In The Moment

In the Moment with Amber Ruffin

2011-09-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

Amber Ruffin started improvising at IO in Chicago. She then moved to Amsterdam to become an actor/ writer/ improviser at Boom Chicago for 2 years. Then, to Denver to write and perform in a show for The Second City.Then, Chicago to do the same at The Second City mainstage Chicago. After 2 shows there, She returned to Boom Chicago for 3 years. She recently moved to LA. I give it a month.

How were you introduced to improvisation?

I was introduced to improv in Omaha, Nebraska (where I'm from). Our troupe would visit Chicago for CIF, and Charna Halpern said if I moved to Chicago, I'd be a paid improviser in a year. I got Boom Chicago in less than a year.

What improvisers had the biggest influence on you when you first began your improv career?

When I first moved to Chicago, I loved People Of Earth. They were a team at IO that played with no rules. It was its own genre of comedy that should be called "genius frat". It was young and fun and smart as hell. Once, they got the suggestion of something like chaos. They proceeded to literally rip the theater apart. Christmas tree ruined, gumball machine broken, chairs flying. They got in a lot of trouble, but it, to this day, is the best improv show I've ever seen.

When performing on the Second City Mainstage, you were often chosen to perform monologues. How did that come to be and how much did improvisation play a part?

In Second City shows, no one's really "chosen" to do anything. You just bring in a monologue on monologue day and sometimes, it stays in the show. I loved improvising for monologues. One of my monologues stayed improvised until opening. The director really wanted me to nail it down. After he stopped watching shows, I may have improvised it quite a few times more.

What was the highlight of your time on the Second City Mainstage?

At Second City, the second show on Friday is Fuck Around Friday.It's when you prank one another on stage, trade roles, really have fun with the show. Those were the best times. Because, compared to Boom, Second City is a pretty serious place.

You performed with BOOM Chicago in Amsterdam. What shows did you perform in and how did you find the experience of working overseas?

At Boom, every actor does every show. There, we're extremely interchangeable. There are about 10 of us. And every day 4 or 5 are in the home show and 2 or 3 or 4 are in any tour or corprate shows. Boom was amazing. You literally do shows all over the world, but that's not the best part. Boom is comedy basic training. During a show proccess, you could be writing a scene at 6:55 that goes on at 8. Everyone has to learn it in 3 minutes. Anything could happen. And the audience is no Chicago audience. Sometimes, you have to remember your brand new lines and calm an audience full of bachelor parties. P.S. no one's first language is English. It's the fastest way to learn how to be a performer. Not improviser or actor, but performer.

What will you always remember about Denver when you performed here in the Second City production of "How I Lost My Denvirginity"?

Denver was the best deal ever. We got to live in lovely Denver for a year while we all wrote our 1st second City revue. Everyone was so super nice. I remember feeling bad when Second City Denver closed. It closed because we came in with no advertising. So, we were preparing a show in front of people who knew the name Second City. Young, fun liberal people. But, when the show opened, they advertised to people with theater memberships. Kind of the grey-haired Jersey Boys loving crowd. I said to our producer, Kelly Leonard, "If we had known that was going to be our crowd, we could've written a show just for them". Kelly replied, "If we did that, it wouldn't have been a Second City show."
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In the Moment with Bob Dassie

2011-08-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

Robert Dassie is originally from Chicago where he studied with many improv luminaries including Del Close, toured with the Second City and co-created and performed in several long-form improvisation shows such as Trio and Quartet (at Improv Olympic) and Close Quarters (at Second City etc). He has appeared regularly in New York at the UCB hosted Del Close Marathon with Dasariski and his two-person show WeirDass, ventured out to Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Baby Wants Candy and has appeared and taught at improv festivals around the globe.

Bob can be seen on HBO's "Funny or Die Presents..." starring in "Carpet Bros." along with Tim Meadows, David Spade and Will Farrell. You can also check him out live every Thursday at the IOWest in Quartet or often at the UCB Theatre in Dasariski or A.S.S.S.S.C.A.T.

How were you first introduced to improvisation?

I was in my high school jazz band so I first heard about improvisation in regards to music. Later, I was part of my high school improv troupe and I got a little taste of improv on stage. But in both cases we didn't know what we were doing, so I consider my first real introduction to improvisation was in my first class at Second City Northwest (the suburb version of the one in Chicago).

You had a number of interesting teachers (Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrell, Dave Razowsky) when you began your improv career. What is the most gratifying part of teaching improvisation for you?

Yeah, those we're my first three teachers almost in order. Just flip Steve Carrell (#3) with Dave Razowsky (#2). They all lived in Chicago at the time and would have to drive out to the 'burbs to teach students that, generally speaking, were just taking the class on a lark. They could of phoned it in but I remember each one being very passionate to this art and its process. We were never talked down to or treated as anything less than students of the art form. They set the bar high and when I teach I strive to have the same reverence for my students and passion for the work as they had. If I have some hand in feeding the fire and I see students really drawn in to this work because of what I'm teaching, I find that gratifying.

You have been a part of so many successful improv groups (Trio, Quartet, Close Quarters, Dasariski). Do you have any advice for newly formed groups on what they should be focusing on?

Do shows that you love to do. Work with like-minded people that you love to work with and that are pursuing similar goals as you are in regards to the work. And I don't say this lightly: have fun and play.

You perform with your wife Stephanie Weir in the duo Weir-Dass. Do you have a process to evaluate your shows?

The way I evaluate WeirDass shows is similar to the way I evaluate most shows I do, especially with smaller group. Usually, general goals are mentioned before shows as well as bringing basic improv principles to the front of our mind. We know that we can never get lazy so it's always good to wake up the 'ol consciousness before going on stage. Afterward (not immediately) we'll talk about the show and see what worked and what didn't and why. We'll check in to see if goals were met, both personal and for the show. One thing we don't do is blame. If something went wrong or it got harry, chalk it up to experience, reference it before the next show and learn from it.

What was the premise and inspiration for your scripted show Vicarious with Sean Conroy?

Sean and I live very different lives. I've been happily married for ten years and have two amazing kids and a great little dog. Sean is single and does single person things. We are both fascinated by how the other one lives in a vicarious (get it?!) sort of way. We we're discussing just that at the end of 2009 and we decided that it would be fun to juxtapose our worlds on stage. So we did. There's a movie coming out with a similar premise except these characters do a switch-a-roo in their lives. We had nothing to do with this movie.

You star in The Carpet Brothers along with Tim Meadows, David Spade, and Will Ferrell on HBO's Funny or Die presents. What has been the impact of Funny or Die on the comedy world in your opinion?

Well, I'm hardly an expert on this topic, but I will say that Funny or Die has given people an outlet specifically for comedy that, arguably, they didn't have before. And because the people behind it are so respected in the comedy world that the site has a credibility that other sites can't touch.

In the Moment with Emily Wilson

2011-07-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

Emily Wilson has been performing for over ten years at places like i.O. Chicago, The Annoyance Theater and Second City. In 2007, Emily and The Ragdolls wrote Moist which they performed at the HBO/Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen and she recently completed a three year run on the Second City Mainstage, where she wrote and performed in four original revues. She has written several other shows including Devotion, which is especially close to her heart and is currently in several improv groups including Fishnutz (The Annoyance), Ginger Snaps (i.O.) and Virgin Daiquiri (i.O.). In 2011 her short film, "Special Needs" (co-written with Brad Morris) appeared at South by Southwest. It also appeared in Montreal's Just For Laughs Festival. Check it out at fultonmarketfilms.com or Funny or Die.

How were you first introduced to improvisation?

I went and saw a show at iO Chicago. I was an agent at the time and wanted to start taking classes immediately but my boss said it was a conflict of interest. So I quit my job.

What was your evolution through Second City from classes to mainstage?

I took classes at iO. I got on a team and started performing. I joined a few other groups, just to increase my stage time and grow and then I started writing my own sketch shows and putting them up around town. A director at Second City watched me, coached me, etc...and asked me to understudy some of his shows at SC. Then I was hired-about ten years after starting out! (It takes a while)

How much do you utilize improvisation in your writing?

A ton. It's key.

Can you tell our readers about your show Devotion?

Devotion was a show written by my husband Brian Wilson and myself. It was about marriage and relationships in general but, and HERE'S THE GIFT OF IMPROV, Brian and I were writing a song together and recording it so we wouldn't forget. We were annoying each other so much that we were bickering on the tape. We still wanted our director (Danny Mora) to hear the tape, so we swallowed our pride and let him hear the fight. Danny said-the song is fine. The FIGHT is your scene. the show changed after that and became more personal. Amazing director, amazing call.

