Hey everyone. I am VERY appreciative of all the positive feedback I’m getting on this blog. If there is one thing I hear a lot from people in this biz it’s that summers are slow. Well, you could have fooled me. I’ve been pretty busy lately (and it’s all great…keep it coming!) and haven’t had time to meet up with the next potential interviewee.

So, a few alternatives.

1) I could plug my own shows. Like ComedySportz, Johnny Roast Beef, or the upcoming Silent Treatment with the R & D Project (Deanna and I). But that wouldn’t learn ya anything about specific improvisors.

2) I could ask that people post comments under interviews if they notice errors. Some have done this, some have not. Noah’s interview had a lot of names/places/concepts that took some serious googling for instance.

3) I could burn Martin Wilson hardcore. But he did a great job in the Improvised Shakespeare Company on Friday night…as did everyone else in that group and as did Ragdolls before them. If you haven’t seen Ragdolls…well…I don’t think they have a run right now, so you’re out of luck. If you haven’t seen the Improvised Shakespeare Company you are missing out big time. Don’t be a huge douche like me and wait until three weeks ago to see it for the first time. It is smart, funny, and worth seeing weekly.

4) YOU could interview yourself. Use the comments to answer this question: What is one thing that people don’t know about you that they should?

Looks like #4 is a winner. See you with another interview soon (I hope).

RR: Fantastic. Before we begin I want to make a disclaimer that I actually know this person. And that she has an interesting way of talking that I sometimes take on. I’m curious to transcribe this and find out how badly it effects me.

TD: Oh, no.

RR: But I’ll start with my first question. What is your name?

TD: My name is Tara Elizabeth DeFrancisco. And you are Prance Rizzutto.

RR: Ohhhh! I didn’t know your middle name! Already I’m learning!

TD: See.

RR: Tara Elizabeth DeFrancisco…what are your dreams?

TD: Oh no! I’m getting cornered. What are your dreams? That’s my bit. You get nothing. What are my dreams, really?

RR: Yeah. What are your dreams?

TD: Oh, Rance. I am living the dream. I’m doing it right now. I really am doing pretty much everything I moved here for.

RR: From where?

TD: Columbus, Ohio.

RR: Ohhhh.

TD: Ohhhh. Home of the Buckeyes. Land of milk and honey.

RR: O-H…

TD: I-O…

RR: That’s your riddle.

TD: That’s not right, Rance! What’s round on the ends and high in the middle?

RR: Ohio state.

TD: Close enough.

RR: Boy. If this is going to be riddled…Ha ha…riddled!…riddled with that many personal bits it will be BORING FOR EVERYONE!

TD: Everyone, hang in there.

RR: Who or what inspired you to do improv?

TD: Wow. Let’s see. I always wanted to do something from about the time I was 13 on. I made a real shift in about middle school. I was a lot of advanced classes and stuff and was a lot shyer than I currently am. I had friends and stuff but I just took a real turn in, like, 7th grade probably, into knowing that I wanted to be on…be involved with comedy somehow. So, I became class-clowny almost on purpose. Kind of as a project, and it really took off. And then after that I got really class-clowny in high school and stuff. It was really fun and I had a lot of friends and I had a good time in high school and stuff. So, from that point on I knew it was something I wanted to do but I didn’t know how to do it, exactly. Because I knew I didn’t want to do stand up, but I didn’t know what else there was. I only had seen, like, Whose Line and stuff on TV. But then I came here once in college on like a trip. A weekend trip or something. I went to Second City kind of by chance and knew that that’s what it was. That’s what I wanted to do.

RR: So in college was when you figured out…”oh!”?

TD: Yeah. I think so. I mean, to my knowledge…and this could be wrong. I went to school at Ohio University, which is also where Arnie Niekamp and Nicky Margolis went, and we were all in the same class but didn’t know each other. It’s a pretty big school. I knew Nicky, but not Arnie. I don’t think that they had a kind of improv there, if any. If they did it was pretty renegade and small I think. And they’d have to clarify that. But I didn’t know about it until then. I took stand up classes in college and kind of came here thinking “at least I’ll start doing that and see what happens.”

RR: If I remember correctly from Arnie’s interview I don’t think he did anything there either.

TD: Okay. I feel like I read that maybe Nicky had?

RR: Maybe. Yeah.

TD: I was surprised because she was a French major. I remember that. I think we were both kind of like “what do we do?” because she had the same interests that I did.

RR: Hmmm. Did you ever have a non-improv path you were following?

TD: Not necessarily a path. It was always kind of secondary. I double majored in college. In business communications called INCO. Which was I-N-C-O. Which was kind of like HR management, for lack of better. And I went into non-profit fund raising for a while before this. Stuff like that. But I always knew that I wanted to do this.

RR: Yeah. Sounds like from 7th grade.

TD: Yeah yeah!

RR: Sometimes peoples’ dreams get shattered on paths…

TD: What?

RR: …and they have to start learning how to be a dentist or something.

TD: Well, I think all dentists are a little bit shattered, right?

RR: Mm hmm. What’s your A-#1 hobby?

TD: My A-#1?

RR: Mm hmm.

TD: I have to ask “My A-#1?” because everyone else always asks.

RR: You’ve read.

TD: I have read a couple. Let me see. My A-#1 hobby. Boy. You know, this might be a dumb thing to say but I feel like it’s probably hanging out with friends. Is that a hobby? I mean, if I’m not, like, on the clock then I think that’s probably the first thing I gravitate towards. I also like…I mean, I also like all kinds of things, Rance! I mean, like, I like outings! I like planning activities!

RR: Uh boy.

TD: He’s rolling his eyes. I like recreational sports.

RR: Yeah, but I’m looking for A-#1 here!

TD: Then I guess it’s friend time.

RR: Friend time?

TD: It’s gotta be friend time.

RR: That’s counts as a hobby, I think.

TD: It’s gotta be. Because everything else that people do as hobbies I do for a profession.

RR: Like fishing?

TD: Like, I’m a professional fisher. I don’t know if you’ve seen all the great catches I’ve made in the past couple of months but I’ve done really well for myself.

RR: What’s your favorite story in your life?…meaning…

TD: You know what? Don’t go any further.

RR: Don’t go any further?

TD: No, go ahead. Tell me more.

RR: What’s your favorite story in your life? What’s your favorite thing that’s ever happened to you?

TD: So, like, the story of me. The story of me, what’s my favorite thing?

RR: Yeah, what’s the favorite story from your life? What’s your favorite thing that’s ever happened to you in your life?

TD: Man!

RR: Right?

TD: Right? Right? Let me think. My favorite story. A lot of them have to apply to comedy. I won’t tell any of those because I think they’re kind of obvious. Of like “Oh! I made things that I wanted!” Great. Who cares? How ‘bout this? How ‘bout this gem? When I first moved here to Chicago I was looking for a job. And I didn’t really have any idea of what I wanted to do, but I wanted to do something fun. Like, something cool to do. Just because I didn’t really, like, need money exceptionally because I had saved to move here and stuff. So, I saw an ad in the paper to be a P.A. at Jenny Jones. I thought that would be weird enough that it would be fun so I went downtown. I made the call and got a…what are they called? A job interview. Yep. It was an audition…not that. I went in and got a job interview. I went to the P.A. job interview and overheard somebody say “Well, what are we going to do? We don’t have anybody for the spot. We don’t have anybody to even interview for this…” essentially the assistant to the producer “…we don’t have anything for this. No one is here for that.” Essentially I was like “Oh! Yeah! That’s what I’m here for. I have an interview for this at blank o’clock.” And pretty much finagled my way into an interview probably like five levels higher than I should have had ever, you know? And they hired me for it. Just because I was like “this? Yeah, yeah. There must be a mistake in your paperwork.” The guy’s name was Ed Glaven. The producer of Jenny Jones at the time and I became his assistant. And it was the worse job ever.

RR: Nice.

TD: Easily. Easily. But it was a fun, like, success story. Of like “just keep your ear to the ground!”

RR: Workin’ the system?

TD: Yeah, totally. Totally.

RR: Nice.

TD: Of, like, successful lying. You know what I mean? I just wanted to be a successful lier.

RR: Positive dishonesty?

TD: I don’t believe in lying. I believe in positive dishonesty.

RR: Do you have a favorite show moment of yours that sticks out in your mind? Not something you saw, but…

TD: Like, of me?

RR: Yeah.

TD: Wow. Um…Rance, I mean they’re all just such fun! I don’t really have…let me see if I can think of something specifically. I feel like a lot of them have probably been at ComedySportz. Mostly because you get to shift who you play with all the time. More than anywhere else in the city that I play with. Um…let me think.

RR: Okay.

TD: Let me think.

RR: Think away.

TD: Think away. I feel like all the times that have been the most fun on stage is probably when I’m doing something that’s a major error. Like, just absolutely breaking at something that I shouldn’t be breaking at. Or one of those kind of situations more than anything.

RR: Can I suggest a possible one?

TD: Yes. I can’t wait to hear what it is.

RR: Well, at ComedySportz, as some people may know…some people from iO may not have even SEEN an actual ComedySportz show before…

TD: Pat O’Brien.

RR: Ooooooo.

TD: I called him out! I want him to read this.

RR: Good work. And…uh…there’s two teams of three people and a referee. Part of the referee’s duty is to call the fouls and one of the major fouls, to keep it a clean show, is the Brown Bag foul. So, whenever someone yells out something like proctologist or dildo or…I don’t know…condom or hard-on or something.

TD: Well, yeah…

RR: Something you don’t want to have a whole scene based on if it’s a clean show. Let alone if there’s kids or old prudes in the audience.

TD: Old prudes…with major hard-ons.

RR: With major hard-ons. So, part of that is to explain the brown and if you say something dirty you have to put this brown bag, it’s a grocery bag, over your head for the remainder of the scene or game.

TD: Mm hmm.

RR: And when Tara was explaining it one night she explained the foul and she summed it up by saying “no one wants a dirty sack on their face.” And…it took…different meaning. For whatever reason. It sounded like “no one wants a filthy set of testicles on their face.”

TD: I think they get it. I think they…no, I don’t know what you’re getting at. I think I probably ace being a ref, is what we need to tell these people.

RR: Mm hmm. It works though.

TD: I think that, as a ref, I’m just a Ref Bumbleshanks. I definitely bumble.

RR: Ref Bumbleshanks?

TD: Ref Bumbleshanks is my new…I mean, it’s one of my favorite things to do in the city. Only because it’s the stand-upiest thing you do and it’s still interactive with all the other people on stage.

RR: True.

TD: And, somehow, if I blow it you can still keep going. It’s still really fun to be like “whoops!” and keep going. Like, no one wants a dirty sack on your face. I think I’ve gotten the most flack for, probably, in my comedy career. Which got a 200 person “boo.” Fun “boo”, not a mean “boo”, but a fun “boo” of them chanting for me to wear the bag as a referee, which is pretty much unheard of.

