Chicago was, to put it nicely, a fucking blast. I changed my flight twice so I could spend more time with my friends. Ryan, Ross, Jesse, and Telfer are some of my favorite people. Seriously, being with them, I believe in boddhisatvas. New friends Jady, Bill, Rene, and [don't get mad if I forget you] are wonderful people. It was also cool spending more time with Zach: a fun, upstanding, hardworking guy, who was too busy during 24Live to chill much.

I saw plenty of shows, in chronological order:

• Carl & the Passions did almost nothing for me. With small exceptions, the scenes didn’t seem to come from the heart, but from the clever. In a word: eh. (Note, however, that T.J. Jagadowski was not in the show.)
• The Defiant Thomas Bros, a sketch duo. Fun stuff and slick, like Elephant Larry, though not quite as smart. The highlight was a Who’s on First?-style sketch with drug dealer street names, e.g., Whothefuck.
• Bassprov was so, so excellent. It was supposed to feature original Second City cast members Barbara Harris and Mina Kolb as Donny and Earl’s mothers but both fell ill, unfortunately. Dan Castallaneta filled in, playing Earl’s cousin Walt, an insurance actuary who could predict when anyone was going to die by looking at them. Anyone who thinks improv is inferior to a scripted play needs to see Bassprov. I don’t think you could write a deeper, more engaging, topical play than what Joe Bill, Mark Sutton and their guests could improvise.
• Stewtopia, Ryan’s new-ish group, was good, if a bit scattered. Some scenes could have used more support, fewer jokey walk-ons. Ryan was a joy to watch, as always.
• A four person group, Pronounced, followed Stewtopia. I really liked their transitions and their show had great symmetry and connectivity. They began each scene with fierce commitment. The funny thing, however, is that all that was accomplished despite the resistance, arguments, and denials of one of the performers throughout the entire show. I hear three of them live together — maybe such issues as who-left-these-fucking-dishes-in-the-sink are obstructing their scenework.
• WeirDass was the best two person scenic improv I’ve ever seen. They asked for a suggestion of a piece of marital advice and I gave them ‘have separate bedrooms.’ Their form is perfect for such a well-seasoned duo: one long scene interspersed with time jumps, sliding doors, and deconstruction offshoots. I thought their blackout came a bit early.

I really wish I hadn’t missed Beatbox. Rene said it was one of their best shows ever. I blame Ryan and Jady, who are always weighing me down, like the proverbial seabird.

Before the Neutrino show, I sat in the backstage hallway listening to the shows upstairs. Baby Wants Candy got tremendous, Brazilian-football-level roars of applause. They were also very nice about us sharing their dressing room.

More as it comes to me.

so be it. + clarke on cyberwar + master hacker + cab in the snow + three or four drops from height have nothing to do with savagery + toronto + cybernetic toilet