College: My college improv group, The Tower Players, did not have auditions. THANK GOD as I never would have made it. This, more than anything, opened me up to improv. We were an open walk-in system. Very democratic---anyone could come to our open rehearsals and shows and everyone would get a chance to play. It was fairly equal in terms of gender, primarily white with a bit of BIPOC.
College trip to Chicago:
We do fundraising, take a van, and use the funds to pay for lodging, gas, one pizza dinner out, our workshops at Second City and tickets to see the show. We crash at Larry's Aunt and Uncle's, various Chicago relatives.
College Trip 2 to Chicago:
Oh wow, everyone else in my improv group seems to know who Del Close is...ok this is fun! Oh, that guy at the bar is cute...(why was I, a 20-year old college girl, flirting with a grown man? Because he was funny.).
Post-college, living in Chicago:
I better start at Second City. SHIT! I didn't get into level 2. Um, work is really busy so I guess I'll just do that and make some friends?
I take a year off from improv, focusing on my day job in advertising, making friends and indie sketch shows with my college improv pals
Interning at IO:
I can barely pay rent on my salary, so I get an internship at IO. Hauling ice, working the box office (it was so cold in the winter--right at the front door, we'd wear our intern shirts over heavy sweaters) and got classes for free.
Box Office Interning at IO:
This Star Wars show is amazing. I start sneaking into rehearsals to see how they put it together, my roommate Leah and I start hanging out with Brendan Gardiner and Mike Ross. Brendan tries on his Darth Vader costume in our living room.
Jedi: The musical Tour De Force Opens:
Man, I love this show...even though I don't know the source material. And man, boys love this Star Wars Parody. Sure, I'll understudy for Jen Bills (squeal!) "The emperor has made a critical error..." These boys sure are funny! Craig Cackowski would run up from the Harold to the Del Close cabaret to do the mic-only voice of the big thug character...I honestly can't think. The one who put Princess Lei in a bikini? (Looking back--they had a man, a very wonderful talented man, play the one female lead)
First Class with Susan Messing:
oh! WOW! You can actually be a kick-ass girl
First time watching Jane:
Amazing! More please (then I hear one of the men from the back of the bar say that the women shouldn't use their baby voices all the time)
Interning at IO for New Year's Eve:
Handing out champagne to the Armando show on NYE, Susan nodded at me and smiled like we were friends!
First IO team--Jesus and Tequila:
YES! YES! YES! We all LOVE each other all the time! (Pretty equal split between boys and girls, but a lot of student teams had that. As you moved up, it was primarily male. Lance Barber, Jason Sperling, Shannon Manning, Toni Tabora (right?), Dana Goodman, Julia Wolov, Harlan Cohen,
First IO show:
I am flying! This is wonderful! Oh shit, musical option...
First IO class with Del:
Why is Del yelling at me for the suggestion I threw out? Oh, Del liked that monologue I did! Oh, why is everyone getting stoned and giggling? Pot makes me paranoid.
Second IO show:
Work kept me there all hours, so I would work all day, grab a cab, and barely arrive on time for the show. I am overwhelmed and get a bit judgey (I did Improv in COLLEGE). I wish I could go back and tell that girl to be confident, not cocky and not try to fit in so much and just be who she was
Interning, first time watching Frank Booth in the blue velvet lounge:
Oh wow. These guys are so good. This is why we improvise. Also, it's not all just dudes. They are magic
Any random weeknight:
Open my calendar, it's work, outings with sales reps, rehearsals, shows and very little sleep.
First Del Close show: Dinner for Six
I'm interning, and Jason Chin is creating a new form and asks if I want to be in the show. (Did I understudy? Or was I in it? I think I understudied...)
Second IO team--The Pat Shay Dancers, first meeting
"Becky, what are you doing to make Charna like us? I'm taking her out..." UM WHAT? I'm one of two girls on a 9-person team. All white.
