Wednesday, December 05, 2001
By this time, the DSL in my house should have been reactivated. It has not.
The Rule of Threes I'm going to do another Star Wars musical.
There's a journal for the first one I did ("Jedi! A Musical Tour de Force") floating around the internet somewhere. I really thought it was on here, but I'm wrong. Wow! I also thought the journal from the second version ("The Fandom Menace") would be on here as well. Turns out I'm a bigger slacker than I thought. Alright, I'll hunt them both up and get them on-line somehow. This next one will be just the first movie (Star Wars: A New Hope) condensed and "musicalized" along with some musical spoofs of other trailers/films. Hopefully a musical spoof of "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones" will make it in there as well. It'll be fun and funny. I'm going to try to do it with as small a cast as possible; the previous two shows (as well as the Halloween shows) had 20plus people! There'll be auditions for it sometime next year so let me know if you're interested. I'm really looking forward to it. The script is almost done and for the first time, I'm writing all the lyrics. In the past I wrote some of the songs and someone else wrote the music (Dave Adler and Alex Fendrich, respectively). Hey, let's reminisce about the previous shows for a sec; "Jedi!", at one point, was running at ImprovOlympic, Fridays @ 8 & 10:30, and Saturdays @ 8. Exhausting. Second City TourCo member Stuart Ranson played Princess Leia to critically acclaim. Mike Ross was Luke and now he teaches for Second City over in LA. Author Eric Spitznagel was our Chewbacca. Prefontainian Tim Chidester was the Scoundrel Han Solo. Valhallian Rich Prouty was the Emperor. Pat Shay Dancer Pat Shay was Ben Kenobi and really belted out his song "Feel the Flow." That show was a long time ago. It was fun and serious at the same time. We took it as a musical version of the original films crammed into 2 hours. No jokes besides the singing. Dave Adler was a marvel of musical mayhem. If you look really hard at IO you can find a great photo of him surrounded by a crooning costumed "Jedi!" cast. I remember Joe Canale was in the show a few times and then had to quit to host the Jam. That's how long ago this was in improv years. I still can't believe he quit playing Boba Fett to run Doo-Wop.
The show "Jedi! A Musical Tour de Force" opened just as they were re-releasing the new digital versions of the original trilogy (you know the TRAVESTY where GREEDO SHOOTS FIRST?!) We were featured in Entertainment Weekly, the Q101 morning show (pre-MoronCow), CLTV several times, the Sun-times and Cinescape. Eventually, the Empire found out about our little operation and sent us a Cease & Desist request. No big deal, really. They were mainly concerned with us using the copyrighted word "Jedi" and using Darth and stormtroopers in our posters. I did end up learning quite a bit about intellectual property law. Fun.
About two years later, "The Phantom Menace" shows up and so did "Fandom Menace." Same show, but less serious. More of a Mad Magazine version of first one, really. Lots of wacky. It's about 1999 when we did this. Let's see who was in this.. People of Earthers (though at the time, the team was called "Uncle Crouchy") Alex Fendrich (composer and accompanist), Jason Pardo (Luke), Ryan Archibald (Chewie). Betrothed and member of Vader 66, Sue Salvi was Leia with Fox Force Five member Joe Carney as Han. Chris Day was great as See-Threepio and Rob Smith was a very creepy Emperor. This one was very popular as well, though not as crazed as the first one. I think the public was a little overwhelmed by Star Wars stuff by this time, to tell the truth. We took this one out to LA for two weeks and performed at the ImprovOlympic out there. Crazy shit. Here's an old, hidden article the Sun-times did on this show: Anyway, this new one will be smaller in scale than the first two with just "A New Hope" getting stage time, but musical trailers for other wackiness.
On the flip side, I'm also working on a new long-form improv show. It's really something I have to do; I have about three ideas I think are ready to go right now and just thinking about them gets me all 'cited! (I like to read that previous sentence in my best Jim J Bullock as Munroe voice) I don't think there'll be auditions for this show as that will cut down on rehearsal time. My primary goal with whatever form/cast I decide upon will to do this show in a high-traffic non-improv/comedy venue- to present it as a theatrical experience as opposed to an improv (with all its preconceived notions both good and bad) show. My original plan was to use any (knock on wood) profits from the Star Wars thing to fund the improv show, but I don't think I can wait.. the improv show may come first. Damnit.
"Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat). In traditional Wudan uniform, Li Mu Bai looks as stern as he did in the film, and will retrieve his Green Destiny sword. Accessories include Green Destiny sword, bamboo stick, and Wudan sword. Base is a bamboo forest that will support the figure, as if Li Mu Bai is floating on the bamboo tree.
Jen (Zhang Zi Yi). In ninja disguise, Jen will stop at nothing to make Green Destiny hers. Accessories include removable ninja mask, sheath for the Green Destiny sword, and Wudan sword. Base is a doorway with all the designs seen in the movie, similar to the doorway that lead to the room where the magical Green Destiny sword was displayed."
I have these (I am loathe to call them figures, I guess it's the most apt word) and I have to say the faces are fantastic.. they really look like the actors. The Li Mu Bai figure also comes with a glow-in-the-dark coin thingie that has some Chinese writing on it that I have been assured does not say "Do Not Eat. Silica."
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December 7, 2001
Last night had a show with the Pat Shay Dancers. The other two teams were Wardens Daughter and Fox Force Five. Their coaches, Rich Prouty and Craig Uhlir, were there. I love it when those guys are just in the building, much less improvising or coaching. Rich was one of the very first people I met about 5 or 6 years ago when we both were taking classes at the Second City. We worked together in the souvenir booth/coat check. IIRC, I think he even got me that job. Poor Rich even came to see some of my very first shows at IO and he still decided to join up. Craig was a founding member (I think) of Deep Schwa. We worked together for 4 years on that team and my respect for him has only grown over the years. He (and various partners through the years) would host the Jam on Saturday nights from Midnight to, let's say 3am. The very next morning, Craig would be one of the first people at Deep Schwa rehearsal at 10am. I think he was late twice. Not only an integral veteran of Deep Schwa, he now also plays on Valhalla with Rich! See? It all comes together.
*** Nerd Alert ***
Craig and I share a passion for comic books. When Deep Schwa wanted to get me a Christmas present one year he instantly knew what I wanted; the DC Comics hardcover collection of "Crisis on Infinite Earths." Oh, it was sweet. Wonderful present from a wonderful team. *sigh*
PS- DC at the time said that there would never be a paperback collection of "Crisis." Publisher Paul Levitz said, "There will never be a trade paperback of 'Crisis.'" And I believed him. One year later, there was a paperback. I have never forgiven DC for that. Never!
"I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to talk with you. I've been too busy trying to deny you the right to control your own body."- Sven Wechler, as Clarence Thomas writing back to Stephanie Morse, a teenager obsessed with him.
I played the Dreamer, which I don't do too often, but decided to do that night. I had fun. Being the Dreamer is an excellent exercise in give and take. If you're lucky, everyone else has enough to keep entering with stuff, but if you're not you're stuck out there doing bits by yourself hoping the audience won't turn on you. When I took the chair to play "Ian" ( a short, bespectacled Caucasian Northwestern frat boy) I heard his friends say to each other, "That guy's playing you?" "Dude, that guy's Chinese." The Dream was good. I know nothing about Northwestern, but thankfully Tim Whetham knew enough. The lights were pulled before I could mention "double-secret probation" however.
The two best hosts at ImprovOlympic are Pat Shay and Craig Uhlir. Peter Gwinn rarely hosts, but he's great. Jeff Griggs is good.
Did you know that Reynolds makes these amazing oven bags where you can cook things in your oven in this bag and it insulates your product and self-bastes and cuts your cooking time in half? That's the shiznit.
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December 10, 2001
"Wrong, sir, wrong! Under Section Thirty-Seven B of the contract signed by him it states quite clearly that all offers shall become null and void if--and you can read it for yourself in this photostatic copy: "I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses herein and herein contained, et cetera, et cetera . . . fax mentis incendium gloria culpum [the torch of the mind lights the path to glory], et cetera, et cetera . . . memo bis punitor delicatum! [I remember the spoiled punisher twice] It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal! You stole Fizzy Lifting Drinks. You bumped into the ceiling which now has to be washed and sterilized, so you get nothing! You lose! Good day, sir!" - Willy Wonka
Well, this won't be posted for 10 days or so... SBC DSL is taking its own sweet-ass time in hooking me up as opposed to their previous statements.
