IO Theater explained

iO, or iO Chicago, (formerly known as "ImprovOlympic") is an improv theater and training center in central Chicago, with a former branch in Los Angeles, called iO West and in Raleigh, North Carolina called iO South. The theater teaches and hosts performances of improvisational comedy. It was founded in 1981 by Del Close and Charna Halpern.^[1] The theater has many notable alumni, including Amy Poehler and Stephen Colbert.^[2]

The theatre closed briefly in 2020,^[3] though the building was purchased in 2021 and reopened on November 3, 2022.

Description

iO concentrated on "long-form" improvisational structures, in contrast to the "short-form" or "improv game" format of Theatresports, ComedySportz or the television show Whose Line Is It Anyway? The iO's signature piece is the "Harold", and the theater featured other forms of improvisation, as well as sketch comedy and stand-up comedy.

The building had four performance spaces:

• The Fremont Theater (Formerly The Del Close Theater) - This is the second-largest of iO's theaters, located on the ground floor of the building. It hosts some of iO's premiere shows, such as The Improvised Shakespeare Company, and Tim Meadows and Friends.
• The Weed Theater (Formerly The Chris Farley Cabaret) - One of two cabaret-style theaters in the building, this hosts many different types of performances, mostly improvised and mostly non-Harold.
• The Dayton Theater (The Jason Chin Harold Cabaret) - Named after a revered teacher at iO (who died on January 8, 2015) this theater predominantly features performances of the Harold from house teams at the theater which specialized in that form.
• The Kingsbury Theater (Formerly The Mission Theater) - The largest theater at iO, formerly run and managed by T. J. Jagodowski and David Pasquesi (AKA "TJ and Dave") featured some of iO's most iconic and longest-running shows such as The Armando Diaz Theatrical Experience and Hootenanny, The Musical Armando, and Whirled News Tonight. It currently is rented to and operated by Malarkey Comedy (formerly ComedySportz).

History

The ImprovOlympic was created in 1981 putting competing teams of comedic improvisers on stage in front of audiences. This was the brainchild of David Shepherd who originally created the format in 1972 in New York with Howard Jerome. David Shepherd used the Theater Games, created earlier by Viola Spolin, as a way for teams to compete. The first ImprovOlympic classes and shows took place at The Players Workshop in Chicago, where Charna Halpern was an improv student. Charna Halpern became David Shepherd's assistant, and eventually the producer of the competitions. There were also competitions at a network of local bars and clubs.

In 1982, the ImprovOlympic moved from The Players Workshop to its own space at Thomas Goodman's CrossCurrents theatre, 3207 N. Wilton Street.^[4] Teams began to form out of every major improv troupe in Chicago. Shows began shifting to a long-form approach by 1983.

In 1995, the ImprovOlympic moved to its location on Clark St. in Chicago.^[5]

An additional theater, iO West was opened by Paul Vaillancourt in Los Angeles, California in 1997. It was managed by Colleen Doyle and Zach Huddleston, before closing in 2018.^[6]

In 2001, the International Olympic Committee legally threatened the theater over its use of the name "ImprovOlympic" and the name was subsequently changed to "iO." On September 2, 2005, iO held its 25th anniversary show at the Chicago Theatre in downtown Chicago.^[7] The wireless microphones went dead shortly into the show, but the improvisers rallied and played using wired mics for the rest of the performance. Celebrity veterans of the iO program who returned to play included Mike Myers, Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler, and Ike Barinholtz. The opening to the Harold piece performed was conducted by the most veteran iO house team The Reckoning. "Masters of the Harold"^[8] and "Stand outs"^[9] a DVD of The Reckoning is included in the book Art By Committee^[10] a sequel to Truth in Comedy.

In August 2014, after almost 20 years in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood, Charna Halpern bought a building in the Lincoln Park neighborhood and moved the iO Theater to its new home at 1501 N. Kingsbury St.

On June 18, 2020, it was announced that iO would be closing permanently. Controversy ensued regarding whether the closure was due to financial difficulties or allegations of racism that had emerged in the form of an online petition that began circulating only a few days before.^[11] Halpern stressed that the reasons were strictly financial, highlighting the property taxes bills of nearly $100,000 that "would have had to come out of her personal savings" as the theater was not making any income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and acknowledging that, if not for the pandemic, she would not be closing.^[12] "I'm 68 years old," she said. "It's scary for me. We're in a pandemic right now and there's no end in sight. Even if we were able to open at half capacity it was not going to work."^[13]

In July 2021 the theater was bought by Scott Gendell and Larry Weiner of Chicago. The duo intend to resume shows and classes and the theater officially reopened on November 3, 2022.^{[14] [15]}

Notable alumni

This includes people who have performed or taught at either iO West or iO Chicago:^[16]

