Commitment

Had a fun show tonight with Sight Unseen, we played some absurd, reprehensible characters and thinking about it afterward I'd say there wasn't a lot of funny lines per say, we just doubled down on these awful characters we were playing and the humor came from the situations and behaviors. Not a terribly astute observation but an interesting distinction none the less.

Set-up punch-line joke type jokes are more associated with stand up and although certainly there is that type of comedy in improv and sketch, character based content is what those mediums really exist for. And what makes for a funny show or performance is the same thing that makes for a compelling dramatic portrayal- commitment. Call it authenticity, call it honesty, believability, what have you. A characters sincerity, their realness, and the performers commitment to their POV is where laughs come from not the clever things they say.

Character is probably the main focus of Sight Unseen, we inherently go at improv in that way but just this week I noticed a couple other examples that stuck out to me. A friend just premiered a web series and its well put together, funny, but the most interesting sequence is one that doesn't have rapid fire jokes or meta elements but where there's just a fully formed, albeit extremely odd, character.  I also started watching Future Man this week and it's surprisingly fun. It's a sci-fi comedy emphasis on the latter and it is full of references and jokes but it works because of the sincerity of its titular hero played by Josh Hutcherson and the commitment of the two co-stars Eliza Coupe and Derek Wilson.

This is all to say that joke-based comedy works wonderfully in the right format but can be pretty thin when involving anything resembling a narrative- either individual scenes or fully flushed out stories. Because in drama and comedy it's ultimately the characters with which we identify. Which anchor a story and which all the pathos and humor are derived from. And the further committed the actor is to character, the more immersed, the more convincing, the more lived in, the greater potential for catharsis(laughter or tears) for we the audience.

The Numbers For 2017

Year #5 without a drink. Thanks to all the friends, family, and strangers who helped along the way.

I went on 4 vacations(Harrisburg, NYC, Denver, New Orleans).

I did 48 shows with Deep Schwa.

I did 45 shows with Sight Unseen.

The Night Shift did 1 show.

I co-wrote and performed 1 sketch show 5 times.

I conceived and shot 20 interviews for a documentary tentatively titled Chiaroscuro.

I wrote 62 poems, 1 essay, and did 6 readings.

I watched 78 movies in the theater.

I read 68 books my favorite of which was The Antagonist by Lynn Coady.

I went to 1 concert(Willie Nelson).

I saw 1 of my heroes in the flesh(Chris Rock).

I went to 2 plays(Linda Vista, Doll's House Part 2).

I went to 2 weddings.

I went to 0 funerals.

I went to 2 Michelin starred restaurants.

I moved once.

I babysat my niece for the first time.

I learned and cooked 6 crock pot recipes.

I rode my motorcycle for 7 months. I changed the battery once.

Nicole and I celebrated our 4th Anniversary.

I'm grateful for it all.

A Victory

A friend
achieved a life long dream
this week
and I'm filled
with only joy
to see
the drive
and struggle
of a decade
bear such
tasty fruit.

And of course
success will be
redefined
normalized
new dreams born
but for now
I share the triumph
of my friend
who has lept
the vaulted heights
and made it
to the promise land.

State Farm

I shot this short a couple months back, it was a fun experience. Turned out well!

Assigning Value

Most of the improvisers in Chicago are not paid. Many of the various artistic disciplines are unpaid in Chicago and elsewhere until you reach a certain echelon of success, the goal for many practitioners is simply to make a living from their creative work. This is all to say as a Chicago improviser, or artist in general, there comes a point between study and success where you must place value on your own time and work even though you are not receiving monetary compensation.

A couple years back I found myself, by my own design, on a number of improv teams with shows or rehearsals every night of the week. At a certain point I found myself creatively unfulfilled, as gratifying as improv can be there is no end result, no actual product, it is ephemeral and evaporates shortly after it is performed. So I started to scale back on my improv commitments, wrote more, focused on projects that were more clearly defined. Weighed the personal and artistic merit of the various things I became involved in. As I became more appraising I was increasingly more satisfied with the work that I was doing.

It can be difficult to say no. In general and more specifically what I'm talking about here, people directly or indirectly soliciting your involvement in various artistic ventures. But it behooves you not to over commit, not to blindly say yes to something without gauging in some way the artistic challenge and the potential for satisfaction(i.e. FUN) that can be derived. Boundaries are important and applying value to yourself and your abilities is important. It is not selfish, it is a way to continue to progress, grow, and move forward both as an artist and a person.