We'll see if I'll be back on-line before the new year. *sigh *
Six days from now, the first presentation of "PantiesHappy" will occur. It's a female version of the show that John Mulhern, Pat Shay, and I put up earlier this year. Actually, it's not so much a female version of the show as a version with three different improvisers (the irrepressible Dina Facklis, the imitable Angela Forfia, and the impish Nicky Margolis) that we (me, Mul and Shay) love and respect. The concept (and the terrible name) came up as a joke, but I pushed for it to be a reality and got us a berth on the ever-burgeoning ImprovOlympic late-night schedule. To say it was tough would be an understatement. Most of those late-night slots go to very "visible" or popular players to insure some level of attendance. This "experiment", I think, will be a pleasant surprise to IO. John and Pat directed the cast and I pretty much took care of the IO end of things... I haven't been to one of the rehearsals so this first show will be as much as a surprise to me as everyone else. Yay! Please come! Or, taking temporal mechanics in to account, I hope you had a good time.
I have an iMac at home.
I've been dabbling in digital video editing. I really enjoy it and I like to think that I'm good at it (I was pretty good at video editing in the late 80s on some beta-decks at Queens College). I wish I had the time and inclination to do more of that.
I've been living in Chicago for almost six years. I've been in Illinois for a total of 9, but this is the first year that I've had a Christmas tree. I love the smell of tree. I think I'm going to get a wreath as well. I have figures from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on my mantle- right next to my Li Mu Bai statuette.
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December 17, 2001
The new team I coach is called Metropolis. They chose the name. Honestly! The upstanding members of Metropolis are Min-aha Beeck, Jay Bushouse, Josh Kronenberg, Megan Diemer, Julie Marcus, Mark Ovies, Pierro Procaccini, Peter Schell, and Ben Wilke. It’s a fun team. We are attempting some hard-core Harold right now, but I think we should feel free to pick and choose what comes next. I would like to meld some Harold elements (the Opening and the first “beats” of scenes, with some cross-over/ connection at the end) with some more Deconstructionist elements ( for further exploration of the theme). Our next show is this coming Thursday, and we perform with some team called the Pat Shay Dancers. That always makes me nervous; giving notes to a team when I just performed as well. Last week I gave notes to Deep Schwa right after a rather poor PSD show. Ugh.
“… they can be a great people, Kal-el. They wish to be. They just need someone to show them the way. That’s why I sent them you; my only son.” – Marlon Brando, as Jor-El speaking to his son, Superman, from the screenplay by Mario Puzo.
Someone just gave me an early Christmas present. It’s a t-shirt with the logo for Vandelay Industries, Latex Products and Manufacturing. I like it very much. I have a lot of ideas for t-shirts that I think people would buy. I keep blurting ideas out and people just look at me and say, “That would be funny.” I think, therefore, I shall act. Coming soon… Novelty t-shirts (some improv-related, all geek-tested and approved) from the Argos Agency.
I am Nerd. Here I roar.
Speaking of things Nerdly, Beat the Geeks is a new game show on Comedy Central. I don’t like the general premise of the show. It’s serves to further separate geek from muggle. My theory, as the faithful few who come to Nerdography can attest, is that everyone is a geek or a nerd. You just have to find their particular subject matter. I once knew a lady who not only collected and knew everything about Beanie Babies, but also knew a lot about the history of quilts (which she also collected). For a while she made several appearances in various Harolds. So, phooey on you, CC.
I read a lot, but I haven’t gotten around to reading “Whose Improv Is It Anyway?” by Amy Seham. I had planned to when it first came out earlier this year, but I just never got to it. I really should, but it feels like assigned reading as opposed to something I really want to read (I’m currently reading both “Rule By Secrecy” by Jim Marrs, and “Death by Zamboni” by David David Katzman.*) I think the premise of this book throws me. It’s a look at the history of Chicago improv through very feminist eyes. She’s attempting to throw light on and give credit to some terrific minority players and women in the field, which is certainly laudable, but, to me, it’s a strange tack to take since there’s really been no definitive text on the subject ever. It’s like knowing nothing about World War Two and only reading a book on the Tuskeegee Airman; a great and noble book, but a lop-sided view on a subject that deserves more exploration. Part of my prejudice, I imagine, comes from knowing some of the subjects interviewed for this book. When Amy Seham came around the Chicago improv haunts interviewing people it was for a paper she was writing (a thesis, I think) and imagine their surprise when a book came out with their interviews published. The idea, again to me, sounds like a great paper, but an odd book. Maybe I’ll get it for Christmas. Or if you read this and want to loan me your copy, that’d be cool. I’ll give you something improv-cool.