What improv strengths do you feel you bring to an ensemble?

I am game for anything. Wherever you're going, I'm jumping in.

What advice would you have for improvisers that are just starting out?

Do it because you love it, NOT because of what you think it will get you. You would be surprised at how much pure love and passion brings you, as opposed to naked ambition.

In the Moment with Jimmy Carrane

2011-06-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Carrane is the co-author of Improvising Better: A Guide to the Working Improviser. He was the host of Studio 312 on Chicago Public Radio where he interviewed Conan O'Brien, Jane Lynch, Jeff Garlin, Harold Ramis, Adam McKay, Jon Favreu, Robert Klein, Tommy Chong, George Wendt and Cindy Crawford. He has taught at The Second City, iO-Chicago, The Annoyance and Victory Gardens. He currently teaches the Art of Slow Comedy at Stage 773 in Chicago. For more information about classes you can to his web site at jimmycarrane.com

He was an original member of The Annoyance Theater, Armando at The iO-Chicago and was a member of Carl and The Passions. He currently performs with Burning Desires. He has performed in some of Chicago’s most innovative and ground-breaking long-form improv shows, such as “Jazz Freddy” and “Naked” (a two-person one-hour improvised scene with MAD TV’s Stephanie Weir.)

Other theater/improv credits include: “I’m 27, I Still Live at Home and Sell Office Supplies,” “Godshow,” “Every Old Man,” “Living in Dwarf’s House” and “Summer Rental” at The Second City etc.

Jimmy was recently seen in the films “LOL” and “Public Enemies” with Johnny Depp. His other film and TV credits include “ER,” “Natural Born Killers,” “Early Edition,” “The Untouchables,” “Stash” and “Tapioca.”

How were you first introduced to improvisation?

It was in my senior year of high school, and I had gone to Second City with some friends and I was blown away. After I graduated, I had no direction and no interest in college, and I needed something to tell my friends I was doing besides delivering office supplies, so I started taking improv classes at The Players Workshop of the Second City. After the first couple of classes, I realized that all the time I had wasted on being funny in school had paid off. I was hooked. I was hooked bad ― so bad that if improv was crack, I would have been dead by age 23.

What should improvisers expect from your Art of Slow Comedy Class?

You can expect to learn how to slow down and shut up. Improvisers talk themselves out of scenes all the time with their frantic energy, and worse, with their mouths. They will learn to connect to their partner with the silence at the top of the scene, and when they start doing that, the relationship, the environment and the game of the scene will fall right into to their lap. The Art of Slow Comedy teaches people that it’s not important to try to be funny. Instead, you’ll learn how to trust that the funny will come to them, and by doing this, they’ll be even funnier. Some get it more quickly than others, and I have been known to beat the funny out of people, of course, in a loving way.

You have mentioned “playing things real” in previous interviews. What does that mean to you?

Comedy is so much more effective when the players are emotionally invested in the situation.

Look at films like “Bridesmaids” and “The Hangover.” You believe everything that comes out their mouths, regardless of how ridiculous the situation is. “Playing things real” means being effected emotionally by your partner. It means responding to your partner like you would in life or in the character’s life. I think they call this acting, and good improv is good acting.

I want the improvisers to take me on a trip with them, and this can only happen if they believe what they are doing up there and when they do it, they can take the audience anywhere. Too much of improv is about being witty. People forget they are actors and they think good scene work is stringing together enough bits until they get edited. I like a good bit every now and then, as long as it is grounded in the relationship and they players are listening and reacting to each other. It’s up to you to make it great theater or to be an awful parlor game.

What was the evolution and the history of the group Jazz Freddy?

Peter Gardner had put it together and directed the first show. He asked me to join, and I had been on a Harold team with him at the Improv Olympic in the late ’80s. He assembled some of the best improvisers in Chicago at that time, and then Dave Koechner and Kevin Dorff, who had been in New York with the Annoyance Theater’s “Real Life Brady Bunch,” came back to Chicago and joined Jazz Freddy. What made the show great was the commitment we all had to the process. We rehearsed three nights a week. We treated it like we were cast in a play. We did not miss rehearsal to do other things. That would never happen today. We made Jazz Freddy our number one priority. The second run I remember we did not let Rachel Dratch and Pat Finn do the show because they could not make the rehearsal schedule since they were touring with Second City. That is how serious we were. I am proud of that show, and I find it cool that after almost 20 years people still want to talk about it. It influenced the next generation of long-form improvisation. Thanks for asking.

What was the best note you were ever given?

Good Question. (Stalling to come up with an answer). Last night Eileen Vorbach said in rehearsal, “You are enough.” I have been saying it for years to my students, and it actually felt good being on the other side of it. I could not hear that note enough. “We all are enough,” if we just can get out of own way, and when I do that, I will let you know.

In addition to reading your book, what are some things improvisers can do to become better performers?

Continue to learn; it’s all in the learning. If you always wanted to do stand up, do it. If you want to study acting or dance, do it. If you think you have learned everything there is about improv because you have been performing for years and you want to go and take another class, do it. The best people are constantly learning. I still take classes, for my teaching, for my performing, and for myself. When I stop learning I die. The fun and excitement is replaced by jealousy and bitterness, which never helps in any area of my life. The other thing is don’t make improv your whole life. Take breaks now and then. I know it’s hard not to make it an obsession because it is so much fun, but you need to take care of yourself because if you don’t, it will affect your work and it will show on stage.

In the Moment with Sarah Nowak

2011-05-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

Sarah Nowak is a graduate of the Second City Improv Conservatory in Toronto and has studied improv with Ali Faranakian, Ptolemy Slocum, Kurt Braunholer, Pat Shay and many others. Since moving to New York, she has performed with the improv groups Jesus Chrysler, Chicken Ranch, Team Fernandez, The Strange Box of Dr. Oddbody, Kill Secretary, Kill, and has hit the festival circuit with the independent ensemble Sid Viscous. She also occasionally enjoys performing in live scripted works of varying lengths. She currently performs every Saturday with The PIT’s improv house team The Baldwins.

How were you first introduced to improvisation?

A million years ago, someone handed my brother Adam a flyer for a free "comedy workshop". We went to the workshop and learned some short form games and then we were asked to join the team, which became the Buffalo chapter of Comedysportz. I didn't know what improv was, I was just goofing. I loved comedy but had no aspiration to be on stage, I was a pretty quiet kid up until then. I ended up being in the first improv show I ever saw, which is mildly unsettling, since we charged people money to watch it. Later, I saw the Calendar Girls in Chicago, which was my first time seeing a long form show. They did a LaRonde, and it changed my life. I didn't know improv could be like that, just scenes flowing into one another with no no wigs, no stupid songs, just these two women being really honest and playing real. It was hilarious, I wanted to see more of it and I wanted to do it.

You studied at the Second City Conservatory in Toronto. How popular is the world of improv and sketch comedy in Toronto?

Enormous. I went up there once or twice weekly, mostly for my classes or to see a random show, but I couldn't really get into the scene up there because I don't drive and I was relying on my boyfriend at the time. It's unfortunate, because I really loved it and I briefly considered going for Canadian citizenship in order to keep working up there. But the Training Centre at that time was huge. When I was in the conservatory, Mike Myers was really popular and I think that brought a lot of people in.

You perform at the Peoples Improv Theater in NYC with the house team The Baldwins. How would you describe the Baldwin's style and form?

Our form is sort of a Deconstruction/loose Harold. We don't have a hard form, or, we might and I am just not paying any attention to it. I like to think our focus is solid scene work. We play a little slower than some groups, and try to bring everything back and explore every discovery. After shows we sit around and talk about all of the things we forgot to bring back. It's a group of smart, respectful people, so things rarely go super blue.We're also a group of teachers and coaches, so we can get a little analytical of our own moves. Something I like about us is even though the group has been around for four years, we're still exploring new ways to play and unique ways to keep our shows interesting to the audience and to ourselves. We recently took a Contact Improvisation class together, which, if you don't know, is a dance class where you are in constant, sweaty and grunty physical contact with another person. It made for a lot of inside jokes, if nothing else.

Can you tell us about the improv-horror show you produced called "The Strange Box of Doctor Oddbody?

That's actually my brother Adam's show, we've produced it together the past few years and have cast my team The Baldwins as the players. He and I are hardcore horror nerds. In the show, Adam plays Dr. Avery Oddbody, who is a sort of crypt-keeper type host, and he gets the titles for three different stories, and we perform them.

