Heroes

Craig, Nooch, Me, and Andy photo credit to Craig's iPhone

The first improv show I saw was 3033. It was a silent dance show. I was intrigued and interested but I wasn't hooked.

The second improv show I saw was Deep Schwa. I don't remember any of the scenes but I remember who was there: Jeff Griggs, Brett Lyons, Kevin Fleming, Colleen Murray, Meagan Flanigan, and Dan Antonucci. After that show I got the improv bug bad. Since then I've only rarely missed a Sunday night at iO.

The above photo is blurry documentation that Dan came back to Chicago and played with Schwa tonight. It was a great show and a real joy for me. He has such a weird energy and point of view, such a unique style that always gets the most random laughs. His delivery in and of it self is hilarious, he could be saying anything. Throughout the show I was trying to orchestrate a scene with him but it never manifested. There was however this amazing group scene where Dan was a Grandpa, everyone else were kids, and he told us a story about fishing with a girl. The scene was amazing and I didn't want it to end, at points I was deliberately trying to elongate it because I didn't want to leave it. I was sitting there with some of the most talented people I know in a scene with a person who genuinely inspired me to pursue comedy and pursue improv and stick it out in Chicago. It was a magical moment.

The scene eventually ended as did the show. It was a dream come true. Another great Sunday in a long line of great Sundays.

Carrot Gypsy

After going back and forth by email today, my phone has sustained water damage and Jillian forgot her phone at home, I met Jillian for lunch. It was the first time I saw her since she moved back to Chicago.

Me: So, tell me everything. How are you? What's been going on? How was the move? How was home? Where are you living?
Jillian: Oh, you want to just jump right into it?
Me: Well, yeah. Unless you'd rather talk about the weather for a while.

So we caught up and it was great. Jillian is one of those friends I feel instantly comfortable around and we freely spill our guts with no reservations.

Jillian: I had to borrow the waitresses phone to let you know I was here. I think she was scared at first but were friends now.
Me: If anyone can instantly befirend the waitstaff here it's you.
Waitress: Are you guys all set?
Jillian: (pointing at tatto) Is that your cat?
Waitress: Yeah that's my little Barry.
Jillian: He's wonderful.
Waitress: Do you want to see a picture?
Me: Um, yes please.
Waitress: Ok I'll grab my phone. I shouldn't. But hell you're already intimate with my phone anyway.

It was the first and possibly the only time where I enjoyed looking at pictures of someones cat.

(as we were leaving)
Waitress: I'm Cori by the way.
Jillian: Jillian.
Cori: Good to meet you.
Me: I'm Steve.
Cori: Good to officially meet you.
Me: And you as well.
(outside)
Jillian: (sighs) Cori...what an unfortunate name.

As we were walking down Clark we found a sack of carrots sitting on the sidewalk.
A perfect end to a perfect afternoon.

A Conversation During World War Z

Craig: She's gonna turn.
Me: No, no she's not.
Craig: Oh yeah she is. This is the plane from the trailer where everyone's flying out turning to zombies. It's gonna be her. Oh sorry. Spoiler alert.
Me: No, it's cool I like to be informed.
Craig: Good.
(pause)
Me: It's gonna be that dog. I bet you it's that dog.
Craig: Oh for sure! (cackles) The dog's infected!
(pause)
Me: Oh wait, it's not the dog. There's a zombie in that food thing.
Craig: Dumb-waiter zombie. God, they're good hiders.
(later)
Craig: (cackles) You thought it was the dog!
Me: Why else put the dog in there!
Craig: Oh, for sure, you totally had me convinced.

Thomas Jefferson Would Be Proud

The past couple years I haven't done much with my summers. I've been preoccupied or out of commission in various ways and rarely got myself out to enjoy the sun. I've tried to make more of an effort this summer to take advantage of the beautiful time in the city as well as put myself out there socially.

The past two years Tisher has hosted an Independence Day BBQ culminating with the reading of the declaration of independence which I loved. This summer that didn't happen so I had to venture out and fill my BBQ quotient elsewhere. I landed at MCat's which was a great time. Great music, tons of great people, and enough space to move around in. Parties sometimes turn me off if they're too crowded, too many people in a tight space, it drives me a little crazy. Today was the first time as a sober person where I felt 100% comfortable around people drinking, I talked to a lot of different people, made the rounds, and just genuinely had a blast and I never gave that part of it a second thought.

With a clear head being around people and catching up and shooting the shit is so much easier and enjoyable. I'm able now to take such genuine pleasure in listening and talking and cracking jokes without feeling self conscious or over analyzing. It's refreshing and stimulating.

After the BBQ a bunch of folks headed to Montrose harbor to watch the fireworks. Tisher and I laid in the grass and I tried and continually failed to take a good photo of the display.

