4.8 • 642 Ratings
🗓️ 28 January 2018
⏱️ 13 minutes
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Eight improvisers who got their start in Chicago explain what draws so many aspiring funny people to the city’s improv scene.
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0:00.0 | It's Curious City, where we take your questions about Chicago and the region, |
0:06.5 | and investigate, report, explore, from WBEZ. |
0:14.3 | A few years ago, on a cold and dreary night, Ty McCarthy was sitting under the sad glow of the |
0:22.0 | golden arches of the McDonald's at North and Wells in Old Town. |
0:25.5 | I was looking across the street at Second City, and I looked up, and I saw, like, the big |
0:30.4 | portrait of Tina Fey, like, smiling down at me from that second story display they have. |
0:35.4 | And he's thinking maybe Tina Fey ate at this very McDonald's, or Stephen |
0:39.1 | Colbert, or Tim Meadows, or Amy Poehler, or tons of other famous improvisers who |
0:44.5 | went on to big careers in comedy who started out right here in Chicago, which made |
0:49.4 | him wonder... |
0:50.0 | How does Chicago become such a destination for improv? |
0:57.7 | Tie, tie, tie, tie, tie, tie. You have come to the right person for your answer. |
1:00.6 | Really, you could not be in better hands for this one. |
1:03.0 | You may have heard of me? I'm Jimmy Corain. |
1:06.8 | No, I don't have a portrait on the wall at Second City like Tina Fey, |
1:09.9 | but I have eaten at that same McDonald's many times. |
1:15.0 | I've also been improvising and teaching improv in this city for almost 30 years. |
1:18.1 | And, Ty, I don't want to put words in your mouth, |
1:20.2 | but what I think you meant to ask is, |
1:23.2 | how did Chicago become the mecca for improv? |
1:26.9 | I get it, you're new in time. |
1:45.0 | But that's okay. I know what makes this city the best. But before we get into that, let's get something straight here. Improv is not stand-up. Stand-up is one person, and it's scripted. Improv is usually two or more people, and we're making the stuff up on the spot. How do we do that? Well, normally, you'd have to take one of my improv classes to find out. |
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