[“Geeking Out with…” is a series of interviews with well-known, highly experienced improvisers. It’s a chance to talk about stuff that might interest hardcore, improv dorkwads like Pam. Check out all the Geeking Out with... interviews here.]
It’s almost impossible to watch Colleen
Doyle perform without being struck by her improvisational prowess, her direct
line to pure creativity, and her profoundly remarkable acting skills. She makes
bold and refreshing moves that seem to inspire her scene partners and delight
the audience. Watching her, I find myself in a state of slack-jawed wonder of
how deeply Colleen commits to her characters and explores their lives with the
primary focus on finding honest moments rather
 |
| Colleen Doyle |
than playing to the laughs, though
those come for sure. Ok, I’ll gush no more, but let’s just keep our eyes on
Colleen Doyle because, if the comedy world is just and fair (and there are no
guarantees in that arena, unfortunately), we will be seeing more of Colleen
Doyle on screens throughout the land.
In the meantime, the lucky ones get to
enjoy her company at iO Theater in Chicago, both on the stage and in the
classroom. Ms. Doyle performs every Tuesday night with her comedy and life
partner Jason Shotts in the much-deservedly acclaimed show Dummy. A can’t-miss show if there ever was one. Now that the new iO
Theater is (almost) officially open, Colleen also can be seen on the masterfully
gifted cast of the debut sketch revue The Trap at TJ Jagowoski
and David Pasquesi’s brand spankin’ new Mission Theater. Colleen
also performs at iO’s new late-night, short-form improv show, The
Spontaneous Show with a stellar, fun-loving cast that includes previous Geeking
Out with… partners Tara
DeFrancisco and Peter
S. Kim. On Wednesdays, we can also catch Colleen performing with a host of
off-the-charts talented women in the tri-coastal* improv and sketch show Virgin
Daquiri. (The team even
recently put out an album.)
 |
| Dummy show poster |
Though improvisation is a team sport,
Colleen had the opportunity to be hoisted on the shoulders of the winning team
and celebrated for a lap around the bases at the campy Del Awards at iO Chicago
where, just in the last couple years alone, Dummy has scored “The Team Award for Excellence
in Show Postering” (2013) and “The
3033 Award for Excellence in Non-Haroldness” (2013, 2014) and
Colleen herself
won “The Sarah Fineout Award for Most Supportive Female Improviser” (2013), “The
Liz Allen Award for Excellence in Teaching” (2014), “The Player Award for
Excellence in Portraying the Opposite Sex” (2014) as well as the ultimate award
of “Improviser of the Year” (2013). Not that awards mean anything … but just so you know how
much she is appreciated on her home planet.
*If you count Lake Michigan, then, yes,
Chicago is a coast.
* * *
PAM VICTOR: This
has nothing to do with improvisation, but did you really write greeting cards?
I’m strangely fascinated by that industry.
COLLEEN
DOYLE: I did indeed. First job out of college.
PAM: Did you write the cards?
COLLEEN: Yep. In the “alternative humor”
department. Just geared toward humor.
PAM: LOL. Alternative humor. What the
hell does that mean, nothing with kittens? Did you have a card quota to meet
every week? And, last question on this topic I swear, but what are the people
in the greeting card industry like? Do they wear a lot of vests? I always
imagine them wearing patchwork-quilted vests.
Sorry. I just pounded you with too many
questions at once. See, I'm strangely fascinated by the imagery of people
sitting around writing greeting cards.
COLLEEN: Alternative humor just
meant not traditional. Not those sincere cards for your grandma. We had a quota
every day with a topic they were looking for -maybe 10 cards a day? And the
people in the industry are interesting. Good artists and funny people. They
were as good as characters as anybody else from an office setting. Lovely
people and a bit weird.
PAM: I know you grew up in
Cleveland (Go Browns!) It sounds like you got into improvisation by accident
but into performing by fate.
COLLEEN: I started doing short form my
last semester in college. Then Second City opened a training center in
Cleveland just before I graduated. My mom clipped the article out of the paper
and pushed me to take classes. She's my biggest cheerleader. I don't think I'd
be doing this now if it weren't for her.
