See Part 1

     Improv Olympic located right in the heart of Wrigleyville. You can spit and hit Wrigley field. It’s one of my favorite things about the theater and one of its worst. The street always has a sense of fun and buzz on it. This might have to with the fact that there is nothing but bars on the street.  The downside is there is nothing but bars on the street. Leering loudmouth drunks are expected on the streets. But to me it all adds to the atmosphere of the theater. It gets you primed for the experience, to be ready to laugh, to expect anything. As many drunks there are up and down on the block I’ve never seen it be an issue inside the theater. Even though like all good improv theater there is easy access to the bar.
      Improv Olympic has all types of shows, musicals, sketch revues, TJ and Dave. But it’s bread and butter is the “Harold” and the long form improv. Every night of the week you will have Harold Teams performing at IO. Three teams will usually perform and then all join on stage at the end for a game of freeze tag. It’s impressive to watch a single show being built out a random audience suggestion. This is to me what improvising as art is about. It’s not about a single joke it’s about building a story and you can see some truly amazing magic up there. This can also be a problem is you’ll have to sit through a couple of teams that don’t quite have it. You’ll see some pretty painful long form up there and you can’t look away. And to me that will always be the problem with long form improv when it’s on there is nothing better. But when an audience suggestion leads down a dead in, the show itself can go off the rails pretty quickly. The performers on the stage try to overcompensate by trying to be bigger and force the laughs which in the end no one laughs. It’s a high wire act with no safety net and sometimes people go splat.

     Improv Olympic also teaches classes but they differ slightly from Second City. For one they are teaching long form a lot more since this is there primary focus.  This I type of training helps make better performers out of everyone. They are learning day in and day out how to create a show out of nothing. No matter what you’re going to get good quick or die up there on stage. Also the other great thing about IO is that it even it top teams are assigned a coach. This means after every performance the coach will go over everything they did right and wrong. They are still being held accountable even as they make it to prime time spots on Friday and Saturday. Improv Olympic is always looking to get the best out of there performers. The other great thing about IO is that it doesn’t just pass people to the next class. You have to be good enough to get to the next level. This ensures better performers and better shows.  And as a director I have found that io actors tend to be the best on camera. They are trained to play the smaller moments instead of going for the big laugh.
     Last but not least is the Annoyance Theater. Its primary focus is sketch comedy. It was founded by Mick Napier who still is Second City main stage director. So there is a bit of an overlap in there styles and shows. The main difference is that whatever you can’t do on stage at Second City the Annoyance starts with.  There shows are loud, shocking, and in your face. It’s a nice little low key theater in Uptown and the neighborhood fits the theater. It’s a little run down and little more profane. What you see on stage at the Annoyance you will never see at the main two theaters, heck you might not see it anywhere. That’s what I love about the theater you are never sure what you are going to get it. Even though it can be shocking and profane at the same time there is a very nice warm homey feeling to the place. The performers that perform there really love it.
     As fun as a night there can be the Annoyance does have its drawbacks. For one the shocking and profane act can get old pretty quickly. Yes, I want to see some cutting edge comedy but at the same time I would like some well done simple gags and jokes. After a few shows there you can start to be worn out. With starting with the most shocking thing you can say; the effect starts to wear off quickly. By the end you end up reacting to nothing; because you have heard everything. It also has classes where the students learn improv and writing. Since most of their shows are a combination of both. I happen to believe this is the best way to create a hilarious sketch show. I have found as director that the actors out of the Annoyance are very funny in person but onscreen they are little too much. Annoyance tendency to go big in there shows trickles down to there performers. But as place for an improviser to start out it just might be one of the best. It has a strong family vibe and I find everyone knows everyone at the Annoyance. If you are starting out you can’t do much better.
     So that’s my out line on the three big places to perform improvise comedy. If you are starting out I would say the best place to begin is Improv Olympic or Annoyance. They will teach you the ropes and get you ready to go out on that stage. Second City is best for a polished performer ready to take his stab at getting to the main stage.  If you are an actor and just want to learn some improvising techniques then the best place for you is Improv Olympic. If you want to catch a show you can’t do wrong with any of the main three. There are plenty of other great theaters doing comedy in Chicago and I will be reviewing them soon. But as a Chicagoan consider it your patriotic duty to attend a show at all three. Trust me you won’t be disappointed.