Dan Castellaneta will be back home in Chicago in a few weeks to join original cast members Joe Liss, Mark Nutter and John Rubano to restage the “The Bicycle Men” sketch comedy show from December 12 to 16 at the Lakeshore Theater.
The December 16 performance will benefit the early detection ovarian cancer program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
According to the London Daily Telegraph, "Bicycle Men is an assured, wildly funny piece from four American TV sitcom writers, two of them alumni of Chicago's Second City troupe." Just don't be an idiot and yell out "d'oh" at a quiet moment in the performance.
Bastion writer Rachael Mason took advantage of her friendship with iO (formerly ImprovOlympic) founder Charna Halpern, who we first interviewed in July of 2006, and sat her down for an interview.
Knowing she should never be able to write as fast as Charna talks, Rachael put her in front of her Mac and let Garage Band do the rest. Hilarity ensued. Susan Messing also makes a cameo. Charna talks about everything from "the interweb," to how the writers' strike is affecting her friends in showbiz, and dealing with an improviser who's past their prime. We're hoping Rachael will take advantage of more of her friends and ask them the really tough questions too. She will be sitting Susan down next, and a little birdie told us that an Andy Dick interview might follow soon after that.
Check out the 20 minute interview. It starts off with "holy shit," and it only gets better from there:
Horatio Sanz and The Kings of Improv: Long Live the Kings!
The Bastion has seen a lot of improv. A lot. And just when our souls were being crushed by the weight of another long form show/roommate scene/group game -- a show like this comes along. The Kings of Improv restored our faith in not only the art form but in humanity itself. Where to begin? The show was like a rock concert.
We asked ourselves, “Why can’t every improv show be this good?” The answer slapped us with its dick on the cheek. Only Horatio Sanz could have compiled a cast list of this caliber, made up entirely of his own talented friends.
[We sent Horatio some questions for him to answer about the cast. He didn’t get a chance to do ‘em, so we will].
Give us one/a couple of words to describe:
a. Matt Walsh – Co-Host, Scene Editor, Move Maker
b. Andy Daly – Shy, Adorable, Game Player
c. Kevin Dorff - Smart, Handsome, Connection Man
d. Ed Furman – Dry and/or Wet as hell
e. TJ Jagodowski - Show Stealer
We realize that Horatio may not ever describe his friends this way… well, maybe he also thinks Dorff is handsome. Horatio knew TJ, Ed, Kevin, and Matt from iO, Annoyance, and Second City here in Chicago and we’re sure he met Andy through Matt at The Upright Citizens Brigade in NY. We wanted to ask him what qualified someone as a King of Improv and made them eligible for the show at the Lakeshore Theater. Again, another obvious answer: Be funny as fuck. From the opening raffle (they gave away what may have been Zack Galifianakis’ shirt that they found back stage) and following interviews conducted by Matt and Horatio to the closing scene, not a connection missed, call back dropped, or move was left unmade. Never before have sexual assault, murder, kidnapping, and ghost AIDs been so funny. It turns out ghosts can’t give humans AIDs, but humans can become carriers and pass it on to other ghosts. In Riyadh, foreigners are allowed one murder and two kidnappings. Also, calling Ed (Furman) is better than killing yourself.
It’s hard to review an improv show of this caliber without referencing the entire show. It’s a little tacky to re-tell jokes, especially ones created in a moment that will also never be seen again. You simply had to be there and you are rull sorry you missed it. Scenes were inspired by those audience interviews and it all tied together with a big silly fucking bow. It was HILARIOUS. Well, now we’re just rubbing it in. We can’t help it. We love it when our friends make it and return to share the wealth.
Before the show we ran into Horatio and Ed at the Melrose Diner and it made us happy. Two Chicago dudes eating at a local hole before their show like normal people. The entire cast even went for drinks together with the audience, family, and friends at Monsignor Murphy’s after. Ike Barinholtz was even there with his brother. Second City alums Claudia Wallace and Maria Corell were also there. It felt like we all had dinner like a normal family. Superb.
Upright Citizens Brigade-produced events will be in residence every Tuesday for an open run at the Lakeshore Theater. Go see every show you can.
HEY!
Here are some of the other questions we would have posed to Horatio (and OUR answers):
Do you have a favorite on stage moment from your time at Second City?
Horatio used to do this funeral scene when he was on the ETC. He’d break and everyone would laugh and this 6 minute scene would turn in to a 15 minute one.
