Improvisation Every Day on the Cheap / Free {in Chicago}

Dearest {b}Readers,

I've sent this list to a few groups of friends / former troupes / etc and figured I might as well make it public so it's easy to share with all you blossoming improvisers out there. This certainly isn't everything, but it's everything I know about that goes on in the city. And I'm not quite as "scene" as a lotta other folk. So do feel free to comment or email me or whatever if you know of other opportunities to improvise on the cheap or for free.

Mondays:

• 10:00 p.m. | The Playground Theatre | The Mixer

Tuesdays:

• 10:15 p.m. | The Second City | Those Who Can't
• 10:00 p.m. | The Second City Donny's Skybox | SHORTS Competition Voting *last Tuesday of each month

Wednesdays:

• 9:30 p.m. | pH Production Theater | pHree for all Open Mic
• 10:00 p.m. | The ComedySportz Theatre | The After Party

Thursdays: 

• 10:00 p.m. | The Second City | Improv Jam

Fridays:

• 8:00 p.m. | Theatre Momentum | The Kinetic Jam
• Midnight | The Second City deMaat | Midnight Melt

Saturdays:

• 4:00 p.m. | The Second City deMaat | Music Improv Jams
• 10:00 p.m. | The Second City Room 405 | Stand-Up Open Mic
• Midnight | iO | BYOT (t = team)

Sundays:

• 11:00 a.m. | The Second City | Stand-Up Open Mic
• 6:00 p.m. | The Second City deMaat | Sirens Workshop (girls only) *2nd Sunday of each month
• 7:00 p.m. | The ComedySportz Theatre | Dual Duel ($5)

Lastly, I haven't actively used this yet, but one of my all-time favorite improv teachers, Mister Michael Girts, sent this to me when my BrB partner for life, Scott Smith, and I were looking for a third roommate. Untwist your panties, kiddoes, we already found the perfect couple to replace my dearest Deborah (she's a drug dealer) (I mean pharmacist)... anyway, here's the possibly useful resource he sent me:

• Chicago Improv Network

Holler,

Sam

P.S. The "{b}" above is for "blog". Cuz you people are blog readers. Also, though, you could be baby readers. Or bossy readers. Or the best readers. Or bored readers. Or boring readers, yeah, YOU'RE the boring one, not me! Or bitchy readers. Or bitchin' readers. Wait, if you're a baby reader, I'm very impressed. You should definitely get into the best private preschools.

{Monday Swimming}

My hair used to shed a lot more when it was longer. Since the cut (October 2012?), I actually hadn't noticed much shedding until this morning. 

This morning when I watched (in seemingly slow motion) two strands of my auburnish hair swim down the drain. 

The focus I dedicated to these two strands matched the focus I imagine A.D.H.D. medication would give me towards everything. 

Lucky for me and you reader(s?) out there, I've never been tested and therefore have never taken A.D.H.D. medication. So this morning after the few moments of focus came the more typical, for me, many moments of imagination. 

I imagined every strand of my hair as a sort of sperm-like swimmer. I assume this is the type of thing that inspired Medusa's character. 

I started thinking about meiosis and mitosis and realized Mrs. Locke (my 9th grade biology teacher) would be proud of me for remembering those words, but gravely disappointed in everything about those words I've since forgotten.

I wondered if there were any South Park episodes in which Cartman started balding and masked his embarrassment with a convincing argument that hair is evil, therefore convincing the rest of the boys, and maybe even some of the grown men and women, to shave their heads in order to avoid the evils of hair. Then, per the usual happenstance, the whole town was wrongfully recognized for their dedication to cancer research and solidarity with cancer patients. That's as far as my mind wandered about that.

Then I remembered how cool it was of my grandma to walk around completely bald when she had cancer. 

Which led me to, of course, remember she and I trying on wigs for hours one day. 

Which reminded me why I cut & donate my hair in the first place -- in honor of my grandma. Who survived breast cancer, but not a heart attack. 

Which made me feel like crap for the non-heart-healthy food I eat every day.

Which has me feeling inspired to go to the gym, drink some soy milk and ... ah ... get to work!

Happy Monday, all! And welcome, me, back to blogging?