PAM: Yeah, it sounds like your mom
really supported - in fact strongly pushed - you towards improv. Hello??? Great
mom or the greatest mom in the world?
 |
| Colleen and Carol Doyle, Greatest Mom Ever |
COLLEEN: The latter. She's amazing.
PAM: You're a lucky daughter. It seems
like at that time in your life you were pretty interested in ANY and all areas
of performing. What do you think it was about comedy that resonated with you
(and your mom)?
COLLEEN: I've always loved comedy - never
thinking I could do it, but loving the doers of comedy and wanting to be near
it. My mom is also really funny. And like probably all people, we've always
used it to deal with life's shittier side. It is absolutely therapy for me.
PAM: Absolutely. I had a friend who told
me that his therapist wouldn't allow him to use humor in their sessions, and I
remember thinking, "Ok. Well, I'll never be going into therapy."
COLLEEN: It's such a release. It's almost
like humor reminds us that we're all in this together. And that helps.
PAM: Do you ever have that experience
that once you get into the theater, you forget all your problems? Or at least
they get tinier for a short time?
COLLEEN: The latter. I was recently told,
due to some personal stuff going on, to find some distraction. Being on stage
or teaching allows me some respite from all the heavy stuff.
Improv
tinys my problems. Or something
like that, (“tiny” being a verb).
PAM: Of course, the "we're all in
this together" element is pretty singular in the improv side of comedy.
It's nice not to feel alone for a while.
COLLEEN: I'm a lucky lady. And I think that
being a part of this community - so many people say it's their family - is
incredibly rewarding and positive.
PAM: Indeed. I read that after Second
City (Cleveland), where I believe they wisely cast you in their Mainstage show,
you started your training at iO. Is it true you drove from Ohio just to take
class in Chicago every week? That’s insane! (And so very sexy!)
COLLEEN: Yes! I was young and very, very
hungry. It was transformative – I definitely knew I'd found my home.
PAM: I know what you mean. That's an
awesome drive you had and have. (I mean internal drive, as in motivation,
though it probably was an awesomely long drive in the car too.)
PAM: I have a reminder on my phone
that goes off whenever I walk into iO Theater. It says "Gratitude."
And it's supposed to remind me to be grateful that I'm there at that moment on
the too-rare occasions when I get to visit. It’s a special place.
After you moved to Chicago, it sounds
like you continued your style of jumping in with both feet everywhere possible.
What did you do after you went through the levels at iO? What was your tact to
get into the improv world?
COLLEEN: I got put on a team out of
classes. An awesome team. I was intimidated for sure. Also I did a boat and
understudied Second City TourCo.
PAM: So you worked through iO and
Second City in Chicago at the same time?
COLLEEN: I played on a team at iO and
during that time I also started working for Second City again.
PAM: Who was in TourCo with you?
COLLEEN: I only understudied, so it was a
lot of people on TourCo and understudying at that time. Tim Baltz, Brendan
Jennings, Dana Quercioli, Steve Waltien, Greg Hess. Heroes all.
COLLEEN: I auditioned for Acadia in
Chicago. Great experience.
PAM: I discovered ImprovAcadia by
mistake one summer a bunch of years ago when I was dropping my daughter off at
oceanography camp. Larrance [Fingerhut] and Jen [Shepard, the couple who run
the theater] are fantastic. Smart cookies too.
COLLEEN: It's amazing. I'll never forget
it. Very inspiring to see people have a dream and make it happen.
PAM: Back to Chicago, what made you focus
primarily on iO as opposed to continuing to work through the ranks at Second
City in Chicago?
COLLEEN: I understudied at Second City and
just ended up not giving it my all. Not totally sure why, but it was a
halfhearted attempt. The same thing was kind of happening at iO. I think I hit
a wall and didn't feel like I was good or getting better. I was frustrated. But
at iO, I was able to perform regularly and it kept me hungry. Then Jason and I
started performing together and I started to get my confidence back.
