The Steamroller's new podcast!

Very exciting news: The Steamroller is podcasting! Chicago-based writer/improviser/golden boy Harrison George has been recording a series of interviews over the last few months with performers from the Chicago comedy scene, and we're going to release these recordings biweekly, starting today!

Our first episode is a chat with Lee and Matt Barats, who recently moved from Chicago to LA and NYC, respectively. We've got a lot of fun things planned for the coming weeks, and I'm excited for you to hear it!

To hear the show, you can subscribe on iTunes or stream over the internet on the show's dedicated page here on The Steamroller!

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Harrison George and Laurel Krabacher talk about The Mission Theater's Trap

One of the most exciting things that came from the opening of the new iO Theater was the creation of The Mission Theater, a space curated by TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi. With The Mission Theater came the creation of a new ongoing sketch revue directed by the duo, two of the most respected improvisers in the city, who have brought together an amazing cast of talented performers to craft a sketch show birthed from improvisation.

I emailed with cast member Laurel Krabacher about her experience creating and performing in the show week after week at iO.

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Interview: Harrison George of Seance: An Exploration Of The Metaphysical Hosted By Ms. Ella Rothschild

 Chicago-based improvisors Harrison George and Libby Schreiner have concocted an , which takes audiences of 10 through a series of sporadically interactive scenes, full of detailed props and dark characters. CIC is converted into a Victorian mansion owned by Ms. Ella Rothschild, we meet a spiritual medium whose seances have unsettling and unexpected results.

Going beyond the typical "guy in a mask with a chainsaw" manipulations, Harrison and Libby have opted for more challenging scares with their take on a haunted house, using their experience as comedic performers to explore darker topics. Following a successful opening weekend, I spoke with Harrison about the show's creation and his motivations behind crafting an experience like this one.

A few tickets remain for this weekend's shows, which happen every hour, on the hour, from 1pm-5pm this Saturday and Sunday, October 25th and 26th. Reserve those by emailing  now!

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Harrison George On The Closing of The Upstairs Gallery

In 1964 Isaac Asimov was asked to speculate on what life in the year 2014 would look like. Some of his predictions were spot on (cordless appliances), while others were way off (flying cars). The goal of this piece is something similar, to attempt in some small way to predict what Chicago might look like in the next 1-5 years.

Last month we saw the closing of The Upstairs Gallery, an ambitious 3 year experiment in alternative-theater spacework. Now that the theater’s closed, I’m wondering what comes next, if we’ll see new spaces inspired by Upstairs; an UG 2.0 if you will.

There are lots of ways things will be affected by UG’s closing. Here are my guesses.

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