RR: True.

TD: Yeah.

RR: I think between you and Deanna Moffitt…..HI BABY!

TD: Oh my god! Girl!

RR: You come up with the most…

TD: Trippy?

RR: The most misphrased sentences that come out differently.

TD: Right. Deanna’s “give them a round of a hand.” Yeah.

RR: ”Give them a round of a hand.” Or my current favorite is, a ref bit that we’ll throw out sometimes is “You’re falling a little bit in the behind.” to one of the captains if their score isn’t as high as the other. At which point they might turn and look at their butt to check and see.

TD: Get it?

RR: She said that to Ross Bryant but she left off the word “falling” and just said “Ross, you’re a little bit in the behind.”

TD: Are you kidding?

RR: No. So it went from, sort of “gluteus maximus atrophy” to “mild sodomy.”

TD: To major hard-ons.

RR: With just taking one word away.

TD: Yeah, yeah.

RR: Anywho.

TD: I get that.

RR: Anywho.

TD: It’s fun, though. Yeah. It’s super fun.

RR: That’s my favorite Tara show moment…sacks on a face.

TD: That’s one of my favorites. Obviously the right favorites to say are probably fun group work and stuff like that at both iO and Second City and ComedySportz this is all true. But as far as like “Whoopsy daisy!” moments, that is definitely one of the that still was really fun.

RR: Everyone loves a blooper real.

TD: Right. Right. I think I’ve got a lot of bloopers on my Chicago reel at this point.

RR: Who do you perform with that inspires you? One person. Just say “everyone” now and get it out of the way.

TD: Because everyone says “everyone”?

RR: Yeah.

TD: Aw, man!

RR: I mean, you don’t have to. Except for Jordan Klepper I think said “no way”…no, it was Camille. I lose track.

TD: What did she say?

RR: She said, “Oh, I don’t enjoy playing with everyone.”

TD: You just made a lot of enemies, Camille. Let’s see.

RR: She’s just positively dishonest.

TD: Good for her.

RR: No! Wait! She’s negatively honest…I don’t know.

TD: She really is. Wow. Number one. Everybody is.

RR: Number one. Who’s the number one person that you perform with?

TD: You take away something from everyone…but…my number one person is…

RR: It changes. It could change everyday. Who’s just your person right now?

TD: Well, then today I’d say it’s probably like…Wayne Brady.

RR: When do you perform with Wayne Brady?

TD: It’s a joke! It’s a joke! It’s a joke! It’s a joke! Uh…the guy from Ernest goes to Camp. I think it’s probably really…ugh, it’s so hard. I guess it’s gotta be J.B.

RR: Jack Black?

TD: Joey Blii.

RR: Huh?

TD: Joey Blii.

RR: Oh, Joey Bland?

TD: Yeah yeah.

RR: Jewy Blii? Good ole Jewy Blii.

TD: Ole Jewy Blii.

RR: That’s part of the Tara-talk I was talking about earlier.

TD: I blew it!

RR: You’ve been doing very well with it as well.

TD: I’ve been really trying to stay on best behavior. It’s difficult.

RR: What about Joey Bland? Why?

TD: Well, in addition to him being a great friend it’s also just really fun to play with him because he’s super positive almost all the time. I think he’s a super good listener. He takes in things around him. He’s also kind of my generation of whatever that means…of improv. So, it’s fun to kind of look to someone who’s also your…who’s your peer…and still be inspired by that. Rather than being like “TJ” who, of course, everyone would…of course, of course. People like that are very inspiring. Or you know, people who’ve been beyond Second City like Tina Fey. It’s like that seems relatively obvious, but it’s fun to know that you work with someone everyday who is still really excited about it.

RR: On the same improvachronological timeline?

TD: I guess so. Is that a word? Sure.

RR: It is now. Wikipedia that stuff.

TD: Wikipedia.

RR: Wikipedia. Make it real.

TD: Everything on Wikipedia is true.

RR: What’s your dream job?

TD: I’ve been struggling with this lately. I don’t really know. I think when I was like 12 it was probably to be on Saturday Night Live.

RR: Yeah.

TD: And now I feel like it’s just not necessarily…I feel like the closer you get to it it seems more attainable or more unattainable because it’s like just steps away. Sometimes that’s even harder than having it be…you know, when something is MILES away you’re like “oh yeah! I could do it if I wanted!” because then it’s like you don’t have to think about all the steps involved. But then when you really know people that are being taken to Conan and The Daily Show it’s kind of like “Oh! I guess that could be us someday.” You know? That could be all of us because everyone we know is really funny, you know? So I don’t know. I don’t know. The older I’ve gotten the more I think…and that sounds ancient, but it’s not…the more I’ve been doing improv the more I think “maybe I want to be a writer more than I wanna do performance.” But then I think “probably not.” It’s not like performing 8-10 times a week. I think I’d really miss that. I perform in theaters that much pretty much every week and it’s really…OH NO! David Montgomery is here.

David Montgomery: Say “whooooaaaa”!

TD: Okaaayayyyyyyyyy?

David Montgomery: Okaaayayyyyyyyyy?

RR: I’m doing an interview!

David Montgomery: Oh my god! Oh! Your thing!

RR: Move it or lose it!

David Montgomery: Oh my god!

TD: You’re a failure.

David Montgomery: I’m sorry. I have the thing. I’ll show you.

RR: Okay.

David Montgomery: It’s like two small bits but it’s real easy.

RR: Okay.

TD: Are we in the main?

David Montgomery: Yeah. In the Main stage.

TD: That’s good. Good, good, good. You blew it.

RR: David Montgomery, everybody.

TD: Martin Wilson just walked by, too. Martin Wilson…just…walked…by.

RR: Don’t say anything. He’s pissed.

TD: Oh! It’s a shame that he’s not in here.

RR: What are your fears?

TD: OoooO! My fears! Like, comedy fears or normal fears?

RR: Any.

TD: Any? Any fears! Oof. It’s gotta be loss. I have a big fear of loss…I think.

RR: Of Lost?

TD: No! Not the show!

RR: Oh…LOSS.

TD: I don’t understand the Others, you know what I mean? I’m really super afraid!

RR: ARGH! Where’s Walt!?

TD: No. Loss. Loss.

RR: L-O-S-S.

TD: Like losing something or someone. I have a really large…UH! For real! This is really happening! *claps*

Martin Wilson: I’m in it now.

TD: ”I’m in it now.”

Martin Wilson: I know he transcribes every word.

TD: Yeah. Did he call you for my number?

Martin Wilson: Yeah. I wish he had.

RR: Yeah. Can you give me her information?

TD: Let it be known that Wilson just flicked us off…double guns. Double guns.

RR: Congratulations, Martin Wilson. You are immortal.

TD: Double gun flip off.

RR: So, fears of loss.

TD: I think so. My family is really big. I have a really big Italian family on one side and with big families comes bigger chances that the more people you know the more people will go away. So I think that because of that…on the flip side of that I think that loss has made me way more appreciative and way more positive in turn in adult life. I feel like one of the best gifts I’ve ever been given is maybe to notice that people mean a ton and then, you know, to embrace that everyday and know that that’s important. And be appreciative of your friends and family and the days that pass every single day that you can. I think it’s more of a positive than a negative but it kind of keeps me on my toes to remember that stuff every day.

RR: Yeah.

TD: You know?

RR: I wish I did!

TD: Well, you’re hardened.

RR: I’m very callous…

TD: Oh! You’re super, like…

RR: …and, uh…grizzled.

TD: I don’t know how you get around with that non-beating thing you’ve got.

RR: Ugh!…That “non-beating thing”? You mean my heart? Is that what you’re talking about?

TD: Your heart-on.

RR: Whoa!

TD: Bing bong!

RR: It doesn’t beat, ladies.

TD: It doesn’t beat.

RR: What’s your most embarrassing moment? Number one. Normally I say “in life or on stage” but that’s bullshit. The first one that comes to your head is usually the right one.

TD: The first one that came to my head was…and I’m sure there are a billion…but, the first one that came to my head is, uh, when I was in seventh grade…uhhhhhh…ish. When I was in puberty.

RR: Ooooo. Puberty, Ohio?

TD: Yeah, like Puberty, Ohio. It’s really close to Lima. When I was in puberty, probably around 12 or 13, I developed early…and I’m talking about my vagina, I mean, it’s just…massive. No, I developed early and my family, my Italian side again, has a really big family reunion every year and it’s really fun and it’s really great. It’s a really fun time. But, some of the greatest people I ever looked up to…my grandma, Vera, had seven sisters. I almost said female sisters…noted. Had seven sisters and they were called the “great eight” and at this time all of them were alive and they were, like, about the goofiest most, like, filled with life people you could ever imagine. Of like, just like, always goofy. Always, like, playful. Always, like, kind of, like, throwing you around and, like, saying funny things. So, anyway…it’s 7th grade and my mom and dad, you know, my brothers and stuff…we all went to this reunion in this park. We had just gone on a recent trip to, like, Disney World or something and I had waited in line and was so psyched about the Hard Rock Café. Which is, like, such a big deal when you’re, like, for some reason, in the early 90s or late 80s or whatever. For whatever reason. Anyway, I got this, like, bright orange neon Hard Rock Café shirt. It was the jam that I’m sure I wore with actual jams. And I wore it to the family reunion and everyone was cooking out and stuff and making, you know, sub sandwiches and other Italian whatnots and uh…like sub sandwiches are Italian.

RR: Right.

TD: And I’m standing with my back to all of my aunts and talking to my dad and, like, one of my uncles of the great eight and my aunt Olivia came over to me and was like “Hard Rock Café?” and literally, like, grabbed me and cupped me from behind and lifted me up, in front of everybody, by the boobs and said “Hard Rocks! I’ll show YOU some hard rocks.” I just sat there and was like “oh…my…sweet…jesus. Sweet Jesus!” And she was like “be proud of ‘em! We’ve all got ‘em!” So I was like “I guess that’s fine.” And I really loved them so I was like “Ha ha. That’s fine. We did it.” And now I’m not anywhere near as coquettish as I was at that point, but it was just like “Oh my god! My body is changing! And now these 200 Italian men know it! And here I am…boobs and all.”

RR: Oh aunts.

TD: Aren’t they crazy?

RR: I’ve never been picked up by my boobs by my aunt.

TD: Well…you haven’t lived.

RR: I guess not. What’s one thing people don’t know about you that they should know?

TD: …………

RR: An avid whistler?

TD: What can I do? What can I say? Ummmmmmmm…..Iiiiiiiiiiiii…I…am…(giggle)…uh…Boy, I don’t know! How about…uh…how about. God! A skill or something? A thing that they don’t know. What do people not know about me? I’m kind of an open book.

RR: Oooooppennnnn boooooookkk.

TD: Woooooo. Except for….umm….uh. What do people not know about me? That I did stand up for a long time, maybe?