It seemed like you were constantly laughing your mustache off at SNL, was that job really that much fun?
Yes, yes, we bet it rully was.
Do you consider Cuba Gooding Jr. a friend?
No.
Anything else you'd like to tell us?
I’m newly svelte and working it. You want me and you know it.
Well, yes we do.
Thank you Horatio Sanz and the Kings of Improv for one of the best nights we’ve had in a long time. Come home and play as much as you can and we’ll come and watch.
Welcome back, dear Bastion readers! We are feeling well-rested and (still) very full from our long holiday weekend. We trust everyone's doing well? Here are some tidbits culled over the last few days from all over the Internets.
Blewt! holiday cards! Enlist the talents of all your favorite Blewt characters to create customized video messages for your loved ones. Or your not-so loved ones. Send an "up yours, Uncle Bob" holiday clip, if you feel like it. It's your money. CIComedy has been describing in detail the recent move from their old, rented space at the Cornservatory, to their brand new permanent home, on their blog. Their first show in the new space is slated for December 1.
Blerds mouthpiece Mike Bridenstine gave his blog readers a run-down of their adventures on the Broadband Theatre Stage at The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas. He also saw Tim Minchin's show, which has us still seething with jealousy and rage.
Last week, HollywoodChicago.com snagged a cool interview with Conan O'Brien writer and Second City and iO alum Kevin Dorff. We usually turn to HollywoodChicago for the latest weird information on the viral Dark Knight campaign, so this was a fun thing to trip on.
Speaking of viral campaigns, you HAVE seen the newest Cloverfield trailer, correct? Hey, lookit those credits! Pretty f'n sweet.
Perusing our live music updates, we notice that the trend to pair comedy with melodic rock continues with Aimee Mann's 2nd Annual Christmas Show, at the Vic, featuring Paul F. Tompkins, Nellie McKay, and Morgan Murphy. Weird/neat.
This Wednesday will be the first of a new monthly event at the Lincoln Lodge, the Comedy Open Mic On Demand, which will pair local hopefuls with Comcast On Demand. Should be a raucous time!
"Saturday Night Live" found a way to support their striking writers and still put on a good show. 15 sketches in two hours with no commercial interruption, as a matter of fact.
"The 'SNL' cast and writers collaborated on staging the special 'Saturday Night Live—On Strike!' event at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre to benefit the behind-the-scenes staff affected by the strike. The live performance was not officially sanctioned by NBC, but 'SNL' executive producer Lorne Michaels, who celebrated his 63rd birthday, did attend. "
Has the strike clogged up your media intake valve? Do you find re-runs of Jay Leno even more boring the second time around? We're sad just thinking of all the "Mr. Whipple is dead" jokes we're missing out on.
The Bastion was one of more than 300 people to attend the sold out Pat Brice Tribute Show at the Lakeshore Theater this past weekend. The show was a reunion of sorts, bringing back many of Pat's old comedy friends, now living in Los Angeles and elsewhere. The night opened with a slideshow of a recent photo shoot of Pat, shot by fellow comedian David Angelo.
The photos captured the many facets of Pat, including his faux-sneer, charismatic grin, and signature smile. Set to a hip-hop soundtrack, it was the perfect welcoming segment for the friends and family gathered to watch some of the very best comics to emerge out of Chicago, who have all shared countless days and nights with Pat, performing, commiserating, and sharing memory-making times.
Pat's story of how "One Billion Pennies" came to be written was then played, an audio track recorded with his sports comedy show, The Visitors Locker Room, and his co-hosts Sean Flannery, who emceed the Lakeshore show, and CJ Sullivan, who headlined. It was coupled with animation by Jon Wilcox, and was gleeful and childlike.
Performances by Jeff Klinger, Brady Novak, TJ Miller, Kyle Kinane, and Shawn Cole were met with raucous approval, and each performer shared a favorite memory of Pat at the end of their sets. Pat's older brother Danny, who has become a friend to many in the local comedy scene within the last few months, closed the show with his remarks. It was a night of laughter, tears, and love. A pat on the back (no pun intended) to the organizers of this event, who managed to make it an energetic evening of celebration and remembrance such that Pat's family, including Danny and his parents Bernie and Mary Alice Brice, were seen leaving the show with smiles on their faces.
Photos, from top to bottom: Shawn Cole, TJ Miller, Kyle Kinane, and Jeff Klinger. All photos by Krystle Gemnich.
