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“What’s the improv scene there like?”
Posted under Le BlogThe improv community in Chicago has always been very strong. There are more venues to play at than there was 10 years ago, but that hasn’t put a dent on the support people show for each other.
All venues still have good houses on any given night that are mostly made up of fellow improvisors that are there to support each other and to learn.
This show of support was heavily pushed by the veterans of the iO Theater that played there 15 to 20 years ago and that concept is still being instilled in the students that study there to this day.
That’s only of the reasons that the improv community is so strong and cherished by those of us that live in that special world, regardless where they play.
A lot of improvisors that make the move to L.A. eventually get asked the same question by those back home: What’s the improv scene like?
I’m pretty sure the answer to that question has changed dramatically over the years, especially with the Second City and UCB establishing homes in L.A. in recent years.
Now that I’ve moved here and have visited -and been given the honor to play at- places like iOWest, Second City, and UCB here in L.A., I eventually was asked that big question by people here and back home.
In a nutshell my answer has been: “Different”.
Before I expand on that, let’s take a look at the venues.
The Theaters
Second City has great teachers and performers, but most of them only play at Second City and usually to light houses.
Which is a shame because, again, they have GREAT teachers and performers. Performers who have graced the major stages in Chicago and have gone on to have good success in the entertainment industry. In my opinion, there’s no reason why the Second City in Hollywood shouldn’t have consistently good houses and it’s a shame the industry isn’t paying more attention to them.
The UCB has worked very had to create a name for themselves in New York and L.A., and it shows.
The core members of the UCB were students, friends and followers of many great teachers in Chicago, most notable the late great, Del Close. They always believed in his teaching methods and philosophies and have managed to show that through their students, alumni, and shows. Plus, they seem to have a great business model on how to run and promote their theater.
Right now UCB seems to have taken over as the place to look at when creating and finding new good talent.
Because they don’t have a bar or extra space to hang in before and after shows, I get the sense that if people are hanging out, they are doing so only at nearby bars and restaurants.
I don’t know many people here so I can’t tell if many UCB students and performers also play and study at Second City or iO West. I know some do because I know them and have seen them at iO West. But I’m pretty sure it’s not a lot of them.
Besides the Groundlings, I think The iO West Theater is the oldest long-form improvisational venue in L.A.
When iO branched out here, many alumni from both Second City and iO back home found a home there. These alumni of the Chicago scene were and still are very well respected performers, writers, and teachers.
The foundation to continue the movement and spread the true art of improvisation in L.A. was now in place.
Based on what we’ve heard through the grapevine, and what I’m now able to see for myself, it seems like over the years the theater began to form it’s own identity that eventually seemed to adapt to the L.A. style of living and doing things, that eventually made it a different iO from it’s sister theater back home. Not a worse theater, just a different theater.
The Vibe
For those of us coming from Chicago to L.A., the different overall improv vibe is instantly felt and noticed, which is why the first thing that comes out of their mouths when asked about the improv scene is: “different”.
To ME, there still seems to be a great sense of community, but there’s something different that at first one can’t quite put their finger on.
For ME, I eventually began to see what it was that made it feel different to ME from back home. There are many little things that make it different from what I was used to, but the main thing that I noticed was the overall sense of support across the board.
And here’s what I mean when I say that:
Back home, like I pointed out earlier, there are a lot more theaters nowadays. When those theaters first opened, it made one think that the audiences that were improvisor-heavy across all theaters was going to start to diminish.
Much to everyone’s happy surprise, not only did that not change, it got better. And I guess the more people that join the community per year help with that as well.
In Chicago, no matter what improv venue you’re at on any given night, you’re going to recognize almost everyone on stage from other places you frequent or perform at, and the same when you look at the audience present.
What I’m saying is that in Chicago there seems to be a great sense of support that comes directly from fellow improvisors, regardless of their status or where they play.
Now, it wasn’t always like that. At first, when a new theater opened up, for some reason there seemed to be a separation of that theater and the rest. There seemed to be a “us vs. them” feeling that always felt wrong. It almost felt like people were afraid to venture over to a new space for fear of how they might be perceived at the theater(s) they currently study or perform at.