RR: That’s a good one.

TD: I was thinking of things that weren’t as interesting as that.

RR: It’s hard for me to help you out because I know a lot about you.

TD: Yeah. Yeah. I don’t know what the average person doesn’t know about me. I’m sure there are some things like…

RR: Were you any good at stand up?

TD: I had a lot of success at stand up, Rance. Thanks for asking.

RR: Any specifics?

TD: I was voted Funniest in Chicago by the Freepress. Thanks, Rance!..agent. It was really fun but I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I wanted to so I kind of let it go. It’s something that I’ve questioned, since. Because, you know, to have success with anything to that degree…I went on a college tour as well, by myself, which is a really interesting thing to do. And I learned a lot. It’s a funny thing to do though because I feel like I just didn’t love it and when I started doing improv I was way more interested in that stuff. So, I kind of let it go knowing that I wanted to do something else but wondered if maybe I should have…I mean, I always could go back I guess but, you know, you find a lot of success in stand up is easier…like, you know, financial success…easier, it’s really easy to get hired as a one person act.

RR: Sum up your stand up routine in one sentence.

TD: Oh, c’mon! Oh, man. Isn’t this accessible girl, who is real nice, Italian, and at the time, gay…that’s probably something that not everyone knew…have a lot of quirky things to say? That’s probably about it.

RR: Nice.

TD: Yeah.

RR: I was just thinking “Aw, man…let me tell you about being Italian.”

TD: That really was half my bits. Y’all, Italians are crazy! Whatever. That kind of stuff. And I’m bi. How about that? That’s one. Not everyone knows that…which I can’t believe.

RR: Everyone’s gotta know that.

TD: Right? Check any bathroom stall. Know what I mean? *pop*

RR: I gotta figure out how I’m gonna type *pop*. What’s your take on dating improvisors?

TD: I say do it exclusively!

RR: Exclusively? Only?

TD: I just want to take a firm stance.

RR: A firm stance on something different.

TD: Uh…I haven’t had a lot of luck with it. HA! Note that Rance almost spit-took. Spit-took?

RR: I almost spit-took.

TD: I think it’s great. I think it’s generally great. I don’t know who else you’d have time to even…in a lot of ways I think, yes, we really dig our own hole by being like “let’s go on stage with this person in an hour and see how awkward it can be!” Or, of course you’re going to be attracted to people who make you laugh a lot. That’s the greatest thing that someone can do, half the time, you know?

RR: Totally.

TD: Besides being nice and not a dipshit.

RR: Please ignore me while I get my camera ready. We’re losing light.

TD: ”We’re losing light!” is Rance’s favorite thing to scream when we’re doing outdoor takes.

RR: What is your improv pet peeve?

TD: ooOOOOoooO!

RR: This is a good one! You hate lots of stuff!

TD: I do?! I would have never, like, said that about me. Improv pet peeve? I don’t like to make a habit of or watch a habit of breaking.

RR: You don’t what?

TD: I don’t like to, like, watch people break a ton…if it’s, like, their thing. I don’t love that. If you honestly get caught up in a moment breaking at someone else, fine. But, if it’s not fine then I think…I think there’s a real…it’s only fun when it’s not, like, at yourself I think. What else do I hate? What else do I hate?! I like thinking about things I hate! I usually think about things I like. I don’t like when people…I mean, there’s obvious things. Don’t negate each other. I don’t know if I hate anything. I mean, like, everything is pretty much fair game. Except for, like, maybe the, uh…like, the run of bits? I’m all for a bits parade. I’m happy to be the grand marshall of a bits parade, but I think you have to choose your battles. Like, I don’t know that I love anyone that comes on stage to zipline off is not, like, my favorite thing. It’s not my favorite thing. Yeah.

RR: Is there anything that I forgot to ask you? Is there anything that you were thinking “Oh, man! He’s probably going to ask me this!” that you want to talk about?

TD: No!

RR: No!

TD: I don’t think so. I mean, I feel like there’s obviously a lot more to say, but I don’t think there’s anything that’s, like, unusual about this interview, Rance. I’m trying to think of anything that’s like a strange…any facts that I can let out in this thing that people will want to know.

RR: What’s a…uhh…

TD: Thanks for wanting to know about me, everyone out there.

RR: Yeah.

TD: And reading this thing.

RR: I’m trying to think of who to put on the spot by putting you on the spot. What’s an embarrassing moment of someone else that’s in the improv community that you’ve witnessed?

TD: An embarrassing moment?! Like, I’m just supposed to call somebody out? Oh, man! Wow! Let’s see…what’s something good I’ve seen? Oh, no!

RR: I’m trying to make this shift from introspective interview to…

TD: …to calling people out?

RR: …to gossip rag!

TD: Oh, no! I don’t want to be a part of that. Let me think. Wow! An EMBARRASSING moment. I’ve been on stage with at least three people that have had their pants rip on stage. One of them, I’m sure, was Joey. He probably can repeat the story better than I could.

RR: He did. In his interview.

TD: He did?

RR: Yeah, he talked about it.

TD: Oh, that’s funny. He definitely ripped his pants in a show I was in. I think it was a ComedySportz show. Who else?! I was at iO the night of the infamous chair-throw…but now I don’t remember anything about it.

RR: How about this. I’m gonna switch things up, because we didn’t really get a lot of it.

TD: Let’s hear it.

RR: Ummm…I want you to talk about your favorite song or your favorite type of music. But, try to really TD it up as much as you can.

TD: What does that mean?!

RR: With your “insch” (interesting) and all your talk and all your…

TD: Oh god. I can’t just turn it on, Rance!

RR: Yeah you can.

TD: I really can’t. I have to be in the mood for it. I think that there’s…my favorite kind of music? Well…”with all my ‘insch’” is a funny way of describing it. I really like…I think half the time…well, let’s get to the real base of this question which is “What is this language that you’re speaking of?” I abbreviate a lot, everyone.

RR: That’s probably just a better question. What’s up with your talking?

TD: I don’t know. It just comes out. I don’t know exactly what it is and obviously I can talk normally. I’m doing it right now. But, if I was in a casual state, which I am, but more casual I would say “caszh” and “norms” right in those past two sentences.

RR: Caszh and norms. How might you say the term “landlord”?

TD: Landlee. Without a doubt. But in my head, Landlee is spelled L-A-N-D-L-I-I.

RR: That’s good to know for spelling later.

TD: Lii! It’s not landLEE…like, L-E-E. I have a group of friends that’s abbreviated for a long time. Now I feel like it’s really…it’s out there! People abbreviate a lot, which is fun! But, I have a friend from high school, named Chrissy, who, uh…if a word is short and it’s not worth abbreviating she just takes off all the letters and puts in the “I”s. So, like, if you were, like, “Oh, man! I’m so in love!” She might say, “Oh! You’re so in lii!”

RR: So in lii?

TD: So in lii. It’s pretty fun!

RR: And you’ve been known to extend words sometimes, if they’re short.

TD: Sometimes. What do you, what do you, what do you mean? Which word in particular?

RR: Just adding to it. Like, if something was “totally fun” it might be “totally fun-blots!”

TD: Fun-blots!

RR: Or “totally fun-jones!” or something.

TD: ”Funskis” I’ll take. Funblots?

RR: Now, funblots might be me remembering Joey Bland making fun of one of the extensions you made.

TD: Everybody really gets at me. It’s mostly him, but a lot of people do. I feel like, yeah…the worst one of that was “undercovmo policebo”…which is, by far, one of my worse.

RR: Say it again.

TD: Undercovmo policebo. Which is, undercover policeman.

RR: Police…bo?

TD: Yeah. It was policebo. None of it made any sense and when I said it everyone in the car I was with screamed with delight of how much they were going to rip on me for the next couple hours. And I knew it was bad right when it came out. And it wasn’t planned. It was like “Aw, man! Look at that undercovmo policebo!” Everyone boo’d me and then ruined my life for the next couple of hours…and years.

RR: And years.

TD: And years.

RR: That’s the way it goes.

TD: On a private show. I don’t remember who it was for.

RR: It was private.

TD: A private show.

RR: So, I’m now your biggest fan.

TD: Just now?

RR: Just now.

TD: Oh. Weird.

RR: Sorry. Sorry it took so long.

TD: No. That’s no big deal. Super awkward.

RR: Where can I see you perform?

TD: Rance! Everywhere! Let’s see. I’m at iO on Athens and I sometimes play Armando. I am at ComedySportz, obviously…one of my favorite things, Pat O’Brien, to do that is honestly, like, a super fun show to see. Especially if you have, like, anyone in town that’s a tourist that hasn’t seen improv yet. And I’m there probably every weekend, once a weekend at least. I used to be there quite a bit all week but I think it’s been a little bit less lately. Ummm…what’d I already say? I sit-in with Baby Wants Candy and I perform with Second City Tour Co.

RR: Yeah!

TD: Yeah! Second City Tour Co. I’m in the mighty, mighty Blue Co. Starting in…I’ve been an understudy for about a year, but I am now starting with Blue Co in July.

RR: Nice!

TD: So, I’ll be traveling all over the place.

RR: Who did you replace on that?

TD: Laura Grey. Laura Grey is now the Artistic Director of Barrel of Monkeys.

RR: Oh!

TD: So, it’s a happy leave and a happy come…oh boy…hard-ons! The only thing that’s bad is she won’t be there when I’m there. So, it’s a really talented group, though, of people. I’m really excited about it. I feel like I’m missing something. Maybe it’s just corporate stuff. I do a lot of corporate work, too.

RR: You do any weird videos?

TD: What? I do. With seven8nine productions. Seven8nine.net…check it out. We did a lot of videos that maybe some of you have seen for sketch fest and CIF, in addition to some independent videos and contest entries. And that’s full of really fun people. And I also do corporate work for Second City and Dave & Co and ComedySportz and all those guys. And iO occasionally. And I teach and coach!

RR: Whoa!!!!!

TD: Whoa!

RR: Well, awesome, Tara. Thanks!

TD: You’re welcome, Rance! Bye, Prance!

RR: Bye-yeeeeeeee!

TD: Bye-yee!

RR: This week I am talking to a person. What is your name?

NG: Noah Gregoropoulos.

RR: Noah Gregoropoulos. A famous personage over at iO. If you’ve taken classes there you probably know who he is for sure. How long have you been teaching at iO?

NG: Well, off and on. I haven’t been teaching there steadily the whole time. I first started teaching probably in like 1988. And then quit in 1990. And then started teaching again there in like 1996 and then full-time when Del died in ’99…until the present.

RR: Ok, so from ’99 on you’ve pretty much been…have you always been the ‘final’ class teacher?

NG: Yeah. I just basically took over what he was doing.

RR: Ok.

NG: In mid-gasp, as it were.

RR: In mid-gasp. Who or what inspired you to do improv?

NG: Probably, if I’d have to pin it on one person it’d probably be Dave Pasquesi.

