DAY 2 - THUNDERDOME

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SHOW TONIGHT?

DUGAN: I’d never been to Thunderdome before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I knew was that we’d be playing on a mash up team, but I had no idea who was going to be on the team. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the team was made up of improvisers that I had seen or heard of before, but for the most part, had never played with (Jeff Murdoch, Dave Mahr, Brian McGovern, and Griff). The show was a high energy, game heavy affair, which is just the way I like it. It was the same feel as the show from last night, but just a little more focused.  I feel like the best you can hope for in a group of people that don’t perform/rehearse together regularly is solid game play and committed characters. And these guys pulled that off like pros. Also, Dave Mahr whipped out a helluva Ira Glass impression to close out the show.

GRIFF: Hell yea. Totally killed that shit. You get one or two laughs at thunderdome and you've had a good night. More than that and you're A GOD! I'm just happy I'm not angry.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT JAMES/GRIFF

DUGAN: Griff is a lot more social of a person than I am. Chicago is so oversaturated with talented improvisers trying to get stage time that a lot of the time whether or not you get to do a show comes down to who you know, and how willing you are to ask them. He’s the one that got us this show, and honestly, if he hadn’t, we probably would have been performing in the street just to keep this thing going. He has this character that he starts a lot of shows with, which I will refer to as “Gummers”. Gummers speaks with a voice that I can best describe as a developmentally disabled 20s gangster, throws his arms wide and hard when he talks, and calls a lot of people “boss”. I definitely have my stock characters that I go to (upper-management-man-that-sits-with-his-legs-crossed-at-his-desk-while-telling-you-that-the-company-can’t-support-your-behavior-from-the-scene-I-just-tagged-into), I think that everyone does, and I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with that. My characters tend to be very close physically and vocally to me, so I always enjoy watching someone who is able to play big oafish characters. Even though Griffin is a big oaf already. So I guess it’s not that much of a stretch.

GRIFF: Interesting to see James struggle to find a foothold (like everyone there). Definitely could tell he wasn't as comfortable as last night.James is more experienced than me and it is good to know that it is still tough for him. That said, I think James can find something for himself in every situation no matter how much of a clusterfuck it becomes. I think he's probably more independent in that way onstage and socially. Like, he doesn't often define himself by his interactions with the world. He's more of a grounded dude and that is something I greatly admire.  Wish he had brought his mustache to Trader Todd's after the show though. TDome is more about the hang out than the improv.

HOW DO YOU FEEL/WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT IMPROV?

DUGAN: It’s probably a bad sign that this was only our second show and I already wanted a day off. Not that I didn’t have a great time in the show, and I was absolutely tickled pink by the other teams that I saw last night (John Reynolds made my sides hurt), but boy was it tempting to eat peanut butter and play Arkham Asylum all night. I’m looking forward to our show tonight though, so it looks like I pushed through that wall like a champion.

GRIFF: Like it is hard. When you're playing with a group of people you don't know I think it can take an act of sheer will to knock you loose and get excited. Everyone is at least slightly hesitant. Even the experienced guys. Tonight highlighted something I want to work on, which is self-sufficiency. Being able to find something fun for yourself. If you can do that at Thunderdome then you're probably ok.

WHAT WOULD BE GRIFF/JAMES’ HELL?

DUGAN: A room in which the ceiling is 5 feet off the ground, all the food is seasoned with nutmeg, and the only music available is mainstream pop and the new Kings of Leon stuff. Not the old stuff when they were good, he keeps telling me.

GRIFF: A frat party.