Free Improv Comedy in Chicago – Feb 17

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Come out for some free improv comedy on Feb 17 at IO Theater. Come see three groups perform for free in the Cabaret. Whiskey Rebellion leads off the fun and describes themselves as proud practitioners of iO Theater’s signature improvised long-form, The Harold. Equal parts improv comedy and comedic performance art, Whiskey Rebellion does not so much perform on the stage as dismantle it, board by board, with an innate sense of physicality, musicality, and a third thing that ends in ‘ality’.

Starring: Ben Bowman, Ryan Heywood, Jay Olson, Tim Reardon, Kayce Alltop, Karisa Bruin, Gina Nicewonger, Ben Johnson, Cody Dove, Kevin Williams

Coach: Matt Manley

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Carl and the Passions

Starring: Bill Boehler, Erin Davidson, Jenny Hagel, Noah Gregoropoulos, Paul Grondy, TJ Jagodowski, Jordan Klepper, Shad Kunkle, Katie Rich, Andy St. Clair

Sit-in: Tracy McBee

Coach: Nick Johne

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Virgin Daiquiri

Featuring guitarist, Jessica Robbins.

Starring: Amanda Blake-Davis, Dina Facklis, Meagan Flanigan, Nicky Margolis, Sue Salvi, Mary Sohn, Beth Melewski, Emily Wilson, Aidy Bryant, Jessica Robbins

Sit-in: Abby McEnany, Megan O’Neill, Sue Gillan

iO Theater
3541 N. Clark St.

Chicago, IL 60657
MAP
773-880-0199

ABOUT THE IO Theater

Founded in 1981, iO (Formerly ImprovOlympic) is the world famous flashpoint of comic creativity that spawned an entire generation of America’s best and brightest entertainers. Over 5000 people have trained and performed at iO’s Chicago and Los Angeles theaters, including some of the most recognizable names in show business; Mike Myers, Chris Farley, David Koechner, Adam McKay, Tina Fey and many, many more.

Charna Halpern held a belief that improv was capable of more than the short games and competition-style shows that dominated the scene through the 1970s. It was then that she met legendary director and improv luminary Del Close. Their shared vision for a deeper, more robust form of improvisation based on trust and agreement would be rounded into shape and set in motion when they developed the Harold at iO (then ImprovOlympic). With Del serving as the mentor and Charna the guide, longform was born and the two would change the face of improvisational comedy.

It was Del’s belief that performers needed to have the utmost respect for one another- that if they treated each other like geniuses, poets and artists, they could become that on stage. This philosophy and the famous “yes, and!” notion that agreement is vital on stage helped iO establish itself in the community, and with that the Chicago improv scene was born. In short order iO grew from a ragtag nomadic group of comedic artists into a nationally recognized artistic institution, a destination for the world’s most talented comedians to study and experiment and work. In 1995, iO moved into its current location on Clark Street in Chicago and iO West opened in Los Angeles in 1997. Charna and Del would co-author “Truth In Comedy”, hailed by Bill Murray as “The most important group work since they built the pyramids,” and considered by many to be the bible of improvisational comedy.

Emphysema claimed Del Close’s life in 1999. His last words to Charna were:  “Tell them we succeeded where others have failed. We created Theater of the Heart, a theater where people cherish each other to succeed onstage”  Charna and the dedicated faculty of iO have spent their lives spreading this message and fostering the further development of improvisation as both an artform and a philosophy. Their success resonates far beyond the realm of entertainment. The American embassy in Cyprus hired Charna to teach her lessons in agreement to the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, helping them raise the borders and live as one people. The particle physicists at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider brought Charna to Swizerland to help a disparate group of physicists from all over the world work together. It was the lessons of improvisation that helped avoid disaster, as the Collider was turned on without causing a planet-swallowing black hole. Having conquered the worlds of global politics and particle physics, Charna turned her attention to MTV’s The Real World, serving as an on-air coach to season XX’s cast of show-biz dreamers. This, it goes without saying, is considered iO’s greatest achievement.

A second book, Art By Committee, was published in 2006 as iO celebrated its 25th Anniversary. iO’s Training Center spreads Del’s vision to 500 new students every year, and iO alumni continue to thrive in the entertainment industry and all walks of life. The story continues, day in, day out. The stars of tomorrow are learning the secrets of the Harold in our Training Center, while the sharpest minds in comedy are pushing the envelope, continually experimenting with the form and delighting audiences seven nights a week at our theaters. This is the fruit of Del and Charna’s labor, and that of the over 5000 people who have called iO home. Improvisation is an artform in and of itself, and iO is its home.

Upcoming shows:

Wednesday, February 17 @ 08:00 PM in the Cabaret Theater – tickets are FREE

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