RR: Dave Pasquesi?

NG: I’d been…uhh…me and my girlfriend at the time…a girl name Mary Klonowski, who I think is a yoga teacher now, somewhere in Chicago…would go to the free sets over at Second City. Because it was free and we were poor. I remember we’d gone in one day. We really enjoyed it. And it was back in the days before they told you what they were doing with sets. They just said “We’re going to do an improv set.” They didn’t say “We’re working on scenes for the show.”

RR: Gotcha.

NG: And so we went one day, and it was funny. And we went back, like, two days later. They said, “Now we’re going to improvise for you.” And they took suggestions and everything, but did the same scenes. You know, they used to, like, disguise it? And say “based on your suggestion, of you know…’Endoplasmic Reticulum’, we take you to this barber shop in Compton!” And that will be the same scene again with almost the same dialogue and I was kind of like “Wait a minute! I feel like I’ve been had!” So I was kind of disenchanted by that. Whereas if they had simply told us what they were doing I wouldn’t have worried about it.

RR: Right.

NG: And then she had read an ad somewhere for iO, which is nothing like it because they were doing Harolds. Longform then was Loooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggform. Like, Barron’s Barracudas would do 45 minute long Harolds, or whatever. I just remember seeing Dave and thinking “Wow, that guy is really smart. Clearly he’s not following anybody’s, you know, dictum of what to do on stage. And doesn’t seem to be a middle man.”…which is, you know, a big thing for me. “That’s pretty cool!” And then my girlfriend sort of prodded me to take the classes. In those days Charna would host and she’d actually stand up on stage at the end and just give the phone number and, you know, just about sign people up from the stage.

RR: Nice!

NG: But, uh…so, that’s how that started.

RR: Cool. Uhhh, what were you doing before? Did you have a non-improv path like something you were shooting towards in high school and college and what not?

NG: I still don’t have a path. But…I’m not a big believer in paths.

RR: Did you have something that was a fake path at the time?

NG: No. I had a job, but it was a job I’d had for 4-5 years that I kept thinking “Yeah. I gotta get outta here some day.” I kept getting promoted and get raises and what not. I was working at US Robotics? The telecommunications modem company.

RR: Mm hmm.

NG: I started working there when I literally had $1.50 in my pocket and my roommate hired me to work on a loading dock. He was a production manager and at the time there were 30 employees over in a little loft space over by what’s now a nice area. Over by Harpo.

RR: Okay.

NG: By Oprah’s studio. But then, that was just a nasty part of town. And within a year we went from 30 to 300 employees and then my job was moving the company out to Skokie. So I was doing a lot of shit from that starting with simply taking boxes off of trucks. And then at one point I started doing improv and said “Ok, that’s enough of that.” So, I quit.

RR: Cool. What’s your A-#1 hobby?

NG: My A-#1 hobby?

RR: Mm hmm.

NG: It goes in stages. Probably when the weather is not so great it’s probably playing poker online.

RR: Are you good?

NG: Not really…I’m getting better. I’m getting so I can beat other people online. But I wouldn’t say I’m good. I’m learning a lot just because you play so many hands. I’m playing for fake money, you know.

RR: Fake money.

NG: I used to play for money but then they made it illegal.

RR: Okay.

NG: There’s some port security bill tacked on a poker on the internet writer. And so now apparently to keep the country safe I have to play for fake money online.

RR: Nice.

NG: So, that’s one. I like to play golf in the summer, but I don’t get to play near enough and also I’m terrible at that.

RR: What’s your dog’s name?

NG: Annie is my dog that is apparently exploring you with greatness.

RR: Annie is pestering me to pet.

NG: Yeah, she’s an attention starved dog.

RR: Annie! Come back up here!

NG: Annie! Good girl. Good girl.

RR: Oh boy….ummm…so, poker and golf. Awesome.

NG: Those are two big ones.

RR: Do you have a moment that sticks out in your mind? You get an added bonus question…a favorite show moment of yours. What’s a favorite show moment of yours that sticks out in your mind? Then there’s another sort of related question after.

NG: A favorite show moment of mine that sticks out in my mind…well, I do tend to put them behind me but…

RR: No…Annie…c’mon!

NG: …it probably isn’t necessarily a great moment, but a moment that was an eye-opening moment for me.

RR: Mm hmm.

NG: …was when I was VERY first starting out. I was on a Harold team called….I think it was back on Tequila Mockingbird?

RR: Tequila Mockingbird.

NG: And, uh, Jimmy Carrane was on that team and Dave Koechner and some others. I’ll name them all so none of them will feel bad. It was Dave Koechner, Pete Gardner, Peter Reineman, Noah Gregoropoulos, Madeline Long, Jimmy Carrane and…did I say Pete Reineman.

RR: Yeah.

NG: Who did I say? How many people did I say?

RR: I don’t know. You were counting with your fingers.

NG: Did I say Dave Koechner?

RR: Yep.

NG: I think there were seven of us. Oh! Matt Need!

RR: Whew!

NG: And me and Jimmy were doing like a monologue game. We used to do a lot more monologues in Harolds back then.

RR: Mm hmm.

NG: We probably should start doing them again because they add a lot of that, sort of, Truth in Comedy thing. But, uh, Jimmy went out and started doing sort of a humorous monologue about his dog…his family dog, Pudding…growing up, that had a tumor or something. Right? It was funny. You know, people were laughing. And we did these dueling monologue things in those days. Where two people would step up and do monologues at the same time. You know, see if they connected. So, I stepped up and started talking about when my mother died of cancer…which had been not that long before that. The audience started thinking I was just doing gross-out humor, right? And they started kind of like booing and stuff. But we hung in there and the two started dove-tailing together, obviously, really nicely. And it started being clear that I wasn’t just being a dick. This was actually true. You know, I wasn’t gussying it up trying to make it funny at all. And then just the resonance between the two of them was kind of powerful by the end of it, and by the end of it it got a long ovation. It was like, just hang in there with stuff and don’t prejudge what’s going to be funny or what’s going to be good but be honest and go with it. It was, you know, something that probably had it not happened I might play differently.

RR: Mm hmm.

NG: Annie, you’re probably sitting on the microphone right now. Come here, buddy! Come here! Come here!

RR: I was trying the “pretend there’s no do in the room.” And then she just sat and looked right at my face.

NG: You know what I’m gonna do? I’m going to take off your collar so you don’t jingle. How about that? You can go nude for the rest of the interview.

RR: (wolf whistle)

NG: And I think I’ll do the same.

RR: No one will ever know. So, based on that. That was an eye-opening moment…which was really great. Of all the 5b…or whatever it was called. It probably wasn’t all “5b”s. Was there anything that totally surprised you coming out of that. Either for yourself or something that you saw like a group come together like no other group has or something like that.

NG: Uhhh…I don’t necessarily want to give any group that kind of an ego boost.

RR: Fair enough.

NG: There are a bunch of good ones. It’s also kind of an…I don’t want to say ‘uneven playing field’ but I think the chemistry of what happens in 5b has changed because of the nature of the growth of iO. So, when I was first teaching them, by the time people got to 5b they were already ALL on teams. So, like, the second 5b I taught…most of the people in it were already on People of Earth, and then, like, four other people. So, they had a great 5b because we could really go pretty deep, you know, and push it pretty hard. And then, sort of in the middle it was like people weren’t put on teams before they were done with the program, but most of them got put on a team. And now it’s just a small, you know, cherry pick out of the bushel. You know, in a class of 40-50 people maybe six people or eight people or a team’s-worth of people get put on teams right away. And more of them get on teams later with auditions. Or people retake classes, which always baffles me…why you’d retake an improv class. But, I guess it’s basically to get a better shot at being on a team or something. But I was like, I can’t imagine doing that. I would just fucking kill myself. And I suppose that’s terrible marketing for the iO. But there’s only so much school you wanna do.

RR: Exactly, and, you know…it’s…the truth. So, it’s Truth in Comedy. It ties back into the book…kind of…a little bit? Uhh…what is your money job? What do you do for money?

NG: I teach improv. So, as you look around you at my palatial surroundings…it’s a fine living, but I’m not wealthy, certainly. And I make money from other things. I don’t think I would be able to cut it just on that, but that’s my number one.

RR: Awesome. Do you…from my knowledge of playing the Improv Match Game…if you’ve ever been to the Improv Match Game and Noah’s there you know that Noah has written for Dharma and Greg for 13 weeks.

NG: Yes. Lucky 13.

RR: Prouty will always bring that up.

NG: I think at this point Rich Prouty is a better source of information of my time at Dharma and Greg than I am. Yes, I did. Was there a question in there?

RR: Yeah, is that still getting you money? With the whole DVD/TV thing poppin’ in?

NG: Yeah. Yeah. Well, I don’t even know what the source is. It’s not a lot of money, but you know, every couple months I’ll get a $400-$500 check from them. Not really sure why. I put it in the bank.

RR: Syndication or DVDs or something? Or whatever?

NG: Yeah. Well, they keep re-upping. It’s starting to pop up in a lot of places. They do like three in a row Dharma and Gregs on like the Lifetime channel or something now.

RR: Oh yeah?

NG: And it wasn’t that great of a show, but you get four years in and you’re gold if you go syndication. They say that one episode of writing credit for a staff writer, which is the lowest paid person on a sit-com, over the life of the syndication of that is worth, for one episode, a single writing credit is worth about $100,000.

RR: Wow.

NG: So…

RR: The show was on for four years?

NG: Yeah.

RR: Which year were you writing on it?

NG: Year number two.

RR: Number two.

NG: And they were already…I don’t want to say ‘jumping the shark’ but there was some audience rebellion in that the first…they came out of the gate in season two with, uh, they were adopting a baby and it was a three-parter.

RR: Starting of the season with a three part episode?

NG: Starting the season with a three-parter BABY episode. And there was a certain amount of fan rebellion against the idea of them having a baby that way. They adopted the check out girl at their supermarket’s baby. The baby turned out to be black, which nobody saw coming and blah, blah, blah…so just HILARITY all around. But it was, you know, it was fun. They lost it at the end. The mom came back and took it back. So they didn’t have to have it be a permanent responsibility…which just would not have suited the audience.

RR: Nice. No cousin Oliver stuck there for the whole season. How did you get that? Did you get that through just people seeing your improv? Or were you actively pursuing writing at that time?

NG: No. I…uh…it’s kind of circuitous. Matt Besser, who is with the Upright Citizens Brigade, had a college friend and roommate who I met through that connection who’s name is Eric Zicklin, who IS a writer. That’s his thing. He wrote for Letterman and he wrote for Michael Moore’s TV Nation and he wrote for…he became a story editor on Dharma and Greg and then went on to write on Frasier and he’s done really well. And he knew me from me and Dorff stayed at his apartment when we went out to New York to see Dave Koechner’s first Saturday Night Live. And so we knew each other in chunks, but not over a long period of time and he actually called me kind of out of the blue to tell me there was a writing position open over and Dharma and Greg and I should apply for it. I was like “Alright. I guess…you know, that’s weird…umm…thanks?” So I talked to Dottie Dartland, who was the co-executive producer with Chuck Lorre, who’s kind of the master behind it. He was the unofficial main guy even though the two of them shared the same title. And I talked to this woman who, by the way, later married Eric Zicklin. I went to their wedding, which was in Malibu, and they had bought Bob Dylan’s old house.