Mary Lynn Rajskub's comedy pedigree is impressive: early in her career she was cast on David Cross and Bob Odenkirk's HBO critically acclaimed sketch comedy series, “Mr. Show with Bob and David.” Quickly thereafter, she switched to the network's “The Larry Sanders Show.” Her film roster includes “Firewall,” opposite Harrison Ford, “Legally Blonde II: Red, White, and Blonde,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” and “Punch Drunk Love.” She also inspires a lot of techno nerd lust playing Chloe on "24," for which she and her fellow cast members won a 2006 Emmy win for Best Drama. Mary Lynn will be performing stand-up at the Lakeshore Theater in Chicago November 24. Our Dyan Flores, who is a big fan, conducted with this interview with Mary Lynn, and then the two of them saved Jack Bauer from terrorists and debugged the American military's computer network.
You said in an interview once that an unintentionally humorous performance art piece was sort of your segue into the world of comedy. Is that something that you're still active in?
My comedy has taken the place of my performance art. There was always a 'performer/audience' element to my performance art pieces. One particular piece I did was me as a public speaker, but my speech was torn up into bits of paper I couldn't fit back together, my podium was made of cardboard that kept falling over when I leaned on it and I had a pointer made of a bent hanger wire. I didn't really put it together that this was comedy! So I'm not still active in true performance art.
Your career started out with more comedic shows such as "Mr. Show" and "The Larry Sanders Show", and as your career progressed you started taking on more dramatic roles in projects like "Punch Drunk Love" and "24"; when you first got into the entertainment industry did you have mainly comedic aspirations or did you also hope to pursue more dramatic parts?
The approach to both is the same. I have never been a joke teller, I have always been more of an actress who happens to have a strong interest in stand up comedy. My aspirations have been to do the things that interest me, acting interests me and so does performing on stage by myself with material I have written. So I have pursued both.
When did you start performing stand up? What sort of topics do you like to cover and how do you come up with your material?
I started performing stand up around 10 years ago. I was very uncomfortable and would barely be able to say my name. This would elicit laughter from the audience which would prompt me to say things like "What are you looking at?" and "What do you want from me." This was my defensiveness coming out. I was defensive because I was scared and then I got laughs so I started to use it to my advantage. Sometimes it was funny, sometimes it was uncomfortable. For a while, I would always trip on the way up to the stage, which I thought was hilarious but people would end up just feeling sorry for me. Nowadays I still have elements of that but it is more about my personal life and observations. It is also about the way my mind works which doesn't really travel in a straight line. So it's about capturing thoughts, inner monologues, insecurities then following them and exploring what happens. Does your popularity as Chloe (on "24") draw a different fan base to your stand up shows? If so, are they ever surprised or disappointed to see a performance that is so different from what you do on "24"?
People have walked out. People have also been pleasantly surprised. I guess it depends on the people!
I have to ask, what's really on the computer screens at CTU?
There are real fake things on the computer screens. There's a whole team of people whose job is to design them, sometimes real "schematics" and sometimes fake stuff.
You have performed in film, television, and also continue to do stand-up. Is there anything that you haven't done which you would like to do? What branches of entertainment will you never delve into?
I would like to continue to do live shows and get into independent film-making.
And finally, what can we expect from you onstage at the Lakeshore Theatre the 24th?
Friend of the Bastion Mackenzie Condon, currently studying the legal nuances of defamatory fart jokes New York, tipped us off that Ben Lerman was going to swing through Chicago with his sick and brilliant ukulele comedy. Lerman will play songs from his album "Ukelear Winter" on November 25 at 7 PM at Hamburger Mary's on Clark Street in the Andersonville neighborhood. His songs can be heard here.
How would you describe your comedy and music?
I like to make fun of myself and the people around me. Since I’m a gay Jew-tard (or am I a Jewish gay-tard?), I have a lot to draw from.
How did you make the jump from living in your hometown in Indiana to pursuing "gay comedy rock stardom" in New York in 1998? Was there a college stint before then? Did you always know you wanted to head to New York?
