Drove up for some Thanksgiving grub with the Davis family. Still learning with my new lens.
11-27-2014
 Shenanigans went down on the Social Takeover stage tonight. Dan, we're sorry we got you in trouble. Feel free to add weird shit to our facebook pages! 11-26-2014  This Set to Scene had a couple tricks up its sleeve and by tricks I mean a Sharpie thong and a spooky plastic cauldron housing suggestions. Stand-up sets were made on the spot and the iO house team rocked some scenes from said sets. Also, Marty DeRosa got to practice getting pissed at the "paparazzi" before he heads off to LA. Camera thoughts, this lens is much better in the dark but is hard to focus...so there's that. 11-24-2014  The one and only Mary Dolan made a pit stop at The Public House Theatre and now we are all deeply and wonderfully scarred for life. Loads of fun with these weirdos. Come back again, Mary! 11-24-2014  Performed (and lost) at Write Club at the Hideout. Nothing is "sweeter" than losing to Amy Sumpter and cupcakes AND giving to A Night Out Chicago. Also swung over to Guts and Glory this week. Extra also, made the final decision to switch lenses. You can see why. These dimly lit rooms and my dang lens aren't friends. We'll see if I can get better pics with a new lens. Oh the suspense! Am I right, Internet?! 11-18 & 19 2014  Question: What happens when a bunch of nerds join forces?
Answer: Awesomeness. Real Genius. Awesome. Ghostbusters. Awesome. Goonies. Awesome. Sure, on the surface it seems that when nerds collaborate their alliances tend to lean towards chaos, destruction and explosions. (See also MythBusters) United nerds may accidentally (or on purpose) blow some shit up, but in doing so they also shift the consciousness of those around them, alter the landscape of their environment and often become more talented nerds in the process. I am not condoning nerd carnage. I am suggesting a Chicago nerd collaboration. More of a metaphorical, creative combustion and less of a literally exploded marshmallow man dripping over our city’s streets. Cool? What if the jokers from stand-up and the wordsmiths from Live Lit* started deliberately working together with the objective to alter the performance landscape of Chicago? Would it be, to quote Ghostbusters’s Dr. Peter Venkman (number 12 most awesome nerd of all time), "dogs and cats living together…mass hysteria!”? I think not. I believe a Chicago stand-up and storyteller mash up would create a laser focus on personal performance as a whole; which would in turn generate a larger awareness of both art forms, and directly increase audience attendance across the city. Nerds, we’re scattered and separated and winter is coming. We are stronger united. Steps To Unite Storytelling & Stand-Up 1.) Go To Shows Outside of Your Art Form: If you’ve never seen a Live Lit show, check one out. The Moth isn’t the only show out there. Come on. Get with it! Here’s a list. If you haven’t seen a stand-up show since the early 90’s. Shit has changed, yo’. Here’s a list. Check one out. Also, stick around after the show and talk to the performers and the producers. We are all looking for more stage time and ways to expand our fan base and craft. If you find someone you enjoy watching, work with them. 2.) Identify Your Art Form’s Strengths and Weakness. What Can You Learn From the “Other”: Each show and each performer is different. Everyone needs to make their own specific pro/con list and do their own “how to improve” research. Generally speaking Live Lit shows are filled with strong writers and stand-up shows are filled with strong performers. What can we learn from each other? Stand-ups: The goal is the quick laugh, sure. But that doesn’t mean you have to gloss over the scary or vulnerable elements of a joke. You don’t have as much time as Live Lit-ers but that doesn’t mean you have to compromise the emotional spine of your work. Live Lit-ers: I love you dudes, but man if you don’t look up from your paper and realize there’s an audience I may loose my shit. Remember the “Live” in Live Lit and create a stage presence for your “Live” audience. If you do we will all be more engaged. 3.) Artists: Book a Show that Terrifies You: Stand-ups: If you are struggling with finding a deeper venerability to your jokes or are having difficulty with slower pacing, book a Live Lit show and stretch your new storytelling muscles. Live Lit-ers: If you need to edit, and you do, go to an open mic or phone a funny friend and get a short guest spot on their showcase. Practice the slash and burn and include that in your second draft. Specific goals can be reached with specific shows. For example, if you are a stand-up looking to add more current events into your sets, check out The Paper Machete. If you are a storyteller looking for an nontraditional venue, check out Performance Anxiety. 