RR: Wow!

NG: In Malibu…so that was a wild wedding. Michael McCarthy, who teaches writing at iO, was at that same wedding. But anyway…I talked to this woman and basically she talked to me about surfing in Ireland for like half an hour and then said I was going to need to talk to Chuck Lorre who was the…umm…the real boss. I have a little quote from him out of the Writer’s Guild magazine somewhere in a frame that says “You’ll never forget the first time you get fired in TV because it’s always kind of special.” And he’s the first guy who fired me in TV. So, then I got a call from his secretary. It was the day after…I had been directing a resident show at ETC, so it was the day after the opening cast party night. So, I was pretty hung over. I get this call from a secretary saying “will you except a call from Chuck Lorre? Blah blah blah.” I’m thinking. I’m trying to put together who the hell is this. So, I’m basically being interviewed…in bed…on the phone by this guy and he’s like, you know, we got to the point of like “What have you done?” I was like, “I have absolutely no experience writing at all. I mean, I enjoy writing, but I’ve never done anything professional. I’m an improv guy. I direct and perform improv in Chicago.” He was like, “Oh yeah, well, so, would it be possible for you to send me some writing samples?” And I just said, “I’d really rather not.” And he’s like, “How the hell am I gonna know anything about unless I just meet you in person?” I said, “Probably that’s the only way.” So I figured that’s it. I’m not getting that job. You know, I said goodbye. I was cordial. I wasn’t mean to him or anything.

RR: Right.

NG: But it was a lot of stuff that I figure was not things to say for an interview. Like, he’d asked “Have you seen the show?” I was like, “No. I’ve actually never heard of it. I don’t watch much TV. I don’t really care for that much current network stuff.” You know? So, there was a lot of that. And then maybe ten days later I get a call saying “when do you want to be flown out for your interview?” From that same secretary. And like, you know, “where’s the hidden camera?” kind of thing. As it worked out, my friend Dave Koechner…who some of you may know from, he spent a year on SNL and he recently did that Naked Trucker and T-Bones show that was short-lived, but he’s been in a bunch of movies now and stuff so people know him…he was getting married and they were having a bachelor party/roast for him at Tommy Bergin’s, a bar in L.A. Kind of near where the iO used to be. I thought that would be fun to go to and I knew when it was and I had already said I couldn’t go ‘cause I can’t just fly out there for that. And I said, “Well…” I’m just going to say the 13th of May, just to pick a date, but it was probably nothing like that. It was probably June or something. “…near the 13th of June I’m available.” ‘Cause I figured I’d get a free flight out to Dave’s part and try to wrangle ‘em together. “Yeah, if you fly me out for that then just go ahead and make my return flight for after the weekend so I can do a few things in L.A. while I’m there.” They’re like, “fine.” So I flew out, but basically the interview there was much like the interview on the phone. You know, I can’t imagine why they would hire me based on it.

RR: Right. Just in person instead of on the other phone?

NG: Yeah. Yeah. And that’s how they spend money in TV. That’s why it’s so expensive. That’s why movies cost $120 million. Because you can’t just make a decision. You can’t just look at a headshot and decide “He’s exactly the look we want for the still frame of this commercial…we’d better have him do six auditions.” So, you know, and that was that.

RR: Nice! Who is someone you perform with that inspires you? Like, who would you say currently inspires you the most? Everyone tries to include every improviser in on this list…but who is that one person right now?

NG: That I perform with?

RR: Yeah.

NG: That inspires me…I mean, probably TJ. I think I get the easy answer with that because I get to play with TJ and he’s the best improviser that ever lived. And if you don’t want me to name everybody I play with then I won’t, but…

RR: I disclaim it a lot by saying we know everyone is good. Everyone likes playing with everyone on their team for the most part. There’s that one person who just does a little something. And it changes for people…time to time. But it’s true. You have TJ on your team.

NG: Yeah.

RR: I mean, TJ is no Shad Kunkle. But he’s pretty good.

NG: Right. Shad Kunkle is no Shad Kunkle. Let’s face it. He’s an empty shell of the Shad Kunkle that use to be and so distracted by his love life now.

RR: Oh boy…

NG: He’s just very difficult to be around.

RR: You’re tellin’ me. What are your fears?

NG: My fears. I think my only fear is that I won’t die right at the moment my body can’t improvise anymore. That I’ll have to live beyond that point.

RR: That’s a good one.

NG: So, I’m actively pursuing poor personal health habits and substance abuse towards that end.

RR: Hmmm. Nice little mix. So a good lesson for those kids out there. That’s a good one. I have the same thing where I don’t want to be the old guy who’s not funny who used to be funny.

NG: Right.

RR: I’m fine being an old guy who is still funny.

NG: I don’t worry about not being funny. I worry about not being able to physically get across stage at some point.

RR: Oh, yeah?

NG: So, I guess I’ll have to do radio improv then…if there’s still a medium of radio.

RR: ooOOoooo! Get your slide-whistle ready! What is your most embarrassing moment? Two-parter. What’s your most embarrassing moment in life and what’s your most embarrassing on stage moment?

NG: Wow. Most embarrassing moment. Pinning that down is difficult.

RR: What’s the one that is popping in your head…as you’re trying to determine…

NG: Well, I have little things, but embarrassment sort of implies “in front of people.” But, sometimes…I mean, like just the other day. I’m working on a screen play and I had a sort of funny idea for a thing to tack on to one scene involving a service person in a bar sort of came to my head. I’m banging away at it and I get all excited about it and realize, “Oh! Wait a minute! This scene was in Reservoir Dogs!” and take it out again. You know, I was like, “Jesus Christ. I should probably double check the rest of things in this thing.”

RR: Yeah.

NG: And that’s the shit like that. But…feel embarrassed…I’m having trouble just putting one because I’m usually embarrassed in hindsight when people tell me something I did was embarrassing. But I’m not, I guess self-conscious enough to be embarrassed at the time.

RR: Gotcha.

NG: I mean, my mother tells me about stuff I did when I was a kid that I was like “Really? Was I, like, retarded when I was a kid?” kind of thing.

RR: Like, what’s an example of one of those?

NG: Well there’s two that she kept bringing up. I think “you were a slow child” was her implication. And one was…she said I took a half-gallon bottle of milk. I was pouring it into a cup. I don’t know how old I was. I just kept pouring after it overflowed until the thing was empty and milk was covering the entire table. And she’s like, “What the hell are you doing?” I don’t know. And then another one…she tells me, and likes to tell it in front of people, or, used to. As you know from my earlier monologue story she’s been dead for a long time. When I was at that age where you start to wear shoes and socks but you need help getting them on. She was putting my shoes on at the beginning of the day. I kind of sighed and rolled my eyes and went like, “ugh…is it gonna hurt again today?” She’s like, “What are you talking about? Your shoes hurt? You tell me your shoes are uncomfortable!” She takes them off me and finds this, like, pair of socks crumpled up in the front of both shoes. And she’s thinking, because of the weariness of how I said it, how many days did I just kind of let it go thinking “That’s what shoes are like. It’s gonna hurt for the rest of my. Just suck it up.” I don’t know. I’m probably a pretty dumb kid.

RR: Well, I think that qualifies. What is…I’m just trying to imagine walking around just for an hour, let alone days on end with socks wadded up on the end of my feet. What is one thing people don’t know about you that they should know?

NG: That they should know?

RR: Yeah. Or just that they don’t.

NG: Uhh, I mean I guess I’m not really an open book but…that you should know about me that you don’t…that I probably like people more than they think that I do most of the time. I’m not as…you know…I’m curmudgeonly, but not misanthropic. I guess I’d put it that way. While I tend to be disappointed in society as a whole I tend to like people…even if I’m not cheery with them.

RR: Right.

NG: I don’t go out of my way to be pleasant, I guess you’d say. That doesn’t mean I don’t like you.

RR: Gotcha. Yeah, that’s good to know. I can see that. I’d think something was kind of going wrong in the world if I came in you were like, “HEY BUDDY! WHAT’S GOING ON?!” It might be nice to sort of spring on someone sometime.

NG: Give ‘em a BIG HUG!

RR: Buddy Day! We’ll call it Buddy Day. What’s your favorite song or type of music? What’s your favorite song, if you’ve got one?

NG: AUghghhhghghh! Well, the first one to come to my head is Layla by Derek & the Dominos. But another day it might be something else. But I like that one a lot. I probably gravitate towards…not the music that was super popular in the 70s, but the music that was kind of hip in the 70s. So, like a lot of blues rock, stuff that had been bands from the 60s that were kind of finding their sort of artistic excesses in the 70s like the Who or Dylan or The Stones. But like, I hated, like disco and that shit.

RR: Yeah.

NG: But I liked punk rock a lot when it came out. I saw the Ramones like eight times. I was a big Springstein fan forever and ever. I like the Kinks. Mott the Hoople. Neil Young. You know, so I guess I grew up in the 60s and 70s so that defines it a lot. Recent music…I occasionally will like a rap song, but not very often. Like, I like Public Enemy…Fear the Black Planet or whatever. It had some oomph to it. Yeah.

RR: Nice. You’ve got some rappin’ skills. I saw you rap in one of your Carl shows. I can’t remember what it was.

NG: I think it’s the only time I’ve ever rapped in a Harold and I’ve heard more about it from people.

RR: I think it was…it was partially because it kind of…it was a give and take between everyone on the team, and then you just sort of took it and I think everyone on the team was just sort of like, “WHOOOAAAA!” So, it seemed more like you were the extreme focal point whereas they were mild focal points as they were giving back and forth.

NG: Right.

RR: I think when you took over everyone was just like, “Oh my god. Noah’s rapping! Noah’s rapping!”

NG: Ugh…hooray.

RR: What’s your take on dating improvisors? I mean, obviously you’re dating an improviser, but…

NG: Yeah, well, my last girlfriend…and by that I mean Linda will probably be my last girlfriend…I met through improv. My girlfriend before that, I met through improv. And before that I didn’t really date I just had a lot of…you know…hook ups, I guess you’d say, with a lot of improvisors. And then before that I wasn’t an improviser. But I’ve never been a particularly active ladies man.

RR: Oh boy.