After high school, I was an exchange student in Brussels for a year. I found myself legally drinking at karaoke bars with crazy Belgians. One time they tried to impress me by shotgunning cans of Stella Artois (the Belgian equivalent of Schlitz) and then vomiting the beer still foaming. Foamy beer vomit leaves a lasting impression. It looked like it was coming straight out of a keg, a keg made of a human body. After Belgium, I went to Washington, DC, to drop out of college and begin an illustrious career waiting tables. After 6 years I rose from the position of “waiter” to “waiter with a slightly better section.” With those successes under my belt, I knew that New York held no challenges I couldn’t conquer. Gay comedy rock stardom seems like a goal worth pursuing because there is no such thing. Here’s what I know: if something doesn’t really exist, it’s impossible to fail. So go for it, right?
What is your comedy background like -- did you study or train anywhere, or do stuff in college?
I’ve taken a couple of improv classes in New York, but improv is hard because I have OCD and I just tend to alphabetize imaginary CDs in every scene. Not so fun for an audience to watch, but highly organized. I think comedians can learn most from committing Lifetime original movies to memory. At this point, Meredith Baxter Birney and I think with one mind.
Have your parents heard you sing songs about wanting to masturbate to Anderson Cooper? And if so, are they still speaking to you?
Remember that anti-drugs commercial where the dad finds pot in his kid’s room, and the kid says, “I learned it from you, dad!” Well, it’s sort of like that. Um, just kidding. My entire family has been extremely supportive of me while simultaneously being extremely embarrassed by me. Now I’m trying to figure out what horrible thing I can say next that will test their love even more.
Is there something inherently funny about the ukulele, in your opinion? Might you have just as much success with an accordian, or a kazoo?
I tried to be a one-man kazoo band for a long time, but people complained that they had trouble understanding the lyrics. Lenny (that’s my uke’s name) is very offended by this question. He just stormed out of the room in tears. Don’t worry, Lenny is just overly sensitive because his last owner left him for a funny accordion.
We noticed that you are MySpace friends with Maya Lerman, who we're guessing is your sister - ? She's also a musician, but without the comedy component. Any theories on that? Less residual childhood psychological damage for her?
Until now my family has maintained that we are cousins. Now that you have revealed our dark family secret, she’s sure to have as much psychological damage as me.
What can people who show up to Hamburger Mary's on November 25 expect to see from you?
The should expect an answer to that nagging question, “What would happen if Weird Al Yankovic and Big Gay Al from South Park had a baby with Al Jarreau?”
Highlights from the Lincoln Lodge's Halloween Spooktacular 2007, featuring Ken Barnard, Jeff Hansen, Adam Burke, Chad Briggs, Jeb Cadwell, CJ Toledano, Dan Telfer, Mike and Duane, and Brady Novak:
David Angelo in "Best Pals":
Hey, NYC: check David's fledgling forum/calendar and add your comments and/or events!
Kyle Parris "wows" them again at this month's Globe Gong Idol:
"We Really Miss You, Dave," the first in a series from sketch group CHUPACABRA, featuring Brooke Van Poppelen, Baron Vaughn, Jordan Carlos, Mike Dobbins and Rob Apuzzo:
ThoseGuysFilms.com's "Frat Bro's Secret Sex Tape," featuring special guest star Mackenzie Condon:
Comedy Central's Kenny and Spenny Talk to the Bastion
Kenny and Spenny, the stars of Comedy Central's newest show Kenny vs Spenny, talk to The Bastion. The show is premiering on November 18, and is produced by Matt Stone and Trey Parker (yeah, of South Park fame). This pair is from Toronto, which is Chicago's sister city, did you know that? We didn't. Also, did you know that Kenny's mom loves him so much that she'll put up with a farting contest between him and Spenny? That woman deserves a medal.
pH Productions, a Chicago-based improv and comedy theater company, is celebrating of 5 years of performance with a big pH Birthday Bash Monday, November 14 at 7:00 pm at the Lakeshore Theater.
They promise "a huge night of pH comedy, live music, and a silent auction with fantastic prizes," as well as performances of some of pH’s most popular original shows, such as pHrenzy, pHamily the Musical and Women on Top.
How serious is pH Productions about their art? Pretty serious. They have a mission statement, yo. "Established in 2002, pH Productions is a performance ensemble dedicated to educating and exposing non-traditional audiences to live theater. pH's original comedic productions continually test the boundaries of form, humor and audience participation to provide the highest quality entertainment."
The party is Monday, November 12, from 7:00 to 11:00 pm at the Lakeshore Theater, 3175 North Broadway. Admission is free, although (especially given pH's non-profit status), the generous of spirit are welcome to make a donation.
Okay, so we caved. But we still support our WGA brothers and sisters. Now back to your regularly scheduled revolution.