Expectations

A week or so ago someone reached out to me on FB to be in a video for the iO Comedy Network. I was a bit hesitant because I didn't know anyone involved. I've found blindly committing to projects can sometimes lead to frustration, creative compromise, and/or a usurping of time. But it seemed like it would be fun, require minimal commitment, and videos are not something I typically do.

For the past couple days I've felt nervous about the shoot, concerned it wouldn't be a good experience and would eat up most of the day. I did my best to curb my fears and adjust my expectations. Go into it with an open mind and a positive attitude.

It turned out great. I was there for about an hour, everyone was very nice, proficient, and professional. It was a fun experience because I was able, for the most part, to go into it without a bad attitude or preconceived notions of what it would be. Something I need to try to practice more in all aspects of my life.

HFCH Analysis

Holy Fuck Comedy Hour at The Annoyance is my favorite show in Chicago, I've written about it a number of times before, its at midnight on Fridays and its free.

Each week the cast, joined by a guest or two, put up in-development/experimental sketch ideas, some more structured than others. The result is a somewhat chaotic, frequently brilliant, always entertaining show where a collection of some of Chicago's most creative performers really go-for-broke. Yes, there is some failure- given the late hour, the typical lack of extensive preparation, the almost implicit requirement of absurd costuming, and a mercurial audience- how could there not be some. But failures at Holy Fuck can be almost as delightful as its successes. When an already insane (or even bad) idea goes off the rails there can be an almost rapturous quality to the depths, the volume, the commitment, of the failure.

From time to time I'll talk to some members of the cast after a show I enjoyed which they felt didn't go well. The audience wasn't responsive, this bit didn't get laughs, that bit didn't get a reaction. But the truth of the matter is the show was, usually, amazing. The confused, frequently drunken, random audience members that find their way into the free midnight show aren't your typical comedy audience. They may have no frame of reference for what they're seeing, a couple weeks ago there was a full Indian wedding party, last week a table with three generations of a family, people who don't typically see sketch comedy at all let alone something as bizarre and playful as Holy Fuck. There's also often a portion of the audience that is under the influence to various degrees. This is all to say the audience response isn't a good barometer for the quality of the content, especially with a show as capricious and chimerical as Holy Fuck Comedy Hour.

There's a lot of lips service paid to experimentation and support of failure in the Chicago comedy community. But there is no place where that philosophy is more in evidence than The Annoyance Fridays at midnight. It is a place where daring and courage are displayed without pretense, where expression is taken to dark and absurd extremes, and inspiration is ever present.

Moving & Success

Tonight was Bente's last show with Big Spoon, she's moving to LA this week to continue her comedy career and be with her boyfriend Jon. The past couple weeks have been hard on Nicole with the impending departure of her close friend and teammate. Along with Bente a handful of other folks have left this month for either LA or NYC. Over the past year and a half there's been a steady stream of Chicago comedians leaving for one coast or the other which has incited widespread self-examination for those of us that remain.

There is a pervasive feeling of uncertainty and restlessness going around precipitated by all the moves. Lot of people questioning what they are doing, what they want, and how to move forward. All valid questions. It is important to set goals, make progress, and seek out success. I wish the best for all the Chicago transplants and all those planning to move. However I've had the "moving" conversation with many people over the past year and a lot of the discussions have been fatalistic, viewing moving as the only option arising from fear of being "left behind".

Moving will not solve any problems or create previously non-existent motivation. Having a "fresh start" will not suddenly free up your schedule or unburden you from the internal or external things that have kept you from being productive. Moving for those reasons is termed a geographical. If you had issues with finances, relationships, or with actively pursuing your career those issues will follow you. It is not a solution in and of itself.

As my dad is fond of saying "there are a thousand paths to the mountain top". People become successful in a myriad of different ways. There is no set path especially in the field of entertainment. Are there many opportunities in NYC and LA? Yes. But there are also lots of people vying for those opportunities. All cities above a certain size have some kind of entertainment industry in which an actor can find work. You never know when and where lightening will strike.