The improv itself is different, because we are limited within each story to that universe, which is really fun to play. Instead of exploring the suggestion, we explore one narrative at a time, and bring it all back to a gruesome end. We have a few rules, one is that we can never have a monster that already exists. No Dracula, no werewolves, NO Twilight references. We have to create our own monsters and work within a lore that we are creating on the spot. Its a really fun challenge and it is, every time, very scary. For our run last year, the first story of the night was always performed in the dark with flashlights and our suggestion was some kind of horrible sound Adam would play from the booth. The shows were always pretty funny, don't get me wrong, but the experience of being in the dark was always very, very scary. I remember playing a scene with Jen Curran, another Baldwin. We had exited a scene, went through a transformation and returned as snake creatures, slowly crawling out on stage on our elbows with our heads down. I have no idea what it looked like but I remember really scaring myself with that.

I always marvel at how it is funny, but also very scary, and for those to things to exist together, it's my favorite everything.

As a Level 1 teacher at the PIT, what message do you want your students to leave with after finishing their first level of improv classes?

Beyond the basics, my hope is that they know in their bones that they already have it in them to do it. A lot of times you see people come in with the heightened awareness that they are in a "comedy class" and they start working really hard to make scenes interesting or to say funny things. The funnest part for me is to watch them figure out that they are already interesting, and that human beings are hilarious as ourselves.Kevin Scott (whom you have profiled before) told me something I tell my classes all the time, which is "Human beings react to human behavior." Real, honest reactions are the most powerful. I hope they come away from my class with that and a real desire to keep exploring improv and participating in its evolution. Also, seriously, don't eat in class or rehearsal. It's so gross.

What is it about improv that makes you want to continue performing?

The money! It's too good! I am CLEANING UP.

I guess much of my life is wrapped up in it I wouldn't know how to stop if I wanted to. But also, after the 100 million years I've been doing this I am learning new stuff all of the time like it's my first day, and I still really look forward to getting on stage every week. I get really excited to see what's going to happen. It's goofy but true. The people are the best you will ever meet. Everyone is so different but so kind and cool and fun to hang out with. I am very lucky to have found this. And also the money.

In the Moment with Dave Razowsky

2011-04-09T13:05:00.000-07:00

David Razowsky has over twenty years of experience acting and directing with Second City, IO West and Steppenwolf, and he has taught improvisation for over fifteen years. He has served as consultant to Dreamworks, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and Boom Chicago. He served as Artistic Director and Dean of Second City Training Center, and as Faculty in the California State University system. He continually teaches improv around the world, from Fresno, to Denver, to Norway and The Netherlands, and continues to act and direct professionally in Los Angeles.David has appeared on Spin City, Roseanne, The Weekenders, The Young and the Restless, Working and many other TV shows. He's a frequent ensemble member and writer for the Second City Mainstage in both Chicago and Los Angeles.

How were you first introduced to improvisation?

In 1982 or 1983 I auditioned for a show in Chicago and didn't get the part. As a matter of fact, I had a horrible audition. I think I used a Lawrence Ferlinghetti poem as an audition piece, which shows you where I was. It was just a piece I liked. I knew nothing about auditioning. Obviously. About a week after the audition I got a call from the director of Geese Theatre Company for Prisons, saying he got my name from the director of the show I just auditioned for, and would I like to audition for his show. Why not? I was 25, I wasn't getting any jobs as a photojournalist (I have a bachelors degree), I was working in a camera store (sort of like a writer getting a job selling pencils), and I was eager to move onto the next stage of my life (nicely punned, Dave). I auditioned, got cast, and was improvising non-comedic theatre in prisons across the United States for the next 10 months. It changed my life in wonderful ways.

The cast of Stacy's Not Here features so many wonderful improvisers. How did the group form and get it's name?

Peter Murrieta wanted to put a group of actors together, with the intention of it being like a band: each actor would give a specific feel to the work, they would know their instruments and perform them confidently and organically. We have been together for over 12 years. This is our last month together. Dee Ryan is moving to Chicago with her family. It's sad, but life's only constant is change. As far as how did we come up with the name, we were sitting around trying to come up with a name. I suggested "Stacy's Here," someone thought it was too cute. "Stacy's Not Here" was then suggested. The rest is what made you ask the question.

In addition to being an instructor at iO in Los Angeles, you also teach bi-weekly drop in classes at Theatre Asylum. What do you enjoy most about conducting the drop ins?

My life, my work, my art, my journey has congealed. I see something that inspires me, which I then investigate in my classes through exercises. The majority of workshops I conduct around the country are made up of Drop-In Workshop work. Here's a link to my drop-ins: http://www.davidrazowsky.com/davidrazowsky.com/Drop-In_Class.html

What is your philosophy on the "rules of improv"?

There are no rules of improv. We get in trouble in life as in art when we attach ourselves to dogma. The only thing that matters in improv (as in life) is how connected and mindful you are in this moment. Your whowhatwheredon'taskquestions crap clouds people's minds and dilutes what's really important: how do you feel about what was just said? Be eager to respond, don't be eager to talk.

Is there any difference between an improviser and an actor in your opinion?

An improvisor has three emotions: lust, anger and lustanger. An actor has a long tail, a full emotional palette, is vulnerable, is present.

You are an instructor at the Master Improv Retreat for Artistic New Directions in Big Indian, NY each summer. Could you describe to our readers what they should expect from this workshop?

This is one awesome intensive, working with the finest directors of theatrical improvisation in the country. Directors and teachers from Second City and The Groundlings. Gary Austin, an original member of The Committee will be there. Michael Gellman, the man who coined the phrase "long-form improv" will be there. Rachel Hamilton, one of the best improv instructors working out of New York City will be there. It's a beautiful place, the food is delicious, and you work from 10 in the morning until our daily student performances at night. There is nothing like it in the country. Nothing. I've been associated with it for over five years, and I still can't believe I get to work with these great folks. Here's the website: http://www.artisticnewdirections.org/retreats.html.

In the Moment with Susan Messing

2011-03-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

Susan Messing, a NJ native and graduate of Northwestern University’s Theatre School, is an alumna of the iO, Second City’s Mainstage, and a founding member of Chicago’s infamous Annoyance Theatre. She continues to teach and perform improvisational comedy @ iO, The Annoyance, Second City, and is an adjunct instructor for DePaul University. Her standup act with her puppet, Jolly, was featured at the HBO/US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, and on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend and NBC’s Late Fridays, and her most impressive bit movie role was as a bad stripper in a halo brace in Let’s Go to Prison! Susan has been an improviser and comedian for over twenty four years. Nice things said about Susan include Chicago Magazine calling her “Funniest Woman in Chicago,” Chicago Reader naming her “Best Improviser” and recipient of CIF 2010 “Improviser of the Year.” You can see her fuck around in her critically-acclaimed show, Messing with a Friend, every Thursday @ The Annoyance, now in its 5th year.

How were you first introduced to improvisation?

Northwestern University has a show called "The Meow" show, which is a combination of sketch and short form. I never was in it but I remember acknowledging that it existed. During my junior year, I heard there were auditions for something called "The Harold" at this fairly new place, The ImprovOlympic. I didn't make the cut, but after graduation in 1986 I rediscovered ImprovOlympic (now iO because of threats of lawsuits from the International Olympic Committee), started taking classes, drank the KoolAid, and I was hooked.

What is your advice to female improvisers who say they are tired of playing mothers, wives, girlfriends etc.?

Stop playing mothers, wives, girlfriends, etc. Is this still an issue? Seriously? Even if I'm playing these roles, there's no stereotypical template we need to follow. My moms have polio, my girlfriends have no arms, my wives have a daisy chain in the next room. Just trying on stuff that interests me. Mix it up- and FYI- I don't recommend this for offstage.

How do you instruct newer improvisers from worrying about "looking stupid" on stage and letting go?

The worst thing that will happen if you look stupid onstage is that people will laugh at you and we're doing comedy so fuck you. See? Always works, even "unintentional" comedy.

What can you tell our readers about Martin de Maat (teacher and artistic director at Second City who passed away in 2001)?

Martin was a caregiver in the truest sense of the world. When he did the hokey pokey and turned the class around, THAT'S what it was all about. And yes, I am serious that he would have the class do the hokey pokey. He insisted on celebrating the individual and the collective whole. He was a wonderful teacher and an exceptional person.