Thankfully for everyone, that stigma or whatever you call it, quickly faded away and everyone felt happy and ‘safe’ hanging out at new places.
To ME, that’s what I think I’m sensing in the L.A. improv scene: that old, and I guess somewhat natural, feeling of overall separation.
One can still see people from different theaters frequenting other theaters, just not too many. Now, I don’t think that people are purposely alienating each other. And of course, I hope not.
It’s certain circumstances that sometimes are out of one’s control that make something like this more noticeable.
For example, I think the laws of the city make some of this be the way that it is for now.
Let’s use iO for this example.
At iO back in Chicago, which is arguably the home of the Improv community, the building houses two theaters, a training center and two bars.
Still, there is no age requirement to be in the theater. If you want a drink you get carded and you about your business.
So anyone that wants to see a show at the place many of the people they look up to or admire played at, can go see a show there, -regardless of their age. They can take classes there and hang out, and make friends with a lot of people they will be crossing paths with later in life.
A lot of these people start doing this as early as the age of 17.
Now, take iO West.
The theater was in L..A. ahead of Second City and UCB, and eventually started a training center teaching the methods of improvisation that made Chicago the mecca of improvisation.
It seems to me that the process was in place to have iO West be the center of where people would all come to hang out regardless of what other theaters opened up down the line, and eventually the support of your fellow improvisors would follow. Especially because it’s the only improv venue that HAS a bar.
Well, I found out the city put a big roadblock for that to happen.
See, at iO West, there’s a bar in the front, and both of the theaters are separated from this bar. BUT, because the bar is in the same building as the theater, NOBODY under 21 is allowed in the front of the building, where they have their ‘mainstage’.
That means that young students, and worse, patrons, are not allowed to watch shows in the main theater space and, of course, hang out in the bar with the teachers and performers of the theater.
It’s easier to instill that sense of support with younger students, and because of this rule, I think the improv scene suffers because of it.
Plus, it’s L.A., so I’m sure everyone has other things going on, AND, there’s a higher chance that most people that study at all theaters across the board are not into the art form as much and are only taking classes to help their careers or something else associated with the city.
Hanging out.
The newest theater, The Second City theater, has GREAT teachers and veteran Chicago improvisors teaching and playing there, but there’s no bar and parking sucks. So that means getting a good house is already a hard task, and the odds of hanging out after shows are very low. Especially if anyone in attendance is under 21.
Ok, but what about the veteran performers that play there?
Well, if you’re a veteran performer, you’re in two categories: The one where you still haven’t found your way on the iO West stage (which is ridic), and the one that is playing at iO West.
If you’re not playing at iO, then it’s understandable if maybe you feel weird going there to simply hang. Hell, I still feel that way myself. It’s hard to explain, but it’s harder for a veteran performer to bypass that weirdness.
And if you are on a team at iO West, well, maybe you’re tired from doing a show or teaching and simply want to go home. I don’t know. I’m not saying this second category of folks doesn’t go hang there, I’m just saying I don’t see it happening that often, and it’s easy to imagine why not.
The UCB Theater has GREAT teachers and performers. And again, they worked very had to get the status they have. So issues like no bar and parking don’t seem to be a factor for them in terms of show attendance. Still, no bar means that IF you hang out after, you do so in the most convenient place, which is right next door, and not 15 minutes away at iO West. And of course, if you’re under 21, you go home.
Plus, like the old days of Chicago, that overall sense of support isn’t fully present, and because one doesn’t know many people from other theaters, it’s hard to justify going to another theater to hang out when you can hang out with your friends after a show right next door.
And iO West? Well because of the laws of the city, I think they suffer even more in terms of overall support, especially within the theater.
Again, a sense of community exists there and you frequently see people hanging out that are not performing that night or that already had a show that night.
If you already performed that night, it’s easy to understand if you want to go bond with your team rather than watching another hour or two of shows.
If you didn’t perform that night and came to watch a show, well, awesome. But even if you’re not watching shows that night, you’re still contributing a bit by having a team come out of the theater and seeing you hang at the theater. It seems weird, but believe me, it goes a long way most of the time. Not all of the time, but most of the time.
