Improv Girl

 

I was commissioned to do a piece of art and she gave me free will in what I did!  One thing we have in common is Improv and Sketch Comedy.  Though I no longer participate in the community since moving out West, she works at a comedy theatre and studies so I knew she would appreciate the Second City chair-  famous for being a chameleon to any comedy scene!

A huge portion of my life in Chicago was working and studying at Second City and the Annoyance.  I even got to design the stage at the Annoyance!  It has since closed and is reopening at a different location that I hope to visit when I'm back in town.  The people that make up this community are amazing and inspiring.  They hold down day jobs just to study and improvise late into the night, only to start it over the next morning.  So much energy!  I'm not sure if I could do it anymore.  I had a back of house shift at the Annoyance on Friday and Saturday nights when their biggest shows were, so I could watch all of the shows which was amazing.  Since they were usually sketch shows, I was able to see what worked night to night and how the actors improvised here and there to change it up for themselves.  Nothing was ever exactly the same and not all the jokes always flew.  Some of my favorite players are actually now on SNL!  

Improv changed my life.  The energy and curiosity keeps me on my toes and made me break out of my shy shell.  I doubt without this growth, that I would have had the balls to move out to California alone, but who can say.  I remember this time of my life fondly but know it's not the last that I will see of this chameleon chair.

My Year at the Annoyance

About this time last year, I had the opportunity to design a new stage for the Annoyance theatre in Chicago. They use this stage for 14+ shows per week that include improv, sketch comedy, musicals and plays. It's been so amazing seeing shows like 'Swear Jar' and 'Co-Ed Prison Sluts' performed on it. Even 'Splatter Theatre' where they painted it completely white and by the end it was covered in blood- caddy and awesome!



Typically, a run-of-the-mill improv stage has a door and a window to maximize "play" opportunities. The final build above does not have a window, but of course, can be added later if they miss it. This wasn't the entire design. There were two columns of three windows each that would have stairs /ladder behind so that the players could utilize all three- inspiration for this idea was the scene from Wizard of Oz where they finally reach Oz and they're being asked for a password... looks fun with one, why not three? Here were the concepts for that.



Along with the window columns, there were the "kitten ears". These platforms were lower than the stage and would reach out into the audience. Ultimately, we didn't do these 'ears' due to taking up seating space although it would've been awesome (especially for the musicals!). Here were the concepts as well as how they could be hidden (which- looking back- may have been harder to make stable and safe).



I enjoyed working with everyone over at the Annoyance and continued throughout 2010 interning in exchange for improv classes. I'm pretty glad that these two things weren't built, though I was looking forward to painting the honker logo on the front but they've always had stairs there.

Aside from designing the stage, I also had the opportunity to work on their Christmas pageant helping with props and wardrobe for "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "A Year Without A Santa Claus". The crew, cast, and director were wonderful and talented. I look forward to the great things that they will go off and do!