NG: I guess you’d say. But, yeah…I don’t think it’s any different than any other job, you know, the people you’re around, you know. I don’t want to be one of these people who says, “You shouldn’t date improvisors because you’ll be competitive!” or whatever. Although I’m sure that happens, but I think that probably happens in any profession. It’s just the challenge is to not always bring it home. To have a life outside of it…that’s not about improv all the time. Like, I wouldn’t want to be one of those couples that, like, they’re both novelists and they write novels under both of their names together and that’s all they do and they talk about plot ideas while they’re on the beach.

RR: Right.

NG: That would seem like that would get onerous. But then I do like, sometimes, like, sometimes me and Linda will collaborate on things like videos and stuff and that’s fun. I wouldn’t want to do that all the time, you know. Outside of improv I prefer to work alone, you know? In improv I get it in the moment. But writing, for example…I tried to write a screen play with Jimmy Carrane and another guy that you haven’t heard of, Craig…what the hell is Craig’s last name? He’s a director now in California. Directs commercials. But it was hard, you know, when you’re writing it’s just a different animal. It almost felt like compromise more than the whole being better than the sum of it’s parts. ANNIE!

RR: Annie just sneezed all over my legs.

NG: Sit right here. Sit right here. Are you allergic to…awkward parts of the interview?

RR: Allergic to awkward parts of the interview.

NG: What were you saying? Dating improvisors! Yeah! There are some great, hot chicks doing improv! You should try to date all of them!

RR: Nice summary.

NG: Now Annie is humping my leg for the camera.

RR: Oh boy! Annie!

NG: Stop it! Stop it!

RR: Be a lady.

NG: Stop it! Annie! Stop it! Stop it! Ow! You’ve torn my shin!

RR: I think I might have got Annie riled up.

NG: Annie! Sit. Sit. Sit or go in the other room.

RR: ooOOOoo! Well? Well? Tryin’ to decide. What are your improv pet peeves?

NG: My improv pet peeves…oh gosh. I’ve got probably a pretty big, long list of them.

RR: What’s the number one or the top three or something?

NG: It’s probably…and I do ALL the things that are my pet peeves, so, I’m not just bitching about other improvisors. The top one is probably the self-conscious part of it that I always wish we could bust through. In other words, there’s this voice that only exists in improv that’s “I’m this person doing this thing now.” Rather than just trusting everybody on stage and the audience for you to just do it. And it falls into part of that calling out thing…that winking…that “I don’t want someone to think that I would ever do this kind of thing” when you’re playing a politically incorrect character. And I wish we could bust through that even more than we do. Myself personally, I mean it’s a challenge for me personally. Because it’s such an easy go to. And people learn it and learn that it’s a safe place to improvise in because it gets laughs. It starts with the first time you get a name wrong and you justify it by giving that person a hyphenated name and realize that that’s such a go to for improv audiences…that they almost expect it. That it’s almost become the vaudeville of improv. The stuff you can just do over and over and over and it always works, but it doesn’t allow the thing to progress as theater beyond that point. I think those are the kind of things that are in the way of people completely accepting improv as an art form in some ways.

RR: Mm hmm.

NG: So I guess that would be it. Our fear causing us to create protective ways to improv. It’s the part of you that says “Stop doing ‘that’” to let you know that I see you are doing ‘that’ rather than accepting it and using it. The part that says “you’re kind of creeping me out” or “you’re kind of freaking me out.” When I hear that in dialogue I just want to throw a shoe at the stage. “You’re freaking me out with your thing that you’re doing that I’m noticing now!” Rather than just saying “This is who we are. This is what are existence is. Let’s let that be funny for the audience rather than commenting on it or trying to make it go away.”

RR: Awesome. Annie is loving those plants over there.

NG: Yeah, I don’t know what’s going on. She doesn’t totally like Air Conditioning, but she likes air…so it’s a dichotomy for her.

RR: That’s bizarre. I have one final question. But, before that, is there anything that you need to get off your chest? Or, basically, is there a question that I didn’t ask that you were like, “Oh! I should probably talk about this!”

NG: That I need to get off my chest? Grow up, everybody. Grow up.

RR: Yeah!

NG: And I’m not being facetious. My pet peeve of life lately is I feel us slipping as a society into a more and more infantile personality development.

RR: Mm hmmm.

NG: You know, when I was growing up they used to teach us…and I think it was based on the Colbert model of, you know, the infant child acts based first on not being punished and then on getting reward. I think adults are in that now. The, like, “What’s in it for me?” motivation. And then in adolescence you start to base everything on gaining approval and acceptance and that on the idea of the law is everything, you know, the rules are everything. I think that’s where, government is even stuck, and fundamentalists. I see that in improvisors…playing to please people or playing for what you’re gonna get and it drives me nuts. I think people have to take that step PAST acceptance and PAST law into pure ethics and principal that when Del used to teach Harold was like “let’s try to be better people on stage even than we are offstage. Let’s recognize that there are greater goods than ourselves and that will make us better in the process.” I don’t see that very many places in the public, you know, specter of consciousness. You know, occasionally in a Woody Allen movie, but I think that’s it. I think we become impoverished as a culture when we don’t really embrace…when we don’t raise that.

RR: Awesome. Last, final question is…I am now your biggest fan. Where can I see you perform?

NG: I can be seen regularly Monday nights at 8:30 at improv…at iO…sorry. iO Chicago in the venerable Armando Diaz Experience Theatrical Movement and Hootenanny. Oft misnamed. On Tuesdays at the venerable, but recently relocated Annoyance Theater at just north of the Green Mill on Broadway in the show Chicagoland based on a pilot that we shot last summer. And Wednesday nights at 8:00pm…actually closer to 9:00pm to actually see us, but I think it would be at the HEIGHT of egotism to suggest people come at 9:00pm for a show that starts at 8:00pm…also at iO Chicago in the VENERABLE improvolympic Harold team Carl and the Passions in it’s latest incarnation, both in church and caste, under the new coaching of Pat McKenna…who just started with us last night.

RR: Oh, nice!

NG: I’m excited about that.

RR: Replacing Piero for you guys?

NG: Piero is off to sea. We had a good run with him but it was time to move on. Um, annnnnnnnnd so we’ll see what happens with that and then occasionally on a Saturday I’m in the Match Game schedules.

RR: How’s the venerable rating on Match Game?

NG: The venerable rating? It’s getting pretty venerable at this point! What’s it, about three or four years old at this point?

RR: Yeah.

NG: Wow! It’s venerable.

RR: Every thing else was venerable. I was just wondering where it stood.

NG: Well, I’m directing a show that’s NOT venerable yet. It hasn’t opened yet. Indra’s Net will be Thursdays at iO. A lot of good people. Some cats from Cougars and people about that vintage.

RR: What’s the name of it again?

NG: Indra’s Net.

RR: Indra’s Net?

NG: I’m not sure what that means. I didn’t name it. But I think it’s one of those things like Gordian Knot or Foucault’s Pendulum or Planck’s Constant. Something that has some sort of meaning…I do not know what it is. But it’s a pretty cool idea they came up with. There’s some good people in it. So, see knock wood.

RR: Awesome. There you go. Well thank you very much, Noah Gregoropoulos.

NG: Thank you…..Rance Rizzutto.

RR: I’m going to start of with my very first question. As always, what is your name?

KN: My name is Katherine Nunn.

RR: Katherine Nunn! Do people know you as “Katherine Nunn”?

KN: Most people know me by Katie.

RR: Okay. What or who inspired you to do improv, Katie?

KN: I started learning it really young. It was a part of the drama program where I went to school. So, I started learning it…like, improv exercises as a part of drama class…in…as early as eleven or twelve years old.

RR: Oh yeah?

KN: So, when I went into high school there was already a program for it. There was already a program to do short form improv. Some other friends and I on the drama club, along with the local ComedySportz, created a league of teenage competitive improvisors across the school districts. So, I just started doing it really young. As soon as I started doing short form you slowly see long form as you see guest troupes come in and out. So, I think that those early years doing short form games, silly short form games as a part of a way to loosen up a class of 8th grade drama students…it was so much fun for me. I didn’t want to do anything else.

RR: Nice. Where did you grow up?

KN: St. Louis, Missouri.

RR: St. Louis, Missouri? Awesome.

KN: Go Cardinals.

RR: …mm hmmm…

KN: What?

RR: I live in wrigleyville…I can’t say that phrase. Not because I care about the Cubs, but just, it gets you killed in that neighborhood.

KN: Yeah. There’s a new building up that has a giant Cardinals flag in wrigleyville.

RR: Ooooh, boy. They are pushin’ it. So when did you move to Chicago?

KN: I moved to Chicago four years ago. I moved in the fall of 2003.

RR: Nice. And, did you get started in improv right away when you moved here? Or…

KN: Yes! Absolutely. I started that session at iO. That’s why I came here, obviously.

RR: That’s why you moved?

KN: Yeah. I was 19 and so I didn’t have anything else to do. I wasn’t old enough to drink, so the only place to go to even meet anyone or have any kind of fun was to go to iO, ‘cause I could get in. And then as soon as I realized if I become a student I could have that student ID card and I could just come and hang out. So, I got into classes right away, yeah.

RR: Nice. Da-da-da…what is your A#1 hobby?

KN: My A#1 hobby…

RR: Yeah. No A#2s or no B#1s.

KN: Currently it’s the dog. I don’t know if you can consider that a hobby, but all of my free time that once was spent with hobbies is pretty much with her.

RR: Spent with her. What’s your dog’s name?

KN: Her name is Cosby.

RR: And what kind of dog is Cosby?

KN: She is half black lab, half pitbull.

RR: oooOOOooo! That explains the crazed look in her eyes.

KN: Yes.

RR: She was very excited to see me come in.

KN: I was a little worried she was going to try to eat you. I’m really sorry.

RR: Try to EAT ME?!

KN: Well, she looked…excited.

RR: She had that look in her eye. I’m sort of a dog whisperer…kind of. I either can calm them down or make them angrier.

KN: Really? ‘Cause you looked terrified.

RR: Is that what I looked like? Just…that much energy. Pretty much anyone with that much energy gets the same reaction from me.

KN: People too, I see.

RR: Yeah. People too. So, take that note improvisors! You know who you are. I’m lookin’ at you…uhhhh…I can’t think of one, off hand.

KN: Jon DeWalt.

RR: I’m looking at you, Jon DeWalt!

KN: We love you.

RR: Settle down! You terrify me! Great…even better, sarcasm doesn’t translate into text. Sooooo, there’s that for the translation of this interview. That was sarcasm, Jon DeWalt. Do you have a favorite show moment of yours that sticks out in your mind?

KN: Of mine?

RR: Yeah.

KN: Favorite show moment of mine…recently my coach gave me the note to play a vixen, which I don’t do. I’m not a female improviser who’s really comfortable, like, BA-DA-DA BOOM (old-timey stripper music)! You know what I mean? That’s not my thing. But I took the note and I wanted to do it and I had just watched the Graduate and I was really proud of that character. I like that exercise now. I like that exercise of just giving yourself something really ridiculous before a show and stick to it if you can…if it fits.

