HISTORICAL INACCURACIES at Second City is Classic Chicago Improv Night

Few improv shows I have seen of late truly capture the Chicago Improv spirit quite like HISTORICAL INACCURACIES, a double bill of troupes Eleanor and The General Washingtons playing at Second City's Donny's Skybox Theater. Each group is composed of seven members; each group employs the form of a montage of scenes with themes and characters that may recur, or sometimes not. Both use a fair share of blue comedy to spice the scenes. The most notable difference between the two, of course, is that one is entirely male (The General Washingtons) and one is entirely female (Eleanor). All of these themes are common in Chicago Improv today - and in that sense, there seems no better show to grace an early Saturday night slot at Second City. HISTORICAL INACCURACIES struck me as a slice of the "Improv Times" of Chicago - a mish mash of the most current training motifs, played in the style to befit the day: which I'll define as a generous shake of classic comedy to get the laymen laughing, with a dash of stream of conciousness thrown in.

It's interesting to see the two next to each other and think about what changes in gender do to performance, if any at all. In this case, I would say there was a slight male/female flavor to the shows. The guys tended to be a bit more rash, more crude, and more willing to upstage each other, more likely to get a huge laugh. The ladies were slightly more experimental, more collaborative, and functioned more as a unit. Both groups entertained the audience heartily - belly laughs were free flowing. One aspect I enjoyed from both groups was their willingness to be inanimate objects to support the scenes. Notably in the Washington's set, the men assembled to become a helicopter in which a series of related narratives played out. In Eleanor's set, an enchanted meadow became the breeding ground for humans to transform to woodland creatures, with the help of their stage mates becoming ears, tails and wings. Both troupes were also willing to go way out there on occasion, which I personally always enjoy. I mean it's improvisation, right? If you can be or do anything, do it! A great example of this happened in the Washington's set: a man is sent on a vision quest where he meets the personification of all of the Great Lakes.

For anyone looking for a classic Chicago experience, check out Historical Inaccuracies at Donny's Skybox. Get your tickets early! The night I went was sold out.

Saturdays at 7:30 pm through March 27

$10-12 dollars

Donny's Skybox theater at Second City: 1616 N Wells, 4th Floor