McNichol and May , Thursday, March 22, 2007
Mcnichol and May are a Chicago-trained duo that also happens to be married. They perform some the smartest most award-winningest improv and sketch in Austin. They also teach classes, and perform with The Frank Mills.Read on for a discourse on Chicago, the Origin Story of M&M, and puppies.
DB: What got you both doing improv?
Erika: I moved to Chicago at the end of 2000 to take classes at Second City, thinking I would be doing sketch. I enrolled in the writing program and the IFA (improvisation for actors) program; at that point, improvisation was just a means to an end (sketch) for me. My only touchstone for improvisation was short form, which I had seen once or twice. It didn't really call to me, at all. After a couple of months of classes, my classmates were talking about taking classes at this place called Improv Olympic, where you could get a lot more stage time. I wanted to learn everything I could, so I called up and was put on the waiting list for classes. I started at IO in April of 2001 and was put on a team in October. The IO philosophy centers on thematic longform, playing realistic characters and finding the funny through truthful interactions. The emphasis on well-acted comedy really appealed to me, too. I've been performing ever since.
Bob: Some friends and I moved to Chicago in the summer of 1999 - I was thinking I would play in bands and stuff there. On a whim, influenced by lack of money and lots of free time, my roommate and I went to a free night at a place called ImprovOlympic. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but had low expectations - I was thinking it would be like standup or Who’s Line type stuff. We were both blown away to see this whole thing crafted before us, and returned to see tons more shows over the next year. Finally we decided we should either shit or get off the pot, so we signed up for classes... and loved it! I was put on a team at IO after I finished classes, performed in/on a bunch more teams/shows over the years. And now I’m in Austin.
DB: When did you decide you wanted to perform as an
improv duo?
Erika: The weird thing is, it wasn't a conscious decision at all. Tight had been accepted to perform at the Del Close festival in New York a month or two after we got here, and had scheduled a slot in the threefer (it was the twofer then, I think?). Since we hadn't planned on going to the festival, Bob and I agreed to fill in for the night. We were trying to come up with a name and Andy Crouch recommended we call ourselves "McNichol and May", after Nichols and May. We ended up having a kick-ass time performing together, and were pleasantly surprised by how much audience members and other improvisers dug it, so we decided to keep doing it under that moniker.
Bob: We’d actually met in Chicago by working in this three-person group that never really came to fruition, just a bunch of rehearsals. We never really worked together outside of that initial group until we got to Austin.
DB: How do the goals of McNichol & May differ from that of your larger team, The Frank Mills?
Erika: Personally, I want the Frank Mills to be the standard-bearer of thematic, character-driven improvisation and sketch - to demonstrate the very best of the artform and what it can be. For me, McNichol and May is about experimentation and tradition; using media to inform scene ideas (as in Guided by Videos), playing with the intersection of sketch and improv and pushing myself as a player, etc.. Right now, I'm really excited about the idea of McNichol and May getting all old-school and performing the Harold. It gets a bad rap down here, and it kicked my ass when I was a newer improviser, but it's survived for a reason - it’s a great form for dissecting the audience suggestion and translating it into a thematic statement.
Bob: I don’t really think of the teams or groups I’ve been in having separate goals necessarily. I have more personal goals for what I want to bring to a group or show. But I do think the group mind / group personality drives what the team ultimately does, and not always intentionally.
DB: How does being married affect the group dynamic of McNichol and May?
Erika: It's awesome. We lucked out, I think. Most of the time, we entertain ourselves by doing bits when we're hanging out…we’re really stupid around each other and have zero judgment of each of our individual dork outs. I trust Bob completely and know my ideas will not only be accepted, but improved upon - it makes it easy to be in the moment on stage.Bob: I want to give a stupid answer to this, but I really agree with Erika there. It’s just like any group relationship - the more trust and group mind you have, whether it’s between 2 people or 10, the better. We’ve been building up trust and group mind for years outside of improv, so it really helps when we bring it to improv. It’s also easier to schedule rehearsals and get rides to shows.
DB: You guys migrated from Chicago. How do the Chicago and Austin scenes differ?
