Walking down Clark Street on a Saturday night, it is hard to miss Chicago’s landmark stadium, Wrigley Field, and the intoxicated crowds of bar-hopping yuppies. But it is all too easy to walk past ImprovOlympic Theater’s unobtrusive entrance, at 3541 N. Clark St. The dimly-lit, bareboned interior includes a small box office, a set of narrow, creaky stairs, fold-out chairs and a bar, all of which make it feel more like a fraternity house than an actual theater.
“I think ‘The Late Night Late Show’ is perfect for the college demographic because it offers an alternative to the Wrigleyville bars,” says Katie Rich, the show’s public relations director and a part-time Northwestern senior. “Also it doesn’t matter if you are 18 or 21, because the bar isn’t why people come here.”
“The Late Night Late Show” blends a traditional talk show format with improvisation and creative writing. It explores a wide range of issues from politics to sex, showcases local and national talent and features a diverse group of quirky guests. It offers a complete Saturday night experience — cheap drinks included.
“The Late Night Late Show” kicks off with a warm-up act from a guest comedian. The show itself changes drastically from week to week with new guests and segments. A Conan O’Brien-esque host and an atypical bandleader, Mr. T — oddly reminiscent of everyone’s favorite “Anchorman” weather analyst, Brick Tamland — add to the hilarity. But the Indian co-host Amit Mahtaney, played by the show’s creator Seth Weitberg, steals the show. The character of Mahtaney solidifies the cast’s chemistry on stage with his boyish charm, wisecracks and an unassuming perspective on life.
“Amit is unabashedly positive and he varies the energy on stage,” says Weitberg, an ImprovOlympic Training Center and Second City Conservatory graduate. “And it’s important for every actor to have that type of character, because he treasures every moment.”
Another interesting aspect of “The Late Night Late Show” is its structure. The director and cast members come up with a pseudo-script before every show. Yet they still rely largely upon their innate improvisational skills.
“Technically, we write each show beforehand, so there’s a structure,” Weitberg says. “It is a rigid structure that acts as a safety net, and we fill in all the gaps. It’s nice because it gives us a sense of where the show is going without stifling our creativity.”
The cast showcased this creativity to a packed theater April 9 when host Mark Luge, played by Jordan Klepper, celebrated his birthday. Luge played “Who Am I?” — an improvisational “20 Questions” birthday game organized by Amit and Mr. T, where characters from Luge’s past were invited to the show to expose his dirty secrets. As a birthday treat, the cast even realized Luge’s dream segment: a scene that involves Luge, a bucket of fried chicken and two scantily clad, pillow-fighting women. The audience was left bewildered, but Luge was grinning from ear to ear — after pitching this segment for months, he finally got his way.
“The Late Night Late Show” also is committed to bringing Chicago’s, and the country’s, brightest and sometimes most controversial artists to its stage. Guests range from Mr. Skin, the world’s foremost expert on female nudity in film, to Andrew Burlington, a performer with The Blue Man Group. These celebrities are not strangers to the cast members — they are oftentimes former colleagues or acquaintances.
“I don’t get star-struck because our guests are all friends of mine,” Rich says. “It’s great to see them messing around on stage, but I never feel daunted because I know them, although that could change as the show gets bigger.”
Some of the show’s success can be attributed to ImprovOlympic’s rich history. Established in 1981 by Charna Halpern, the theater has trained a number of Saturday Night Live stars including Tina Fey, Chris Farley and Mike Myers.
“The hardest part about being an artist is that there is no set path for success,” Rich says. “I mean, if you want to be a doctor, you know that you have to go to medical school, etc. At ImprovOlympic you see your peers succeeding, and it makes you believe that you can too. It shows you the path to success.”
Five years ago Rich started her internship at ImprovOlympic. She did not look back. And although she now is trying to complete her requirements to graduate from NU, her heart is at ImprovOlympic. The Chicago native has always wanted to produce theater and work in public relations. She decided she wanted to get involved in “The Late Night Late Show” and was hired on the spot.
“I grew out of living on-campus, and the great thing about Chicago is that there are so many opportunities,” she says. “There really is a whole city at your fingertips, and I would encourage everyone to get out and see what Chicago has to offer.”
“The Late Night Late Show” is playing at ImprovOlympic, 3541 N. Clark St., Saturday at midnight for an open run. Tickets are $5 and are available at the door or by calling 773-880-0199. For more information visit www.improvolympic.com. For information regarding future “Late Night Late Show” guests, visit www.latenightlateshow.com.
Weinberg sophomore Michael Burgner is a PLAY writer. He can be reached at [email protected].
