Tag Archives: iO Chicago

Meaning of Creosote

Here’s another clip I’m using for my iO Chicago writing class (see yesterday). This is a classic, but is also NSFD (not safe for dinner) viewing.
At a workshop I conducted a while back, I asked Terry Jones about the writing of this scene. He revealed that it initially got an unenthusiastic response from the other Pythons, so he put it away. Then, about a month later, John Cleese rang him up and told him that he thought it could be very funny. As Terry put it, “John discovered that the waiter gets all the laughs!”
Enjoy.

How to Irritate People

Before John Cleese and Graham Chapman wrote the Dead Parrot sketch, they wrote this sketch for a special called “How to Irritate People.” When they started doing Monty Python, Graham Chapman suggested substituting a parrot instead of a car, and the rest is history. But here’s what the original sketch was like.
I’ll be showing this sketch at a writing workshop I’m conducting this week at the iO Theatre in Chicago, and thought I’d give you a peek. Enjoy.

Farley

It’s hard to imagine what a 49-year-old Chris Farley would be doing right now. Movies, of course. Naturally, SNL would have wanted to bring him back as their Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. So many things… But we’ll never know, because we lost Chris on this date in 1997. It’s hard to believe he’s been gone 16 years, despite the best efforts of so many friends who tried to help him. 

Image

My own favorite memories of him were when we were both part of the whole Chicago improv scene in the late ’80s, when everyone knew each other, closed the neighborhood bars after the shows, and crashed at each others’ places. It was an amazing scene, one that hasn’t been written about much yet, but eventually will be. (How could it not, with the talent that went through during that era?)

We had all heard about this kid from Wisconsin, the one that idolized Belushi and wanted to study with Belushi’s favorite director, but we hadn’t seen him perform. He had started taking classes with Del and Charna, but they kept insisting that he wasn’t ready to perform yet. Of course, this only made him want it all the more. Finally, they decided he was ready. I seem to recall that Del tipped some of us off, that we might want to catch this kid and his first time on a Chicago stage. Del did NOT say this sort of thing, ever, so when he told us that night, we made a point of watching.

I think we later came to accept the metaphor: Farley attacked the stage, with an intensity that blew us away. His was raw and unpolished talent, but he blew us away. Del later told him “You’re like one of those guys that the Vikings used to strap to the prow of their ships when they’re going into battle.” And he was right.

Of course, the more he studied, the more disciplined and professional he became, but I’ll never forget that first night. Miss you, Chris.

Sellout

As I write this, there are only two more spots open in my Python Process writing class at the iO Chicago. This is the one I warned you about here. This sold out almost as quickly as the Python reunion shows! If you missed out this time, cross fingers, and maybe we can offer it again soon.

If you were able to sign up for it, I’ll see you in January. This should be fun!

iO Chicago Python Process class!

I just heard that the announcement for my Python writing class is about to be emailed out. And, since I promised yesterday that I’d give all of my blog followers notice, consider yourself noticed! The three-hour workshop filled up in just a few hours, so if you want to reserve a space in this lengthier, more detailed, four-week session, this might be a good time to do it, especially as there are only 14 spaces in the new class.

Both this workshop and the previous one will take a close look at the Python writing process–how they collaborated and re-wrote each others’ material–and how you can use their methods for your own nefarious means. It should be a lot of fun, so if you’re in the Chicago area and it sounds like something you’d like, contact the iO Chicago!

iO Chicago Python Class:

I just realized that I never followed up my earlier post here about the iO Chicago class that I teased a couple of weeks ago. I actually do have a good reason for it, but that’s a pretty lame excuse.

I had long talked about doing a workshop for the Writing Program at the iO Chicago, a workshop based in what I know of the Monty Python approach to sketch comedy writing. (Hey, after sitting across the office from John Cleese for several years, interviewing them all many times, and writing with Terry Jones, some of it had to rub off.) Finally, after substitute teaching a few classes for Michael McCarthy recently, he said “What are you waiting for?”

So, I organized the syllabus and we prepared to schedule and announce it. At which point, I posted my earlier comments about a class of interest at the iO. Then, at the end of the day, the director of the Training Center told me he would announce the class shortly. When I logged on to my Mac the next morning, I was a little surprised to see that it had already filled up!

There didn’t seem to be much point announcing a class that was already sold out, so I didn’t.

But the good news is, it looks like there will be another, expanded class announced very shortly, so if you’re within commuting range of the iO and want to learn how to think like a Python, and learn the art of re-writing and collaborating, check back here. Or, maybe you should check back directly with the iO. By the time I get it posted, I’ll probably be too late again…

Committee Report

Before the Python reunion floodgates were opened a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I was working on a book on The Committee, the legendary San Francisco Improvisational Theatre. It’s a fascinating story about a theatre that should be remembered and celebrated, if only for a couple of reasons.

First of all, it was Ground Zero for the San Francisco counter-culture during the ’60s, and the San Francisco counter-culture was, arguably, Ground Zero for what we all know today as the ’60s. As one of them put it, “The Sixties walked through our door.” If you hung out in San Francisco at all during that era and had any interest in the music scene or counter-cultural events, you likely spent a little time at The Committee. And if you did, you may have rubbed elbows with Lenny Bruce, or the Byrds, or the Jefferson Airplane. Because none of the hotels he stayed at had a piano, Bob Dylan used to stop by in the afternoons to practice playing piano. The Grateful Dead played their first gig there, when they were known as The Warlocks.

And that only scratches the surface, and doesn’t delve into any of the political figures or the social events of that time.

The second reason that improvisers today ought to remember it is because The Committee gave birth to The Harold and longform improvisation. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, but I was able to track down the real story and speak to many of those involved. The details are in my book The Funniest One in the Room: the Lives and Legends of Del Close. The Committee made a couple of attempts at a longer montage format, but it was after Alan Myerson, Del Close, and Bill Mathieu, conducting separate workshops, got together and compared notes, that they began working with The Committee members to develop what they later named The Harold.

There’s a lot more to the story, of course. Del brought The Harold back to Chicago with him and the world of improvisation was never the same–but it all started at The Committee.

I mention this not because my own book on The Committee is finished (don’t I wish), but because there is also another Committee project under way. Jamie Wright and Sam Shaw, who do a terrific job running the San Francisco Improv Fest, are working on a documentary film telling the story of The Committee as this, their 50th anniversary year, draws to a close. They’re interviewing as many folks as they can for this very worthwhile project, and they ran a successful Kickstarter campaign not long ago. Even though that has ended, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if other folks decided to support them as well. Their Facebook page is here, and you can learn lots more about it. BTW, we’re not competing with my book. We’re working together and pooling resources so that they can turn out the best film, and I can turn out the best book possible about The Committee. Not because we owe them–but because they’ve earned it.

Substitute teaching at the iO Chicago: “Mr. McCarthy said we could have class next door at the Goose Island Brewpub. Please, Mr. Johnson?”

Introduced the students in my iO Pilot-writing class to Fawlty Towers yesterday. They seemed impressed. Smart group!

Subbing at the iO Chicago today for Michael McCarthy. Look out, writing students!