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.