There is also the question of success. There seems to be a common but bizarre idea that writing or performing on a TV show, regardless of quality, is success. And if that's what an individual's personal conception of success is, if that is their goal, great. But it isn't everyone's. There is no unilateral consensus of what success is. We can and should define it for ourselves. If it involves money and fame, great, if it doesn't, that's great too. But it should be our goals we are pursuing, our dreams we are chasing, not some amalgamation of vague societal pressures and expectations.

The important thing is to work hard. To create with energy and integrity. To derive pleasure and satisfaction from those things you create.

Work hard and follow your heart. If that takes you to a new city I wish you all the happiness and luck in the world. If it doesn't, you are not inferior. You're exactly where you need to be.

Facilitating

A couple days ago Kevin and Nick asked me to direct a play they'll be putting up at iO and I said I'd be happy to. We had a first rehearsal this afternoon.

They already have a concept and a detailed outline, have been handling all the various particulars actually. My function is to be an outside eye, help shape, and see the forest despite the trees.

In improv and in performing in general I don't consider myself an incredibly dynamic or hilarious performer. I'm good but not exceptional. The function I serve in most groups and what I think I excel it is being a facilitator. It's natural for me to set people up, to guide the trajectory of a show, to simplify, to streamline, to clarify. I have an ability to make things happen and push things forward, to create situations where others can shine.

Not to imply I am some humble supporter always in the back ground because that's not the case, I certainly take my moments center stage and love getting laughs all by myself. But if I were to analyze when I find the most success and feel the most fully plugged in it is when I'm facilitating and synthesizing the creative energy and ideas of my fellows.

All this is to say rehearsal today with Kevin, Nick, Brunlieb, and George was very fun and engaging. Nick and Kevin are both very frenetic and cerebral, both constantly generating ideas, and I found my natural inclinations toward simplicity and directness balance with them rather well. This next week will be very busy with rehearsals for this but it'll be gratifying work with a guaranteed interesting product.

A Murder In Cameratown at iO Tuesdays 1030pm 5/19, 5/26, 6/2.

TourCo Show

The good thing about being at this work conference in Wisconsin is that I've been able to spend a lot of time with my sister Marta and her husband Nick. We've been able to have dinner the past couple nights and visit a bunch which has been wonderful.

One of Marta's friends got a group of people together to go see a Second City show tonight. Luckily one of them couldn't make it so I got the extra ticket. We all went out for a bite to eat and then headed over to the show.

The theater was beautiful, 2000 seats and all filled. Jamison and Sabine's touring company happened to be the ones performing so it was a real thrill to get to see them do a show on the road. The show itself was great, there was a lot more improv that I was anticipating and the archive material was all exclusively from the past couple years. It was fresh, had tons of energy, and the audience was very responsive.

We chatted with Jamison and John a bit afterward and even though I had just seen both of them recently it still felt extra special to see them perform and be able to catch up outside of our normal routines. Doubly great to share the whole experience with Marta and Nick.

Goodbye Brian

The most recent in a long list of departures, Brian leaves Chicago this week. We were never very close which I regret but I watched him perform so much over the past couple years he was part of my weekly routine. The one show I see almost every week is Holy Fuck Comedy Hour and Brian was one of my favorites in that show. Always 100% committed and with the most fully formed concepts he was always compelling. He was also one of the funnest to take pictures of because he is so expressive.

I learned a lot from watching him specifically repetition, mispronunciation, and calculated anger. Repeating lines or phrases is an effective way to heighten, let the audience in, and get laughs. For whatever reason deliberately mispronouncing words is sometimes more potent than a well crafted punchline. Unjustified or hair-trigger anger can be a pitfall of new improvisers but when its calculated, when it is set in contrast to something absurd or jovial it can be used to devastating comedic returns.

I have every confidence in Brian's success as he leaves Chicago, I'll miss him still.

A Fine Actor Presents: Classics

Tonight as part of Upstairs at the Annoyance I participated in A Fine Actor Presents: Classics the second production produced by Scott as his alter ego world-weary devoted-thespian S. Charles Nelson. A follow up to his show last summer Closing Night: A Fine Actor Says Farewell To A Theater. The conceit was S. Charles was in town as part of the closing of the long running musical he directed Hot Dogs For Sale. Inspired by the musical's classic status S. Charles put together an evening of scenes from classic(fictitious) plays performed by his favorite actors. The range of scenes spanned from present day works to as far back as the Greeks. There was a scene from the modern PLOP!(a la Stomp), the contemporary interpersonal drama Camden, On His Birthday, the controversial and confrontational underground 80's piece *edit (blank), the 70's women-in-the-work-place comedy Dorrie Keebler, to name a few. The night concluded with the final scene from the Greek tragedy Tenticlese.