So many of your contemporaries have moved to Los Angeles or New York. Why have you chosen to stay in Chicago?

I stay in Chicago for two reasons- I feel that the work here is always evolving at such a great rate and I feel that it's the most supportive place to raise my child. I love LA and New York but Chicago is home.

Has being a mom influenced your style of comedy?

I'm not sure if being a mom has influenced my style of comedy as much as the struggle of dealing with being awake and alert for a late night show. That said, somewhere in the recesses of my mind I am a bit concerned that one day my daughter will watch a pile of dvds of my show and wonder about my sanity.

In the Moment with Scot Robinson

2011-02-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

Scot Robinson is from Chicago where he cut his teeth at The Second City, Improv Olympic and The Annoyance Theatre for over ten years. He helped create over 35 original shows and logged hundreds, yay, thousands of hours of stage time. Since coming to LA, he’s managed to appear in “Anchorman” with Will Ferrell, on MADTV, Comedy Central, Air America’s “Ravenhurst”, and All Comedy Radio. Scot also appears in the hilarious book “Comedy by the Numbers” and it’s accompanying short films directed by Mr. Show’s Bob Odenkirk and continue to enjoy working with “The Office” Kate Flannery in the critically acclaimed live show “The Lampshades” at numerous venues here in LA, such as the opening act for The Dan Band, as well as the US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, the San Francisco Sketchfest, the Vancouver Comedy Festival and the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. The Lampshades also perform every month with Toby Huss in The Rudy Casoni Show at the Steve Allen Theatre. You can also catch Kate & Scot on the hit Disney series “Wizards of Waverly Place” where they play Jen Stone’s parents Marty & Elaine Finkle. And keep your eye out for Scot in Cartoon Network’s new show “Fingerball!”. In addition to teaching at IO West in LA, Scot also teaches how improvisation is used in team building, innovation, problem solving, and overcoming blocks to creativity in the MBA programs at Duke University, UCLA and Columbia University.

How were you first introduced to improvisation?

Right after graduating college I moved to downtown Chicago to be a starving artist. I was great at it. One of my best friends from school asked if I wanted to take an improv class with her. I only knew what it was because Chicago was the home to The Second City. We all knew about Second City from the original cast of SNL and SCTV. All you had to do was see a few of the free improv sets they’d do after each show and you’re hooked. Back then people like Mike Myers, Chris Farley, and Bonnie Hunt were on the mainstage not to mention Steve Carrel, Steven Colbert & Amy Sedaris were in the touring company on their way up. Soon after I started my first class at The Players Workshop of The Second City, Mick Napier was starting up the Annoyance Theatre and began teaching his first classes. At the same time Improv Olympic (with Del Close) had just started gaining a foothold, so it wasn’t long before I was working at Second City as well as studying & doing shows at The Annoyance and IO all at the same time. I wasn’t the only one doing this. It was really a golden age of improv in Chicago, before it became such a popular art form. There was ample class time with the best teachers in the country and a relatively small community of performers, so you got tons of stage time.

You were involved in so many shows at the Annoyance Theater in Chicago. Which show was your favorite and why?

They were all so much fun, mainly because everyone had permission, and a good understanding of, improvising within the “script”. I put “script” in quotations because none of the shows ever had an actual written script. It would probably help to understand how we created our shows; Whoever the director was, they’d cast it and start rehearsals. Sometimes the director had an idea of the kind of show they wanted, other times, they had no idea. In rehearsals we’d improvise scenes to try out different characters, relationships and situations. Once everyone decided on their characters, we’d improvise more with the director exploring different relationship pairings, situations, etc. (more of the same, but in a more refined way), all the while constructing a storyline out of the best scenes. Most shows the performers would work with the musical director and write songs for their characters. The director would have to strike a balance with all these characters, storylines, and songs so everything made enough sense. Once the show started it’s run, they’d continued to evolve because people would try out different lines/jokes/bits and the cast would discover a lot of new things. As long as we knew where we needed to get to in our scenes, we’d take different routes there. It kept the shows interesting for us as well as the audiences, some who would see the same shows 10, 20, 50 or more times. I’d have to say my favorites were "Your Butt" and “Co Ed Prison Sluts”. In “Your Butt” the cast was onstage for the entire show and it was entirely in black and white. Co Ed Prison Sluts was fun simply because it was the theatre’s flagship show. Although I didn’t originate the role of the transvestite psychologist, I did the show for over 4 of it’s 10 year run. And I got to work with Kaluah the dog. I believe she was the only cast member to never miss a performance.

You started your improv career in Chicago and moved to Los Angeles in 1997. What changes to the improv scene in Los Angeles have you witnessed over the past decade?

Back when IO West, Bang Theater and Second City LA were getting started people in in LA really weren’t sold on improv at all. Being responsible for someone else’s success just wasn’t how LA actors thought. People would take classes just because their agent told them to, to pad their resume. Consequently their performances were sub-par, which didn’t help matters. It wasn’t until various theater’s reputations of having healthy creative processes and no B.S. politics that a sense of community grew and students began committing themselves to the time it takes to develop. Of course that’s when industry people started coming to check them out. Striking that balance between process and product has always been difficult here so I’m very impressed by the strength of the improv community here.

You currently teach Heightening the Scene (Level 3) at the IO in L.A. What do you hope your students take away from your class?

I’d like my students to show the utmost concern for each other on stage. Taking advantage of every opportunity to show us another facet of your personality is a lot easier when you show your partner your utmost concern. Heightening can mean different things, and students should understand the different ways to achieve it in a clear, concise way. People resonate with different ways of going about it. My favorite definition is Mick Napier’s saying, “Be more the way you are”. We get to know the people in the scene better by learning what’s important to them, and getting to know them better is the whole point.

You appeared in the hilarious "Ron Burgandy / Aqualung / flute scene in the movie Anchorman. What was that experience like for you?

You can get a pretty accurate idea of what the movie set was like by how playful the movie is. The director Adam McKay is an old IO guy and a lot of the cast were seasoned improvisers. The set definitely had that feeling. Just a ton of funny bits from everyone, in every scene. I think most comedy people would want to work in that kind of atmosphere. The only downside is that some very funny people got cut out because they shot SO much funny stuff.

You have been performing as lounge singer Hori Pismo with Kate Flannery in the musical lounge duo "The Lampshades" for over ten years. What has been the evolution of that show?

We started doing The Lampshades back in 1991-92 at The Annoyance in Chicago. Kate and I were doing “Manson: the musical” and “The Real Live Brady Bunch” at the time. We were both fans of old Hollywood, the Rat Pack and old music. We both always wanted to do a lounge act so we asked our very talented friend Dave Adler to help with the music. We’d meet for a couple hours each week and come away with 2 or 3 new songs we’d try out next show, which was opening for Jimmy Carrane’s show “I’m 28 and still live at home and sell office supplies”. Of course the audience didn’t know there was an opening act, so we’d be in a hole before we even started our set. It was a live music act then, and I would drink real scotch before and during our sets. We’d go off on tangents, sing the wrong lyrics, and discover lots of new material simply by virtue of not knowing what we were doing. Kate was a saint considering how Dave and I loved to go off to crazyland. We also tried it as an hour and a half variety show with bad sketches and weird guests. We’ve played so many ridiculous shows in such adverse situations over the years; wedding showers and receptions, a tent in Caesar’s Palace parking lot, nursing conventions, the gay porn awards (you get the picture) that we’ve developed a lot of material which gives us a lot of creative latitude to play it loose and continue to improvise and keep the show feeling fresh. I recently decided to make my character Hori Pismo a happier drunk, which is a departure, and the energy is very different. It’s exciting for everyone not knowing what’s going to be different show to show. It keeps ‘em coming back and keeps us growing as performers.

In the Moment with Katie Rich

2011-01-16T18:48:00.000-08:00

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.

In the Moment with Craig Cackowski

2010-12-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

Craig Cackowski began improvising in 1989 with the College of William and Mary's I.T. After moving to Chicago in 1992, he studied at the Improv Olympic with Charna Halpern and Del Close. He has played on numerous Harold teams over the years at iO, including Baby Wants Candy, Carl and the Passions, and Cog. He has taught for iO and iO West since 1995 and directed such shows as Frank Booth in The Blue Velvet Lounge and J.T.S. Brown. As a Second City cast member, he co-wrote and appeared in five revues on the Chicago Mainstage and E.T.C. Currently residing in Los Angeles, he teaches frequently at the Second City and iO West, where he is the three-time winner of the Del Close Award for Teacher of the Year. He may be currently seen in such longform shows as The Armando Show, Quartet, and Dasariski, his long-running 3-man show with Robert Dassie and Rich Talarico. Film and television appearances include "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Community", "How I Met Your Mother", "Arrested Development", and "Year of the Dog".

