New theater: 'the place for improv'

Some of Chicago's best improvisers are heading to the Northwest suburbs for regular weekend gigs at a comedy venue under new management.

Look for them at the new Laugh Out Loud Theater in the former Chicago Comedy Club space in the Streets of Woodfield shopping center, 601 N. Martingale Road in Schaumburg.

The venue is open now, but there will be a grand opening June 13 with a free preview featuring 25-minute showcases at 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tickets for the free event must be reserved in advance by calling (847) 240-0386. Regular shows play at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Each show will be improvised on the spot, based on audience suggestions, in the style of "Who's Line Is It Anyway," hosted by Drew Carey.

Shows draw from 25 professional improvisers, with four of them performing on any given night.

However, unlike its predecessor, this comedy club offers a light menu, with hors d'oeuvres, pizza, burgers and desserts, as well as a fully stocked bar.

Lillian Frances, who purchased the Chicago Comedy Club, retained its pledge to offer family-friendly humor, at least for the 7:30 p.m. show. However, she opens it up to adult material in the 9:30 shows; consequently she suggests a PG-13 rating for those.

"The audience is always part of our show," says Frances, a Northwestern University theater grad, who trained at the former ImprovOlympic and directed a national touring company for Second City.

"All of our suggestions come from the audience, making it very interactive and fun," she adds. "But we never force people to come on stage and never make fun of people."

Video images are projected on a large screen behind the cast during the performances. Consequently, for groups of 10 or more, they encourage them to e-mail a photo of the bride-to-be or birthday boy, so that they can be featured during the act.

Corey Rittmaster and Monique Madrid, both of Chicago, are two of the improvisers taking part in the opening night preview.

While they won't know until Friday the kind of games they will be playing on stage that night -- from asking for favorite vacation spots to food items to occupations -- they do have to sharpen their skills to be ready for their live performances.

"Improv takes more than just thinking on your feet," Rittmaster says. "It requires some basic skills, like trust and listening, that are crucial and lead to a sense of trust within the ensemble."

To stay sharp, cast members suggest wacky ideas for improvising among themselves, leading to their favorite response, "yes, and" in storytelling which leads to an embellishment on the previous string and contorts it even more.

"If we can improvise from our own ideas, we can improvise on anything," Rittmaster says. "It's a lot like a sports team; we have to practice working together and hold scrimmages to keep our game sharp."

Frances left her role as a core faculty member for the Second City Training Center to buy the theater. While she concedes it was something of a risk, she sees an open market for improv in the Northwest suburbs.

"We're the place for improv in the Northwest suburbs," Frances says. "Sure, there's the Improv Club at Woodfield Mall, but that's all stand-up comedy, and we're doing something entirely different, which is improv, with all comedy made up on the spot."

If you go

What: Laugh Out Loud Theater, featuring improv comedy

When: 90-minute shows at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Free preview: Free 25-minute preview performances at 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. on June 13; must call for ticket reservations

Where: Streets of Woodfield shopping center, 601 N. Martingale Road in Schaumburg

Cost: $18 for adults, $12 for kids 18 and under, and $15 for seniors

Call: (847) 240-0386 or visit www.loltheater.com