Because We All Secretly Love Each Other.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! In a community that always “has each others’ backs” we sometimes forget to say how much we value and admire one another. So in celebration of this “day of love,” I have gathered over 50 submissions naming people who are admired in this community and not one name was repeated. Thank you so much to everyone who participated. To everyone reading this post, I hope your day is filled with love and hugs. Enjoy!
The Harold commission as a whole. They have a hard job that I don’t think is appreciated enough. Their support and dedication has been essential to a lot of performer development in the community.
Jakob Schaefer. I have seen him perform a lot and he is one of the smartest and funniest people I have ever met. His timing, energy, and depth of knowledge leaves my jaw on the floor every time I watch him perform.
Punam Patel. The one person in the Chicago comedy scene who can consistently make the darkest material light and hilarious.
Jonathan Wagner. I admire him for his wit, joy and beautiful music. Jam on!!
Trevor Martin. (Oh Theodora and multiple improv groups.) In addition to hustling and networking, Trevor is a very versatile performer who consistently impresses me with his fearlessness on stage.
Adam Archer. I’m sure it’s not a secret to him, but I truly admire Adam Archer. Adam is incredibly talented and takes care of people on or off stage. He allows himself to be vulnerable on stage even though it goes against his gut instinct. Adam is a force on stage, a delight to watch, and one of the damned hardest workers I know.
Carisa Barreca. Carisa is one of the most talented individuals in the community. Not only does she sing, dance, act and is hilarious but her humility and kindness shine through the brightest. She’s truly an amazing role model.
Sarah Hoffman. I’ve been watching her grow over the last few years, and the integrity she brings to the stage is very admirable. Honest, clear, receptive, and lovely to work with.
Tina Jackson. (The Belmont Transfer) Tina invented the word hustle. She also manages to maintain a full time job and fulfilling relationships with her SO, parents, and friends. If she wanted to teach a workshop in how to get shit done, I would sign up immediately.
Mike Kosinski. I met him back in Denver when he was on tour with The Second City. He not only is extremely talented and absolutely hilarious on stage, but off stage he’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Since moving to Chicago, whenever I see him, I’m greeted with the biggest smile and hug. Heart him big time!
Matt Hovde. His leadership style at the Training Center provides a culture of support, dedication, and excellence. He always greets me with a smile and a warm hello, which takes me off guard – I feel like he shouldn’t know who I am, but he seems to know all his teachers. He is very clear about the level of work he expects us to bring out in the students, and makes the teachers feel ultimately responsible for quality, pushing us to not only care, but to produce. I appreciate his candor, his experience, and his dedication. He is a hell of a guy.
James Tierney. I just love everything this guy does on stage. He’s fascinating, and he makes vulnerable, interesting choices.
Asher Perlman. Second City’s Mighty Mighty BlueCo/iO’s Dogs/ATV/Comedy Partner. It seems that all the funniest people I’ve ever met tended not to be the kindest human beings (and that the nice ones were funny muggles), so, of course, I was taken aback when I first met Asher and saw him perform. He was smart, playful, and supportive as all hell onstage, then the sweetest dude off it. And then to top it all off, he’s pretty easy on the eyes. It’s really not fair. So, this is me, from afar, wishing you the very best Valentine’s Day.
Shantira Jackson. I admire Shantira because she is the happiest person I know. Everything she says and does and every Facebook posts makes my heart smile. She’s a great reminder that we all need to love life a little more. Thanks Shantira!
Brooke Briet. How can you not admire this woman? She is hilarious, talented and has a lightning fast wit on stage…. AND SHE IS THE BEST MOMMY AROUND! She is a mother, a wife and a kick ass lady! This women is the ultimate package. What a party mom!
Mike Abdelsayed. Mike taught me more in one year than I learned while taking all of the rest of the conservatories in Chicago combined. He’s a brilliant improviser and a gifted teacher.
Alan Linic. Alan Linic brings an ease and swagger to the stage that you wouldn’t necessarily expect. He works so hard and commits himself 100% to everything he does and is brilliant at his craft. He’s also incredibly gracious and humble.
Lindsey Finn. The Annoyance’s Burlesque is More/Unscripted Romance/The Laces/The Amys. There are few things Lindsey can’t do. She is one of the quickest wits I’ve ever come across. She is one the best writers I’ve ever had the pleasure to have read (both online and in rehearsals). She is criminally underrated as a performer. She can pen and then knock a monologue out of the park. She can command a stage with just your eyes. She uses movement to inform her characters as well as anyone since Jet. Onstage, she can be goofy, beautiful, dramatic, or just f*ckin’ real. In short: She is the best. HVD.
John Pantlind. I admire John Pantlind, though I’ve told him before. Every move he makes is the right move. No hesitation. He’s great!
Stacey Smith. She works so hard and it seems like she’s involved in just about everything in this community. Aside from her work ethic, her brilliant blonde hair and the fact that she teaches Zumba now too, she’s just a lovely person and always has a smile on her face. It’s always a good day when I get to see Stacey.
