Alumni News

How did you get from Portland, OR all the way to a cruise ship?
Practice, practice, practice...which is kind of true. While doing ComedySportz in Portland I saw a documentary about Second City in Chicago. It was about the process of creating the show and was filmed while Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch were on the mainstage. Once I saw it, I wanted to be a part of it. Although I haven't performed as a member of the Second City Mainstage ensemble, I got hired (along with my fiancee Deanna) to work for them on cruise ships and have successfully dodged two Chicago winters so far!

What has been your favorite experience since joining Second City BoatCo?
The general experience of getting paid to travel the world is enough for me. Specifically I would said being in Pompeii in November was the best. It was the tail end of tourist season and I was able to get some pictures of entirely empty streets from the city buried in ash so long ago.

You have performed ComedySportz in both Portland and in Chicago. How did they prepare you for doing shows on a cruise ship for hundreds of people?
The scripted shows we do on the ship usually have at least 3 improv scenes with similar rules to some ComedySportz games...right now we're doing the equivalent of CSz's Story, Sing It, and Changing Styles. We also do two fully improvised shows per cruise and those are all short form games like ComedySportz. So, I have a very solid understanding of how to play and host any of the games we play. I've also done many remotes (shows in remote locations) for ComedySportz to audiences of 1000 people or more.

What are your plans after the boat?
The fantastic thing about the NCL cruise ships for Second City is that there are multiple ships going to multiple locations. I've been to the Caribbean and Europe. If they hire me for more I'll probably keep doing it for awhile...especially while the economy is...you know.

What do you miss about Chicago and ComedySportz?
I miss my friends the most. After going to so many places I've found it isn't necessarily the place, but who is there. Specifically about CSz I miss reffing, text dares on remotes, and messing with the other team as we enter the stage for the second half.