The Big Finale!

Saturday was my last night doing mainstage shows!  (That's my whole cast up there.  Including Tony, Evan - who took the picture, Jeremy - the director and Jim - the musical director.) 

It's hard to sum the night up.  It's even harder to sum up my time at the theater!  I've worked there for nine years.  I've been performing there for five years.  And I've been on the mainstage for two and a half years.  I grew up there.  The major moments of my lifetime happened there.  Most of my best friends were made there.  ALL of my romantic relationships were formed there.  It's been a huge part of my adult life!  The BIGGEST part of my adult life!  I quit a full-time job for it.  I dedicated my life to it.  I put it FIRST before everything - a social life, family events, relationships... it has just been my identity for so long.  It's very hard to say goodbye.  

But I'm not.  It'll always be here and it'll always be home.  In fact, coming back to visit Boston means going back to IA.  I'll be visiting my family - and squeezing in a show or two at IA, I'm sure.  It'll always be a family to me!  

My last night was everything I could have dreamed it would be.  I honestly had few expectations for the night.  I knew that it'd be awesome and great and fun!  I put together a fun line-up for the show and knew the actual show would be something I was proud to leave on.  But, so many people showed up!  Even close friends from outside the theater (friends from home and from my old job) showed up to show support.  A bunch of my students showed up, and one group of them even wore fake glasses!  It was a truly touching event.  

There's no feeling like it and there never will be.  Ending a show hugging your entire cast to standing ovations and then telling a theater full of people how much you love them (and hearing how much they love you - which is sometimes real nice to know) was just an amazing experience.  I can't think of any other job that would give me that experience.  Leaving AMP was sad, but it wasn't my livelihood.  I loved the people but I wasn't leaving behind such a big, important part of my life and all the people that go with it.  

At the end of the night, I lied in my bed and cried my eyes out.  If you've ever seen the end of the movie Kill Bill 2, then you'll know the scene where Uma Thurman was crying on the bathroom floor because she was so happy.  That's how I felt.  I was crying so hard because I couldn't believe how lucky I was.  I couldn't believe that I had accomplished everything I wanted to and managed to leave behind a legacy and that the people I cared about, and the job I cared about, cared just as much about me.  It was overwhelmingly sad and happy at the same time!  

And now... now I'm ready to move on!  All last week I was sad about leaving and regretting my decision.  But now I don't.  Now I know that it's time to go and that it's the perfect time to go.  I've got more goals to accomplish and cry over leaving behind!  But I'm bringing my Muppet with me!  That's for damn sure.  

The Lady Raking in the Chips

 

I've had a whirlwind of a week. I just got back from a business trip to New York City where I spent a few days doing a ton of work and making my brain explode. But... I also ate duck and frog legs. So, could it really be that bad? No way.

Buuuut, I have good news! I've been asked to be an understudy to the mainstage at IA!
I mean, I'd be lying if I said I didn't start doing improv because of a show I saw there. It was 2001 and instead of going to our 10th grade semi-formal, my friends and I went to see an improv show. It pretty much changed my life. Obviously. And now, a whopping ten years later, I'm the one on the stage. It's just crazy to me. Like hey... you can do it. Put your back into it.

Also, I got $15 heels from Payless... and they're awesome.  So, basically, a decent week.

Pile of Leather Gang

Leather Gang is one of my three favorite improv troupes in the city of Boston. I guess you can say that I'm biased because I'm in the three improv troupes that are my favorites. But, whatever. Leather Gang is definitely my #1 favorite improv troupe that rehearses between the hours of 5 and 7 on Sunday nights.You can see them perform here on Tuesday nights at 8pm. {That's... tonight!}

Here is some photographic proof of how much fun we have. This particular time, we switched articles of clothing with each other. It helps us... work on... group dynamic. Or something.

 

{Jonah in my scarf.}

 

{Cullen in Jonah's sweater.}

{Trevor being Trevor.}

 

{Brian in Trevor's sweater.}

 

{Cavan as Jeremy.}

 

{Pile of Leather Gang.}

The Boys and Girls Club

Picture taken during a similar NXT trip to Goody Glovers in May.

Same people, same bar, different day.

On Sunday, we finished up our NXT show and got changed very quickly. We usually do notes after our shows (which is awesome after a bad show!) – but since our director was out of town, we realized we’d be able to make it to the bar before 10pm. (The kitchen closes at 10.) There was talk of wings and beer and I thought we all needed it.

Once we got there, the guys split off to the bar (the Patriots game was on) and the girls stayed at a table. We were literally split between boys and girls. And then Mat Dann’s gwife (girlfriend/wife) came and she sat with us, too. We drank beers and ate bad food and gossiped about boys, bad dates we’ve been on, Prince William’s upcoming nuptials (that was actually a joke but it turned into an at least 5 minute conversation).

At one point I realized I was eating a burger with a blazer and lipstick on. There I was, trying to be ladylike – sitting at the girls table – and somehow, I was still like a boy. But I was totally fine with it – I did yoga yesterday and that totally balances out burgers. I felt like Liz Lemon too. And that’s never a bad thing. (Except... it sort of is.)