Again, Scott constructed a great night of theater, both as a comedic send up and genuine celebration. A series of scenes making fun of theater genres and tropes while simultaneously doing original compelling versions of those genres and tropes. Scott is able to do something incredibly unique, incorporate a lot of people and elements to weave together something really special. Its a show that puts a lot of pressure on him to make it work and he's the kind of person who thrives under that kind of stress. A rare and indelible performer.

I reprised my role as S. Charles's long-standing admiring/antagonistic theater critic. I wrote a short piece on the classics, the glories of live theater, and the perversion of television. An excerpt below.

"This is a night of theater. An honoring of those classic works that have touched us, enlightened us, and stayed with us. This evening you will be moved. Before I discourse on what makes a work of art a ‘classic’ some words on our gracious and versatile leading man S. Charles Nelson.

It is no secret I have been following his work for years. An actor, a working actor, concerned with the craft and affecting lives rather than commercialized debasement. An actor who has consistently given us reinvention, transformation, and exaltation.

Some time ago I was at a remount of Waiting For Godot produced and reimagined by our S. Charles. I was skeptical to say the least, what does this tired french work have that remains to excite the modern mind? Does it still have breath? Does it still have soul? I needn't have doubted. For lo minutes into the first act Mr. Nelson appeared as the titular Godot, a feat here-to-fore no actor had the tenacity to undertake. It was a truly courageous piece of art to personify one of theater’s most famous unseen characters. And with his portrayal he cut through the plays residual existential mystery putting to rest the lingering 20th century post-modern obsession with asking the broad and bleak question “why?” That night S. Charles Nelson gave us an answer."

Anti-Comedy 3

10,000 years ago off the coast of TurkeyTown there was a city made of snacks. in SnackCity there was a mayor. his name was Stromboli.  he had a wife Nilla made out Vanilla Wafers, a daughter Ding-Dong made of chocolate cake and vanilla creme, and a son Sun Chip. they lived in a house of Dunkaroos. everyday Stromboli drove his Snowball car to Peppermint Bark city hall, stamped Fruit Roll-Up bills, shat out chunks of Turkish Delight into the Jolly Rancher toilet plopping in the cleaning Koolaid, and conversed at length with all the Sour Patch Kid aldermen.

one day LicoriceMan, a political terrorist and self loathing homo-snackian, slipped a poisoned MilkDud into Stromboli's morning Cherry Shasta. upon arriving home for lunch Stromboli was possessed by an undeniable grumble down in his tumtum. he ate his wife, his daughter, his son, his house, his neighbors, their houses, his aldermen, his constituents, all their houses, the roads, buses and trains, the sidewalks, the parks, city buildings, everything until there was one big hole where SnackCity use to be that looked like a big puckered butthole. an hour later he threw it all up, after a while all that puke clotted became Hurl Huts forming VomitVillage. Stromboli was elected mayor.

Top 10 Chicago Shows of 2014

In the spirit of the end of the year and end of year lists, here are my top ten shows of the year.

Best Actor In Town. A playful and original sketch show with the conceit of competition for the title of best actor in town and an unidentified industry position. Both heartfelt and winking it struck the perfect balance of meta-theater and straight comedy.

Life Is Not A Show. An interactive performance outside the confines of a theater by Shar and Jeff where the audience followed Jeff from his apartment on a neighborhood excursion as he struggled with his love life. Totally fresh, totally unique, totally energizing.

Seance: An Exploration of the Metaphysical. A period set seance from Libby and Harrison. Immersive, novel, and truly frightening.

Holy Fuck Comedy Hour. The weekly experimental sketch showcase at The Annoyance. Each week the cast, with rotating guests, put up an evening of all new sketch material. From edgy to obvious, high brow to blue, over-complicated to un-prepared this weekly show offers courageous(if not always successful) comedy.

