PHOTO BY KEVIN DOELLMAN
What motivated you to enroll in Second City classes?
“In college I worked on an awesome student-run show called The Normal Life. Improv came naturally to me, and I always thought about studying it. After moving around a lot after college and finally settling down around Chicago, I decided to go for it. It ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Explain the different levels and how far along are you?
“The improvisation program at The Second City is made up of five levels, A – E. Each level focuses on a different aspect of improv, such as scene work, emotions, etc. Recently, I just finished level E, and will audition for the conservatory, which is the equivalent to a graduate program at The Second City.”
How often do you surprise yourself when you come up with clever ideas when scrambling during improv?
“I surprise myself quite a bit. I attempt to enter a scene with a character in mine, but not any specific jokes. It’s best to make an interesting character to see how he/she develops in a scene, after that the jokes will come up.”
Advice for someone thinking about enrolling at Second City?
“I would say definitely join The Second City. Not only is it a great place to study comedy, it’s an amazing opportunity to meet new people, try new things and get out of one’s comfort zone. I feel like a completely different and better person since joining Second City.”
One function you want a smart watch to have?
“A smart watch should absolutely have an app that says where the closest restaurant that serves burritos is. That way when somebody suddenly feels like having a burrito, they will know exactly where to go.”
Does Steve Zahn need a body guard?
“Rumor has it that Steve Zahn has been spotted around Kincade’s without a bodyguard. It appears that Zahn is tough enough to take care of himself. If he’s gone this far without a bodyguard, he should be fine in the future.”
Favorite SNL skit of all time?
“There have been so many great Saturday Night Live skits, but the first one that comes to mind is the Will Ferrell devil skit. Garth Brooks plays a struggling musician that would sell his soul for a hit song. Suddenly the devil (Ferrell) appears to sell him the next best song. All the songs that Ferrell plays are straight up bonkers and make me laugh every time. Evidently the devil doesn’t care for Mondays…”
What really needs to be shutdown?
“One thing that needs to be shutdown is the Nielson’s Rating System. Every year a-mah-zing, smart, funny shows get cancelled despite having a solid following. Many people watch shows online or DVR now so Nielson’s is a little outdated. Hopefully in the future there will be a new ratings system so shows like Happy Endings have a better chance to have longer runs.”
If St.Louis had a basketball team, what should the mascot be?
“Without a doubt St. Louis’ basketball mascot would be the T-Rexes. There’s a distinct lack of dinosaur mascots in the NBA, currently only the Toronto Raptors. The T-Rexes would be a fierce and intense mascot. When the T-Rexes face the Raptors it would essentially be the same thing as the fight between the two dinosaurs during the end of Jurassic Park.”
Mad Men or Breaking Bad guy?
“I do enjoy some Don Drapes, but Breaking Bad was one of a kind. It was so fun to binge watch seasons of Breaking Bad and be blown away by the unpredictable story telling. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are two of the best television actors of all time.”
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Interview by Kevin Doellman
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by Kevin Doellman