A Tale of Two Theatres
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
For many in the Chicago improv comedy community, the theatres they admired gave them opportunities to form friendships that will never be forgotten but also, memories that will scar them for a lifetime. The Tribune’s recent piece reflecting the trend of “cancel culture” supposedly destroying the iO theatre is misguided and misinformed with very little consideration outside of those who profited off the theatre (and I use the term “profit” kindly). I would know — I performed there myself, witnessed the lack of consideration for minority performers, and also seemed to benefit from the systemic structure that existed.
I met Charna for the first time when I nailed an audition for “The Showcase.” “The Showcase” is the annual end-all-be-all for performers at iO who want a slot to audition for Saturday Night Live, and I was shocked she approached me afterward. “Who the hell are you? Why don’t I know you?” she asked. I was slightly put off by this statement considering I had been at the theatre for over a year. Regardless, based on her reaction I thought I had a chance to audition for the show and sure enough, I did a few months later. But it was her comments days before the audition that made a lasting impression on me. After a touch-up rehearsal with a few other people in her office, she raised her hands in the air and said, “I need my stars! Gimme my stars!”
That’s when it hit me. Charna is no better than the system above her, the same system that cranks out the same straight-white friendly hits they’ve been making for years. I looked around and saw the same white friendly faces like mine and felt rotten to my core. Even on my improv team, the general attitude towards race relations was reflective of the institution that the theatre was pining for. We lose one black member of the cast, replaced by another black member. Lose one woman, get another, added bonus if they’re gay or a person of color. These considerations on the surface felt no different than the casting calls of Saturday Night Live that occur every season which spark debate about diversity every year. The reality is, Charna wants to make money and make her stars based on a system already in place. It’s worked for her for years.
The frustration from minorities in the comedy community stems from the lack of recognition on the theatre’s part to break that system. What’s even more frustrating is that minority groups in that theatre were phenomenal and deserved that respect. One of the most genius pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen was when the revered black improv team 3PEAT dismantled white culture with grace and sensitivity after learning a member of the audience didn’t know that JUNETEETH was a holiday (this was over 2 years ago, mind you). I once saw a show at 8pm on a weeknight by the team Heraldo, an entirely Spanish speaking performance, that made me laugh until my cheeks hurt and I don’t speak a word of Spanish. The other FIVE people in attendance that weren’t the opening team would agree.
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The iO ship was rudderless. The theatre’s most publicly visible blind spot involved the women who had been sexually harassed and assaulted by members of their own community and iO’s educational system. I’ll never forget the fear I felt watching a teacher inappropriately massage my classmate in front of everyone trying to get her to “relax.” I was afraid to speak up because if I did, I could lose a chance to maybe audition for SNL one day. When I told this story another friend of mine guessed who this person was, then told me he kissed her in front of the class in order to show her “how to be brave on stage.” That class cost us $300 and a lifetime of shame and embarrassment.
There is another theatre in town also suffering from the pandemic but you’re not hearing a cry to shut them down. The Annoyance Theatre is also facing financial hardships just like every other theater, but I don’t see anyone in the comedy community that I know raising their pitchforks hoping it burns to the ground. The reason for that is because the Annoyance practiced what it preached regarding inclusion. No matter your skin tone, sexual preference, or general weirdness, the Annoyance built a coalition of freaks where your voice can be heard and they defended performers’ rights to share their voices. Although the theatre has had similar criticisms over similar topics that iO faced, I see no protests to boycott the Annoyance. Those who perform there know better because the proper culture is in place.
iO’s unwillingness to evolve was not the only reason the theatre is shut down. At the end of the day, if having only minority performers at iO would make Charna millions of dollars, you would not be reading this article right now. The frustration from the community is that Charna never seemed to believe it COULD make money. I’m reminded of a quote between two members of The Who on TV. John Entwhistle was complaining about hip hop music in an interview claiming he “didn’t understand it.” To which Pete Townsend replied, “It’s not our job to understand it. It’s our job to get out of the way.” I think getting out of the way is the best thing Charna did for her self-proclaimed “community she built.”
Although Charna claims to have lost corporate clients due to the racist accusations, that’s not her primary source of income to keep the theatre doors open. She makes money from the booze, the laughs, and the classes. COVID took all of that — not cancel culture. The Tribune’s reporter states the noise from the community is “short-sided activism” and compared efforts to call out the institutions flaws as “pouring gas on your own burning house” but that reporter seems to think abusers and grifters didn’t live inside those walls.
To expand on his short-sided analogy, if Chicago was a suburban street and Second City, iO, and Annoyance were all homes on that street burning to the ground, what does it say about the head of the households if the neighbors are throwing gasoline on two of the houses while weeping over the other?