RR: Nice. Who’s your coach? Is it Piero?

KN: Matt Malinsky.

RR: Oh, Matt. Awesome. And, uh, what team are you on at iO?

KN: Callous.

RR: Callous.

KN: Callous.

RR: Take that! It’s a back-to-back Callous interview!

KN: Nice!

RR: ’Cause Camille is on that one too, right?

KN: Yes she is.

RR: Yep. It’s funny how things work.

KN: We’re the future of ImprovOlympic…I’m sorry…iO.

RR: UH OH! You WERE the future of iO and then…then you did that. So, yeah…I’ve interview Camille and now I’m interviewing you. Looks like I’m going to have to hold off on Callous interviews for awhile. Sorry Jim and Jon. Uhh…What is your money job? A lot of people probably know this one.

KN: My only money job is waiting tables at ImprovOlympic. You hear that, future customers? It’s my only job. I’m looking at you, camera.

RR: Now, you actually get charged to work there so you rely heavily on your tips (sarcasm) is that right?

KN: They do make me pay. They make me pay $3.75 an hour (more sarcasm) to work there.

RR: Yikes! Well, that’s how good of a job it is. Sometimes you have to pay to get the good jobs.

KN: I don’t do it for the money.

RR: That was all in jest. She gets paid, I’m sure. But tips don’t hurt. Who do you perform with that inspires you?

KN: That’s a good question.

RR: Thank you.

KN: I think being on a new Harold team…EVERYTHING is inspiring. Every new rehearsal is inspiring. I think the most inspiring thing about playing right now is not playing with one individual…it’s continuing to learn how to play with nine other individuals.

RR: Gotcha.

KN: Finding in each one of them…trying to learn how they play and being inspired by seeing how they see it. Trying to understand that. Visualise.

RR: Awesome.

KN: THAT’S so much fun! All of those different personalities and trying to stretch yourself to play with each one of them. Match their energy sometimes.

RR: Awesome. That being said…who do you perform with that inspires you? Who’s ONE person? Who’s that one person?

KN: I think, playing onstage with Callous sometimes the most inspiring person for me is playing with John Brewster because he is more likely to start a scene with a back flip than he ever is to start a scene with some mundane phrase. And that kind of no-holds-barred energy…it kind of just pulls you out sometimes.

RR: Awesome…yeah…what’s your dream job? What’s Katie’s dream job?

KN: I’ve always wanted to have my own theater.

RR: Oh yeah?

KN: Yeah. Why not?!

RR: Watch out, Charna!

KN: Well, I mean, you know…maybe not an improv theater. Maybe a theater that would do more than that. I love the Noble Fool in Chicago.

RR: Mm hmm.

KN: I saw them when I came to look for colleges here. We happened to go…on a school trip we happened to, like, do a tour there. I thought, how fascinating! A theater that has all these different forms of comedy…all these different types of theaters all in one building.

RR: They had a really awesome space.

KN: That was a super cool place!

RR: And now…you can buy tea there.

KN: Yeah. Isn’t it a giant Argo Tea?

RR: Yeah…it’s a little bit of a let down.

KN: I would settle for any job, though, where…I would settle for making money anyway that either was satisfying to me creatively or I felt like I was positively contributing to my community. I think ultimately I’ll end up teaching history in a public school somewhere.

RR: Sure! History is good. You learn from it. And if you don’t…you can be the president. Political Views (said sing-songy)! What are your fears? What is your biggest fear? How about that?

KN: My biggest fear right now as a 22 year-old waitress/improviser is coming to a point financially or stress-wise in my life where I’ll have to stop following my gut and start following my bank account…or something like that. Because I do have to get a real job eventually…so…I think that’s it. Not being able to follow my gut because of basic living.

RR: Gotcha. Just make it happen.

KN: Make it happen.

RR: How’s that for parental advice? “Just make it happen!”

KN: Get a voice-demo! Do it!

RR: Just make it! Do it! If you wanna do sumthin’…do it! Yeah. I’m a real treasure trove of good advice over here. What is your most embarrassing moment? Two parts: 1)in life; 2) on stage.

KN: I’ve had so many of both.

RR: What’s a good one? What’s poppin’ in your head right now? That’s probably the one.

KN: The most embarrassing moment on stage. I was doing my last show at the short form theater I managed in St. Louis and we were doing a summer camp themed show. We’re all wearing matching t-shirts and khakis and my khakis ripped down the ass in the middle of a cheek. One side of the theater is trying to flag me down like (flagging motions).

RR: So not down the middle of the pants, but right down the middle of a cheek?

KN: It actually ripped in sort of a 90 degree angle. Like just half of a square and unflapped.

RR: So like a pocket came off?

KN: Something like that.

RR: Yeah, kind of.

KN: Thankfully my ass is exactly khaki colored.

RR: Mmmm. Perfect. Just the right amount of sun. What about in life?

KN: Oh. My most embarrassing moment in life…I wasn’t prepared for this question.

RR: You shouldn’t have been prepared for any of them.

KN: Well, I can’t help it that I read them.

RR: I know.

KN: My most embarrassing moment in life…I know when it was. I took a break from taking classes at iO and I had to come back and I was like “Why did I stop?” I just took time off to do other things. It started with taking 8 weeks off and then taking classes again. Then, eventually it became months and months and months and months. I came back and I was like “Why did I ever stop?” Because then I had to pick up the pieces. I felt like I had to relearn improv. I jumped in with my team right now. They’ve all been together since level 1. I kind of jumped in at level 5.

RR: Oh yeah?

KN: Yeah.

RR: And that was embarrassing?

KN: It was because everyone already knew each other and I was kind of, like, sneaking in right at the end.

RR: The new kid.

KN: Yeah. It’s the first time I was ever the new kid.

RR: The army brat who’s dad decides to move to a suburb and you’ve got to go to class.

KN: That’s kind of what it felt like.

RR: Nice. What’s one thing people don’t know about you that they should know?

KN: I’m not an improv junkie like I used to be.

RR: You’re not an improv junkie?

KN: I love it but I’m not…I spend so much time there I think people think I’m like in it to win it. I’ve been interested in improvising for a long time but I’m not trying to claw my way up to the top.

RR: People mistake “working in a theater” for “being an improv junkie”.

KN: Definitely! They all think we get special treatment! I’d love to see it if that was true! But we don’t.

RR: Can you imagine how easy it would be get people to tend bar and serve if that was part of “Getting to the top”?

KN: Yeah!

RR: What if all the Second City main stage people had to have started off waiting tables?

KN: I did. I hosted at Second City too. So, I really just enjoy working in a theater environment. That’s pretty much what it comes down too.

RR: There you go!

KN: I have other sides. I do other things.

RR: Like what?

KN: I have a keen interest in the Martial Arts.

RR: A keen interest in the Martial Arts?

KN: I do.

RR: Which Martial Arts? I was a practitioner myself.

KN: Really? What did you play?

RR: I have a black-belt in Tae Kwon Do…and I don’t have the flexibility to do any of it anymore.

KN: Not anymore? I did a little Shaolin Lohan Kung Fu in St. Louis. I miss it dearly. I’d love to get back to it but it’s kind of hard after leaving a school like that.

RR: Mm hmmm.

KN: The school was very close and private. It’s like researching a new…it’s like buying a car.

RR: Mm hmm.

KN: It’s not something I can just be like, “I’m gonna get a Kia Spectra!”

RR: Right.

KN: I have to do some research.

RR: Gotta figure it out. I hear ya on that. What…oh…du-duuuu-du-duu…Oh! What’s your favorite type of music? Or what’s your favorite song?

KN: Oh! Uhh…I love the Beatles. I’m a huge Beatles fan. I can’t tell you my favorite Beatles song…hmmm…I like anything that is psychedelic or psychedelic influenced rock or folk influenced rock. I listen to a ton of classic rock. I love classic rock. Favorite song is impossible so I’ll just say right now it’s Back in the USSR. I could listen to that song on a loop.

RR: Nice. I’m trying to think of a question on the fly…just to throw you off again.

KN: Improv question.

RR: What is your take on dating improvisors?

KN: Dating improvisors. I’m so glad I don’t do that anymore. It was really fun, I think, when you’re a student. Because that’s all you hang out with…other improvisors. So I think it’s a super incestuous community, and that’s great. Keep it safe. Everyone knows each other and that’s cool. You can’t date anyone you’re on a team with unless it’s some kind of crazy independent team that’s been together forever and they can, like…get away with that some how.

RR: Right.

KN: I’m just really glad I never…I don’t have to do that again.

RR: ”I’ve been there and I’m glad I don’t have to go back.” What…is…the worst…part…about…being…short?

KN: I wish I was just a little bit shorter. Because I’m a short person just enough to where it’s an inconvenience. Like, I have a step stool in the kitchen because I can’t reach my cabinets. But I was never short enough to be the “super cute short girl”…I’m just kind of short.

RR: Kind of average-short?

KN: Yeah! Kind of average-short! Not one of those, like, girls who’s like “Awwww! Look how cute! She’s 4’8”!” I don’t know.

RR: 4’8” IS adorable. Side note…I was just catching up on Little People Big World before I came over here.

KN: Very nice.

RR: And that question?…was on the FLY! THAT WAS ON THE FLY!

KN: Maybe it was inspired by what you saw.

RR: It could have been. Zach got a specially made bike.

KN: Wait a minute! I didn’t know I was that short!

RR: You’re not that short.

KN: You’re really tall, though, so this is an unfair question.

RR: I know. Everyone is short to me. That’s why…it was just on the fly. That’s why….each…word…was…spaced out…awkwardly…because I was thinking of each word as it came. Uhh….what are your improv pet peeves? Or what’s your main improv pet peeve? You’ve seen enough of it to have some…probably good ones.

KN: Improv pet peeves…ummm…in the community or specifically on stage? I can’t say I have pet peeves on stage because you have to be able to fly with everything and think that every move everyone else makes is brilliant.

RR: That’s bullcrap (giggles).

KN: I don’t like straight up denial. I really…it’s frustrating for me because I’m always the person who’d rather see it go there. Just go there! Just go to that place. It doesn’t matter how stupid it is. Just go. Just go with it.

RR: Nice.

KN: Also, this is a silly pet peeve. I don’t like when people dress like they’re going on a first date in improv shows. I think that’s tacky.

RR: How do you mean?

KN: I think some people dress like they’re (clap and slide hands across like Rico Suave’)…I don’t know. How do you type this (clap and slide hands across like Rico Suave’)?

RR: Clap and slide your hands across like Rico Suave’?

KN: I don’t know (licking pinkies and going across eyebrows).

RR: Licking the pinkies and going across the eyebrows?

KN: Something.

RR: But how do you mean?

KN: It’s just a stupid pet peeve and now we’re talking about it.

RR: I know, but it’s interesting. It’s been so long since I’ve had a first date that I don’t know what you mean.