Guess, what, Bastion readers? We're feeling a little revolutionary. We're showing solidarity with our fellow writers and refusing to blog until the WGA strike is resolved, or until our publisher yells at us, whichever comes first. Want to know what the writers' strike is all about? It's about technology changing and us getting our media from new places. Well, why read when you could click this clever little video?
Basically, writers want to be paid for what they write, and get a reasonable share of the profit every time their work is viewed, whether that's on television, on a movie screen, on a DVD, or in an online clip. As it stands now, they are paid a tiny amount for DVD sales (the result of a 1988 agreement that was supposed to have been amended shortly thereafter) and NOTHING for online content. That means if you watch The Office or 30 Rock exclusively online (and we know people who do), the writers get none of the share of the beef jerky ads you watch online between show segments.
New media is here. Television is changing, if not dying. Writers deserve to be paid for their work. Hence: STRIKE!
David Letterman sides with the writers, and Jay Leno has joined writers on the picket line. According to an article today in Reuters.com, Seth Meyers and Tina Fey may become the key faces of this strike, much like Letterman 20 years ago, and help viewers to understand the issues at hand.
An interesting thread on the strike on the AST board, featuring comments from several showbiz writers.
Have thoughts? Do you support the writers? Worry about missing some valuable boob tube watching? Think this whole internet thing is a fad? Let 'er rip in the comments section.
After our interview a few months ago, Maria Bamford and The Bastion are BFFs. In our mind, at least. She recently came through town with the Comedians of Comedy gang, and will return to our fair city on November 16, for another show at the Lakeshore Theater. So of course we hung out at my place, where we did each other's nails, listened to the Spice Girls, and scrolled through Cute Overload*.
Your series on Super Deluxe continues to delight and amaze us. You seem to have an unending source of ideas for the show, how do those ideas evolve in your head?
It's just whatever I'm worried or mad or excited about- I'm really happy with the Halloween episode and OCD episode- those are my favorites and feel proud- but just sort of percolate and then write in my notebook and talk about with friends a little and then type it up!
Blossom has a lot of charisma for such a small dog. How long do you think it will be until she has her own show?
Blossom is a grand dame, an elegant lady, a woman of means. She doesn't need show business. Show business needs her. (She is fielding offers, but mostly from my Mother.)
You're going to be with the rest of the Comedians of Comedy gang for the Nov. 1 Chicago show at the Vic Theater, right? How are those shows going?
They are GREAT! We were in Philadelphia last night and it was awesome- our third time in Philly and it was just wonderful- the shows seem to get better and better.
You're going to be at The Lakeshore Theater on November 16, after having been there for two shows last May. When we spoke then, you said that one of the things you liked about performing there was that you liked being able to do one or two shows instead of a full week, which is what a lot of places require. Is that part of the reason you're coming back, and what else do you like about doing shows at the Lakeshore Theater?
It's a theatre and people can sit down and not have to buy drinks and they can focus and relax. Comedy clubs can be kind of stressful with all of the constant ordering and sitting with tables of people you don't know- can be odd.
Some Chicago comedy fans are wondering if you're going to be bringing Jackie Kashian with you again, because they enjoyed the combination of the two of you. Will she be your opening act?
Oof. I'm not sure. I have to check with Jackie!
Is it true that you made out with Jon "Ducky" Cryer and taught Jenna Elfman how to play the violin?
Yes (fake made out) in a show that was on for 3 episodes and once on Dharma and Greg-I haven't auditioned as much for TV shows anymore because the process is kind of a bummer (for me)- it's like temping- you go in and do a job (and the auditioning can be a bummer because I so often didn't get the job.) Stand up is more empowering- I always have the job!
Can you give our readers some idea of what to expect from your Nov. 16 show? Any special bits your fervent fans can look forward to?
Messages for my mom's answering machine from the Baby Jesus, my view of history/geography and some new stuff about traveling in the van with the guys!
*Not really.
That crazy backroom competition wherein everyone puts on a costume or gets naked happens again tonight! 9 o’clock, at the Globe Pub, 1935 Irving Park Rd. This evening will be hosted by Jason Fever, judged by CJ Sullivan, James Fritz’s Coach, and Amie Clarke, and gonged by Tony Blanco.