How were you first introduced to improvisation?

I was a freshman at the College of William and Mary and saw our college troupe, I.T. in the lobby of the cafeteria. They seemed to me like the coolest, funniest and most literate people on campus, which should give you some idea of how cool I was! I was too intimidated to audition that year, but I followed their shows for two years before I finally got in my junior year. It was a mixture of shortform and Harold. I was hooked for life.

Your sister Liz is also a comedian. How was humor valued in your family growing up?

Everyone in my family is funny. We love to laugh. My dad has a high-pitched laugh and would laugh too long, too loud, and at inappropriate times when we would go to the movies, so much that my mom would constantly shush him. More importantly, we're all willing to laugh at ourselves and our mistakes, which gave me the requisite humility for a career in show business...never take yourself, or anything, too seriously!

You performed with Second City touring company, etc., and Main Stage from 1995 to 2002. Is there an experience from your years at Second City that stand out for you?

Wow...so many great experiences, it really was like going to comedy grad school. I learned so much about timing, about refining a scene, adjusting to different audiences and fellow performers. But for one, single memory: I was lucky enough to work there during the 40th anniversary celebration, when a bunch of alumni came back. David Pompeii and I wrote a scene called "Gourds", a slow, character-driven scene about an African-American man and an immigrant striking up a conversation on a courthouse bench. Alan Arkin attended the show during the anniversary weekend, and made a point to compliment us on the sketch and how it reminded him of the type of scenes the original company did. It felt great to know that one of Second City's original, legendary cast members felt we were honoring the spirit in which the company was created.

You spent a number of years studying and performing in Chicago. What brought you to Los Angeles?

After leaving the Main Stage, I felt there weren't enough new challenges for me left in Chicago. I would kick myself if I didn't give L.A. a chance and challenge myself to be an actor where there's more opportunities (and more rejection) than anywhere else. There's film and TV projects that come through Chicago, but I found that I was agonizing over the 4 or 5 big auditions I would get a year...I wanted to be in a place where I had 4 or 5 big auditions a month, where it was no big deal.

You have been traveling to perform or teach in other improv cities (with a possible visit to Denver next year). Has there been anything that surprised you in the improv communities you have visited?

It's interesting to see how much has changed in the 20+ years I've been doing improv. A college troupe was a rarity when I was starting out, now it seems that most high schools have troupes. There was no internet to share information, now previously isolated communities have the same resources available to them as the big-city folks. And there's so many improv festivals now, where you can get high-quality instruction, and learn from watching other improvisors. If anything, there's sometimes more passion and dedication in the cities where improv isn't a stepping stone to big-time show biz...it reminds me of my early days in Chicago, when people were improvising purely because they loved it.

You perform in "Dasariski" with Bob Dassie and Rich Talarico. What type of form(s) do the three of you prefer to perform and why?

There is not a form so much as there is a style. We do long, slow, 3-person scenes, and our shows usually last 45-50 minutes. Sometimes we will stay in one scene as long as possible, so the entire show is one 3 character scene, sometimes we will explore the backstories of those characters more, so it involves flashing back and forward and meeting other characters. Other times we explore the environment more, and meet a bunch of unconnected characters at a mall, or a theater opening night, for example. The show usually ends up having a loose storyline in the end, so it's fair to call it a one-act play, though we don't think of it as narrative improv.

Fear in improv is a common theme discussed among improv performers and teachers. How has your attitude about "fear" in improv changed over the years?

Fear is something to be tapped into and enjoyed. If you can use your adrenaline to help you focus rather than paralyze you or spaz you out, it's a great way of getting out of your head. I still get nervous before performances...you're about to make up an entire show, and you don't know what you're going to say, so why wouldn't that be scary? The key thing, though, is to think of it as roller coaster fear, rather than, say, dentist fear....we're going on a big, scary ride, and we don't know what's going to happen, but it's going to be FUN.

In the Moment with Jill Bernard

2010-11-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

Jill Bernard has been performing with ComedySportz-Twin Cities since 1993, and is also a founding member of HUGE Theater. Her one-woman improv piece, Drum Machine, has been featured at the Chicago Improv Festival, the Toronto Improv Jamboree, the Miami Improv Festival, Philadelphia Improv Festival, and the ComedySportz National Tournament, among others. She has taught and performed improv in Norway, Canada, and over thirty of these United States, in cities that include Juneau, AK; Spokane and Seattle, WA; Washington DC; Bowling Green, KY; Phoenix, AZ; and also on an episode of MTV “Made.” She is one-half of the duo SCRAM with Joe Bill of the Annoyance Theater. An Artistic Associate of the Chicago Improv Festival, she has studied at the Annoyance Theater, Improv Olympic, the Brave New Workshop and other organizations; and is the recipient of the 2005 Chicago Improv Festival Avery Schreiber Ambassador of Improv Award, and the 2007 Miami Improv Festival award for Best Solo Show.

How were you first introduced to improvisation?

We played Freeze Tag at cast parties for our high school plays. Yeah, I know at other high school parties they were getting drunk, we were playing Freeze Tag.

You have performed and taught in over a dozen festivals across thirty states. What is it about the traveling and festival experience that appeals to you?

I have this theory that great improv is happening everywhere in the country, not just Chicago, New York and LA. It's thrilling every time I get to see that I'm right. There's no reason that there's great improv in Cheyenne, WY or Charleston, SC or Honolulu, HI, but there it is! I also like getting to work with different students and see what regional habits are, if a whole city has a certain style to their improv related to the culture of that place, that's fascinating to me. I also love travelling. I love going to different cities and seeing what famous person has a house there that features an audio tour.

What is "Drum Machine" and how was it created?

Drum Machine is my one-woman improvised sweepingly epic historical musical. I say that to the audience and they laugh, and then I do it. Most of the time I use a little drum machine for accompaniment, whenever possible I switch that out for a live musician, it's so much better. It came about in 2002, I had heard of solo improv and seen Lisa Jolley's show "Jolley on the Spot" plus Andy Eninger's "Sybil." I woke up one morning and said, "There should be a show called Drum Machine." At the time I was living down the street from a music store. I walked down the block and said to the guy, "I'd like to buy a drum machine." He said, "What kind?" I said, "I have no idea, what's a drum machine?" He sold me the little cute Zoom Rhythmtrak 123 that I still use, and a little amp. I went home and spent some time laying in bed giggling and trying out the show. Originally it was just an extension of the ComedySportz game Day In The Life Musical where you create a musical based off what an audience member describes as an exciting day they've had. It's grown and changed since then. I performed at Red Curtain Cabaret some short slots, then the Chicago Improv Festival the next year, and it's taken off from there.

Many people that have been improvising for as long as you have discuss getting in an "improv rut". Does this happen to you and if so how do you overcome it?

I have the good fortune of having a terrible memory. I can't remember things. Everything always seems new to me. So I never get bored, it's how I've played ComedySportz for 17 years and still get excited every night.

There's a different kind of improv rut I call the "Sine Wave of Suck" which happens to everyone. It starts at about your ninth month of improvising, you think you've got this on lock-down and suddenly you suck. A few weeks pass and suddenly you're funny again. The first time it happens, it's terrifying, but it will continue to happen throughout your improv career. Eventually you'll learn to laugh it off, 'hello old friend!' Things to do while you're in the rut are focus on fundamentals, be efficient, provide support. I used to advise people to try to suck more and maybe they'd come around the other side, but someone who read my book really misunderstood what I was going for there, and was actively trying to ruin every scene. I think I'll revise that for the fourth edition.

What do you say to yourself right before you take the stage?

I don't know! I hope it's inspiring. My improv brother (I call him that because we started improvising at exactly the same moment, from the same audition) Eric Knobel used to say "LET'S DO THIS" in a really intense voice before we went to do corporate shows, just to relieve the tension of how tough those shows can actually be. I hope that's what I say.

I'm coaching a team right now for the Brave New Institute in Minneapolis, and when they ask my team their show goal, I make them say "To do our jobs." Our job is to play, you see. I don't really like show goals that overburden the performer. Asking someone to think about a lot of stuff consciously is going to prevent them from sailing into the zone and just doing good magical improv that flows. At least that's what I think. I don't want a lot of stuff laid on me right before I go onstage.