*- I met author David David Katzman just this past weekend. A very nice, unassuming gentleman. I had seen his book at various stores and marveled at its inventive use of layout and text, but I never actually purchased it. I bought it this weekend. In a strange twist of fate, he once took some classes at the ImprovOlympic almost ten years ago! He had Charna, (someone he couldn’t remember), and Del and that was it. I’m excited to finish his book if “Rule By Secrecy” doesn’t make me violently overthrow our government. That book is screwing with my head, man.
January will see the return of “Inside the Improvisers Studio.” This Monday night favorite at ImprovOlympic used to feature Ali Faranahkian interviewing various improv glitterati. Then Craig Cackowski took over. Craig’s been busy of late with something you may have heard of, Second City Mainstage. With his kind permission, it’ll return with various fun and unexpected guests. First guest? Craig Cackowski. Stayed tuned for dates and times. (as if those were resources I had to spare, eh?)
Well improv is... improv... is... is good. I... I don't usually do it. What I don't care about... I don't care about improvs when that is the end result. I do like a scene but that an improv is done in order to finally come up with a scene. It's like... It's like you sort of get through the subtext by improvisation. And sometimes you find uh... areas in a scene that you didn't see before, only through application and improvisation. And it's a certain amount of work and usually in movies they don't have the time to go into that."- Al Pacino
Alright. I’m gone.
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DECEMBER 19, 2001
"Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present." - Albert Camus
Last night was the ImprovOlympic Holiday Party. I had a great time; in fact it was probably the best time I have had at an IO party thus far. It was certainly the most comfortable I have felt at one of these big gatherings. We showed some Del videos before the party and that was great. There was some footage that I had not seen before. Charna brought a copy of the WTTW work tape footage of Del's going-away/birthday party. Last year was the first time I helped to host the occassional vicious, always hiliarous gift exchange. I know there's a better name for it- you get a number and you can either steal someone's present or get a wrapped one under the tree, but I don't what else to call it. In past years, as the guest list has exploded from a dozen or so, the gift exchange once went on for four and a half hours. At the end of that marathon exchange there was little cheer. With the co-host Rich Prouty, the gift exchange, with about 80 people playing and about 120 people in the room (this is all just my guesstimation), the game went on for only 2 hours! 2 hours! I was amazed. There were some hard feelings afterwards and there's nothing like some holiday revenge. Afterall, isn't it an old Klingon saying that "Vengence is a dish best served cold. It is very cold in space."
The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring was great. I loved it in fact. Except for the roomful of morons that I had to see it with. Apparently some people think that a 3 hour epic movie with all kinds of monsters and battles is an appropiate movie for kids 5 and under. Honestly, Vanilla Sky was just down the hallway. Go see that with the kids. And right behind me. The two guys that kept commenting on the film as it went along... (Liv Tyler appears as a vision to a delirious Frodo. The guy behind me: "Schwing!" The hobbits are in Bree. They see Strider skulking in the corner. SAM: I don't like the looks of him, Mister Frodo. Guy behind me? "That's Strider." See, now there are two mistakes with that comment. First, if you and your friend have read the books then of course you know who that character in that particular time and place is. If your friend has NOT read the book, then your "whisper" means nothing to your friend. Alright. You. Are. Dumb.) I have the absolutely amazing BBC radio play of LOTR (it's 13 freaking hours!!!!) and that stars Ian Holm as Frodo so it's great to see him as Bilbo. He's fantastic. Holm, Ian McKellan and Christopher Lee almost steal the entire film.
Tomorrow night, Thursday, we, the Pat Shay Dancers, have a show and I'm very excited about it. We had a rough go editting-wise the last show, so let's see what we have in store for Lady Improv 24 hours from now. Speaking of milady, next year, look for the return of Inside the Improvisers Studio and a new feature here on the Argos Agency website. Something I began when I was writing for PerformInk, the 11 Questions With feature. It's going to be fun!
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December 25, 2001
So, this is Christmas? That was amazingly fast. What a quick year. Somehow I don't feel like it was particularly productive for me, though it was an interesting prelude for what is going to happen in 2002. I guess 2001 was a rebuilding year. And now I've exhausted all my sports references.
