WHO WANTS MORE COMEDY?

In my last posting I wrote that TCT would soon have a new improvisational company on the Oldfather Stage. And I promised to tell you more about it in a subsequent posting. Well before I do I wanted to tell you about something interesting I noticed about this group. It’s kinda’ funny to me how odd little circumstances can turn up in a person’s life, coincidences that make no sense at first, and then suddenly, there’s a little pattern that seems to emerge that lends a sort of kismet to random happenings.  

In 1983 I was an undergraduate at Iowa State University. I was on my fourth declared major and to be honest sort of drifting. Even though Secondary Education seemed to be my career path, I think deep down I knew I wouldn’t finish that major either. The only thing I was doing with any gusto back then was University Theatre. I played a few roles and spend most of my free time with my theatre friends, but I was not a theatre major.  That was when a wonderful man named Edward Britt approached me after one performance and asked me to try a new kind of theatre – - improvisational comedy.

 

And now, twenty five years later, I’m still proud to say that improvisational comedy continues to be a very major part of my life. The skills I learned with Mr. Britt I’ve passed on and shared to literally hundreds of other actors in nearly every state I’ve lived. And I’m proud to say, a whole new batch of comedians will soon be calling TCT home!

 

But before I introduce them, I wanted to tewll you about how I came to love improvisational comedy. Now my first company was at the Union Board Theatre in Ames Iowa. This was an off shoot theatre group on campus that was not really apart of the University theatre program. As such participants got no class credits and often had to fit these shows in around our already hectic class schedules. Few universities have two theatre’s on campus and I was lucky enough to spend my undergraduate years bouncing back and forth between these two programs.

 

The comedy company had the ridiculous name, The Comedy Thing. As silly as the name sounded, from 1983 until it ended in 1988, it was the hottest ticket on campus. Ed Britt was the Artistic Director of the Union Board Theatre, and The Comedy Thing was Ed’s brain child, a rotating company of around a dozen young actors performing improv once a month between his regularly scheduled shows. (Sound familiar?) I cut my teeth with this group, so to speak, and some of my fondest college memories were of those shows in a tiny smoke filled bar/theatre.

 

After graduation I headed off to UMKC to pursue my masters. The first request I made of my new school was to allow me to form an improve company off campus. Performing outside the graduate program was a big no-no. But for some reason, they granted my request. Within six months I had formed Laughing Stock, an improvisational comedy company that for six and a half years ran in various theatre’s in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

 

It had a very humble beginning. Crowds were so small the performers often outnumbered the audience. But we were a band of determined and feisty comedians and everyone who joined our group became dedicated improvisationalists, and my life long friends. A certain long haired comic was one of my original performers in that troupe, his name was Ted Shonka, but that’s a different blog.

 

The company even ran while I was in Manhattan doing my internship with The Acting Company in the winter and spring of 1990. This is the country’s largest touring Shakespearean Acting Troupe and I was darn lucky to be a small part of their season. While serving as Assistant Director to the Assistant Director, (I guess that made me Assistant Assistant?), I mentioned my love for two things, Shakespeare and Improv. He told me that a few of the company gathered every Sunday night to play improve games and asked me to join them. Needless to say being invited to play improve with the graduating class of Julliard was not a chance I was going to pass up and once again, a new troupe was formed. (Though to my knowledge, they never performed publicly. Only among friends.)

 

Shortly after returning to Kansas City and graduating in 1990, I did my first stint at TCT as a guest director for Wait Until Dark in the fall of that year. I returned in 1991 for The Night Hank Williams Died and finally joined the staff full time in 1992. And on March 22, 1993, Laughing Matters was born. My third company of comics and the longest running company I’ve ever served with. Last March was our fifteen anniversary with hopefully no end in sight.

 

So, I should be happy to stop there right? Well, no. You see, about six years later, Marvin Stottlemire started the Senior Class. A group of senior improvisationalists. And at the time I thought; “Gee, we really should have one for the younger set.”

 

So I’m proud to announce that after all this time I’m finally doing it. On Saturday night, January 17^th, TCT’s newest company Laughing Matters Jr. will take the stage in the Oldfather theatre. Some of these kids performed under this name last season, and that was the catalyst for me to really want to do this again. They’ve been in training now since September and I’m really looking forward to their launch!

 

Company members include, Alex Chaney, Matt Hammel, Catherine Meehan, Melanie Remp, Dillon Vansyckle, Josh Witt, and Katy Wright. Helping me along the way with their training are Jennifer Van Bruggen, Dorianne Rees, and Greg Krumins who serves as our Music Director. It’s just another reason that TCT is always moving forward and we have great plans for these kids.

 

And remember when I said that it’s kinda’ funny to me how odd little circumstances can turn up in a person’s life, coincidences that make no sense at first, and then everything seems clear. My first time on stage doing improve was January of 1984. Twenty five years ago. That’s kismet, isn’t it.

 

Join me in welcoming these kids to our comedy family on January 17^th. After all, who can’t use a little more comedy?

 

Sincerely,

 Shannon Reilly

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008 at 12:40 pm and is filed under Artistic Directors Remarks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.