4.) Producers: Book Performers Outside of Your Art Form: If you feel your room is getting stale or simply want to ensure that your line up is sprinkled with variety book someone talented but new to the art form. Who knows, they may even bring a fresh audience to your show. 5.) Cross Promote Like Crazy: Once you find a show you love don’t shut up about it. Some performers are already crossing over into both these worlds but if stand-up and Live Lit worked together on a larger scale it would make one hell of an impact. Folks would begin to realize that Chicago is not second. Nor is it simply a city that trains writers and performers who eventually leave for a coast. Chicago is a place where passionate geeks create amazing live performance, every night of the week. Chicago is the the land of Yes And, of Studs Turkel, of Hannibal Buress. Chicago is home to a bunch of creative and frustrated nerds who are jonesin’ to blow audiences out of the icy, polluted waters of Lake Michigan. Nerds, imagine what we can accomplish if we suited up, together. To quote Mickey from Goonies (number 456 most awesome nerd of all time). “Down here, it's our time. It's our time down here.” Why not take a chance and work together. What have we got to lose? *Live Lit: A term coined by Ian Belknap, creator of Write Club. Live Lit is an intimate nonfiction/personal essay storytelling genre. “…Live Lit is a hybrid form. More stripped-down than spoken word, more intimate than a reading, less frantic than stand-up, less showy than theater, it's essentially a reader and a mike and a room full of people. Live lit is verbal seduction, polemic, rhythm and lyric, bedtime story, bombast, and lament all at once.” - Marya Hornbacher, Chicago Reader Staff Writer - Kelsie Huff Kelsie is a producer, writer, storyteller and stand up comedian based in Chicago. You can catch her performing at top clubs and showcases all over town (Zanies, Laugh Factory, UP Comedy Club) as well as at her own showcase - the kates a bi-monthly show in Lincoln square. Originally Published on Comedy of Chicago  Stand-up in an arts building that houses a comic book shop; my kind of jam. Love these dudes. Next time I will wear a swimsuit. Sweaty comedy. Still a blast! I'm also using a new lens. The light looks better but I am having a hard time focusing and there's no zoom. Life holding a camera is hard (and awesome). 11-22-2014  The Paper Machete is a free, weekly “live magazine” covering pop culture, current events and American manners. Part spoken-word show, part vaudeville revue, The Paper Machete features comedians, journalists, storytellers and musical guests performing in the back room of north side bar. It’s a salon in a saloon. 11-15-2014 
Someone may have told me this story at a bar. I can’t remember where I heard it but it’s a good story.
A couple went to see a Broadway show staring Barbara Streisand. They were enthralled with Ms. Streisand’s performance and decided once the curtain went down they were going to find her and offer to buy her a celebratory drink. The singer emerged from backstage and was greeted by her new fans. They instantly declared the next round was on them. Turns out, Babs wasn’t thirsty. She thanked the couple for their tidings and then promptly asked them to please buy her a baked potato instead. Brilliant! I cannot confirm the validity of this tale or even remember who divulged this anecdote. I used to drink, a lot. The potato/Streisand story may be utter bullshit but I really hope it is not. It’s such a wonderful example that demonstrates how a performer is able to connect with her audience, can accept a stranger’s admiration but can also retain control. Plus by the end of the story there are carbs. Again. Brilliant! As a performer I enjoy a good post show audience interaction and as an alcoholic I appreciate the sassy potato retort. Complementary cocktails, free drink tickets and an ever looming bar at the back of the room is standard fare in the world of stand-up comedy and can cause loads of anxiety for sober comedians. Anyone who has found themselves in an AA meeting or passed out in a CVS parking lot surround by Twinkie wrappers knows that performing in bars is par for the comedy course. (PS thank you Julie for picking me up a six in the morning from said CVS parking lot.) So what happens when you decided to stop taking the complimentary drinks? What happens when the art form (yeah, I called stand-up an art form) you immerse yourself in goes hand and hand with bar culture? What happens when the cold dewy beer bottle resting on the table next to you is more terrifying then telling your dumb jokes to a room full of strangers? Do you give up? Do you get a “real” job? Do you just keep drinking? Do you run back to the CVS parking lot and search for that missing Twinkie? Everyone makes different choices. I choose to stop drinking. How I Stay Sober in Stand-Up 1.) Write What You Know For a long time I wasn’t comfortable admitting I had a drinking problem. I choose not to talk about it in public let alone on a stage. Once I made this aspect of my life a part of my set I found that folks didn’t offer me drinks after shows any more. This also proved that some audiences actually listen when I speak. Bonus! 