That leaves the biggest chunk of people that play a big part in showing support for your fellow players: the young students and performers and general younger audience.
But remember, it’s easier to instill that sense of support in younger performers because you encourage them to watch as much as they can to both support and to watch the work on stage to both learn and discuss in class or rehearsal. But most of these younger performers can’t come into the bar because of their age, so a huge chunk of your support base is gone right off the bat.
Combine all those factors, and add a little more here and there, and you have an explanation as to why more people aren’t watching shows at a place that has an incredible talent base, and incredible teaching staff, and an incredible history.
Don’t get me wrong, some shows are amazing and have a huge fan base that consists of both regular audience and fellow improvisors, but in MY opinion, there’s no reason why that shouldn’t be across the board because there are other very good shows there that sadly not enough people are watching.
I had a conversation with a younger performer there and when I brought up that point, her response was that it was hard to drive all the way to Hollywood, and struggle to look for parking, especially when both clubs next to the theater are open.
My response was that iO Chicago is surrounded by bars that are packed every night and make it hard for parking, especially when most parking spaces require a resident sticker. Plus, that becomes a bigger pain when the Cubs are in town.
Yet, the theater is either well attended or packed on any given night, no matter what shows are going on.
So my point was that if people want to show up and watch to either learn or show support, it’s possible.
So yeah, that’s how I see the improv scene in L.A.
It’s not done on purpose, a lot of it has to do with city laws, and there’s still time to make it happen. Based on conversations I’ve had with people, I think it’s getting better. So that’s a good sign.
To ME, in an ideal world, those of us that have put in our time in terms of going out of our way to show support in the past to help promote the idea of support for younger performers, can help a lot in this city. With as many old-school Chicago folks that now reside in this city, it should be a little easier to help promote that. It may be a pain sometimes, but it would be worth it down the line.
In MY opinion, helping show support across all platforms will only help in getting people to attend each others theaters more, and also eventually help the support and family that currently exists within the walls of each theater individually –especially with younger improvisors, spread out beyond those walls.
I will not accept what seems to be the company line here: “It’s L.A.; different city, different ways of doing things, so it’s best to just adjust to it.”
No, I’ve seen it work before and have felt it first hand again here in L.A. by some of my friends from back in the day. So I know it can work again anywhere. It’s just a matter of getting enough people to believe in that, and go out and make it happen.
Is it wrong for me to wish things were better for everyone? Is it wrong for me to be affected by what I see and want to say or do something about it in order to try to help instill a better overall sense of support across the board?
I sense that some people think that, Yes, it is wrong. That I should shut my two-month-old-resident-ass up and just let things be the way they are.
If I were a new improvisor in general, I can see how I can adjust to what’s in place because that’s all I know.
But I’m not new and I’ve seen the fruits of what instilling some of the things that have made several theaters shine and prosper into one great community over the years can bring.
It’s important to stress that I am NOT saying that support and sense of community doesn’t exist, and that I am NOT saying that I think one theater is better than the other.
As a matter of fact the times I have been allowed to grace each stage I have been grateful and taken it as a huge honor.
I’m saying that the sense of support and community that I already sense present at each of these theaters is already pretty damn cool, and that I think two things are still missing but fast approaching in this city:
Learning from each other, and a sense of overall support and community.
The first one is simple and one should take it to mean whatever they want it to mean.
As for the other, in MY opinion, although some cross support is already present and visible, it has a lot more to grow and We can do a lot to help it grow faster so that there can be a universal sense of Improv Community in L.A.
Before I left Chicago there was a young team called “Michael Pizza” that had started a little mission to pick a random improv show in a random theater and show up as a team just for the purpose of showing support.
I imagine it’s gotta feel pretty good to greet people after a show and find a whole team there not because they were invited, but because they wanted to show support for you as a fellow improvisor.
It’s neat when a young team reminds you of the little things we can do to help this art keep striving.
This Thing We Do could benefit from more people with that sort of care and perspective towards the Work.
Now go out and watch a show you haven’t been invited to.