What was your inspiration for writing "Jill Bernard's Small Cute Book of Improv"?

I just wrote it in one spurt, overnight, on my little typewriter.

Can you tell our readers about the improv scene in Minnesota and the HUGE Theater?

In the metro area there's two big short-form theaters, ComedySportz and Stevie Ray's Comedy Theater, both celebrated their 20th anniversary last year. There's a sketch and long-form theater called the Brave New Workshop that started in 1958. A new space just opened up called Yes And Studios. There's a lot of independent teams running around performing where they can.
HUGE Theater is a non-profit. We started in 2005, and we're just about to open a theater because we believe all those independent teams deserve a home. We want there to be a place where you can see great scenic improvisation every night of the week. It was started by Nels Lennes, Butch Roy, myself, Joe Bozic and Mike Fotis - although Mike and Joe are tied up rocking the scene at the Brave New Workshop so Butch, Nels and I have pushed on to open the theater. We're in the construction phase right now. The pre-construction phase, actually, the city has yet to give the final signatures as I write this. You can read along at our blog at http://www.hugetheater.com for all the latest.

In the Moment with Kevin Scott

2010-09-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

After training with the world famous Second City in Chicago, Kevin founded Bang Bang Spontaneous Theater, which included at one time or another, Tracy Letts (Pulitzer Prize), Greg Kotis (Tony Award), Michael Shannon (Academy Award Nominee), Reggie Hayes, Paul Dillon, Amy Pietz and a host of other Chicago theater luminaries. Kevin has been working in New York City for a decade including time with the legendary Burn Manhattan under the direction of Shira Piven. He now improvises with Centralia, a ensemble dedicated to expanding the possibilities of improvisational theater and comedy. He has directed The Royal We, "Minimum Wage", "Massholia" and numerous short films the web series "Successorize," "Shouting News" and "Law & Order: Interns."

You can follow Kevin's work at funnyordie.com, youtube.com/potatopix and potatopix.com.

Who were your comedic influences growing up?

Ok. Comedic influences- I grew up in an Irish catholic family and humor was part of how we communicated; humor and guilt over the sins you hadn't committed yet. My family were all in an informal competition to be recognized as the funniest. This was great training. My father would make super -8 home movies of us and our vacations and whatnot and then play them in reverse or in fast motion and invent crazy narratives about what was happening. We also would turn down the volume on the TV and dub the voices ourselves. My brothers would kill at that. As far as professional stuff, early SNL (Belushi changed his name to "Kevin Scott" for a few episodes on the show and as a little kid this blew my mind and I was hooked) I remember liking Flip Wilson, George Carlin, Steve Martin, of course, he was like Elvis back then. I also got a lot from Bugs Bunny and the Muppets. My mother had a Nichols and May record that I used to laugh at not knowing what was funny but wanting to 'get it'. Later I did. Their rhythms are still in my head sometimes. In fact the track "Nichols and May at Work" revealed the process and the fact that it was a process and a really really fun process and I just loved that track in particular and hoped I would marry Elaine May (I haven't... Yet). I loved watching Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas and Dinah Shore do their talk shows after school for whatever comics would be on.- David Brenner, Richard Beltzer, Jay Leno, Tim Thomerson, Martin Mull, etc.; these were talk shows on in the afternoon like Ellen, Oprah or Rosie but were more like the Tonight Show. Albert Brooks stood out for me at this time, too; he was so inventive and was making short films for SNL. As a young teenager I got into Cheech and Chong and Richard Pryor. They were both doing movies at that point, and it was cool to like them, but I discovered the albums and got into them deeper. I loved SCTV and Monty Python was big for me, too- just insane premises and such comitted execution, watching them at a certain age for me was like listening to Sergeant Peppers for music fans; it was both catchy and a glimpse at a deeper world. Woody Allen's early movies would play on TV from time to time and they were must see in my house (I once laughed so hard at a bit in Take The Money and Run it gave me an athsma attack that kept me out of school for a week) later I really got into Annie Hall and Woodys other work of that period. The HBO young comedians special every year was an event in my life, just huge. I'd watch all the airings and memorize the bits to do later. This is a partial list by the way.

How were you first introduced to improv comedy?

I first did improv in High School. I got lucky and had a great director there. We would do games as warm-ups and I had license to be funny with my own ideas. I also got lucky in that there was a theme park in my home town and my first job was doing shows for kids. Again improv games were part of the rehearsal process and we would stay after work and do the games for each other. We thought we were just brilliant, then we took a road trip to see the Second City Tour Co and I saw what pros could do with the same games and I was then on a mission to be that good.

You founded Bang Bang Spontaneous Theater in Chicago which ran a weekly show for nearly 10 years. The ensemble at one time included Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Tracy Letts. What was the reason for the show's longevity and success?

Why did Bang Bang last 10 years? Low overhead.

Bang Bang started when I was in Chicago training with Second City. We just wanted to get good at improvising. One of the guys from class I asked to work out with us was friends with a group of young Chicago actors including Michael Shannon and Tracy Letts. He asked them to join. We wanted to try to meld the two types of Chicago theater at the time- Steppenwolf 'rock and roll' theater and Second City comedy. We stressed being honest and true and not shying away from dark material. We wanted to be funny and scary and have a good time doing it; and nothing was more fun than doing it well. At one point after a show, Letts said we should no longer take suggestions. We were getting some pretty bad ones for a while and how many clever ways can interpret "vagina!"? So we started doing scenes that came from us and what mattered to us. And it also changed us from short form to long form as most short form requires a suggestion from the audience. (BTW, if it was called "long form" then, we didn't know it; we had seen improvised one act plays and we knew what Del Close was doing with the Harold but we didn't know of a separation between short and long forms- it was all improvisation, just with games or without.) I don't think I answered the question but it it has something to do with the work and the desire to really do something that hits the audience hard with surprises and deeply felt stuff- there were tears and rants and nakedness on stage and off and when it worked it was a thrill to be a part of. I think audiences like the different and challenging.

Oh and we charged $1.99 per ticket. Side Note: our first mention outside of Chicago was in the Denver Post. We were very excited to be recognized outside of our bubble.

How did you find the transition of moving from the Chicago improv scene to the New York City improv scene in the mid 90's?

My move to New York happened at a time when some of the Bang Bang folks were moving to LA for work and I grew up on the east coast and wanted go back, partially because my father died and I wanted to be closer to home. I also just always loved New York. I got lucky again in that what we and others had been discovering in Chicago hadn't been seen in New York yet. We got here the same time as UCB, so there were two long-form improv groups in New York. Now there are 3 theaters doing it full time and countless other independent teams doing shows all over. We were pioneers and it was all timing. We dressed up in suits and were very physical (my group at at time was called Burn Manhattan) our director, Shira Piven had us push the theatricality and make our work more dynamic. For some new yorkers we were something cool to check out. There is nothing like being something considered cool in New York. We were part of the downtown theater scene which at that time was heavily avant garde, but we were funny. We were not part of the comedy world as much. Now there is an improv world here and were a part of that but I hope we keep some downtown-avant-street-cred.

How has the improv scene in NYC changed over the years?

New York now has its own style of improv. It's hard and fast like a lot in New York. There is still some short-form but the yuk-yuk style isn't pervasive. Watching it evolve has forced me to change my game. New York is a destination for people who want to do the work. You used to have to go to Chicago or maybe LA but now New York is just as important to developing talent. I could not have predicted how big the improv community would get here. We taught classes when people started asking how we did what we did and we would get a dozen students once in a while. UCB was doing the same thing, but who knew it would become an industry with three theaters and three training centers with full time staff and literally thousands of students at any given time. Crazy. The cool thing now is there is an audience for shows and groups take risks and work to stand out by being really good and/or really different- it pushes it all further.

You perform regularly with a group called Centralia in New York City, how would you describe the troupe's style and form?

Centralia came out of Burn Manhattan. 2 actors and our musician moved away for work and we kept on as a trio incorporating various musicians from time to time. We do a highly theatrical long form that is always evolving. Each run is based on a theme, idea or question we want to explore; sometimes personal, political or cultural. We design lighting and video elements and devise a staging set-up. We like to keep offering up something new to the audience in terms of an experience. Our aim is to do a rock concert improv show where the presentation is as important as the content. It's also important to make the audience feel like their being present is special and important to us. We hope it's clear that we are putting on a show for them and not just showing up in our street clothes to fuck around.

