ImprovOlympic, Chicago’s other improvisation institution, celebrates its 20th anniversary on Friday and Saturday. The theater has long been in the shadow of Second City, despite bearing the indelible imprint of famed improv guru Del Close (his long-form improv style The Harold, in which performers develop and return to themes during a 45-minute improv session, remains a revolutionary performance exercise).
But there have been many impressive former Olympians who have made their mark on comedy, including Mike Myers and the late Chris Farley of “Saturday Night Live,” and “NewsRadio’s” Andy Dick. Dick and Myers are expected to make appearances this weekend, along with “SNL’s” Tim Meadows, Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch, “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” writer Brian McCann, Joel Murray of “Dharma & Greg” and Stephanie Weir of “MAD TV.”
A history in pictures
ImprovOlympic’s co-founder Charna Halpern talks about alums pictured in key photos that were ripped from the walls of the theater on Clark Street (well, actually, they were gingerly removed and then replaced).
1. Halpern and Close, not long after their current theater at 3541 N. Clark St. had opened: “We were just really happy, and we had just gone through a huge thing of stress. Everything’s always over budget and the city’s always got problems and liquor licenses came through at the last minute. And we were just celebrating and so pleased with what we were able to do after being thrown out of club after club after club. We finally had a home.”
2. Chris Farley, in a 1993 performance: “He was a great physical comic. And my one regret is that he and Andy Dick didn’t get to do something together, because I think those are two of the funniest physical comics around, and nobody really ever got the chance to see that.”
3. The ImprovOlympic team Blue Velveeta, which was formed in 1986 and included “In Living Color’s” Jay Leggett and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” writers Kevin Dorff and Brian McCann: “Blue Velveeta was brilliant and fast and funny and furious . . . they had an ability to take their opening [premise] and bring it back organically at the end. And the audience was blown away by that.”
4. The Family, which was formed in 1991, whose members included Upright Citizens Brigade founders Matt Besser and Ian Roberts, and ex-“Saturday Night Live” writer Adam McKay: “Of the whole era of ImprovOlympic there’ve been two major teams that were phenomenal. They each had their glory for three years: one was Blue Velveeta and other was the Family . . . Del described them as watching six men fall down the stairs at the same time and land on their feet.”
5. Grime and Punishment, which was formed in 1984 and included Meadows and Chicago improv performer and director Mick Napier: “They were just so free with each other, they were just so free about everything . . . they were as good as Blue Velveeta and the Family. They never quite got the following that those groups had, but they were wonderful.”
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
Second City and Improv Olympic: not the same!
After 20 years in operation, ImprovOlympic still doesn’t get as much respect as Second City.
“It is a problem that I’ve always been frustrated about,” ImprovOlympic co-founder Charna Halpern says. “I’ll train these people and they’ll be with me for years and years, and they’re on stage and they end up becoming the best. They just rise to the top because they’re so good at what they do.”
“And then Second City will take them.”
Halpern, 49, who opened ImprovOlympic in 1981 with David Shepherd (Shepherd left the following year, and was replaced by Del Close), says the news media in Chicago is aware of the differences between the troupes. But media outlets outside Chicago are the problem, she says: If a former ImprovOlympic performer says that they got some of their training at Second City, guess which troupe gets mentioned?
Halpern says she reminds Myers and others to say that they worked with Close at ImprovOlympic (Close is often assumed to be only a Second City guru because he worked there for years).
“And it didn’t happen for [Close at Second City],” Halpern says (the reference inserted into this quote as published has been corrected in this text). “That’s not where his dream came true.”
The recognition for ImprovOlympic is coming slowly but surely, thanks in part the group’s newish Los Angeles theater. And the actors who trained at Improv Olympic are learning to hype their former home.
According to Halpern, actor/director Jon Favreau said in a recent interview that he “washed dishes at Second City. My performance experience was at ImprovOlympic.”
— Allan Johnson
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
How Chicago improv scene went to Del
The late improv guru Del Close gave himself to comedy–literally. His skull rests in storage at the Goodman Theatre, awaiting the role of Yorick, whenever (if ever) the Goodman gets around to staging “Hamlet.”
Before he–or rather his skull–takes on that part, however, Close’s former students will pay tribute to their late, legendary teacher during the 20th anniversary celebrations of Improv Olympic, where he taught for many years.
“There were a lot more adventures with Del around,” ImprovOlympic’s Charna Halpern says. “He was very famous for being funny in class.” She recalls that Close broke his collarbone while trying to teach his students to trust each other by throwing himself off of a balcony.
TV viewers have long seen Close’s teachings in practice without knowing it: The late John Belushi, Bill Murray and Shelley Long, among others, all attended the Close school of comedy.
As an actor, Close was in films such as “The Untouchables” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” and on stage in “All’s Well That Ends Well” and “The Merchant of Venice.” He won a Jeff Award for his 1985 portrayal of Polonius in “Hamlet.”
During the anniversary celebrations, comedian Andy Dick and other alumni–who now work on shows such as “Saturday Night Live,” “MAD TV,” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”–will share their memories of Close during a panel discussion.
But the most fitting tribute to him might be found in ImprovOlympic’s annual Del Close Awards; the categories for the awards, which were held earlier this month, include “Most Self-Indulgent Moment on Stage” and “Best Portrayal of Furniture or Environment.”
“Del had such a unique way of looking at the world,” Halpern says. “His nature was just to laugh things off.”
— Sufiya Abdur-Rahman
Improv timeline 1981-2001
1981
ImprovOlympic is founded by Charna Halpern and David Shepherd.
`82
Shepherd leaves for New York and Halpern forms a partnership with Del Close.
`83
Halpern and Close begin working on long-form improvisation called “The Harold.”
’84
A new team, Grime and Punishment, is formed and features future “Saturday Night Live” cast member Tim Meadows and actor/director Mick Napier.
`86
CrossCurrents, home to the ImprovOlympic, closes down, and the troupe performs at a variety of locations.
Blue Velveeta becomes the new house team.
`87
Mike Myers begins taking classes and performing.
FishShtick, featuring Chris Farley, is created.
`90
ImprovOlympic builds a small theater on Belmont; the troupe also performs at the WrigleySide bar on Clark.
`91
The team The Family is formed.
`96
ImprovOlympic finally gets its own theater building, 3541 N. Clark St. (its current location). The Family Cabaret is downstairs and the Del Close Theater is upstairs.
ImprovOlympic celebrates its 15th anniversary.
’98
The Upright Citizens Brigade is formed by members of The Family. They move to New York and get a TV deal from Comedy Central.
ImprovOlympic opens a theater in Los Angeles.
`01
ImprovOlympic celebrates its 20th anniversary with reunion shows Friday and Saturday at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
