A Heartfelt Goodbye
Last Saturday, the Chicago comedy community said farewell to iO‘s famous 3541 N Clark Street location. It was a send off like no other, but isn’t that what we all expected?
On a good night at iO, it’s packed. People sitting right up to the stage, a full bar and groups seated in the back corner, all patiently awaiting a night of great improv. Last Saturday night was no different, except that Saturday night was the final night of performances in the 3541 N Clark Street location.
The night felt right, like a normal night at iO — ticket holders fighting against a sea of drunk fans (albeit country music fans, not Cub fans) trying to make their way to the theater. iO greeted everyone with a broken AC and their famous $3 PBR Mason jar special. But while it felt like a normal night at iO, there was an unfamiliar melancholy that lingered both in the audience as well as with those on stage. Saturday night, everyone in that building was a part of history.
The night kicked off with Smokin’ Hot Dad opening for The Deltones in the Cabaret and Whirled News Tonight in the Del Close Theater. A sold out Armando Diaz closed out the Del Close Theater and the last Harolds to play in the Cabaret were Sears Tower and Chaos Theory. Each team took their time to give a proper send-off to their respective stages. Tara DeFrancisco was a real star–performing as God in several of the scenes, granting prayers in the way a twisted genie might interpret them. There was a bit of breaking and a lot of laughing. Both Harold teams were focused on making themselves laugh rather than just focusing on the audience. With other shows, that might be a mistake. But these groups were really playing for themselves on this final night as well as for the spirit of iO in general.
Celebration festivities didn’t wait for a countdown or even for open doors. Improvisers dawning bare-chests greeted the masses on Clark Street with warm roars of excitement. Within moments, what was a world-renowned comedy club became an outright nightclub, full of sweaty, partially-clothed 20 and 30 somethings with flailing limbs — truly dancing like no one was watching.
This drunken celebration was a perfect metaphor for the true essence of iO: there was never a “cool corner,” there was never any shame and there was never a cold shoulder. Instead, there were warm smiles, open arms and booming laughter. The lines between friends, strangers, teachers and idols blurred and all that mattered about the person next to you was simply that they were there. They were present. They were in the moment. They were yes-anding this night with you. And while the shows at iO are always held in high regards, in my opinion, nothing exemplified the heart of improv better than this single night celebration. It was the best send off a theater built on love could have ever asked for.
Post was co-written by Fran Hoepfner.
