A Chicago native, Katie attended Northwestern University before getting hired by The Second City National Touring Company in 2007. She left the Touring Company in January of 2011 after getting the opportunity to travel the world performing, writing and teaching. Katie is honored and humbled to be joining the cast of the Second City's 99th Mainstage review, which is set to open in late March. She can be seen in those ubiquitous Sonic Drive-in commercials, in Martin Short’s Let Freedom Hum, in Harold Ramis’ The Ice Harvest, and with Abigail Breslin in the upcoming Janie Jones. Katie would be nowhere without her friends and worse than nowhere without her family to whom she owes everything. She spends a lot of her time wondering what to do now that her dream has come true. Go Bears.How were you first introduced to improvisation?
In high school, actually. My freshman year the Fall Play was a Second City-style sketch review with short-form games thrown in, and I auditioned because one of the popular girls auditioned. Her name is Leah. She didn't get cast, but I did! I'm from Chicago, so we were able to go to Second City to see what it was all about. The show we saw was, "Truth, Justice, or the American Way" and it featured folks like Steve Carell, Jackie Hoffman, Stephen Colbert - although no one knew who they were at the time. I was 13 years old and after I saw it, I just knew it's what I wanted to do.
You performed with the Second City National Touring Company and the MS Norwegian Cruise line. What were some of the highlights of your touring experience?
The best shows were the ones in a tiny, iota of a town, like Salmon, Idaho, where the folks had never seen anything like us before and just wanted to laugh so badly. When someone comes up to you and says, "Hey, thanks for making us laugh. We needed it - it's been rough here lately," man, do you feel so blessed and happy and humbled to be doing this work.
You have appeared in commercials for Sonic Drive-Ins with Sayjal Joshi. How is improvisation utilized during those spots?
The advertising agency gets certain scenarios approved by the head folks at Sonic and then we just riff within those parameters. Sometimes there was certain jargon we had to use, like various ingredients or tag-lines, but other than that we were on our own. (I've decided all my answers are going to use the word, "folks," because they have thus far without trying )
What is your definition of a "good" improv scene?
It is simple and there is a sweetness to it. We don't see enough scenes where the characters just seem to really get a kick out of each other. Folks.
What can you tell us about your 2.5 seconds in the movie The Ice Harvest directed by Harold Ramis?
I can tell you that John Cusick is very, very tall and I believe he dyes his hair a jet black. And, that Harold Ramis is an absolute delight. Truly. He is very grounded and still a great lover of Second City and Chicago and the art of Improvisation. There is a real avuncular quality to him. He is kind and treats everyone with respect from the lowest folks on the totem poll to Oliver Platt. Who was heavier than I thought he would be. He has very big lips.
You also perform with the musical improv team The Deltones. What additional skills does an improviser need to possess to perform musical improv?
The knowledge that musical improv is not as difficult as it appears. In fact, a musical Harold can be easier than a "straight" Harold in many ways as in a musical Harold you are usually following just one simple plot. Also, you can utilize the songs as a way to describe and reveal your characters feelings through the lyrics - something that would seem very heavy-handed if done through spoken dialogue. But, while it may be a bit easier when it is done well nothing knocks the socks off crowds more than an improvised musical. Improvisers themselves don't much care for it when they're in the audience, but improvisers don't care for much when they're just watching it, do they?
And, folks, stop thinking every lyric has to rhyme. It's nice when they do, but it doesn't ruin everything if they don't. It's more important to reveal your characters emotions and to not rehash plot points that have already been established than to come up with clever rhymes.
Can you tell us about your one woman show "Katie Rich is So Obnoxious"?
I can. That was my one-woman show seven years ago and I would never like to speak of it again. I can, however, tell you about my current one-woman show called, "The Advantages of Leaving the House." I've done it in Los Angeles and in Chicago at the Just for Laughs festival and I'm actually quite fond of it. It's simply one long personal, true monologue that deals with my life two years ago when I was on drugs and going through a divorce. Well, sort of. It's along those lines. You'd like it. I'll let you folks know when I'm doing it again.