PAM: The dreaded improvisers' plateau.
It’s discomforting when the thing upon which you've poured all your energy and
drive seems to get blurred, if you know what I mean. It's just a loss of focus
maybe.
COLLEEN: Yes. It's hard. And for it to
happen in the one area of your life that you rely on so heavily for
fulfillment, that's tough.
PAM: I'm sure you've told the
conception story of Dummy too many times, so I'll spare you. I know
that Charna [Halpern, co-founder of iO Theater] put you guys together when she
was filling the time slot when TJ and Dave were working in New York. You guys were
(and are) a couple, so she wanted you to be part of a show called The
Better Half. Do I have my history right?
COLLEEN: Yep. Exactly.
PAM: Another mother figure who saw your
potential before you did...
COLLEEN: I owe Charna a lot. A LOT.
PAM: You have some guiding angels in
your life, my dear.
COLLEEN: I'm so grateful.
.jpg) |
| Thank you, Charna Halpern! |
COLLEEN: Yes! Shout out to Charna. She's given
me every opportunity and looked out for me. I don't know where I'd be without
her. She's gotten me my agent, put me in showcases, let me teach at her
theatre. It's a laundry list to be sure.
PAM: That's great. She knows talent
when she's sees it, that's for damn sure. And she saw the chemistry and the
potential onstage between you and Jason. I’m sure people gush to you and Jason
all the time about Dummy and maybe you find it annoying, but if you
don’t mind, I’d like to let my own fount of joy go wild for a second. Colleen,
what you and Jason have created is a very beautiful thing. Dummy isn’t just a get-up-and-play improv show, Dummy is ART. It’s what Del was talking about
when he said to be “geniuses, artists, and poets.” It’s Improvisation with a
capital-I. And for that, I thank you.
COLLEEN: Oh, my stars. That's a wonderful
compliment. The best, actually. We so badly want to put up a great show every
single week. It's the source of 90% of our fights, talking about the shows
afterward.
We're
trying to raise the bar for ourselves. When you play at the same theatre as TJ
and Dave, you always feel like you can improve. By a large margin.
PAM: What do those discussions between
you and Jason sound like? You guys don't give each other notes, do you?
COLLEEN: Oh,
we do. Even if it's just a question like, "When you made that move, what
was your intention?" it can sound pointed. Like a note. It's tough not
having an outside eye.
PAM: So you don't have a coach?
 |
| Dummy (August, 2013) |
COLLEEN: No.
Which I don't recommend to anyone.
PAM: What were your goals going into that
first Dummy show? Did you just get
onstage and see what happened or did you set out with a vision of some sort?
COLLEEN: The
first one. The only goal was to make it out with our relationship intact
:). We had a great time and were like, "Let's keep doing this.”
PAM: Do you have a structure?
COLLEEN: Nope.
No structure. But we probably always play between one and four scenes, and we
try to make it feel like a little play. Often we play multiple characters.
PAM: Is the show always in real time?
COLLEEN: We're not
always in real time, but it happens a lot.
PAM: Do you now have a philosophy of play? Or
something you're aiming for?
COLLEEN: We
try to play things as truthfully as we can, while still keeping it fun and
funny. We try to burn things down as much as possible: suggestion, want,
relationship. Really make the show feel like a cohesive piece. And to always be
getting better.
PAM: Burn things down?
COLLEEN: Sorry,
use everything up. The idea that we try to use everything that we say/create.
PAM: Oh, I see. Lyndsay Hailey calls that “digging
deeper in the same ditch.”
COLLEEN: Or,
as Ms.
Messing might say, “Chew your food, smell your fart...”
When you’re performing, are you thinking about
getting laughs or about what might be funny?
COLLEEN: I
really try not to. I try to let the character's voice be clear and strong and
make discoveries in that voice. I absolutely have learned that trying to be
funny is never as funny as when it just happens.
