Grumpy Guy Brings Over-the-Top Comic Relief with Web Series

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Actor Phil Powers and Theatre NOVA Artistic Director Carla Milarch, present this over-the-top web series of comedy shorts about various annoying things.

*Phil Powers as Grumpy Phil. Photo by Josie Eli Herman*

ANN ARBOR, MI - “He's the voice of every frustrated employee. He's the fist-shaker who won't bow to nonsensical norms. He's you. He's me. He's taking on The Man, 10 minutes at a time.”

Grumpy Phil is the brainchild of RSV founders Stan Mendenhall and Robin Wilt Mendenhall, together with Milarch and Powers. After these two husband-and-wife duos collaborated on a Covid-inspired short film Romeo & Juliet, 30 Years Later in 2020, and two site-specific plays in 2023 and 2024, this web series was conceived as a playful outlet for their outrage at the absurdities of everyday life. Several al fresco dinners and many bottles of wine later, Grumpy Phil was born.

Carla Milarch says: “The title ‘Grumpy Phil’ was a working title to begin with. We wanted to do an Andy Rooney type thing, only with Michigan talent and topics that we picked. We knew that Phil would be the star and that he’d be grumpy, so we’d say, ‘let’s meet about the Grumpy Phil thing’ or ‘I’ve been working on the Grumpy Phil thing.’ After a while, the name just stuck.”

Season One features three one-off episodes, with Phil ranting about three separate topics. As the season progresses, certain characters (all played by Phil) begin to reappear, and a behind-the-scenes narrative emerges.

In Season Two, the storyline expands further, and an entire world takes shape, giving actor Phil the chance to show off his enormous range. Not only does he rant about six annoying topics, but he also plays Phil’s mom, his dad, and a diverse cast of unforgettable characters including well-known figures like Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Thomas Jefferson, and Marie Antoinette.