Our current run has us doing single stories, as much as we can, and singing songs in a cabaret format and staging; meaning it's like a one act play where in the actors and occasionally the characters will grab a mic and sing a song that has been inspired by what transpired on stage. Were still very physical on stage but we're now older so maybe not as crazy as we once were.

You have directed a number of short films that can be seen on Funny or Die (including for The Royal We). How has improvisation helped you as a director?

Improv is always part of my work as a writer and filmmaker. Some stuff that's shot comes from improv shows, sometimes improv is used to flesh out an idea. Sometimes we just grab a camera and improvise straight to tape. If improv is not used in the writing I will still use it in rehearsals or on set to get everyone in a state of play, crew included. For The Royal We we'd start improvising and re-improvise whatever worked over and over until it was set. This is the Second City method and it helps create more organic and character centered material, which is the kind of stuff we were interested in. We focused a lot on political/social satire and if you don't do that with organic, character centered scenes it can really turn off the audience; it's then all opinion and not theater. And improvising helps make it much much funnier. As for directing, I mean actually making a movie, you have to be prepared for anything to happen in production, you need to be able to Yes...And whatever comes your way. This is true in filmmaking and in life.

What projects are you currently working on?

I'm currently doing Centralia shows every week and we're also writing our second album of songs. If it all goes well we'll be doing some sort of rock and roll comedy concert show. I'm also developing a TV pilot with Freemantle Media and working with some actors towards improvising a feature film. And I'm teaching my 18 month old daughter how to yes...and.

In the Moment with Carrie Clifford

2010-09-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

Carrie Clifford lives in Los Angeles where she works as an actor and writer. She is originally from Boston, but doesn’t have an accent. Carrie studied improv in Chicago at: iO, Second City and The Annoyance. In LA, she trained at The Groundlings and Second City. Her two-person improv show, Razowsky & Clifford, performs regularly at iO West and at improv fests across the country. She is half of the stand-up act: Sky & Nancy Collins who have appeared on: Last Call with Carson Daly and Last Comic Standing. Carrie can be seen in Broken Lizard’s latest movie, The Slammin’ Salmon. She has appeared in a variety of TV shows like: Hollywood Residential, Trust Me, Carpoolers, Lovespring International. Carrie is currently dealing with an addiction to Twizzlers.

How were you first introduced to improv comedy?

In college (Colgate University), there was an improv group and I loved going to their shows. Part of me wanted to audition for that group, but I played lacrosse at Colgate and there was no way I could do both. After college I moved to Chicago. A friend of mine from work suggested we take an improv class as a way to meet guys! Apparently her sister had a ton of cute guys in her improv class. So we started taking classes at Player's Workshop. I didn't meet any potential mates, not one, but I fell in love with improv.

How did Razowsky and Clifford originate?

I knew Dave from Chicago, but I don't think he knew who I was. Dave was the Artistic Director of LA's Second City and one of the best improv teachers around, in my opinion. He ran a great program for Second City graduates. I took Dave's class, and at some point, he said to me, "Let's do a show together." And I was like, "Hell, yeah!" We got a slot at iO. Had one rehearsal. Then did our first show in May of 2005. And the rest, as they say, is history.

What is the form for Razowsky and Clifford and how does it inspire your scenes?

Basically, to start our show -- we each grab a chair and move around the stage until an audience member says "stop." The position of the chairs inspires that first scene and then we edit each scene by moving the chairs to a new position. Dave does an exercise in his classes based on moving the chairs. It's fun to see how much inspiration the positioning of two chairs can provide. Not only can it help determine the location of the scene, but also the proximity of the chairs to each other can dictate a lot. The whereabouts of the chairs on the stage is interesting to play with. It's fun to think, "I haven't been down stage left in awhile, let's see what will happen."

What do you enjoy the most about playing with Dave Razowsky?

Oh gosh, there is so much! I can't just name one thing. He is so playful. I have so much fun, in every show, and really isn't that what this is all about. I know he'll support me in whatever I do, and likewise I'll support him. We work so well together, yet we have very different styles. Dave is genius in his space work! The man can sew a wedding dress or weld the space shuttle. He does amazing space work in every scene. I, on the other hand, will often get through a scene and have not touched a damn thing! Dave likes to touch and feel and be emotional, I do not. The more emotional he gets on stage, the more stoic I get. It's a balance. And then the scene needs to change and the whole dynamic shifts.

Razowsky and Clifford have made improvised short films like Ovened Bread, Mediterranean Diet, and Mammoth in real settings. How do you like improvising for the camera compared to in front of an audience?

We love making those improvised shorts! They are each shot with two cameras and in one take. My husband, Paul Boese, shoots them and essentially improvises as he arbitrarily goes back and forth between two cameras. Paul also edits the shorts. Obviously, we don't have the audience reaction, which makes the process different from the stage. I love that we are still creating something from nothing. We haven't been working from a premise. We just start, so it is really similar to our show.

You perform sketch and stand up comedy with Clifford and Kidd and Sky and Nancy Collins. How does improvisation help you with your writing?

Amy Kidd and I met at Second City. We definitely use improv when we're writing, be it sketches or scripts. I do Sky & Nancy with Marc Evan Jackson who I also met at Second City. We do stand-up as a couple from Orange County, CA. The stand up is ultimately very scripted, but we often arrive at a joke through improv. It's great having an improv background on that stand-up stage -- things don't throw you as much.

Can you tell us about the two latest movies you will be appearing in (The Slammin' Salmon with Will Forte from SNL and Freeloaders with Dave Foley from Kids in the Hall)?

I'm not sure that Freeloaders will ever see the light of day. Hopefully that changes, but I think there are some issues between the producers and the director. I do know there is a screening in LA on October 1st followed by a Counting Crows concert (Adam Duritz is a producer, and the movie is basically about people freeloading off him). We'll see what happens. Slammin' Salmon, on the other hand, is out on DVD! It's the latest movie from Broken Lizard. It was really fun to work on. I've been friends with the Broken Lizard guys for years -- we all went to Colgate. The movie takes place in a restaurant and I play the hostess. I got to do a lot of improvising. My scene with Will Forte was cut out, but I do get repeatedly fondled by Michael Clarke Duncan! He plays the owner of the restaurant, so it was pretty inappropriate for him to fondle his employee. Michael was being too polite -- I had to give him lessons in groping and assure him he could be ruder!

Do you have any other projects coming up?

Gillian Vigman and I sold a series to Funny or Die Presents on HBO. It's called Baby Boss. It will air in January. Gillian and I play executive assistants working in an office where everyone else is a...baby boy. We got to improvise with babies. I'm talking little babies, the kind that don't talk yet. Six-month-old to sixteen-month-old baby boys. At one point we had eleven crying babies. It was pretty awesome. It can be quite exhausting improvising with babies and you truly never know what's going to happen. Gillian and I have been friends since college. She was in that college improv group I spoke about earlier. Look at that, I ended with a callback!

In the Moment with Dina Facklis

2010-08-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

Dina Facklis has been performing improvisation for the last fifteen years. She is a fixture at the illustrious iO Chicago where she performs and teaches whenever she can. Dina has toured and directed for The Second City National Touring Company, and can be seen performing as a cast member in the Armando Diaz Experience, Virgin Daiquiri, and Stubs with Brad Morris. She wrote and performed two one woman shows, Something Suite and (gasp). Recently, Dina produced, directed, and co-wrote her first pilot BRING IT IN (starring some members of Virgin Daiquiri). Her movie credits include The Weather Man with Nicolas Cage, and the upcoming Mole Men of Belmont Avenue.

How were you first introduced to improv comedy?

I had a BA in Theatre and was applying for theatre internships in Chicago. Second City offered me one and gave me a free improv class to boot. I fell in love and never looked back.

Where did you study?

I have studied at The Second City Conservatory, iO, Steppenwolf (summer intensive) and have taken Mick Napier workshops at The Annoyance Theatre.

The Armando Diaz Experience has been running at the IO for fifteen years, are there any memorable monologists that stand out in sets you have appeared in during your tenure?

TJ Jagodowski always delivers beautiful, unbelievably honest monologues. I also really loved it when Stephanie Wier (from MadTV and my improv idol) did monologues. It's really gorgeous when people can just tell the truth up there.

Could you tell our readers about the one woman shows you wrote and performed in?

