Chemcially Imbalanced Comedy’s Blog

CIC-sponsored improv troupe 96D recently traveled to the Milwaukee Sketch Comedy and Improv Festival. Here are a few of Jay Gish’s favorite things about the fest.

The graphic design
Festival materials incorporated comic book style graphics — featuring an uber-ironic, mustachioed, cheesy 70’s-era stud as the mascot. Hilarious and memorable, which ties into…

The lanyards
Every performer was issued a laminated tag on a lanyard, featuring said design on the front, and the festival schedule on the back.

From my experience, festivals rarely issue performers anything, much less something useful. And again, the ‘stache guy makes it fun. When was the last time you could describe a lanyard as fun?

Rock Me Sexy Jesus
I also came away with this figurine of Jesus making the international sign for “rock out!” It’s evidently a tie-in to the new movie Hamlet 2, and it is also hilarious. For the record, I had to win this during an audience quiz – they weren’t just handing ‘em out.

At this point, you may be observing that all these favorites are related to “stuff,” and wondering if all improvisers care about is being bought out with cheap swag. I promise it is not, but before I move on, let me praise one more bit of stuff…

The food
Backstage there were plenty of sandwich wraps, sodas, waters, and beers for the performers, which was great. Okay, yes, improvisers are easily bought and sold. But again, you don’t always get this stuff at other festivals. So when you do, it’s notable.

Now, onto the less tangible items of appreciation…

The audience
While maybe 75% full, our audience had a lot of good laughers. You’ve got to love a festival house. Word is, there are some less-than-great ones out there, but I’ve yet to run into one. So I love ‘em.

The theater
Notwithstanding the construction which complicated the downstairs entrance, the Milwaukee festival was held in an impressively nice theater. Sometimes festivals have scrambled for space, and you end up in some desperate, crumbling, out-of-the-way venues. Not the case here. The stage was large enough to impress, but still low and thrust into the audience, allowing us to hang onto that audience intimacy which does so much for improv. Plus, the backstage area was massive.

And finally…

The performances
The quality of the other groups in our show was impressive. High-fives to the other Chicago groups who performed. Also, all the other shows were sketch, leaving 96D the only group doing improv that night – and I’m guessing, causing us to stand out, either as particularly brave, or as particularly poorly rehearsed. Either way, we weren’t just part of an eye-glazing festival parade of improv groups. We’ll take it.

Oh, and one least favorite thing about Milwaukee…

The construction
The highway exit back to Chicago was blocked off, necessitating a half-hour hunt through Milwaukee streets for another way out. Seriously, Milwaukee…the square mile of the city we saw was fabulous. You don’t have to resort to shenanigans to make people stay — they’ll come back! Honest!

Jay Gish is a Resident Artist of CIC, and acts as Company Member Liason. He hails from Nebraska and wears shiny pants.