• Stephen Colbert^[17]
• Chris Farley^{[18] [19]}
• Tina Fey^{[19] [20]}
• Kate Flannery^[21]
• Bill Hader^[22]
• Seth Meyers^[23]
• Mike Myers^{[19] [24]}
• Amy Poehler^{[19] [25] [26]}
• Jason Sudeikis^{[19] [27]}
• Vince Vaughn^[19]
• Bob Odenkirk^[28]
• Scott Adsit^[29]
• Vanessa Bayer^[30]
• Matt Besser^[31]
• Maria Blasucci^[32]
• Paul Brittain^[33]
• Kipleigh Brown^[34]
• Aidy Bryant^[35]
• Kay Cannon^[36]
• Wyatt Cenac^[37]
• Andy Dick^[38]
• Kevin Dorff^[39]
• Rachel Dratch^[40]
• Jon Favreau^{[19] [41]}
• Neil Flynn^[42]
• Rich Fulcher^[43]
• Peter Gwinn^[44]
• TJ Jagodowski^[45]
• Angela Kinsey^[46]
• David Koechner^[47]
• Steve Little
• John Lutz^[48]
• Jack McBrayer^[49]
• Adam McKay^{[19] [31]}
• Tim Meadows^[50]
• Susan Messing^[51]
• Jerry Minor^[52]
• Joel Murray^[53]
• Mick Napier^[54]
• Masi Oka^[55]
• David Pasquesi^[56]
• Danny Pudi^[57]
• Andy Richter^[31]
• Rick Roman^[58]
• Mitch Rouse^[59]
• Eric Stonestreet^[60]
• Cecily Strong^[61]
• Stephnie Weir^[62]

See also

• Annoyance Theatre
• The Groundlings
• The Second City
• Under the Gun Theater
• Upright Citizens Brigade

External links

• I.O. Chicago
• I.O. West
• Interview with iO founder, Charna Halpern, on BLACKOUTpresents: Radio