PAM: What do you think the relationship
between improvisation and comedy is for you? Do you think a show with fewer
laughs is less successful?
 |
| Colleen Doyle (and friend) in the web short "Maids" Photo courtesy of Jack C. Newell |
COLLEEN: When I think of improv, I think of comedy for sure. But, the longer I improvise, the more interested I am in the other possible outcomes and scenarios that can arise. To put it in an artsy fartsy way, I’m more confident that improv is a tool to show the truth. And that truth may not be comedic. Doing this sketch show, we are definitely exploring honest moments and difficult moments and mining the comedy AND tragedy.
PAM: I would expect that of any sketch show
directed by TJ and David. And I can see how Dummy is a
great vehicle for that sort of exploration because your partner Jason seems to have that
same gravitas and honor in his work as well. But how it is when you play with
other people who are more interested in finding the funny?
COLLEEN: I
very much enjoy playing in other settings with other people who may not share
that same desire. I love to goof and yell stupid shit. But I will say that many
people I get to share the stage with are interested in emotion/relationship but
go about getting there in a different way than maybe I would.
PAM: The thing that is so striking about your work
is that you are, first and foremost, an extremely talented actress. Is that
something you’ve consciously honed? Assuming you think it’s a necessary trait,
how do you think improvisers can become better actors?
COLLEEN: Wow.
Again, thank you. Such an amazing thing to hear because I never thought I'd be
considered a capable actress. I haven't consciously honed it; I think it's a
byproduct of age and experience and wanting to put up good scenes and shows.
Allowing the people I play to be emotional and not being afraid to be vulnerable.
It's probably being able to “fuck my fear” a bit better now. (Thanks, Mick.)
You have to check out Colleen Doyle and Jason Shotts
in the hilarious "Dummy Comedy" shorts directed by Jack C. Newell
(who also directed Colleen in the improv-friendly films
Close Quarters and Open Tables)
PAM: Tell me about your stage relationship with Jason.
COLLEEN: We push each other for sure. I'd
say our tendency is for me to be the emotional weirdo and Jason to be the voice
of truth and reason. And knowing that, we try to mix it up.
Jason
is really great at being able to see the whole show - to know what we are
driving towards and keep things in his back pocket for later - and I really try to play viscerally in
the moment.
PAM: God, that's so weird you just
said that - it's exactly on the topic of my next question. (That type of kismet happens a lot
with these interviews, but I always love it.) One of the most challenging
elements of doing a two-person show, for me at least, is that you never get a chance
to step back and take a bird's eye view of the show as a whole for a moment. I
wonder if it's liberating for you to know you can spin off into whatever
character you're playing while knowing that Jason will be holding down the
center pole of the tent, so to speak?
COLLEEN: Yeah, I think it works for us,
with the danger being that those become our proscribed roles. Jason doesn't
want to feel like he has to frame the show and make the moving parts work, and
I don't want to feel that my character’s wants are solely responsible for
driving the show. If that makes any sense. So we end up talking about that kind
of stuff post-show.
PAM: That makes sense. Because then it
lessens the thrill and limitless possibilities of improvisation. What elements
do you consider essential for a good show?
COLLEEN: Clear wants, relationships with
stakes, having something shared between characters that brings them together,
introducing something that complicates everything. Using stuff up. Surprises.
PAM: Talk to me about
"wants." I'm used to hearing that in a scripted theater context. Can
you break it down a little for what it means as an improviser?
COLLEEN: I think we talk about it in
improv in a number of ways: What motivates this person's behavior? How do they
see the world? What's their point of view? Do they want a family? To be
respected? To be young again? Want basically dictates behavior. That's my two
cents.
PAM: Money well spent. Thanks. People
compare your show to TJ
and Dave, and I have to concur. There is
a similarity in the honor, discipline, and integrity that you and Jason bring
to the stage. And the truth-seeking. Is it hard for you when people make those
comparisons? I mean, even Charna put your shows up against each other for a
while there, so I'm sure you've heard it before.
COLLEEN: It's just a compliment of the
highest order. They set the bar and if we near it in any way, shape, or form
then I really do feel proud and overjoyed. Being mentioned in the same breath
makes my year.
