Aphasia
Aphasia is a long form improv group based out of Chicago, Illinois. The three person group features Brett Lyons, Jeannie Cahill and author of "Guru; My Days with Del Close", Jeff Griggs. The group has been performing together for the past 4 years and have been featured at the iO Theater, The Toronto Improv Festival, The Charleston Improv Festival and the Dirty South Improv Festival. Individually they perform in Chicago in Deep Schwa, Mrs. Dad and The Armando Diaz Experience. Currently all three are performing for The Second City aboard the Norwegian Pride of America in Hawaii.
Drum Machine
Drum Machine is Jill Bernard's one-person unscripted muscial featuring multiple characters in scenes, monologues and songs accompanied by the mad beats of the Zoom-Rhythmtrak 123 which Bernard calls, "Nature's finest drum machine." Typically the show opens by interviewing a member of the audience, and weaving details of their life into a historical period suggested by the audience.
Jill Bernard has been performing with ComedySportz-Twin Cities since 1993, and is the director of their workshop program. Her one-woman improv piece, Drum Machine, has been featured at the Chicago Improv Festival, the Toronto Improv Jamboree, the Miami Improv Festival, Philadelphia Improv Festival, and the ComedySportz National Tournament, among others. She has taught improv in over twenty states and two provinces, including the cities of Juneau, AK; Spokane and Seattle, WA; Washington DC; Portland, OR; Phoenix, AZ; at the Dirty South Improv Festival, the Funny Woman Fest, and on an episode of MTV “Made.” She has studied at the Annoyance Theater, Improv Olympic, the Brave New Workshop and other organizations; and is the recipient of the 2005 Chicago Improv Festival Avery Schreiber Ambassador of Improv Award, and the 2007 Miami Improv Festival award for Best Solo Show.
so yeah, the festival gets more kickass every day.
