Whirled News Tonight
Encyclopedia
Whirled News Tonight is a weekly improvised
satire that performs in the I.O.
theater in Chicago, IL. It is the longest-running improvised show currently performing in Chicago. The name "Whirled News Tonight" refers to both the troupe of improvisors and the show itself.
" but soon shortened the title. Since its premiere they have been performing every Saturday night in The Del Close
Theater at I.O.
A review in The Chicago Reader said "This satire of current events features players who exhibit a genuine rapport: articulate dialogue unfolds logically, swiftly, and concisely.". A feature piece in The Daily Herald said "Catch up on the latest news lampooned I.O.-style and deftly filtered through the sly sensibilities of the 'Whirled News Tonight' cast. The whip-smart improvisers craft sketches out of news stories clipped from local and national publications.". A review in Time Out Chicago said "The uncommonly witty and smart performers in this long-form improv show satirize current events by creating scenes based on articles that audience members literally rip from the week's papers."
In early 2008, Whirled News Tonight launched a free weekly Podcast
that features an audio recording of their improvised performances.
One performer reads the opening paragraphs from a randomly-selected article, which the troupe uses as the inspiration for a string of improvised scenes. Soon, another random article is pulled and a new set of scenes are performed. As the show develops, characters and situations cross over into multiple scenes creating a cohesive longform improvisational piece.
Throughout the show's seven-year history, the resident cast of "Whirled News Tonight" has included: Marla Caceres, Padraic Connelly, Alex Eilhauer, John P. Glynn, Jordan Klepper, Arnie Niekamp, Megan O'Neill, Eddie Piña, Adal Rifai, Shane Wilson, Steve Waltien, and Matt Young.
talent scouts and, in 2006, partnered with NBC Universal
to produce the short film "Kyle's in a Coma" for the network's online subsidiary DotComedy.
In 2004 and 2008, the cast hosted an election night special, Electopalooza, to coincide with the presidential elections. In 2008, the group also created their first sketch show leading up to the election that year titled Yes We Can't.
but was soon removed following a brief discussion by site administrators who were split on the importance of such an entry. Several weeks later, author and columnist Nicholson Baker
mentioned the deletion in his article "The Charms of Wikipedia" which appeared in The New York Review of Books
.
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
satire that performs in the I.O.
I.O.
iO, or iO Chicago, is a theater located at 3541 N. Clark St., in Chicago, Illinois, one-half block south of Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. The theater both has performances of, and teaches improvisational comedy. It was founded in the 1980s by Del Close and Charna Halpern...
theater in Chicago, IL. It is the longest-running improvised show currently performing in Chicago. The name "Whirled News Tonight" refers to both the troupe of improvisors and the show itself.
History
The show premiered in September, 2003 as "Whirled News Tonight presents NewspeakNewspeak
Newspeak is a fictional language in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the novel, it refers to the deliberately impoverished language promoted by the state. Orwell included an essay about it in the form of an appendix in which the basic principles of the language are explained...
" but soon shortened the title. Since its premiere they have been performing every Saturday night in The Del Close
Del Close
Del Close was an actor, improviser, writer, and teacher. Considered one of the premier influences on modern improvisational theater, Close had a prolific career, appearing in a number of films and television shows...
Theater at I.O.
I.O.
iO, or iO Chicago, is a theater located at 3541 N. Clark St., in Chicago, Illinois, one-half block south of Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. The theater both has performances of, and teaches improvisational comedy. It was founded in the 1980s by Del Close and Charna Halpern...
A review in The Chicago Reader said "This satire of current events features players who exhibit a genuine rapport: articulate dialogue unfolds logically, swiftly, and concisely.". A feature piece in The Daily Herald said "Catch up on the latest news lampooned I.O.-style and deftly filtered through the sly sensibilities of the 'Whirled News Tonight' cast. The whip-smart improvisers craft sketches out of news stories clipped from local and national publications.". A review in Time Out Chicago said "The uncommonly witty and smart performers in this long-form improv show satirize current events by creating scenes based on articles that audience members literally rip from the week's papers."
In early 2008, Whirled News Tonight launched a free weekly Podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
that features an audio recording of their improvised performances.
Premise
As audience members enter the theater, they are invited to clip articles from newspapers and magazines and tack them to a corkboard on stage. When the show begins, performers enter dressed in professional newscaster attire and introduce the show with its motto "The News is Real, Everything Else is Improvised."One performer reads the opening paragraphs from a randomly-selected article, which the troupe uses as the inspiration for a string of improvised scenes. Soon, another random article is pulled and a new set of scenes are performed. As the show develops, characters and situations cross over into multiple scenes creating a cohesive longform improvisational piece.
Cast
The show was created by Producer/Director Jason R. Chin. Since its inception, Scott Brady has been the Stage Manager.Throughout the show's seven-year history, the resident cast of "Whirled News Tonight" has included: Marla Caceres, Padraic Connelly, Alex Eilhauer, John P. Glynn, Jordan Klepper, Arnie Niekamp, Megan O'Neill, Eddie Piña, Adal Rifai, Shane Wilson, Steve Waltien, and Matt Young.
Other projects
In addition to their regular weekly performances, Whirled News Tonight has appeared at the Chicago Improv Festival, The Del Close Marathon in New York City and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. The cast was also invited to perform for Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
talent scouts and, in 2006, partnered with NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
to produce the short film "Kyle's in a Coma" for the network's online subsidiary DotComedy.
In 2004 and 2008, the cast hosted an election night special, Electopalooza, to coincide with the presidential elections. In 2008, the group also created their first sketch show leading up to the election that year titled Yes We Can't.
Wikipedia Listing
In early 2008, a listing for "Whirled News Tonight" was created on WikipediaWikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
but was soon removed following a brief discussion by site administrators who were split on the importance of such an entry. Several weeks later, author and columnist Nicholson Baker
Nicholson Baker
Nicholson Baker is a contemporary American writer of fiction and non-fiction. As a novelist, he often focuses on minute inspection of his characters' and narrators' stream of consciousness, and has written about such provocative topics as voyeurism and planned assassination...
mentioned the deletion in his article "The Charms of Wikipedia" which appeared in The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books is a fortnightly magazine with articles on literature, culture and current affairs. Published in New York City, it takes as its point of departure that the discussion of important books is itself an indispensable literary activity...
.