2.) Know Your Limits and Trust Your Instincts This is different for everyone. Once the booze haze lifts you have to figure out what works for you. I learned that I don’t have a hard time being around drunk people but I do have a hard time being around excess alcohol. What does that mean? Hanging out backstage with comedians, easy. Hanging out at a bar with bottles of booze everywhere, not as easy. I have a hard time staying at comedy shows or open mics for more than two hours. That’s my limit. After two hours bottles start to look super sexy and I feel less in control. So when I don’t hang out after a show or don’t go to your open mic, it’s not you. It’s my ranging alcoholism. 3.) Create Your Own Environment One of the reasons I created the kates was because I wanted to perform without the distant clang of vodka bottles. A non-bar space helped me a great deal when I was newly sober. I don’t think I would have been able to remain in the stand-up world without the kates and The Book Cellar. I am still drawn to rooms with limited booze or where the performance area is in a separate space from the bar area. Now, am I going to say no to a gig because there is a bar in the room? No, I need the stage time. I’m not an idiot. I’m simply saying that if you are trying to stay sober it may be wise to stay out of the bars for a while and perform in bookstores. It also allows you to get more skilled at playing non-traditional rooms. 4.) Open Up To Your Fellow Comedians The world of comedy is filled with wonderfully open and broken people. I made the mistake of not talking about my drinking issues with other comedians because I was dealing with my own disappointments, fears and guilt. Comedy can be a very healing community when you decide to simply be a person and have real conversations with other jokers. (Please note: Don't ONLY talk about your drinking problem. It’s like ONLY talking about your new baby. No one really cares as much as you do.) 5.) Trick Your Brain, Constantly I remind myself I’m at dang work. I’m not at the gig to drink, I am here to perform. That’s my job. How do I get better at my job? I like to give myself show goals. They help me get better and they also distract me from the drink I am not having. I’ll try a improvised riff or try a new act-out or talk to the audience or attempt to slow down and become more comfortable in silence. Fooling your brain starts to become a habit and sometimes you forget why you were trying to fool your brain in the first place. The energy I used to use to swallow all the vodka in the room is now poured on to the stage. That’s what professionals do. Stand-up is a job, not a social hour. I have to tell myself this often. I’m in this to get better, not to get drunk. In the end, we’re all weirdos. Weirdos who can’t help turning our thoughts into scribbles and our scribbles into spit that flies onto microphones. I’m not going to let something like addiction stop me from becoming a better comedian. I’m also not going to tell you to stop drinking. I’m not an asshole. I am just going to keep showing up at the mic. I am going to keep doing the work and when I’m face to face with a drink and I feel out of control I’ll reach for a big ol’ baked potato. Better yet, I’ll look to my fellow weirdos and audience members and demand you buy me one. Originally posted in Comedy of Chicago Staff Writer - Kelsie Huff Kelsie is a producer, writer, storyteller and stand up comedian based in Chicago. You can catch her performing at top clubs and showcases all over town (Zanies, Laugh Factory, UP Comedy Club) as well as at her own showcase - the kates a bi-monthly show in Lincoln square.  I had a blast hosting this event at the Logan Square Auditorium. Open Books is a nonprofit social venture that provides literacy experiences for thousands of readers each year through inspiring programs and creative capitalization of books. Creative and crafty teams compete for big prizes as they decorate bookcases, which will then be stocked and donated in all their colorful glory to deserving classrooms around the city. 11-14-2014 |
Kelsie Huff
maker of jokes. eater of hot dogs. creator of hiccups. Archives
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