Tag Archives: iO theatre

If you’re in the Chicago area, and love sketch comedy, your options used to be limited. Very limited. Like, say, Second City and the occasional group that had found an empty stage to play on. That’s changed over the years. Now, the newest theatre has opened their second revue, and you do not want to miss it.

Undressed

It’s called Undressed, by the same people who brought you Trap at The Mission Theatre, which is part of the iO Chicago theatre complex. I really enjoyed Trap. Undressed is even better. The seven-person ensemble has now been working together nearly nine months, and it shows. They have become very comfortable working with each other, and with their directors, David Pasquesi and TJ Jagodowski. Full disclosure: I have been lucky enough to know TJ for several years, and David for several decades. But even if I hadn’t, I’d still be recommending this show. So go. Now.You’re welcome.
#io #improv

What I’ve been doing…

Sorry I’ve been so frightening busy that I haven’t had time to post lately, so here’s a catch-up on a couple of fun things.

Python class shoot 1I spent last Sunday with a gaggle of my Python Process students at the iO Chicago, filming one of the sketches written during the last session. I’ll be posting the link here as soon as we get it edited. From left to right in the photo, it was written by Iris Kohler (with Justin Sikes), and features Sarah Wisterman, Vickie Eisenstein, and Matthew Ephraim, with camerawork by Adam Kurschat. This is the kind of silliness we’ve been up to in the class, and I can’t wait to show it to you, and tell you why we filmed it! BTW, sorry about all the moss in the writing room…

tj and dave book cover

And last night, I was proud to host a panel celebrating the book release of a terrific volume by David Pasquesi and TJ Jagodowski, with Pam Victor. Improvisation at the Speed of Life tells how they do the incredible improvisation they do every week, for years, and years, and years. Personally, I think their secret is mental telepathy, but they’re so good it doesn’t matter. I’m not saying this because I’ve known Dave since his first improvisation class with Del Close (I haven;’t known TJ nearly as long–it just feels that way). Great guys, great book. Order it. You will not regret it.

Today was the final regular session of my Python Process class at the iO Chicago. We’re having too much fun to quit, though, so we’ve got one more rehearsal, and then we’re doing a staged reading of some of our best stuff at the Chris Farley Cabaret at the iO on Friday, October 6th at 7 pm. Don’t worry, I’ll remind you again.

I’m going to be genuinely sad to see this class end, it’s a great group of people and very talented, funny writers (the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive).

Python Process class

We’re missing a few, like Stevie and Ashley and Ross, but this will show you what a presentable group they are. If you want to find out how funny they are–well, you’ll have to come to the iO October 6th.

Theodore J. Flicker, R.I.P.

…Not many people who are improvising today know of the importance of Theodore J. Flicker, which is a shame. In fact, among his other many accomplishments, he was the director of the St. Louis Compass Players, directing Del Close, Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Nancy Ponder, and the rest of the cast.

How important was he? Well, it was he and Elaine May who devised what are now known as the legendary Westminster Place Kitchen Rules, developed separately from Viola Spolin’s improv rules but just as important and influential.

After each performance of the St. Louis Compass, Ted and Elaine would sit down to analyze what worked, what didn’t, and how it could be improved. Then the group would rehearse and put the rules into action each night in front of an audience. The rules that Del taught, from “Yes and…” on down, all came about from the work of Ted and Elaine.

The list of his credits is very long (he co-created Barney Miller, for one). If you have a minute, imdb him and be impressed.

And now Theodore J. Flicker (as Del always referred to him) is gone. If you improvise, you owe him more than you probably know.

The Killing Joke…

Had a great weekend subbing for the Writing Program classes at the iO Chicago while the regular teacher went skipping off to Malaysia (Hi Michael!).

Image

Here, my Spec Script students watch two different versions of Monty Python’s “Killer Joke” on three different screens to learn how Terry Jones cut three minutes out of a nine minute sketch, without losing a single joke. Great job, classes, and I’ll see you again soon!

Happy Birthday Del

Image

 It was 80 years ago, March 9, 1934, that Del Close was born in Manhattan, Kansas. During the nearly 65 years he was with us, he taught us, directed us, appalled and entertained us, amazed and enraged us, enlightened us, and, most of all, made the world a better place for his having been here.

Del could be a walking contradiction, capable of surprising even those closest to him. He was a contrarian, a philosophy that informed much of his work and his life. He was also one of the few true geniuses I’ve ever known, with the ability to process information and observations and present them in new ways.

His life story has taken on legendary proportions, in part because Del believed that legends were often more truthful than facts. He was traveled the country with Dr. Dracula’s Den of Living Nightmares, knew L. Ron Hubbard before Scientology, appeared in The Blob remake, cavorted with the Merry Pranksters, used aversion therapy to recover from alcoholism, kicked a cocaine habit with the help of a coven of witches, became a very talented stage and film actor, helped to develop and became the greatest champion of long form improvisation, and bequeathed his skull to the Goodman Theatre for their productions of Hamlet.

Del directed John Belushi, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, John Candy, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Mike Myers, Amy Poehler, Stephen Colbert, and many others. He was co-creator of the Harold, director for Second City, San Francisco’s The Committee, and the ImprovOlympic (now iO), and “house metaphysician” for Saturday Night Live. His students went on to found the Groundlings in Los Angeles, the Upright Citizens Brigade in both New York and Los Angeles, and the Annoyance Theatre in Chicago.

I researched all the claims and rumors about his life while I was writing his biography The Funniest One in the Room. And although I discovered were some exaggerations and fictions, I learned that the most unbelievable stories were the true ones.

His ashes, along with a few photos and other memorabilia, are on display at the iO Chicago, and I’m sure he’ll be making the move when the iO moves to a new building later this year. Stop by and say hello. Del would like that.

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.

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!