-
Period: to
Knox College
I attend Knox College in Galesburg, IL. I am a legacy (my Dad graduated in 1972) and in fact, I was born on campus. My lifelong friend, Kathy attends, too- also a legacy, also Dad in class of 72, also born on campus. We appear in Steel Magnolias together. Both of us are Theatre majors, though I double that with English. My honors project "Go On!" is an staged play that includes improv and is based on forms of jazz music. -
Improv comes into my life
-
Period: to
Second Suburb Improv Troupe
A first year Theatre & English (Writing) student at Knox College in Galesburg, IL, I joined the school's first improv troupe, Second Suburb Improv. Student JT Gorham started the troupe after studying with the famous Second City Training Center. We played short form, game-based improv. I honestly can't remember what the ratio of men to women might have been... I remember that some of the members are still my best friends to this day. We performed one time only to great applause! -
Period: to
Second City National Touring Company
Northwestern education in my pocket (but no diploma yet), I lie & charm my way into a stage manager job with a touring company. My troupe members include Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Horatio Sans, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh. We travel all over the US in a van and I learn improv and stage management on the fly. It's a better education than I received from NU. I earn $75/show & $25/day per diem. It's a lot of fun, but life on the road is hard. Second City & I mutually agree it's time for me to move on. -
Period: to
Theatrical Odd Jobs
I work like a dog taking odd stage management gigs where I can. At 1 point I stage manage for Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts, & Matt Besser for their new group the "Upright Citizen's Brigade," which performs at iO. UCB goes on to become wildly successful in NYC & LA. I SM a Halloween show at iO written by Del Close- the father of improv. I have no idea how lucky I am! I act w/Blue Rider Theatre & do "Kandinksy" an improvised play & w/Katabasis & do dramatic improv. -
Finally graduate from Northwestern
Back from the road and tired of piecing together a patchwork of odd stage management jobs, acting gigs, and temp work, I finally get my act together and return to Northwestern to take the tests and write the papers that will grant me my diploma. Back there, I endure lectures from one angry professor who tells me that he is giving me my diploma "under duress." I shrug and say thanks. Bill Cosby speaks at my graduation ceremony. -
Period: to
Boxer Rebellion & BackStage Theatre
I begin a period where I explore my chops as a director. I become a resident director with BRE & BSTC, taking a few outside gigs, too. As part of BRE, I create, direct, and act with our in-house improv troupe, WBRE. We create our own sort of long-form improv style under the guise of being a television station. So it's soap operas, commercials, news, sports, etc. We mix in sketch comedy developed with improv techniquies. -
Most Horrible Audition Ever
Not really sure of the actual date, but this will do...
I miss improv, so I go to the Playground Theatre and participate in a cattle call audition for a panel of improv directors. It's a disaster. I lose the audience when I pull down my improv pants to poop on my mother's grave. It does NOT go well. These people don't get me. I leave improv for a long time. -
Museum at Chicago Academy for the Arts
I take a paying gig to direct "Museum" by Tina Howe at a local arts high school. Though I dread it, I end up loving it. I now know I must become a teacher. -
Period: to
Infamous Commonwealth
My temp gig at Northwestern's Cancer Center turns into a permanent job. For the first time, I make good money, have benefits and stability, and can take theatrical gigs to feed my soul. I fall in with Infamous Commonwealth Theatre and do lots of directing. I participate in 3 24 hour fests as director and actor. Too busy to miss improv. -
Period: to
Chicago Academy for the Arts
I teach Theatre & English at the Chicago Academy for the Arts. I am allowed the freedom to develop curriculum in both areas and I enter a period of massive satisfaction as both my artistic and educator identities combine and grow exponentially. To meet the demands of my theatre students, I teach improv in and outside of class. We use improv as a means of writing, too. -
Move to Ohio
My husband's job moves us from Chicago, IL to Delaware OH. I'm excited to be able to see stars in the sky at night, to own my first home, and to reaquaint myself with the color green... but I worry about the loss of culture, whether I'll find another job as rewarding at that at CAA, and if I'll ever do theatre again. -
Period: to
Village Academy Schools
I land a teaching job at tiny little Village Academy Schools, where I now must monitor dress codes, function with a conservative parental body, and learn to teach middle schoolers from privileged and wealthy backgrounds. I miss teaching theatre. I miss the arts school environment and my amazing head of school from Chicago, but I learn loads about eaching. I become the go-to tech gal and even become Google Certified. -
Period: to
Rosebriar Shakespeare Company
I start off acting (Goneril in King Lear) and eventually am asked to direct. Soon thereafter, I take over as Educational Outreach director and eventually become Artistic Director. I leave the company to save my marriage and the company folds soon thereafter. My marriage, however, survives. -
Period: to
Raconteur Theatre Company
I act, then direct, and eventually become an ensemble member of this company, which is much closer to my home . The aesthetic is fun and we do new works. The company folds when the Artistic Director steps down in order to spend more time with her family; nobody else is moved to take the position. -
Chicago Improv Fest
See You Thursday is the only Ohio improv team invited to perform at the Chicago Improv Fest. As luck would have it, one of our performances takes place at the Playground Theatre, the site of my Most Horrible Audition Ever. Balance is restored to the force. -
Columbus Unscripted Festival
I'm invited by members of the Columbus Unscripted Improv Festival to come to their fest and to take a class after they read a review I published of another improv show going on in Columbus. I'm so flattered and touched, I show up and am reminded of how much I missed improv. -
Period: to
See You Thursday
After attending the festival, I accept an invitation to join See You Thursday- a local co-ed group. For the first time as an improviser, I feel my femininity as a hinderance- not because the men are sexist, but because as an older woman, I sense they are unaware of my borders as an actor. In my first rehearsal, I cuss like a sailor, make a male actor touch me inappropriately, and kiss a girl- just to push away any shyness. I also join Dixie Cups- an all female troupe. I discover it's different! -
Period: to
Lady Parts Improv
Promo VidepBarbara, Amanda, & I are all members of both SYT & Dixie Cups. We find ourselves wanting to try a different style of improv than our other troupes- we like character-driven, relationship-based, long form akin to TJ & Dave or iO rather than the Annoyance/UCB style the other troupe use. Our troupe books education gigs & play shows where we can. We've appeared at the Funny Bone, Wild Goose, & Kafe Keruoac. -
Lady Parts with Bob's Tai Chi FIght Club & See You Thursday
8pm
The Wild Goose Creative
2491 S Summit, Columbus OH
$5 per person (BOGO if you mention CAWP 2013)
BYOB