D’Hôtél Winñetkå. They are killin’ it and are never afraid to take risks. (Annie Goodson, Chris Littrell, Josh Razavi, Sean Price, Blandy Bogue, Caleb George, Sarah Ray)
Claudia Wallace. How can you not have a crush on this woman!? First off, one of the most poised and wonderful performers on stage today. She is funny, fierce and all around a hot mama! In addition to all the talent on stage, off stage she is a true inspiration to women!
Jason Chin. Jason is the kindest most generous teacher I’ve ever had. He is also a living, breathing encyclopedia of improv history in Chicago.
Brit Belsheim. Any production would be lucky to have Brit as part of its cast. She has a gorgeous voice, veteran comedic timing, boundless humility and she’s brilliant. So brilliant. Oh, and she’s stunning. I mean, have you seen her? She’s beautiful.
Dana Quercioli. Saw her in my first Mainstage show. She sat in for somebody. She was hilarious, of course, but she was just also her damn self. It made improv seem far more real/attainable. Meant a lot.
Maureen Winston. No one works harder or brings as much enthusiasm to her craft.
Erin Lann. She’s an understudy for TourCo and is on Improv All-Stars. I admire her because of her fearlessness on and off stage as well as her work ethic. She’s also beautiful.
Michael Brunlieb. He’s a true artist. His devotion to grounded characters and meaningful relationships is like a clinic for the way our schools teach improv. He’s a gifted actor who proves that commitment leads to way funnier scenes than dick grabs and goofy accents. He’s my improv hero!
Chris Redd. Chris is unstoppable. He is so dedicated and invests everything he has into perfecting his craft and it’s really exciting to see it start to pay off. The thing that makes him dangerous and one quality I admire the most, is his fearlessness. He’s not afraid to fail and that is debilitating to so many performers. Keep it up Chris, I’m so proud of you.
Alex Kliner. The man, the mystery, the legend. He sits tucked away behind the keys on etc, but his talent goes beyond being a genius musical director. He is an actor, writer, and my spirit animal. The man has style, timing and talent…. FULL PACKAGE!
Tara DeFrancisco. The way she’s able to support people on stage and everything I hear about her off stage is just so cool. I actually saw her improvise with someone who had NEVER done improv before at Women’s Funny Fest. Like just some guy who had out his drivers license. They had a phenomenal set just because she made him feel comfortable and supported on stage. So there you go!
Patrick Rowland and James Dugan. So talented and humble and put a smile on my face when I see them. And of course, Abby Vatterott. She’s fearless. And also very funny.
John Sabine. Have you ever walked backstage and not felt 100%? Like maybe you’re tired or maybe you’re just down about something… Then you better hope John Sabine is there. It is impossible not to get caught up in his infectious good nature! Onstage and off- this man is one of the best around!
Mike Jimerson. He is my favorite performer. He’s a very smart performer, plays to his intelligence and gives gifts all around. He’s very humble and one of the nicest people I’ve met in this community.
Susan Messing. I am in awe at how good she is every time I see her perform.
Andrew Tisher. He is warm hearted, talented, and an all around catch. Any girl would be lucky to have him.
Tim Stoltenberg. The kindest improviser on stage and a genuine human off stage. Working with him was one of the best jobs I have ever had. Always has your back and is always is up for anything. You can’t ask for a better guy in your corner.
Robert Bacon. While he is super tall and funny and I envy him for being so tall, I relate to his blog a lot. I find a lot of truth in it and that makes me want to continue doing what I do, even when I get demotivated and discouraged.
Davide Grody. He is someone I admire and relate to a lot. I admire that he tries to pursue a lot of things – he does stand up, improv, sketch, he’s a great musician and a polyglot. I admire all of those things and on top of that, he is super nice, very humble and always a blast to talk to.
Scott Adsit. He is talented, famous and yet very, very gracious.
Jessica Antes. She is super nice, smart, and incredibly hilarious- and cute to boot! She’s someone that a gal like me can really admire!
Kiley Peters. She is one of the many people that inspire me. She is a great asset to any community, has this wonderful blog, is a great performer but even better writer. She’s great at networking and has a lovable personality. She works in this field for an organization we all want to be a part of. She is pursuing her MBA. Kiley gives me inspiration to always “do me” and focus on myself and my craft and my future rather than worry about what others have achieved.
Kevin Sciretta. Never was there a smarter or more fearless improviser! He can seamlessly incorporate history, sports and nerd trivia into any scene – it’s incredible. He is one of the best musical improvisers around. In conclusion – it’s stupid how good he is.
Dionna Griffin-Irons. I admire the challenges she came out of and where she is now. I admire her drive to continually move forward and her work with Second City for diversity. I appreciate her willingness to answer questions and guide others to their goals.
Tim Ryder. He is not a human. He is a robot sent back in time from the future – His mission: To be awesome. Aliens manufactured Tim Ryder out of stardust and whoopie cushions to make him the ultimate comedy machine! If you are lucky enough to perform with this robot – you will know what I am talking about. No human can be this funny – or that tall. The man is tall.