These are the small things I love about my life. Being seperate but equal from the boys.

Truth in COmedy

Sometimes it's not funny. Sometimes it's really bad.

Sometimes it makes you laugh real hard, sometimes it makes you sad. {rhyme!}

Sometimes you do shows where you say really inappropriate things for drunk adults who yell out suggestions like "sex" and "dildo" and "incest".

Sometimes, the next day, you do a show for children who yell out "pikachu" and "disney land" and "call of duty".

Sometimes you do a scene where slowly, over time, you turn into a land line phone over the course of the scene. And a kid yells out, "What's that?" and you wonder what you're doing with your life. 

But then, sometimes, you're touched at how much people love what you're doing for them and they stand up and clap for you when you're done doing it. And then compliment you after - because you made their night. Or if it's a kid, they say things like, "You did a really great job in that show. I had a lot of fun. You were really funny. The boys you work with are cute." {They are, aren't they little girl!}

Sometimes, you meet the Governor.

 

Sometimes you just have fun with your friends.

It's the worst... and it's the best... and I'm glad I get to do it several times a week. Because if it weren't for comedy, I wouldn't have such a fun time constantly questioning my existence.

IA Halloween Show

Here's the trailer we shot the other night for the IA Halloween Show.

Directed by Matt Catanzano

Edited by Chris Loughran

Featuring: Evan Kaufman, Kelly Dooley, Trevor Livingston and me.

Watch my head move really fast. 

Then go see the show when it's playing.

Leather Gang

Every week, I do a lot of improv. With tons of different people. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's weird.

But I can always count on the Leather Gang to  do something dumb. Like in this picture. Where we just sat on the floor. Put our legs on top of each other. And made fun of each other.


That was a lot of text when all I really wanted to say was, LOOK HOW TAN MY LEGS ARE!

I'm Forcing You To Do This.

I ask you to see a lot of comedy shows.

Mine, on any given night.

The Main Stage at IA.

The Second City show, that happened a couple of months ago.

A show I am performing in my back yard this year.

But this one, you guys, is one you actually have to listen to me about. Because this is Kiley and Richie. They're 2 of the most hilarious improvisers to come out of the Improv Asylum. They've both recently left the stage to pursue different things {Kiley's going to perform on a Second City cruise! And Richie's going to stare at his niece for hours.} But they're back for one (more) night only! 

THURSDAY AT 10PM.

KILEY & RICHIE.

$5.

IA.

The most hilarious sketch show you'll ever see!!

Plus, they're my friends. I like them!

Weekend of Comedy

I had really high hopes for my weekend, and because of that, I just knew it would suck. Turns out, I was wrong! Everything was just as great as I hoped it would be.

Starting with summer Friday! On Fridays, I get out of the office at 12:30. It's pretty amazing. I met up with Evan and Cavan (and later, Richie!) on the porch and we hung out and relaxed and ate delicious burgers. I even got some color! (I've been needing that... skin cancer beware.)

Then I met up with Steve and a slew of other people for Conan O'Brien!

It was AWESOME. Really... one of the best shows ever. It was a mix of his late-night show, with some funny personal stuff, great songs, special guests (Ed Helms/Dropkick Murphys). Super fun. Oh, and our tickets were for the balcony. But we ended up spotting a guy we used to work with at IA who was now working at the Wang Centre, and he moved us down to a corporate box! We were the only ones in there. It was pretty awesome.

I was also super impressed with the crowd he drew. Just a regular guy (maybe not so regular...) from Brookline, Massachusetts. And just because he was funny - he packed that theatre with thousands of people. He was like Hitler. No? Ok.

Saturday was IA's 12th anniversary party. It was my 5th anniversary party, and I was pretty excited about it. They're my favorite party of the year. We work really hard all year long, and then we get this party where we can drink all night until 6am and have fun with each other. I'm really proud to be a part of that company, because despite its problems (we do love to complain about anything and everything)... it's a GREAT place to work. Everyone there is wonderful - and hey, they give us a place to perform! Plus, this year, all my friends are on the NXT cast with me! So Trevor, Kelly, Mat Dann & I got to hang out as cast mates and co-workers and not just friends! I loved it.

We played flip cup, we danced, we did bits, we watched funny videos, we got $12, water bottles and blankets and an OPEN BAR.

So thanks to Norm, Chet and Stacey...

Without these 3, we wouldn't have any of this!

(Don't they look like fun people to work for?! Deceiving.)

Finally, on Sunday, we had a long rehearsal and the opening preview show of "Lost in Boston, or the Fenway We Were". We've been pretty stressed out about, and putting in a ton of rehearsal time... but guess what? IT WAS AWESOME. No one fucked up their lines, our improv was on point, and the sketches went over great. I was shaking throughout the whole first act... but by the time the show was over, my heart was racing a mile a minute because I was so happy.

Then my friends wrestled in a bar.

Hey! Comedy! Thanks for being you.

I'd be nowhere without ya!