On the front lawn at Susan Messing's Party:
Peter Gwinn: "Can you sing?"
Me: YES (I couldn't, and still dread singing improv, though I keep on trying)
Peter Gwinn: We're going to put you on Vlad...they need girls
Me (in my head): Who's Vlad?
First rehearsal with Vlad:
We rehearsed. Every week. Rumor was that other teams didn't rehearse. Everyone smoked except Clampitt and I. I was the only girl on the team
Random gossip:
Second City put together the first mainstage cast with equal members boys and girls. Wow. This is "news"?
First show with Vlad:
Ross Foti: Walks out, stops mid-stage, I mirror him. Ross "I'm the devil" Me: "I'm the devil's intern"
(I had been an intern 3 times by then, and was obsessed with interning, as well as cousin relationships)
Post-show with Vlad:
Jarvis takes my shoe and drinks Champagne out of it and I feel happy, welcome, and excited to be doing improv here at IO.
Christmas Party at IO, 1997:
I'm interning and Chris Farley walks down the ramp. I go home that Christmas and brag about it...trying to make the connection between myself and a "famous" alum...somehow this free work I'm doing seems important
Out for lunch with some ad sales rep at Tucci Benuchi, in the Bloomingdale's Building
Dina Facklis, Pat McKenna and Lance Barber all work there. They send over a comped appetizer in an act of improv solidarity. Since I try to hide my improv aspirations at work (I'm afraid of being fired/exposed) I am torn between gratitude and "Oh shit, my cover is blown!". I also think for the millionth time--I should quit my day job but am worried about health insurance.
First schedule cut:
Jesus and Tequila were no more. Um, what? Why? Did anyone else know this? How does this happen?
Random Intern shift at Del Close Theatre:
Someone is sleeping on the couch, and I'm hauling buckets of ice from the back to the bar. This person wakes up and says "Hey Becky" and I'm like FUCK FUCKETY FUCK I can never remember anyone's name here...I should be networking more...I don't want to be a kiss ass...It was the lovely Seamus McCarthy who would go on to coach Red, play with us on Vlad (he was not the creepy one:)) and squire us around in Vegas after Lis' divorce when he was performing there. He did give Red really long notes...I think he saw something in us but we didn't have a ton of ambition on Red.
Random Vlad show:
Only me, and Pat McKenna were there before the show and Charna came up and asked me where the others were. This was before cell phones, and we had phone lists. Um, I DON't KNOW...they always show up.
The Judy Blume show:
I go and see the Judy Blume show starring all these baller girls, and directed by Susan Messing at the Annoyance. I feel joy, wonder and happiness...and immediately want to write a little house show. But, I have to go to work the next day
Another Vlad show:
What is a sit-in? How can you just sit-in, even if you don't rehearse? That's against the rules! Oh, well, I guess this guy must be important. He's kind of creepy
Vlad was eventually cut from the schedule and went to the Playground. I think it was considered a "Coup" but we loved playing together. Lillie taught us Close Quarters
(In the meantime, I'm part of the emerging Playground Theatre, and am on 3 teams there. All of them feel like home in a way that only Vlad had felt. We didn't have to worry about who at the back of the bar was half-watching us, making snarky comments, who was kissing Charna's ass, and singing for musical option. We could do something aside from the Harold and felt, like we had all been outsiders at IO, or Indie teams before that was a thing, and could start this new place for the art form we loved)
I went away to Newport with an amazing group of IO folks: Grondy, Pat Shay, Chris Day (who eventually grew to like me, I think:), Sue Salvi, Tara Davis, led by the amazing, always inspiring mentor to me, Lillie Frances. We don't get enough material in the show, so we start a lady's writing group, 8 oz bette.
I get back, and I'm now longer on a team. I ask Jason about why, and he sort of sighs at me and looks away. I call Charna and she says "We can put you on Jane" but it's an all-female team, and I'm already on a all-female team and we've really bonded, so that feels like a betrayal.