The 4th of July doesn't hold much significance for me as a holiday. The founding of our country and patriotism and all that doesn't mean anything to me, I feel nothing about it. But the 4th of July is a great reason to get outside and talk to people and celebrate the summer and really feel alive. It's a great excuse and for that I am grateful.

It was a reason to gather with a group of friends and watch the night sky burn.

'The Bling Ring' & 'Lone Ranger' Reviews

The Bling Ring is Sophia Coppola's latest film which focuses on the real life escapades of a teenage group of  celebrity burglars in LA. Through out the film I kept wondering why? Why did Sophia make this movie, these are her people: privileged white girls. The story follows this vapid crew as they do copious amounts of drugs and rob the likes of Paris Hilton and Megan Fox.

No real comment is made on the group or their actions, the movie feels a lot like a reenactment or dramatization. Sophia presents the characters as shallow and invites us, I think, to laugh at them but never stretches any further. Never really brings home an actual thesis or calls the group to the carpet for their behavior. Nor does the movie attempt to justify their actions or show us in any way who these people are, how they think, or why they may have turned out this way.

The film seems to be Sophia's attempt at showing her peers in LA the dangers of the celebrity life they are all engaged in. But the message, what little there is of one, is something that is obvious and understood for everyone outside of LA and anyone living in LA under a certain income level. Five minutes in I get it, what else is there? But there is nothing else. Sophia removes herself so much from the material its difficult to figure out her point of view, if she in fact has one. The movie brings a potentially disturbing phenomenon to light but doesn't go further, you could save yourself the time and money and read the Vogue article which the movie is based on. The film doesn't develop anything it simply presents it.

The drug use throughout seems an attempt to justify their behavior but the actors never appear high in any way. The mounds of drugs their shoveling into their systems seem to have no effect. A scene where Emma Watson is free basing ends with her simply saying "Your ass looks great." It all seems to be presented for laughs and shock value and always rings false.

The performances were ok for what they were and only Emma Watson really went over the top with her valley girl voice and pseudo sexual attitude. Overall: all fat no meat.

Don't See It.

The Lone Ranger is a light hearted young adult summer adventure movie based on the Radio and TV shows of the same name. It feels like a ride, lots of color, lots of movement, and only barest semblance of a story. The cast has a surprising amount of heavy hitters which bring some coherence to a script that is relatively scattered. The biggest problem is the titular character the Lone Ranger played by Arnie Hammer who is way out of his depth and seems to have been cast simply for his chiseled jaw.

There are potentially lots of issues with the movies treatment and depiction of Native Americans. Johnny Depp's casting in general and his semi-racist portrayal in specific are disturbing if spared any moment for consideration. Why, why, why, why at this juncture are we casting whites in minority roles? If that kind of thing doesn't bother you or you can force yourself not to consider it and simply take the movie on strictly entertainment value you can enjoy the movie.

A plot with a lot of holes, excellent actors resurrecting a DOA script, and good summer action. Does contain offensive social content.

Rent It.

The Blind Leading The Blind

I did a character that's been rolling around in my head for a while last Friday at Holy Fuck at the Annoyance. Pastor Dirk Deadman is a motivational of speaker of sorts who, aside from his parish, does a seminar entitled "Christian Cheating" where he describes the theological justifications for infidelity and gives practical advise on how to cheat without being discovered.

Some of the comedians I know like to script everything out. Have all the jokes written, all the words on the page. I don't know if it's because of my improv influences or the time I spent at Second City but I prefer to go into a sketch or a bit with just a simple idea or framework. I like to know what I'm going to do sort of because it leaves room to be inspired and make discoveries while I'm in front of an audience. My strength isn't writing out well worded jokes my strength is improvising so it makes sense to do as much as I can. As the audience reacts to this or that I'm guided through the piece by them, I discover what hits and what doesn't hit, where the real meat of the scene is. I can then go back and refine it, shape it, distill it, still not scripting out actual lines but maybe remembering a phrase or a pause to insert at the appropriate time.

It's a thrilling feeling because it's not exactly improv and its not exactly scripted material. It's an exploratory type of performance. And even as sketches are refined without scripting them you're able to maintain the spontaneity of the piece, the immediacy of it. The audience doesn't perceive that you are reciting lines because you aren't reciting lines.

The Dirk Deadman piece for the most part went over well with the audience and I have a much better idea of where to take it and what points to hit. It's an exhilarating feeling, having an idea, implementing it, and getting direction through the performance. I was talking to Tisher afterwards about that unique feeling, the in between idea stage.

Tisher: It's like trying to find a light switch in a dark room.

You Spoiled Ice Cream

That night,
we shared a pint
of peanut butter pie

We swore off sweets
our final treat
turned into our goodbye

Since then I haven't eaten
that icy cold dessert
it's banished from my pallet
and doesn't prod my hurt

I doubt you gave up ice cream
gelato, sherbet, or sorbet
I hope that it reminds you
of the past now gone away