41.9085°N -87.6517°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Achy . Obejas. Comedy Guru Charna Halpern Carries On. 2021-05-30. chicagotribune.com. en-US.
2. Web site: Inside the new iO,where Fey, Poehler got their start. Chicagotribune.com. 11 June 2016.
3. 2014 . Improvisation . Getting the Joke . 351–364 . 10.5040/9781408177686.ch-021.
4. News: Zehme . Bill . Charna Halpern . Chicago Magazine . Tribune Publishing . November 14, 2017.
5. Web site: IO Chicago Theater . May 19, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100410182406/http://chicago.ioimprov.com/about/about . April 10, 2010 .
6. Web site: 2018-03-29. The Death of an Improv Theater: Mismanagement and Neglect at iO West. 2021-05-30. pastemagazine.com. en.
7. Web site: New Improv Page: I.O. Rebranding and 25th Anniversary. 2021-05-30. fuzzyco.com.
8. Web site: The Reckoning. 2020-12-22. Charleston City Paper. 2013-08-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20130826220010/http://undefined/. dead.
9. Web site: The Reckoning. 2020-12-22. Chicago Reader. 23 September 2009 . en.
10. Web site: Art by Committee: A Guide to Advanced ImprovisationOther Format. 2020-12-22. Barnes & Noble. en.
11. Web site: Petition accuses Chicago's iO Theater of racism - Chicago Tribune. Chicago Tribune.
12. Web site: Chicago's famed iO Theater is closing. 2021-05-30. The A.V. Club. 19 June 2020 . en-us.
13. Web site: George. Doug. Chicago's iO Theater is shutting down permanently. 2021-05-30. chicagotribune.com.
14. Web site: iO theater sold: Buyers plan to resume improv shows and classes - Chicago Sun-Times. 20 July 2021.
15. News: Chicago Comedy Institution iO Theater Will Reopen After Sale - The New York Times. The New York Times. 19 July 2021. Jacobs. Julia.
16. Web site: Alumni Archives - The iO Water Cooler. Iowatercooler.com. 11 June 2016.
17. Web site: Stephen Colbert. 25 January 2006. Avclub.com. 11 June 2016.
18. Web site: Chris Farley Biography. Biography.com. 11 June 2016.
19. Web site: APA - Comedy/Spoken Word/Branded Properties > Improv Olympic. Biography.com. 11 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160618165047/http://www.apa-agency.com/comedy/Improv_Olympic.aspx. 18 June 2016. dead.
20. Web site: Tina Fey - The iO Water Cooler. 10 April 2013. Iowatercooler.com. 11 June 2016.
21. Web site: Kate Flannery. Thelampshades.com. 11 June 2016.
22. Web site: Second City vs. Groundlings vs. UCB: Where Do the Most 'SNL' Cast Members Come From?. 14 March 2013. Splitsider.com. 11 June 2016.
23. Web site: Comedian Seth Meyers. Funny-business.com. 11 June 2016.
24. Web site: Mike Myers. M.IMDb.com. 11 June 2016.
25. Web site: Amy Poehler - The iO Water Cooler. 14 March 2013. Iowatercooler.com. 11 June 2016.
26. Web site: Amy Poehler. IMDb.com. 11 June 2016.
27. Web site: Breaking News - How Jason Sudeikis Landed 'SNL'. Saturday-night-live.com. 11 June 2016.
28. Web site: 50 facts about comedian Bob Odenkirk. 17 December 2015. Boomsbeat.com. 11 June 2016.
29. Web site: Miracle workers: Scott Adsit and friends improvise at iO. Chicagoreader.com. 15 June 2012 . 11 June 2016.
30. Web site: APA - Comedy/Spoken Word/Branded Properties > Vanessa Bayer. Apa-agency.com. 11 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160529132927/http://www.apa-agency.com/comedy/Vanessa_Bayer.aspx. 29 May 2016. dead.
31. Web site: And Scene.. Nymag.com. 11 June 2016.
32. Web site: Maria Blasucci - The iO Theater - iO West. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170305003555/http://ioimprov.com/west/festivals/scripted-comedy-festival/panels/maria-blasucci/. 2017-03-05.
33. Moynihan, Rob. SNLs "Fab Four", TV Guide, March 7, 2011, Pages 44-45
34. Web site: Kipleigh Brown. IMDb.com. 11 June 2016.
35. Web site: Aidy Bryant's Made It Big on Saturday Night Live, But Phoenix Still Feels Like Home. Claire. Lawton. 2 October 2014. Phoenixnewtimes.com. 11 June 2016.
36. Web site: Jason Winer & Kay Cannon Pilot Picked Up by CBS - The iO Water Cooler. 12 September 2013. Iowatercooler.com. 11 June 2016.
37. Web site: Wyatt Cenac. Iowatercooler.com. 11 June 2016.
38. Web site: Andy Dick - The iO Water Cooler. 23 December 2013. Iowatercooler.com. 11 June 2016.
39. Web site: Kevin Dorff - The iO Water Cooler. 23 December 2013. Iowatercooler.com. 11 June 2016.
40. Web site: Rachel Dratch To Star In Off-Broadway Show - The iO Water Cooler. 2 October 2014. Iowatercooler.com. 11 June 2016.
41. Web site: Jon Favreau. 7 March 2006. Avclub.com. 11 June 2016.
42. Web site: Neil Flynn - The iO Water Cooler. 15 October 2013. Iowatercooler.com. 11 June 2016.
43. Web site: iO Alumni Strengthen TV & Film Projects in 2013 - The iO Water Cooler. 15 May 2013. Iowatercooler.com. 11 June 2016.
44. Web site: You searched for Peter Gwinn - The iO Water Cooler. Iowatercooler.com. 11 June 2016.
45. Web site: TJ Jagodowski - The iO Theater - iO Chicago. Ioimprov.com. 11 June 2016.
46. Web site: One on One with Angela Kinsey - HoboTrashcan. Hobotrashcan.vom. 11 June 2016.
47. Web site: David Koechner talks improv, exploiting yourself to build great characters, and comedy by way of poly-sci. Ifc.com. 11 June 2016.
48. Web site: John Lutz. Ucbcomedy.com. 11 June 2016.
49. Web site: Jack McBrayer. Starpulse.com. 11 June 2016.
50. Web site: Tim Meadows. Tempeimprov.com. 11 June 2016.
51. Web site: Instructors - The iO Theater - iO Chicago. Ioimprov.com. 11 June 2016.
52. Web site: On top of their game. Janice . Rhoshalle Littlejohn. 17 April 2003. Articles.latimes.com. 11 June 2016. LA Times.
53. Web site: One-on-One with Actor Joel Murray. Tolucantimes.com. 11 June 2016.
54. Web site: Miami's Villain Theater Gets a Chicago Makeover With Mick Napier From Second City. Alexandra. Martinez. 25 February 2016. Miaminewtimes.com. 11 June 2016.
55. Web site: David Razowsky - Part 1 - 2/15/07. Static1.squarespace.com. 2016-06-11.
56. Web site: Making it Up: An interview with David Pasquesi, improv powerhouse, busy actor and show creator - Chicago film, commercials, advertising, video, production, post, tech news from ReelChicago.com. Reelchicago.com. 14 July 2005 . 11 June 2016.
57. Web site: T.J. Miller, Danny Pudi top Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival lineup. Axs.com. 11 June 2016.
58. Web site: Talking Del Close and the Early Days of Chicago Improv with SNL's Alex Baze. 17 April 2012. Splisider.com. 11 June 2016.
59. Web site: Alumni Return To Teach at iO - The iO Water Cooler. 1 October 2013. Lowercooler.com. 11 June 2016.
60. Web site: Big Slick Celebrity Weekend - June 17-18, 2016. Bigslickkc.org. 11 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160527084039/http://bigslickkc.org/hosts/eric-stonestreet/. 27 May 2016. dead.
61. Web site: SNL star Cecily Strong returns home amid dream year. Articles.chicagotribune.com. 11 June 2016.
62. Web site: The Quiet Genius of Stephnie Weir. Crasstalk.com. 2 November 2011 . 11 June 2016.