” And it’s a song about how when you’re trying for something and you’re in the process and you have this hope that this thing could be real. You’re trying really hard and it seems great. You have hope and that there’s delight there. And then the thing happens, it comes to pass and it goes horribly. It actually goes so bad that it’s irredeemable.

You will have to pivot. There’s no other way around it. You’re disappointed. And it’s asking the question, “Gosh, was it worth it? Was it worth it? Was hope even worth it? Should I just not have hoped in the first place?” We never get that resolved in the song. It’s a sad fricking song. The metaphor is about when you see a coin on the road and you’re like, oh yeah, I’m gonna go pick up that coin. Oh, it’s not. It was a sparkle in the concrete or it was a hot day.

Or sometimes you see the screw head in the concrete. You’re like, why is there a screw holding down the road? I don’t understand. Or it’s candy trash or it’s whatever, but it wasn’t a coin. And the last line of the song goes, or almost the last line goes, “you had made a move to pick it up. Now you feel like it’s not fair. You’re in public and everyone saw you reach for what’s not there. And that’s also really hard.”

Cause you’re like, “Oh, if you think about it, yeah, it’s disappointing. But then what about everyone who saw you try?” And that song, even right now, I’m getting misty about it because I’m like, oh God, I’m gonna have to perform this. It’s so real, but it’s also, it’s hard. I don’t want my therapy in this show and yet my therapy is going to be in this show.”

Temple of Geek: It works.

Amy Vorpahl:

“You’re like, I’m sold.”

Temple of Geek: There’s never a piece of art that doesn’t have the person’s therapy in the show to some degree. It’s impossible.

Amy Vorpahl:

“Yes, I hear you and it wasn’t the intention. We got to this point. I have one more song left to write still. And that was the last song I wrote. So getting to this next song has been a little tough cause I’m like, I’m a little scared of what’s gonna come out.”

“The Story Took On Its Own Life”

Temple of Geek: What has been maybe the most surprising part of this process and how the musical has evolved since you initially had the idea?

Amy Vorpahl:

“The most surprising part is that I lost control of the story. The story took on its own life. And then number two is who I’ve become making it. I just challenge anyone to write a one-person show that you know you’re gonna put on in public and not wrestle with your strongest and most hidden demons. Everything I’m talking about, about with the show, is something I’ve gone through literally in the process of this show.

It has been hard. So, the mental load of making a show that you thought was not about yourself and is, yeah, it’s almost like I kind of wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemies. And yet I hope that every single one of my friends has a process like that because it’s transformative. And that was really surprising because I set out over a year ago going, this will be cute and silly and fun and dumb and stupid. And I’m gonna hold the audience hostage and make them listen to me sing some songs.

Literally, that’s what I thought was gonna happen. And instead, I’ve been in and out of therapy. I’ve written, I’ve not written, a lot of panic and anxiety attacks, lot of wrestling with being truly seen. And it’s in the show as well. And so, I don’t think this show was a light, fluffy, just purchase it at CVS buy. It’s like, oh no, literal tears. Hard to say blood was spilled, but literal tears and sweat. And a lot of fight and commitment, determination, getting back up, being rock bottomed and then just bouncing along the rock bottom floor for a while has gone into this show.”

Temple of Geek: Yeah, I mean, it makes sense to a degree because, not that you’re hiding within an ensemble, but everything is on you with this. You have to have all the characters, all the interactions that all come from you. It’s not something where you can play off someone else. So, it totally tracks that while it started, it’s very, ha ha, this will be silly. It became, oh man, there’s a lot more to this than I anticipated.

Amy Vorpahl:

“Yes, exactly. I wish I had more to add to that, but yeah, you got it. It’s like a standup, you’re writing and performing. So, if it’s bad, you can’t just be like, well, the writing was bad, but I’m just performing it. And if you’re the writer, you’re like, well, the actor didn’t quite get it, how I meant it. It’s like, no, you’re in charge. You take the victory and the blame.”

Temple of Geek: What are you most excited for people to walk out having learned or experienced after seeing this?

Amy Vorpahl:

“I think a couple of things. One, I think the show is cathartic and joyful. I think people will leave feeling so much joy. I hope people leave thinking if they’re in a rough spot that the whole world’s open to them and their orbit. The way they’re perceiving their life of not having enough opportunities, they’ve just been in a smaller orbit and the orbit can be as big as they want it to be. I also hope that doing this gives permission to others to express themselves. 

I would say that reason is the number one reason I’m still doing it, because it almost feels like, oh, if I just say, yeah, I’m not gonna do it anymore, that also gives people permission to hide their art as well, or their expression. I don’t think it’ll be perfect. I think there are really catchy songs, really fun songs. I’m in my own process as far as talent and skill. 

And I’ve been in voice lessons for about a year and I’m still in process there and I’ll have the voice that I have on the day of the show and I’m still gonna sing the songs. And so, I hope that anything that feels imperfect is also permission. Like, Oh yeah, you actually can, you can express yourself in a really meaningful way without being the superlative whatever.”

There are still 16 days to support Amy Vorpahl’s Kickstarter for “She’s Got Non-Player Character Energy.”