Erika: Chicago is a more mature scene, merely because it's been around since the 1950's. With that comes more competition for stage time and a more institutionalized philosophical approach at the various theatres. There's also a lot more focus on making it commercially, and - as a result- players that are interested in getting hired for Tour Co. and eventually getting cast on SNL or the Daily Show feel compelled to select projects that are going to be good vehicles for buzz. There's still a good variety of work going on, and the individual theatres tend to trade off in taking the baton of experimentation. For example, Annoyance Theatre (where Mick Napier is the artistic director) is experiencing this huge artistic growth spurt right now and a lot of old-school Improv Olympic people are now gravitating there to play. In Austin, I think there's still a variety of philosophies going on at each of the theatres, but it seems to be moving towards having a 'house feel' at each. Austin also has a ton more performance opportunities, especially for newer players. There's less 'culling out' of players at early levels, which I think is going to help cultivate a more diverse sense of what good improvisation can be, vs. a narrow evaluation of potential that’s based on eye of the institutional beholder. The downside is that quality is inconsistent and players don't always take their shows seriously here, because there's no disincentive to sloppy work. That said, Austin has some awesome players, and I think that is because people are given the opportunity to chart their own path.
Bob: I agree that there are people with those end goals in Chicago.. of making it to film or tv or whatnot - simply because the steps that can lead to that exist in Chicago. But there are a lot of people there who really just enjoy performing improv and don’t give a crap about any of that other stuff. Also, we have maybe, what, 50? 75? 100 tops active improvisors down here. I think it’s hard to imagine coming from our environment, but in Chicago there are thousands and thousands of people doing improv. Additionally, there are many, many people in Chicago who have been performing improv for 10, 20, 30 years and continue to. More importantly, those people are also often teaching and coaching newer improvisors, so there’s a depth of knowledge and understanding that exists in Chicago that’s really unmatched in other city. Chicago has improv and sketch shows every night of the week at this point, and at multiple theaters. And people move to Chicago specifically to learn/perform improv, and to take those steps that lead to tv/film/etc. So, in some ways, we have a different dynamic down here, as anyone who’s improvising in Austin isn’t concerned about climbing any ladder or anything. If you’re improvising here in Austin you’re doing it simply for the love of the craft. I like that alot. Because nothing is institutionalized or really set in stone down here, the AIC has really brought everyone together and it feels like we’re driving the cart. It’s much harder to have that sense in Chicago because you are not always in charge of making those creative decisions, or it’s much more diffcult to make them. I can safely say we have a very enviable situation here.
DB: What improv groups, past or present, have inspired you?
Erika: TJ & Dave, Weirdass (Stephanie Weir and Bob Dassie), Bassprov, Valhalla, to name a few. I also like watching newer improvisers, and make a point to see how some of my favorite players around here approach stuff, especially if I'm feeling stuck.
Bob: Oh man. I could rattle off a bunch of old names and groups, but I’ll just say I’m influenced by the people I work with and by the groups I’ve been lucky enough to see through my time in Chicago and here in Austin. I also will echo Erika and say that some of the most inspiring stuff comes from people who are newer to improv because they don’t have as many boundaries in their mind as to what one should or shouldn’t do, so it’s often a more creative fountain there. Also: Peter Cook, Peter Cook, Peter Cook. And Cantinflas.
DB: How's the new puppy working out?
Erika: Okay. We thought all that energy we saw at the shelter would translate into being really good at editing and pacing, but she's really playing back on her heels so far.
Bob: She’s a handful. She’s the sweetest creature in the world, but man is she also infuriating at times. And she understands almost no English, so communication has been tough. She’s about 65 lbs, all muscle, but she thinks she’s still a tiny puppy. This has led to lots of wacky and hilarious situations.
DB: What have you been obsessed with recently?
Bob: One thing has been the astounding amount of music on film/video/tv that has surfaced over the last 5 years or so due to the ease of file sharing, the ease of home video conversion (ie. VHS ---> DVD), and the lack of degradation with digital copies. I’ve been able to see bands perform I missed when I was younger or I am too young for. Recently I’ve found an amazing Nation of Ulysses show from 1992, a Thelonious Monk performance from Poland in 1966, Can on Germany tv in 1970, The Mummies on public access tv in 1991, Television rehearsing in 1974... just tons and tons of stuff. I’m admittedly obsessed with tracking down as much as I can, as much as my hard drive can hold.Erika: I dont know that it's so much of an obsession as an interest, but I've been actively looking for and purchasing vintage clothing. I just bought a squaw shirt that looks like it was part of a band uniform in 1976. It made me feel like a superhero, so I bought it.
McNichol & May are performing in the Double Barrel on Friday, March 23rd, 2007.
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