Switchboard at ColdTowne
Posted: May 13th, 2008, 12:52 pm
Online ticketing now in effect... These will probably sell out, so get em while they're hot. Available through ColdTownetheater.com.
SWITCHBOARD COMES TO COLDTOWNE
All-female Second City Super Group To Perform Friday, May 23 at 8p and Saturday, May 24 at 10p
What is Switchboard?
Switchboard is a long-form improvised surprise. The cast of 3 women begins by creating a space object phone switchboard. The lights come up as they chatter away and connect people on the board. From this stylized opening they organically get a suggestion from the audience: a word in the English language. Then... they begin.
The form runs 25-30 minutes and is inspired by the improv show FourSquare. It moves fluidly from one scene to the next without a break.
Sometimes scenes and characters morph into new scenes and characters, other times the edit is more abrupt. All the scenes involve the
skills these veteran improvisers have learned over the years. The shows can be very rhythmic and dance-like. They often improvise songs
a capella. Some of the character work is stylized, some more emotion-based and serious. Other times it's just plain old silly good times.
Plus sometimes they like to dress up real fancy.
Who is Switchboard?
Debra Downing-Grosz is an actor, writer and designer living in Brooklyn, New York. Recent shows include; The Steve Miller Band and Other
Annoying Monsters or Oceanquake! at The UCB Theater, Tiny Spectacular at The Magnet Theater, and Switchboard, a three woman improvised
show with Rebecca Sohn and Jean Villepique which performs all over the country. Debra is an alumnae of The Chicago Second City Mainstage,
ETC and National Touring Company. Other credits include Chicagoland at The Annoyance Theater (a live show as well as a pilot), The Claudia & Deb
show with Claudia Wallace, and many shows at The Improv Olympic such as PLAY, an improvised play in two acts; Under The Influence, an improvised show inspired by a poet who reads his work; and Baby Wants Candy, an improvised musical. Deb was a founding member of The Caterpillars, a post feminist rock band, and has been featured at many stand up shows at The Elevated and Lincoln Lodge in Chicago.
Rebecca Sohn lives and works in Chicago. She is an ensemble member of The Annoyance Theatre where she has written, performed and/or understudied over 30 shows. She and her husband Rich Sohn wrote Idiot Tango, a sketch show, and currently improvise in Bad Touch. She's an alumna of The Second City ETC in Chicago where she wrote and performed 2 reviews. Her own show, Hope is a Four Letter Word enjoyed
an extended run on the ETC stage. She played Midge in The Butcher of Baraboo at Steppenwolf as part of their First Look Series. Some Film/TV credits include Early Edition, Yonghong and Rogers Park. She just made her directorial debut at Annoyance with The Perfect Wave.
Jean Villepique studied theater at Northwestern University and improvisation at ImprovOlympic in Chicago. She performed and wrote several reviews for the Second City in Las Vegas and Chicago. Her solo show, Who Cares?, was an official selection for the 2006 Chicago Improv Festival and also ran at the Magnet Theater in Manhattan and at UCB LA. Television credits include: The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm and 30 Rock and an upcoming appearance on My Boys on TBS.
SWITCHBOARD COMES TO COLDTOWNE
All-female Second City Super Group To Perform Friday, May 23 at 8p and Saturday, May 24 at 10p
What is Switchboard?
Switchboard is a long-form improvised surprise. The cast of 3 women begins by creating a space object phone switchboard. The lights come up as they chatter away and connect people on the board. From this stylized opening they organically get a suggestion from the audience: a word in the English language. Then... they begin.
The form runs 25-30 minutes and is inspired by the improv show FourSquare. It moves fluidly from one scene to the next without a break.
Sometimes scenes and characters morph into new scenes and characters, other times the edit is more abrupt. All the scenes involve the
skills these veteran improvisers have learned over the years. The shows can be very rhythmic and dance-like. They often improvise songs
a capella. Some of the character work is stylized, some more emotion-based and serious. Other times it's just plain old silly good times.
Plus sometimes they like to dress up real fancy.
Who is Switchboard?
Debra Downing-Grosz is an actor, writer and designer living in Brooklyn, New York. Recent shows include; The Steve Miller Band and Other
Annoying Monsters or Oceanquake! at The UCB Theater, Tiny Spectacular at The Magnet Theater, and Switchboard, a three woman improvised
show with Rebecca Sohn and Jean Villepique which performs all over the country. Debra is an alumnae of The Chicago Second City Mainstage,
ETC and National Touring Company. Other credits include Chicagoland at The Annoyance Theater (a live show as well as a pilot), The Claudia & Deb
show with Claudia Wallace, and many shows at The Improv Olympic such as PLAY, an improvised play in two acts; Under The Influence, an improvised show inspired by a poet who reads his work; and Baby Wants Candy, an improvised musical. Deb was a founding member of The Caterpillars, a post feminist rock band, and has been featured at many stand up shows at The Elevated and Lincoln Lodge in Chicago.
Rebecca Sohn lives and works in Chicago. She is an ensemble member of The Annoyance Theatre where she has written, performed and/or understudied over 30 shows. She and her husband Rich Sohn wrote Idiot Tango, a sketch show, and currently improvise in Bad Touch. She's an alumna of The Second City ETC in Chicago where she wrote and performed 2 reviews. Her own show, Hope is a Four Letter Word enjoyed
an extended run on the ETC stage. She played Midge in The Butcher of Baraboo at Steppenwolf as part of their First Look Series. Some Film/TV credits include Early Edition, Yonghong and Rogers Park. She just made her directorial debut at Annoyance with The Perfect Wave.
Jean Villepique studied theater at Northwestern University and improvisation at ImprovOlympic in Chicago. She performed and wrote several reviews for the Second City in Las Vegas and Chicago. Her solo show, Who Cares?, was an official selection for the 2006 Chicago Improv Festival and also ran at the Magnet Theater in Manhattan and at UCB LA. Television credits include: The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm and 30 Rock and an upcoming appearance on My Boys on TBS.