What you missed if you stayed home the last time:
Ken Barnard, who had not yet earned the title of Second Funniest Person in Chicago, kicked off the show with some jingoistic dancing. Judge CJ Sullivan spit vitriol all night, at one point cursing the memory of Gilda Radner. Judge Sarah King as “Mama Truth” as God alternately offered withering criticism or sexual contact to the contestants. James Fritz’s Coach brought a down-home southern pedophilic charm to the affair.
But try as they might, the judges could not rise to the level of creepiness displayed by the contestants. Costumes were favored, from Dionysus to an American Eagle. The comedians who attempted straight-forward non-costumed were gonged pretty quickly. (Tip for tonight: if you attempt this, don’t get angry at the audience for heckling you. Heckling is the whole POINT of being in the audience at this.) There were two contestants who got naked. Danielle put on a burlesque show that involved obscene acts with a blow up doll. Danielle’s short stature may have been her defining physical feature in the audience’s eyes until she revealed her pasties. She ended up winning the top prize. The audience was less appreciative of Kyle Parris stripping down to a gym sock. Other notable performances included Tap-Man, who tapped and read poems from kindergarten, and comedy heartthrobs Team Submarine, who berated the audience and got lots of love in return.
From the Bastion’s observation of the last Globe Gong, here are the guidelines for not getting gonged:
- put on a costume
- if you’re a woman take off your clothes
- if you’re a man keep them on
- don’t get angry at the audience
- unless you can make it funny
- dance
But you can’t win it if you don’t show up, so put on your Halloween costume, ready your jazz hands, and come to the Globe Pub tonight for your chance at infamy!
The Chicago History Museum is hosting a bunch of really cool comedy-related events in the next few weeks. Tuesday, November 6, NPR's Scott Simon talks to Chicago comedy legends Mike Hagerty, Tim Kazurinsky, Richard Kind, Mick Napier, Andrew Alexander, and Susan Messing. November 13 is the "Tuesday Night Live with The Second City" show, featuring Tim Meadows and Rachel Dratch. Plus, it's at the History Museum, so just being there, you get to feel all smart and stuff.
Punchline Magazine is kicking off a social networking feature on their site. You can share photos, audio, videos, and connect with other comedy nerds.
Among the swirl of thoughts going through Second City students' head during class is usually stuff like "Am I funny enough? Do these people like me? Am I good enough? Why won't that cute girl/guy pay attention to me? When will I be famous? How can I make my teacher pick my sketch for our show?"
But have you ever wondered what's running through the comedy writing teacher's head during years of classes, lesson plans, fresh faces and old jokes? Sometimes it's what you'd like to hope: "Wow, this kid's really got something," or "This one is full of amazing ideas," and sometimes it's "You're all idiots, and I can't believe I'm hearing another dick joke."
What happens when a Second City comedy writing teacher gets a chance to tell her story? Lakeside Writing Studio presents "Writing With Nancy," described as a "solo performance with posse."
"Through a series of songs, phone calls and realizations, Nancy Beckett tackles the blank page and exposes her life as a comedy writing teacher and the crisis that brought her there." Beckett is an award-winning playwright on the faculty at Second City's Training Center and Columbia College's Professional Writing Program. The show is directed by Second City's John Hildreth, who also directs the Bastion-reviewed "Wii the People," with musical direction by Rebecca Pavlatos.
"Writing With Nancy" opens Friday, November 9th at Live Bait Theater, 3914 North Clark near Wrigley Field. The show runs Friday-Sunday at 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 pm on Sundays, through December 9th. Tickets are $20.
Bastion contributor, filmmaker, and funny kid Jon DeWalt has been hired by Boom Chicago, and we got a chance to chat him up before he takes off for the land of red lights and liberal coffeeshops...
Can you give us a brief description of your comedy background/training?
I started in high school with The Second City Teen training, known as the 'Teen Ensemble', and then went into A-E, the adult program, when I hit college. During this time I was commuting every week from ISU (Illinois State University) for my Second City class, which is six hours round-trip. I started iO Level 1 when I finished that program in the summer after my first year of college and knew I wasn't going back. I moved here permanently. I've been at iO and online ever since.
What was the impetus for starting ThoseGuysFilms.com? How regularly did you want to put up new stuff, and how much work was involved? (I remember talking to you early on, and you saying one film in particular took a huge amount of hours to edit...were there times when it seemed like too much work?