PAM: And then there was THAT day ...
that day when David Pasquesi asked you to substitute for TJ one Wednesday a few
months ago. What was it like to get that email? That’s basically the call that
every improviser dreams of getting … and has nightmares about
getting too!
COLLEEN: I said yes and then started to
freak out. I obviously had to do it, but then I immediately wondered if I could
get out of it. Dave is an amazing and intense improviser as well as a brilliant
and successful straight actor. I really didn't want to shit the bed that night.
PAM: Yeah, I would imagine that
would be the nightmare part of it. So how was the show once you were in it? I
mean, were you able to have moments of ease?
COLLEEN: It was really fun. I knew
that if I got into my head too hard, it would be a disaster. So I really had to
put my fear in the “fuck-it bucket” and just play. Dave's really easy to play
with, so that helped me to relax right away.
PAM: In my little opinion, you and
David are very well matched, Colleen. I imagine you would pull and stretch each
other in ways that felt good to both of you - while being a pure delight to
watch for those of us on the other side of the stage. I would love to see you
onstage together more. I hope I get that opportunity someday.
COLLEEN: Ooooh! Me too.
PAM: And now you’re performing in TJ and Dave’s new theater
at iO, The Mission, in their sketch revue cast. I need to know every juicy
detail about that process and show pleeeeease! I mean, holy fucking shit,
Colleen Doyle! That's cooler than cool.
COLLEEN: It's extremely rewarding and
completely overwhelming. TJ and Dave have a pretty specific idea of what we are
trying to make together. We are not shooting for good, and we are not shooting
for familiar in terms of content or tone. We are aiming for outstanding
and thought provoking and intelligent. Honest scenes and a really fucking funny
show. It's a tall order. Sometimes I feel like I should be paying them for
their insights and guidance. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'm
obscenely grateful for the job.
PAM: Yeah, they're pretty big
thinkers, those two. So how does work, the process of the Mission's sketch
show? Are you developing sketch through improvisation?
COLLEEN: Yep, sketch through improv. Two acts. Music, blackouts, scenes.
PAM: Do I know anybody else in
the cast? (Like you know who I know...what a dumb fucking question.)
COLLEEN: They are all amazing: Laurel Krabacher, Tanner Tananbaum, Michael Brunlieb, Mike Jimerson, Paul Grondy,
Peter Collins. I mean it - they are awesome. Great chops and smart.
As luck would have it, you can see a Dummy
set for yourself! A show captured in 2012 at iO Theater.
[Update: Soon after this interview was posted, Colleen announced that she and Jason are moving to Los Angeles. Lucky ducks in LA can see them perform (and hopefully teach eventually) at iO West. The first regular Dummy show in LA is schedule for October 16, 2014 at 8pm!]
* * *
* * *
Catch up on past improv geek-a-thons:
Geeking Out with…TJ Jagodowski of TJ and Dave
...Dave Pasquesi of TJ and Dave
Geeking Out with…TJ Jagodowski of TJ and Dave
...Dave Pasquesi of TJ and Dave
...Charna Halpern, co-founder of iO Theatre
in which she says,
"Smell it touch it taste it touch it feel it fuck it NOW. Be in the moment. The audience gets off on your specificity, not your "funny" specificity. You can eat a meal of Ritz cracker jokes, but you'll eventually say, "Did I just fucking eat an entire meal of Ritz fucking crackers?"
And "like" the "Geeking Out with..." FACEBOOK PAGE please.
*
Pam Victor is an improv comedian, author, teacher, consultant, and nice person. She is the founder and Head of Happiness of Happier Valley Comedy, the heart of improv in Western Mass, where Pam teaches The Zen of Improv to the best students in the world as well as bringing the power of improvisation to the workplace in her "Through Laughter" program. TJ Jagodowski, David Pasquesi, and Pam are the co-authors of "Improvisation at the Speed of Life: The TJ and Dave Book." She lives online at www.pamvictor.com.
Unless you're a meanie, Pam would probably like you.
Unless you're a meanie, Pam would probably like you.
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