52nd City

Q/A with Bill Chott: re. Christmas Improv Jam

Bill Chott is hosting his Christmas Improv Jam at Mad Art Gallery this Sunday night, with all the details available at The Improv Trick's site. We sent Bill five questions yesterday about the event and his continuing teaching efforts.

Q: For people who typically don't attend improv shows in town, what might they expect on Sunday night?
A: People should expect to see St. Louis's best improvisers onstage having a lot of fun. There will be performers from all over who'll be joining us onstage, and audience members will be welcome to step onstage and be a part of the fun. Anything can happen, and usually does. A lot of people realize that improv is neccessarily what they thought it was.

Q: What's the appeal of Mad Art to you, such that you've moved your classes and this event there.
A: I love Mad Art because it's big and my improv events are big. I also love that the crowd there is coming to expect a bit more than just quick laughs. They're looking for substance and improv really hasn't had that kind of breathing room in town since Gaslight Square.

A: I'm sure you want to mention that this has a charitable component, too?
Q: Yes, please bring as many canned goods as possible. This is all to benefit the St. Louis Food Bank, America's Second Harvest. Food Banks this time of year are sapped and this is the time of year when they should be overflowing. You can also donate and buy tickets to the 50/50 Raffle.

Q: You frequently mention St. Louis as a birthplace or early hub of improvisation. Why's that important for you to say?
A:It's important to me because we have a rich heritage of being the place where Del Close came to improvisation. Del went on to create SCTV, was a director on the original Saturday Night Live and he taught most funny people you see on TV today. From Will Ferrell to Tina Fey, and everybody they work with. I think that the more St. Louis recognizes it's own history, we'll have more and more people in town studying and watching improv.

Q: With the work you're doing, the work Ed Reggi's been doing and all of the varied troupes in town, where do you see improv heading in STL over the next three, or five, years?
Let me be clear about this. I couldn't be doing the work I'm doing today if Ed Reggi hadn't been teaching and performing here in St. Louis for the last ten-plus years. There is a strong base here thanks to him and I'm glad to pitch in and do what I can do to see us claim our true mantle as the birthplace of longform. I forsee many more people learning and performing and I see a sustainable improv club and independent comedy scene. St. Louis is the kind of town where independent comedy with a point of view and message can thrive. Moreso than Chicago, LA and New York. It's easier for comedy club chains to take hold there and strangle creativity.