I started a comedy-video Web site two years before The Lonely Island got hired by Saturday Night Live because I loved their Web site so much. They were having so much fun together and were being funny and it was all well made and I just wanted to do it. So I started the initial site that turned into ThoseGuysFilms.com the summer after high school.Then I met Jason Piazza in my Second City Level A class and we gelled right away, both as friends and as comedy partners. When I moved here permanently I wanted to make sure he was involved. Our goal was to get better, be funny, and have fun doing something (at the time) that no one else was doing. Then The Lonely Island dudes got SNL the same year that YouTube became important and before you know it everyone is doing this or something like it.
I remember being so happy to be doing improv and videos and feeling unique, but then it became about standing out in the seas of thousands of people who wanted to be on SNL and be in "Lazy Sunday" and "Dick in a Box". In November of 2006 Jason and I added Rachel Lewis and Jake Schneider to our cast based off of our relationship with them from the iO community. It's been the four of us (and occasional guest stars) ever since.
I never had a specific goal like mirroring The Lonely Island or anything, I just wanted to put up good work and challenge myself to always be improving. I was sure that if you work hard and do well for an extended period of time something would happen eventually no matter what. It is a lot of work since I maintain the site, do all the editing and producing, etc. For a simple short video I might spend a total of 15 - 20 hours on it, and for a video that is longer or has fancy editing moves (like a music video) it might be 35 - 45 hours or more. A lot of late insomnia nights, a lot of nights coming home from doing a Harold at iO and editing until 4 a.m. and then going to work at 8. I never thought it was too much work, and never will. Having a lot of work to do is a blessing, I enjoy doing comedy and hope I will always have more work to do.
Tell us about your initial contact with the Boom Chicago folks, how they heard about you, and anything they said about your films and what role they played in getting hired.
My friend Brian Jack (The Reckoning, Deep Schwa) was a cast member there for a year and he recently went back for an extra two months to work on their new Comedy Central Euro show. While there he found out they were looking for a third video director and Brian mentioned my name and showed them the Web site, and I got hired from that. I owe Brian deep gratitude and thanks.
What kind of work will you be doing there? What are your goals and particular things you're excited about? How long you'll be there?
I will be directing/editing/writing video content for Boom's show on Comedy Central Euro (a new episode five days a week), their Web content, the videos in their live show, and some other projects as well. I will also get to improvise twice a week in fun late night shows they have, so I am excited to still get to play. My goal is to learn a ton and do my best, they have so much amazing equipment that puts mine to shame, so I will be learning a lot of techniques and methods. All sorts of new tools will be added to my belt and I want to master them. I am excited to live in Europe, I have never been overseas and I am a young guy so it will be a great life experience outside of comedy as well.
Dan Castellaneta will be back home in Chicago in a few weeks to join original cast members Joe Liss, Mark Nutter and John Rubano to restage the “The Bicycle Men” sketch comedy show from December 12 to 16 at the Lakeshore Theater. 
Bastion writer 
"
Does your popularity as Chloe (on "24") draw a different fan base to your stand up shows? If so, are they ever surprised or disappointed to see a performance that is so different from what you do on "24"?
Friend of the Bastion 
After high school, I was an exchange student in Brussels for a year. I found myself legally drinking at karaoke bars with crazy Belgians. One time they tried to impress me by shotgunning cans of Stella Artois (the Belgian equivalent of Schlitz) and then vomiting the beer still foaming. Foamy beer vomit leaves a lasting impression. It looked like it was coming straight out of a keg, a keg made of a human body. After Belgium, I went to Washington, DC, to drop out of college and begin an illustrious career waiting tables. After 6 years I rose from the position of “waiter” to “waiter with a slightly better section.” With those successes under my belt, I knew that New York held no challenges I couldn’t conquer. Gay comedy rock stardom seems like a goal worth pursuing because there is no such thing. Here’s what I know: if something doesn’t really exist, it’s impossible to fail. So go for it, right?
After our interview 
That crazy backroom competition wherein everyone puts on a costume or gets naked happens again tonight! 9 o’clock, at the Globe Pub, 1935 Irving Park Rd. This evening will be hosted by Jason Fever, judged by CJ Sullivan, James Fritz’s Coach, and Amie Clarke, and gonged by Tony Blanco.
The 
Among the swirl of thoughts going through Second City students' head during class is usually stuff like "Am I funny enough? Do these people like me? Am I good enough? Why won't that cute girl/guy pay attention to me? When will I be famous? How can I make my teacher pick my sketch for our show?"
Bastion contributor, filmmaker, and funny kid 
