Our “3 Questions” series continues with the screamingly successful improv team Michael Pizza. In the two years since Michael Pizza (otherwise known as Brett Elam, Eric Christensen, Ben Kass, and Josh Logan) have been together, they’ve been named “Best New Improv Group” by Chicago Magazine, won the “King of the Hill” at Chemically Imbalanced Theater, and were Cage Match Champions at iO Chicago. Now their run at iO Chicago has been expanded from Thursday nights to a Friday night run in October. We got a chance to ask Brett, Eric, and Ben, and Josh the same three questions to perhaps learn a lesson or two about this roastin’ hot ensemble.
Ben Kass, Josh Logan, Eric Christensen, and Brett Elam of Michael Pizza
1. What were the qualities of your teammates that drew you to this collaboration?
Brett: Bill Arnett once said that you shouldn’t make a team with the people in your class who are the funniest, you should make a team with the people in your class that you enjoy being with the most. Lucky for me, those were the same people. The Michael Pizza guys were the ones in my class who always surprised me but they were also the ones who stayed after class to talk shop. They were the ones who wanted to sit afterwards and discuss improv theory for hours. We kind of formed by default because we always ended up being the last ones in the bar talking about improv.
Eric: I think going through classes in iO, you could feel the people you most enjoyed being on stage with. Even before Michael Pizza had officailly formed, there were 6 of us in a certain class who just loved having fun on stage together so we started rehearsing on our own. We obviously lost a couple along the way and got our current name but that is how it all started.
Individually, Brett is joy on stage because when he is ready to have fun, he is not going to take no for an answer. We like to give him a lot of grief for doing some stock bits but they are always a hit and never truly repeat themselves.
I feel like Ben is that extra flavor in any famous chef’s meal that makes it unique. He has a very different sense of humor than the rest of the group which almost always translates into getting laughs in ways that the three of us couldn’t.
Josh loves to play with himself of stage and you would be a fool not to love to watch it. I would call it “improv masturbation” but that does not describe the beauty that is Josh playing 5 characters in a crowd or Josh stuck in a jail cell trying to escape.
Ben: My teammates are not only funny, but also really care about the art of improv. They also have good work ethic when it comes to rehearsing and continuing improv and comedy education. A big part of our success is that we geniunely like each other and are friends offstage. People often say that they love watching us have fun with each other. Having fun with teammates is the ultimate draw for me.
Josh: The things that drew me to MP are simple. They’re so much fun. I just wanted to play with them since it always resulted in me having fun.
2. What things go through your mind during a show that help you perform?
Brett: It probably sounds cliche but, if something is going through my mind, it isn’t helping me perform. I am at my best when the moves and the characters are just flowing without much thought. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Our coach teaches us to look for what the show needs and to support the show. If the show needs to slow down and have a heartfelt moment, do that. If the show has been all scenes then maybe it’s time to throw in a wacky game. But, at my best, I am not thinking about those things because they are just all happening naturally. At my worst… Jesus… there’s a bunch of shit going on in my head.
Eric: That is a tough question because if you are truly in the zone it is hard to recollect what was going on in your head when you were on stage. Most of the times I just try to think of an an initiation that gets across the idea of the scene as well as the show. We try to have a theme to each show, so if the theme was “losing love” maybe I want to make a clear scene initiation that lets my partner know my idea for the theme as well as the who, where and what.
Ben: During the begininning of a show, I’m looking for themes, ideas, characters, or even particular words that interest me. Otherwise, I try to stay out of my head and enjoy things moment to moment. If I do find myself in my head during a show, I try to latch on to the fun ideas and choices.
Josh: Something that goes through my mind that helps me perform is- what’s happening on stage at that moment. “If you’re not having fun than you’re the butthead.” That is a Susan Messing quote (and it’s been cleaned up a bit), but it’s absolutely true. What’s happening right now is the perfect place to insert your fun decision, and these guys are going to take it and help make it into gold. A blank mind is better than busy mind when it comes to making a good show.
3. What criteria do you use to define a successful show?
Brett: I feel successful when I’ve had fun. When we aren’t having a lot of fun onstage, it’s obvious because the audience isn’t having much fun either. But when we are having a great time onstage and making each other laugh, the audience is normally entertained as a by-product. If I wasn’t laughing or having a good time onstage, I feel dirty afterwards.
Eric: Josh was just talking about how he read an interview with John Lutz and how he used to grade shows but I am sure he is already writing about that. For me, a successful show is one that is truly complete. As a group, you were able to get your idea across to the audience, there was a clear rhythm to it and it had a clear end. Of course when it is funny that also helps too.
Ben: To me, the most successful show is one that all four of us felt good about. Good scene work usually means a good show, so we often talk about that after a performance. I tend to ask myself if I had fun and if I made bold and supportive moves.
Josh: We have pretty rigorous standards for what makes a good Michael Pizza show. Number one is, were we all over each other. Number two is, did we “get each other” somehow. Number three is as Ben said “do we feel good about it.” It’s about making a cohesive show and a complete piece
of work. If we can walk away from that show and say “anything else and that show would have too much” then we’ve done a good job. We don’t
let ourselves say that often, so expect the shows to get better and better.
Catch Michael Pizza on Thursdays at 10:30pm and Fridays at 8pm at iO Chicago. Check our calendar for more information
Troupe: Michael Pizza
Performers: Ben Kass, Brett Elam, Eric Christensen, Josh Logan
Venue: iO Chicago Theater
Neighborhood: Lakeview
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