CIF

The Chicago Improv Festival started this week. Deep Schwa was asked to open for Dan Bakkedahl and Ed Furman's Trainwreck this evening. I had never done a CIF show before, the one time I applied the submission was declined, and it was very cool, different, and fun. The show was at the Second City e.t.c. stage, a little clunky for straight-up longform, with a pretty eclectic audience. It took us a bit to tune in to the audiences frequency but once we did the show took off. I got nervy before hand, something that doesn't happen often anymore. In this situation with the illusion of higher stakes I went into the show not totally confident, edgy, doubtful. It felt good in an odd way, a challenge, a different way to approach a show, more risk involved which maybe made me a little more fluid and original with some of my choices. Maybe not. Either way the show turned out well, the audience liked it and we had fun doing it. 

Trainwreck closed the night after a break and had an amazing set. They did a monoscene, just two buddies fishing and talking, and it was a real joy to watch. They made lots of organic discoveries and were extremely patient. A vast difference to our loud, pedal-to-the-metal style. But both shows hit their grooves and the packed crowd, seemingly, came away pleased.

It's cool when people who have kind of left improv and gone on to more success(whatever that means) come back and play. You get to see what the next step looks like, get inspired, and be reminded that "it" is attainable. Whatever that may be.