Spitballin' at Quenchers Saloon. A weekly variety show hosted by Thomas, Brunlieb, and Scott. Each week a new and varied line up of readings, solo performance, improv, sketch, stand-up, storytelling, poetry etc. open for the best improv group in Chicago- Sand.

Closing Night: A Fine Actor Says Farewell To A Theater. Scott's farewell show conceived for and a dedication to the closing of the Upstairs Gallery. Famous actor S. Charles Nelson returns to the theater that gave him his start to reprise some of his most beloved roles. The perfect balance of mocking theater while doing great theater.

Sand at Jangleheart. The best improv set I saw all year. Perverse, committed, character driven improvisation.

It's Christmas Goddammit! A dysfunctional, combative, judgmental family gets together for the holiday. All the familial ugliness we're all familiar with was on display and milked for laughs that come from that sweet spot of commiseration. There's enough resolution and message to convey the message of Christmas but with none of the typical cheese.

Slice Of Life. The tale of J-Ball Pizza Face written by Tisher and John starring, alternately, Scott and Brunlieb. A bizarre and absurd unfolding of a world where a man marries a pizza. Dark, funny, and surprisingly affecting.

Weird COPcept ALbum Video Release Party. One of the last shows at the Upstairs Gallery Shar and Malarky released the videos, in character, for their passion project a rap album by two cops with samples from Weird Al. A stronger sense of appreciation and celebration I haven't felt at a show.

Honorable Mentions: The Raven and The Messenger, Becker, Oklahoma!: The Life and Times of West Reems and Two Lights

The Best Actor In Town

Tonight Nicole and I went to see The Best Actor In Town at The Annoyance, a sketch revue/murder mystery from Jo, Jeff, Brian, and Devin featuring Phil and Felske.

It was a great show. This and the Saturday holiday show It's Christmas Goddamnit! have been two of my favorite shows of the year.

The Best Actor In Town rides the fine line of mocking straight while simultaneously engaging in grounded committed performance. The sketches were great and playful, some melodramatic, some over-the-top gross, all wonderful. My favorite was this weird stylized dramatic family scene where they were playing with this unspoken, strict, formality which if anyone violated it they got slapped.

Jo, Jeff, Brian, and Devin played a variety of different types of characters, some of which I hadn't seen them do before. It was surprising and, for me at least, resonated so much. Brave, experimental, go-for-broke comedy that I found so engaging.

It's always fun to see talented friends perform, it's inspiring to watch creative people do something new and exciting, something ambitious and a bit dangerous. Really great work by some really great folks.

Composition

The Night Shift had a show tonight then I headed over to The Annoyance for Holy Fuck. I've mentioned before it's my favorite show, always new, always fresh, always swinging-for-the-fences.

Holy Fuck is also my favorite show to take pictures of, taking pictures of shows in general is fun, to record them, capture some funny moments or lines that would otherwise disappear into the ether. But HF especially because there is such a wide variety of bits, costumes, wigs, and stupid faces.

Took a lot of pictures tonight but this one I'm particularly proud of. Nate in the shadows looking up at Devin, the angle of the wall suggesting movement up towards the light, the hopeful and adoring tilt of Nate's profile, Devin's comfortable slouch and satisfied, almost condescending, smirk.

You be the judge of its integrity but I think it captures the playful sweetness right before they started berating the audience for a suggestion of something perverse for an incredibly bizarre "song".

Anti-Comedy 2

there was a stupid man who had a stupid job. i won't say what he did cause its fucking stupid. he sat at his dumb desk and ate cool ranch Doritos all day. he went poop in the morning and in the afternoon. just to get away from his dumbass desk and his supercool Doritos.  every morning he slipped on a banana peel and went splat thats how stupid this fucking clod was. every lunch he ate Doritos until he was all sicky in his tummytum. in the afternoon he rolled around full of Dorito mush in his dumbdumb swivel chair. sometimes he'd lean back until he fell over, idiot. Like a cow he kept Dorito cud in his mouth, gumming all day on the coolest of the ranchys. yumyumyumyum. one day his stupid hulkingass linebacker boss called this fucking moron into his office.  they grunted at each other, drooled, looked at paper, sputtered, and shook hands. it was a good meeting. on the way back to his dumbass desk and his coolranchy splattered rollychair he put a bag of butteryass popcorn in the microwave and set it for 25 minutes. guy was fucking dense. the bag caught fire and the whole foolish fucking office burnt down and everyones stupid asses died.

whose hungry?

