An Intern's Improvised Evening

I began my internship at the Improv Olympic Theater here in Chicago, this past weekend. It was fun, exciting and I felt very thankful to have been able to watch some amazing shows for free! I quickly learned that all of this sudden joy came with a price, one I am willing to pay, for the worthwhile reward in return, which is the gift of Improv and Music!

My evening shift began swiftly, with a brief run-down on things we might need to know, such as where the beer, limes, and frozen pizzas were kept. (I like this job already!) a
This info along with the graveness of not keeping important keys in one's pocket and misplacing them throughout the busy night.

After being presented with an option of seating people or taking tickets, I decided I would take tickets...didn't seem too taxing. And so, it began.

We opened the doors, and patrons began approaching me up the stairs, usually two-by-two, and after fumbling a little with the first few ticket exchanges (which are double copied receipts, wherein that moment, I am required to eject the staple from both copies, keep the white copy and bestow them with the yellow.) Sounds easy, but when you have an intoxicated group of 17 people, and people behind them, things can get a little hairy, and receipts can get bunched up, fast!

So before I knew it, I had two back pockets full of a jumbled mass of receipts. Before the next wave of people, I managed to establish a little pocket system..white in my left butt pocket, and yellow ones that people didn't take, or tickets that I was holding for late comers in my right butt pocket.

Whoo. Bring it on.

Eventually, all of the customers made their way into the theater and seemed to be enjoying the show. I was beginning to do so myself, until the bartendress informed me off some jarring news that would quickly change the course of my evening, and week thereafter. A drunk girl had projectile vomited in the downstairs bathroom, completely "Jackson Pollock-ing" one of the stalls, and it appeared that I was the prime candidate for the puke clean up...

So, without many options, I set forth to accomplish my task, the only silver lining, being that as I did this deed, I was serenaded by the Deltones, an amazing Musical Improv show. So, I whistled while I worked, sang along harmonies to Tara DeFrancisco and Dave Asher, and remembered that this task was somehow supporting these amazing artists and the goal of this wonderful theater. This took the sting off. However, it didn't take the stench away, and I was a bit sensitive to certain smells and textures for a few days after. Especially when a guy on Monday got on the train eating something that to me, smelled exactly like puke.

After this puking patron painted the downstairs women's room, she then found her way back upstairs and gifted the hallway with some more of the same, which is when she and her friend were asked/told to leave. Ugh!

Thankfully, another intern took on this duty, and we commiserated in the women's room later as we executed our finishing puke squad touches to make it smell fresh as daisies again.

All in all, I suppose this first interning shift was worth the toil, as I did have the opportunity of watching and learning from some very talented improvisers, and being showered with their talent even if I was showered by puke simultaneously.