KN: I’ve never been on a first date either. I don’t know what people dress like. I’m not saying people shouldn’t dress up. I think people should look nice. But I think sometimes people dress like they’re…I don’t know.

RR: Like what? Because the last show I did I was wearing gray pants, orange shirt and a tie. Was that first date-ish?

KN: No! That’s great…that’s great. I mean I think sometimes people are dressing to promote themselves instead of blending into a team. I’m not saying we should all where uniforms, and I’ve been known to wear green pants so I shouldn’t talk about this.

RR: Ugh!

KN: It’s just a side note. It’s just a side note.

RR: Okay, interesting.

KN: I’m gonna get flack for this, I know.

RR: So like, look nice, but not in a vain sort of way.

KN: Yeah.

RR: Like, dress nice, but the TEAM is dressed nice.

KN: I think teams should match some how.

RR: They should. I kind of have fallen into…as comfortable as I think jeans are, I think that, you know? Look a little nicer.

KN: I think everybody wear jeans or everybody wear slacks. Or everybody wear collared shirts or everybody wear black shirts. You know? I mean, I don’t know.

RR: It’s true.

KN: I like the uniform.

RR: On the flip side though, then you sort of see it’s like Fat Albert and the Gang. It’s like each person has their own personality because they all dress a different way.

KN: That’s true.

RR: Rudy had the money. So he would dress fancy.

KN: I like to feel like it’s a real, super lame theater experiment though, so…I think it’s fun.

RR: To each their own. On the fly…

KN: On the fly.

RR: Give me a nickname for each person on your team.

KN: Alright.

RR: I need to know the actual name of the person too or it won’t even make any sense.

KN: Alright…Jon DeWalt is Coked Up.

RR: That’s his nickname? Coked Up?

KN: Yeah, sure. These are on the fly, right?

RR: Yep.

KN: Griffen is “A Quarter Jewish.” Camille is…what’s something from A Streetcar Named Desire because she always reminds me of that movie? Even though she’s from a completely different place than it’s set.

RR: Mm hmm…ummm.

KN: How about just “Streetcar”.

RR: Streetcar? She’s Streetcar.

KN: These are terrible. What else can I do? I typically call John Brewster “Brew Brew”…which I wonder if he finds patronizing, but it’s just ‘cause it’s his name.

RR: Sorry, Brew Brew.

KN: Crago is “A Sweaty Italian.” Matt Higby is “The Newbie.” Matt Higby is the new addition to our team.

RR: Newbie, alright.

KN: Shey. Shey has 400 nicknames already but I’ll make up a new one for her…”Lovella.” She’ll like that.

RR: Lovella? Nice.

KN: Yeah. She has a lot of names she goes by. Who am I missing? Do-do-doo-do-dooooo. I have a few more people.

RR: It’s gonna look really awkward if they read this.

KN: Don’t be mad, guys. Scott Whitehair! His last name is Whitehair. You can’t…

RR: How can you…yeah, you can’t…

KN: That’s gotta be his nickname.

RR: Whitehair.

KN: Definitely missing at least one other person.

RR: That’s curious.

KN: I’m gonna get in trouble. Matt Malinsky’s gotta have a name. The coach has got to have a nickname too. I’m gonna call him “Big Poppa” because he’s gonna be a…does everyone know that?

RR: Know what?

KN: Does everyone know he’s gonna be a dad?

RR: Does everyone know he’s gonna be a dad?! UH-OH!

KN: I hope I’m not like…he just secretly told our team?

RR: Well, this improv community, though. Things get around pretty quick. You know what I’m saying?

KN: That’s true.

RR: Not like, Matt’s not giving babies to everyone…but THE NEWS of it.

KN: Yeah. Uhh…I hope I didn’t just ruin something. F. TYLER! I’m gonna call him “Carol” because I always wonder if he’s related to Carol Burnett.

RR: You’re going to call him Carol?!…I like it. I like that.

KN: Carol. I think if he was a woman maybe his name WOULD be Carol.

RR: That’s true. I could see that.

KN: I hope I got everyone, guys (she did). Sorry.

RR: That sounded like a good amount. You probably missed one, if at all.

KN: They’ll forgive me.

RR: So, I am now your biggest fan. Where can I see you perform?

KN: Oh! That’s such a good question! My wonderful Harold team, Callous has shows on the schedule. We can be found upstairs playing the Del Close Theater all through the next 8 weeks. Come and see us. Also, the fantastic and wonderful TV Show. It’s a sketch show which is written fresh every week. New network every week. It’s fantastic. It plays Fridays at midnight upstairs at ImprovOlympic…iO! iO.

RR: Boy. You’re gonna get fired.

KN: I am going to get fired for many reasons but this will be the straw.

RR: The crowning jewel. Awesome. Thank you, Katie. That’s the interview.

KN: Thank you so much.

RR: You did it! America!

KN: Ta da!

RR: Fantastic! It is…today’s date. I’m gonna say the date is…May 8th! And, I’ll start off with my first question. What is your name?

CDL: My name is Camille DuBose Lowman.

RR: Camille DUBOSE Lowman?

CDL: Yes.

RR: D-U-B-O-S-E?

CDL: Yes. Capital ‘D’, lowercase ‘u’, capital ‘B’, O-S-E.

RR: Awesome. Is that how it’s read on the team roster and what not at iO?

CDL: No.

RR: Just Lowman?

CDL: Yeah.

RR: Well, not in this, it’s gonna be DuBose.

CDL: YES!

RR: What team are you on?

CDL: On Callous. We are approaching our third schedule, I believe. Our third or fourth schedule.

RR: Mm hmm. Who’s on Callous? Is that the team Piero is on?

CDL: Ummm…no. We’re new. Maybe you know someone…Jon DeWalt? Maybe?

RR: Oh, I’ve heard from him. Yes.

CDL: Yes.

RR: I know of Jon DeWalt.

CDL: Uhh…Jon DeWalt. Crago…Jim Crago.

RR: Yes. I’ve heard from him as well.

CDL: Katie Nunn. Shay. All of us are pretty much newbies, so…

RR: It looks like a good team.

CDL: It is. We have a lot of fun!

RR: You can be honest.

CDL: I hate ‘em. I hate every single one of them and I should be on the team by myself…NO! It’s good because a lot of us took classes together and had several classes together so we kind of had this rapport going as it was. And we went hiking, I mean, umm, camping in Wisconsin together. A lot of us from our 5b team. And almost got killed by one of our members who has been through iO like four times. He’s crazy. This guy named Tom. He’s probably gonna read this.

RR: He probably will. Let’s say his name is…uhh…I’m trying to think of a Tom I know and we’ll switch it around. We’ll say it’s Tom Flannigan.

CDL: Tom Flannigan. So, we almost got killed by a serial killer and then…I believe one of his things he was yelling was “I’m going to into the woods and find God.” Or death…one of the two.

RR: Maybe it sounds more like Tom Farnan. So, aside from that…who or what inspired you to do improv?

CDL: I’m kind of late to improvisation. I always wanted to do something in entertainment. I kind of always wanted to be the center of attention since I can remember, so I ended up wanting to do some acting kind of stuff. I took a class in Charleston, SC with The Have Nots, who are a great group of three improvisors. They have Piccolo Spoleto Fringe Festival.

RR: Piccolo Spoleto?

CDL: Yeah. It’s Piccolo Fringe. Whirled News Tonight has gone. Let’s see…Scheer and McBrayer will be there this year…people from UCB, people from iO, people from Second City all go. So I took a class with them and just kind of clicked and I met Brandy Sullivan, who was one of the Have Nots, and she was just the nicest person and had a real zest for just having fun. And that’s what kind of made me start with it…and I was naturally talented.

RR: Well, of course. So did you start doing that in college? After college?

CDL: After college. Like a year and a half after I graduated.

RR: Did you have a non-improv path that you were following during college?

CDL: Mm hmm. Yes. I started with biology because I wanted to go into medical school. And then organic chemistry steered me away from that.

RR: Steered you away from that?

CDL: Yes. I was like “I’M NOT EVEN GONNA TAKE IT!” So, for two years I majored in biology and then switched to Spanish. I wanted to be a diplomat when I was younger.

RR: A diplomat? What made you want to be a diplomat?

CDL: I don’t know. I just thought you wore pretty things and traveled and, like, I’d find me a prince or something…I don’t know. Nothing having to do with international relations.

RR: Right. Just looking pretty and finding princes.

CDL: Mm hmm.

RR: Nice. What would you say is your A#1 hobby?

CDL: Ummmmm…God. Watching TV? Isn’t that sad?

RR: You’d think it’s sad, and it seems like a sad thing…this is one of those situations, by the way (said about a loud truck that just parked next to our outdoor table and sat there idling…so Camille got closer to the mic). You think it’s sad and it seems like a sad thing but I’d say more of the people that I’ve interviewed have said watching TV is pretty much what their hobby is.

CDL: I think its…umm…I was a latch-key kid when I was younger. Both my parents worked pretty late, so, I’d get home. I’d get off the bus. Come inside and pretty much watch…television was like my buddy, I guess. So, it was kind of like a constant comfort. Like, I’ll put it on even if I’m not watching it sometimes. But I’ve tried to steer away from it. Listening to more music and SAYING I’m going to read something important but watching I Love New York.

RR: Right. But, just saying it though…that’s a start.

CDL: I know. It’s a step in the right direction.

RR: Do you have a favorite TV show?

CDL: I loved Arrested Development.

RR: Yeah!

CDL: Ummm…right now I don’t really have a favorite comedic show. I guess Law and Order always gets me in the right place. Umm…GOD! My life is sad! Yeah…Law and Order and pretty much any crappy reality TV show having to do with…I Love New York was really fun for me.

RR: Oh THAT I Love New York! Flavor Flav’s…

CDL: No! It was not I Love New York! Flavor Flav Charm School is what I’m really into right now.

RR: Oh boy.

CDL: I know. My mom is proud.

RR: Your mom is proud?

CDL: Yeah! She is! She’s really proud.

RR: It is though, kind of close to being a diplomat. In the way you were looking for at least.

CDL: True. Another hobby I think would be going to the beach. I miss South Carolina. I miss salt water. I miss the air…the marsh…like the stinky marsh air.

RR: The stinky marsh air?

CDL: Yeah.

RR: When did you move to Chicago? I’m assuming you’re from South Carolina.

CDL: It will be two years, August 1st.

RR: And did you move out here for improv?

CDL: Mm hmm.

RR: I figured.

CDL: Yes I did. No, for the weather…because I love getting fat and being lethargic and getting depressed.

RR: Who doesn’t?! Ummm…do you have a favorite show moment that sticks out in your mind? A favorite show moment of YOURS.

CDL: Of mine?

RR: Yeah.

CDL: Ummm…in Chicago or in general?

RR: Just “of yours.” It can be elsewhere.

CDL: This is hilarious. It’s like every truck in Evanston…