Holy Fuck Comedy Hour

Crocodile Doctor

The Holy Fuck Comedy Hour is a weekly free midnight show at The Annoyance. Each week the cast puts up new sketch material, from solo to full cast, with the goal of experimentation, irreverence, and occasional perversity.

Its been my favorite show for the last couple years. At first I started going just to see Tisher, I kept going because no matter what each Friday I'd see something fresh, something challenging, something inspiring. Not all the bits certainly. There is a lot of trash. But even in the grossest, stupidest, most ill-conceived bits there is a pervading sense of courage. And on those rare nights when nothing hit it was rewarding enough to spend an hour or so with friends.

About half the cast is leaving at the end of the month, from its inception it has been a show in constant flux. I'm excited and hopeful for all the folks leaving the Chicago nest and interested to see how the show morphs into its next incarnation.

Fridays at Midnight. Free. Annoyance Theatre. Holy Fuck Comedy Hour.

Upstairs Gallery

Tonight the Upstairs Gallery, Chicago's best underground art space, closes its doors.

I performed less than a dozen times at the Upstairs Gallery, I watched many shows there and (I think) paid for most of them. I didn't find my voice there, I never put up a run, I wasn't on a house team. What the UG gave me and what I learned there doesn't directly have to do with improv or comedy. It has to do with friendship and belonging, kindness and inspiration.

When the UG began I was jealous and resentful. I had some friends doing shows there but felt like I wasn't invited, didn't have a way in, didn't know the secret handshake. The first time I went to a show there I had to bolster myself with liquor. In the beginning I went there sporadically, always felt like an outsider, and I'm sure most times behaved erratically. Then I got sober.

As a newly sober unemployed man I had many hours to kill and I went to the UG with more frequency. I was raw and sometimes scared. I had a reputation, either in reality or in my own mind, of being unpredictable, at times slovenly or cruel. And this gave me some reticence in showing up to places unexpected for fear of being unwanted. But time and time again I was greeted with increasing warmth, at first by Alex's casual and inviting smile, then by an expanding population of new friends. I found that when I put myself out there I was received with affection and interest, found myself responding in kind.

The UG became a place I felt welcome and safe. Not through any overt action but by the nature of its function. The idea and the venue morphed to satisfy the needs of its participates, my needs were interpersonal others were creative.

From artistic direction to simple layout the UG provided a level playing field, a safe zone, a free space. It cultivated openness, risk, honesty, emotion, absurdity, and artistry. You could come and go with impunity, on a great night you shared in the triumph, on a bad night you shared in the irony. You could stay late talking with friends until Alex went to bed or was spirited away in an Uber. Regardless of your level of involvement you were accepted.

In improv the word "community" is bandied about with little discretion and even less meaning. The Upstairs Gallery created and fostered the community we had all been searching for.

Jangleheart

Tonight concluded the Jangleheart Circus Comedy Festival. I've been there the past three nights and it's been a great time. My favorite aspects were the various concept shows- McGovern's audio/art installation sketch show, Vince and Jordan save the Gallery, Jangleheart Cabaret, and The Talkback. Recently I've found it more enlivening to see friends ideas and performances outside the conventional improv format. I'll be out of town most of next week because of my sister Marta's wedding so it was nice to soak in the spirit of the Upstairs Gallery at the fest.

For my money the best of the fest was the Sand set tonight. The crowd was packed, myself and others sitting on the ground in front of the first row, and people sitting all up and down the stairs. The room felt full and electric. The men of Sand took the stage and delivered in spades. They spun huge emotion and pitiful people into truly heartfelt comedy with a delightful brief foray into stage combat. Best improv show I've seen in a year or more. It's rare after seeing so much and doing so much comedy that I get to experience the same glee I did when I first started out, tonight was one of those rare exceptions.

There was an air of unspoken melancholy and uncertainty hanging over the festival, the impending closing of the Upstairs Gallery and the exodous of some Chicago comedy stalwarts. But for a couple days more we came together, supported each other, and participated in some great and some not-so-great comedy. The physical location may close but the spirit, certainly, will go on.