I used to love Christmas morning- all of us neighborhood kids would call each other and see what we each had received so we could team up toys later. Here are a few of the cool things I got this year:
A collection of the Silver Age Justice figures, called a PVC set. It's the original JLA, with Green Lantern, Flash, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter. It's cool. That picture isn't of the set; the lil blue guy is a Guardian of the Galaxy and he comes with the GL Corps. Anyway... The Justice League has some big backup in the form of
The Flash and Kid Flash figures with the Cosmic Treadmill! Very cool! Back in the day, Flash and Kid Flash could set coordinates on the treadmill and travel through time having all sorts of adventures. It was crazy 60s fun. The box for the set says the treadmill is "non-functioning".
... and, of course, the Godfather DVD collection. My goodness this is an extremely well-done DVD with audition footage, interviews, deleted scenes, etc. It's so great. The whole reason I purchased a DVD player. Now, if there's anyone still reading this thing... notice how I can't figure out how to texture wrap the text and the photos? *sigh*
Friday night, I went to see "Christmas in July in December", a holiday-based sketch show at the WNEP theater. It was a lot of fun and was created and performed by some old friends ("old" meaning that I've known them for most of the team I have been in Chicago- George Eckart, Brendan Gardiner, chief amongst them.) Years ago I did a show at ImprovOlympic called "Holiday Fun Bag" which was a hodge-podge of holiday scenes and improv games. My favorite improv game that came out of that show was "WWJD". We interview an audience member about their life and any problems that they face. We do "the Dream" pretty much, and then, at some point, someone in the cast exclaims, "What would Jesus do?!" and then Jesus would come out and redo the "Dream" segment solving all of the audience members problems with quotes and/or parables from the Bible. Great game. We also had turkey bowling. Two audience members would bowl with "turkeys" (small frozen cornish hens). Instead of pins we had snowglobes, a lit menorah, a tiny Christmas tree, some plastic dreidels, and a cheap trainset. Whoever knocked over/destroyed more stuff got to cheap their frozen cornish hen. Such a deal. My favorite memory from that show however is, and he'll probably hate me for bringing it up again, but Pat Shay did a turn as Alan Cummins singing "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." dressed in spandex pants, no shoes, and suspenders. Wonderfully strange and fun. Pat also wrote and narrated a terrific Frosty story that drew the obvious parallels with Frankenstein. Scary stuff, huh, kids!?
Reading the above paragraph I realize that I sound like a very old man. EVERY show I see reminds me of a show I did at one time. *sigh* I'm Bob Evans without the fame or fortune or power. But does Bob Evans have a Godfather DVD collection?! Probably. Scratch that. Does Bob Evans have a Flash and Kid Flash running on their Cosmic Treadmill?! aHa! So there. The kid stays in the picture.
The holidays always takes its toll on team attendance and I love being around in case someone need someone to sit in. I was asked to play with Vader 66 (one of the best team names around. For the full story on the team name ask one of the members) on Saturday. I eagerly agreed since they do the Harold and I know everyone on the team. With me, that put the team at six. We did the show and it was pretty good; not the best show ever, but fun and an actual Harold.
On Sunday, I went to ImprovOlympic to watch some of the 8pm shows and then, PantiesHappy. I got there in the middle of Math Fight, the second team up. Preponderate was getting ready to go up-- and Jeff Griggs told me that he was going to sit in with them. I really wanted to play but wanted to be asked- I didn't want to ask. So, FINALLY, Peter Grosz came up to me and whispered in my ear, "Hey, will you do lights for us?" So, I did lights for Preponderate. *sigh*
PantiesHappy is a fun show to watch. I would be terrible at it. Nicky Margolis was out of town, so Rich Sohn sat in and he was great.Hey, free panties. That was a fun night at ImprovOlympic.
Years ago, the IO was swept up in Hearts fever. Every first tuesday, there was a giant Hearts tournament. This went on for a while, but actually stopped because it got too popular. A few years ago, Chess was the fad. Sorry was a mini-fad, but I think the newest post-show fad is now "Murder." Everyone sits in a circle and there are two murderers and one informant. Everyone has to guess/accuse the murderers in their midst before they all get killed. It's fun and loud and we played it Sunday night until 2am or something. Visiting IO alum Neil Flynn got stuck playing and he was great. So was visiting IO alum Miles Stroth. The two of them, sitting next to each other, arguing and accusing each other of being a murderer was very funny. Neil is on the tv show "Scrubs" now. So watch that if you can. Gotta support the team.
I have no idea what I'm going to do on New Year's Eve.
"If Jesus Christ were to come today, people would not even crucify him. They would ask him to dinner... hear what he had to say, and make fun of it." - Thomas Carlyle.
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