Both were truly labors of love-- I developed both of them almost completely out of improvisation with the guidance of directors-- as well as previewing some of the material in front of audiences. For some reason, I seem to be in love with the themes of crisis and the unexpected and that's what guided my improv and writing in both cases...or rather, I looked back on my writing in both cases and then realized these were the prevalent themes. I keep telling my students not to worry about plot or theme-- that it will emerge naturally if you're fully committed to the moment (you know, the old Del Close quote: "Fall and you'll figure it out on the way down"). Working on both those shows proved that to me.

You are the founder of Virgin Daiquiri which is an all female improv troupe performing at the IO on Wednesday nights. Do you find that you perform any differently when playing with all women compared to a team made up of men and women?

Virgin Daiquiri has taught me what it is like to play with an ensemble in which I completely trust everyone. That is the most freeing thing imaginable to an improviser. And I really do not believe it has anything to do with gender. As long as you play with people who you know have your back, you can always perform at your best. I know all of the wonderful women on VD have my back and it makes the shows with them so alive. I've had some of my best improvisational shows with both sexes.

What is it about improv that has made you want to keep performing after 15 years?

Truthfully, it is just too much fun-- and it's always changing and providing new challenges and discoveries. I can't ever seeing myself stop. In a way, I feel like it keeps me young. And the people in it are the best around-- completely unpretentious for the most part and in love with improv as much as I am...

You produced a web series called Bring it In. What is it about and how was improvisation used in the production?

Bring It In was a concept inspired by a character that Andy St. Clair did in a Second City show-- a school's basketball coach. I was interested in working with a specific group of women I knew so I made these women Andy's middle school all-female basketball team. At the onset, the cast would meet up and we developed character and dialogue through improvisation and it was a blast. Eventually, I put a script together for 5 mini-episodes. I asked my brothers' studio-- Resolution Digital Studios- if they would co-produce it and we filmed the whole thing in a week. I just worked on a re-edit (to make it a short film) and I'm very happy with it. It recently showed at the Midwest Independent Film Festival and I was so proud of everyone involved with the project.

In addition to appearing in the movie The Weather Man as Nicolas Cage's secretary, you are also appearing in a film with many other Chicago improvisers called The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue. What can you tell us about it?

Not much except that I'm hearing great things about the edit. It was a ton of fun to do and such an impressive project for those guys to take on. They let me improvise some of my lines--which is always a treat.

Are there any other upcoming projects that you are currently working on?

Virgin Daiquiri is working on a ton of stuff for which I'm truly excited-- some short videos and some TV ideas. I'd really love us to write a musical together but our schedules are so crazy. Brad Morris (The Reckoning, Second City Mainstage) and I are also working on some Stubs' (our two-person show) projects together. I've also been writing a book for the past two years-- Essays from a Vintage, Overpriced Soapbox-- and I'm hoping to finish that this spring.

In the Moment with Frank Caeti

2010-06-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

Frank Caeti is an alumnus of the famed sketch comedy/improv theatre The Second City Chicago. He grew up in the Chicago suburb of Bloomingdale, but spent his formative years in Colorado. During his career at the Second City, he performed at the Flamingo Las Vegas, wrote and performed two original revues for the Second City etc., and toured for over two years where he went everywhere from Vienna, Austria to Beloit, Wisconsin. During his tenure in the touring company, Frank performed twice at The Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina and had the honor of entertaining the US Troops for a USO tour in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Germany. Caeti joined the cast of MADtv during the eleventh season as a featured cast member and was moved up to repertory cast member the following season. Frank has appeared in the films Bad Meat, UP, Michigan, The Lake House and Stranger than Fiction. He has also done multiple television commercials, and has worked as a sports correspondent for PGA Tour Sunday and Smash Tennis. Frank has since returned twice to the Piccolo Spoleto Festival with the shows Bills and Caeti and FrankenMatt present: Pilgrimage, where both shows received rave reviews.

You grew up in the Chicago suburbs as well as in Colorado. How much time did you spend in Colorado and where?

I moved to Colorado when I was twelve. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, and then moved to Summit County. My folks had divorced a few years prior to that and my dad moved there for a job. He’s originally from Chicago, and my mom is originally from Long Island. I lived in Silverthorne for a year before moving to the Broomfield area. I went to junior high school there and graduated from Standley Lake High School. Then I went to Colorado State University, and after graduation I moved back to Chicago. I was always a little bit of a displaced Chicagoan because I still had lots of family in Chicago and would visit often. My father also refused to drive four wheel drive cars. He would still look very Italian and always drive Cadillacs.

What was your first exposure to improv comedy?

I think I saw something at Second City when I was a kid. I remember seeing something in college. I think it was Denver Comedy Sports, which I think is a different name now. That was the first time I saw short form improv, and it looked fantastically fun.

Where did you study improv when you returned to Chicago?

I almost immediately enrolled in classes at Second City. After completing the year long conservatory program, I studied at IO, which was formerly the Improv Olympic. I also played in Comedy Sports in Chicago. Out in LA, I just recently studied at Upright’s Citizens Brigade. That has been a lot of fun as well.

What were some of the highlights of your career with Second City?

The whole thing was a highlight, It’s exactly what I wanted to do. It was my dream, and I loved it. There were some fantastic places I traveled to when I was with the touring company. I lived in Las Vegas and performed on the Vegas strip, and then the resident company in Chicago. I was actually fortunate enough to get hired by MadTV from Second City. I was still working in Chicago, so there was no lag time. They saw the show, I auditioned, and then I got hired. My whole experience with Second City was a highlight. It’s by far the most prestigious organization that I have been a part of and feel very fortunate to have done so.

How did Second City prepare you for your work on MadTV?

I guess it shaped my comic sensibility in a lot of ways. It gave me lots of stage and performance time. I actually took some characters I did at Second City and did them at Mad. In many ways it kind of ill prepared me as well because at Second City you typically don’t do impressions. For Mad TV and Saturday Night Live auditions, you are always required to do impressions. That was new for me. My impressions for my first round of MadTV auditions in 2005, were Ted Knight, Billy Corrigan, and Jar Jar Binks. Not the most relevant group.

Second City gave me all the tools I need as an actor. It shaped my point of view as a writer, and what I do creatively.

You participated in Second City's 50th Anniversary at the end of last year. What was your favorite memory from that experience?

There were so many. It was a blur. It was like being at your own wedding. It was pretty intense. I was terrified, and I get really, really star struck. One of my favorite scenes in the touring company was called Maya. It originally starred Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, Dave Razowsky, Fran Adams, and Scott Allman. It was a highlight to see that scene performed by the original cast live. That was pretty amazing. The whole event was fantastic. It was humbling to say the least.

How did you and Matt Craig decide to start FrankenMatt ?

Matt and I have had a good relationship as friends, colleagues, and ensemble members for a long time at Second City. We toured together for a year with SC Tour Co and wrote two shows for the Chicago Resident Company. It really wasn’t a decision but a matter of when we were going to be in the same city and have the time to do so. We always knew we enjoyed each other’s work and had a great chemistry between the two of us. He moved to LA in 2007, and I was here part time in 2005, but then full time in 2006, so we just hit the ground running. We were interested in working with each other and it happened shortly after he moved to LA.

How much of FrankenMatt's sketches start as improvisation?

A 100%. We created a long form called Pilgrimage which centered around the narrative of a road trip. Almost all of our sketch material was originally improvised in Pilgrimage. We would often video tape our improv shows, anything that struck us as sketch worthy we’d watch the tape back or jot down some notes. If it wasn’t initially improvised, we might explain an idea to each other, and then improvise the sketch through in front of an auidience. We’d do a series of sketch preview shows, where we try out material in front of the audience because we’re too lazy to write it down and have any certainty that something is funny. Often you learn, hey that worked as an improv, but not as a sketch. We would never write a sketch out and learn the lines. Actually, no scripts exist for FrankenMatt so when we go to festivals, we kind of drive the tech people nuts because we can’t give them a script. We can only give them cue lines for when to pull the lights, play music, etc. Within that we keep it improvisational, moment to moment. It’s really fun since it’s just the two of us. We really count on each other.

What's next for FrankenMatt?

In addition to performing weekly at Second City in L.A., we just got back from the Piccolo Spoleto festival in Charleston, SC. It went well. We premiered our new improv show called Portmanteau there. It’s a new form. Portmanteau is a single word made up of two words like “frenemy” or “spork”. We’re also performing some shows for the Hollywood Fringe Festival. We’ll perform at the Twin Cities Improv Festival this month, and then head to Austin for the Out of Bounds Improv Festival in September. We’re staying busy, but hopefully more to come.