The Nerdologues Present: MBSing

Jo Scott has boys. Jo Scott takes the boys places. The Chicago Park District has the best places to take them. Hear about all of the possible classes, programs, and settings the park district has to offer everyone in Chicago and remember that going outside and being active is both fun and affordable. Some of my favorite moments are Jo's descriptions of the people teaching the classes and the ways the boys have taken to organized sports. Stick around for some thoughts on internet culture, identical twins, hoop dreams, and Wiggleworms. Check out Jo's webseries with past guest Jeff Murdoch, Curfeud.

Thanks to Cards Against Humanity and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for giving the podcast a literal and figurative home. Please support the other shows. Here's Jo on An Hour with Your Ex and Hello From the Magic Tavern. Fantastic places to start.

Ever since her first taste of unlimited television, Ilana Gordon has been obsessed (though maybe not with the shows you'd think). After getting a degree in writing for TV/film, she relocated to Chicago and snagged some writing gigs after a bunch of fun with improv and sketch. We talk about her time working for the Steve Harvey Show, ways she motivates herself to write, and a bunch of shows we like. Don't worry, we do talk about that whole Miss Universe thing, too.

Notes:

Mike Gifford on Your Stories.

Thanks to Cards Against Humanity and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsorship and helping this 'cast be a part of something.

Warren Arnold has got it bad for bad movies. Ever since his childhood in rural Arkansas forced him to choose between televangelists or the one movie airing on cable, he's taken the low road (high road? who can say) of watching hilariously bad films. This led him to a very specific appreciation for poking fun at these horrible projects via MST3K. We talk about the ideas of joking without tearing down, rebooting beloved properties, and getting at the crux of where a hilariously bad movie went off the rails. Pod People, Manos: The Hands of Fate, The Room, Troll 2, and Werewolf all get some love (hate?) as well as a bad film Warren spent a day on set for witnessing firsthand where projects can go wrong (bonus points for anyone who can track it down).

Thanks to Cards Against Humanity for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsorships and recording space.

It's a very special college reunion episode of MBSing with dear friend, former improv teammate, and playwright Bryson Howard who has more love for France than anyone I've ever met. We talk about his early years in French classes, spending a semester abroad in Versailles, and his current stay as a teacher in a program called TAPIF just outside of Paris. It's many, many laughs, some pep talks, and a sobering conversation towards the end regarding his experience during and thoughts on the Paris attacks in 2015.

Thanks to Cards Against Humanity and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for sponsorship and camaraderie.

Megan Johns has been creatively collaborating in some capacity for what seems to be her entire life. After thriving in programs like Odyssey of the Mind as a young person fueled by her parents' creative encouragement, Meg has been a part of bringing people together to create shows in Chicago (mainly at the Annoyance Theatre and as a part of The New Colony theatre company) for over a decade. We chat about how personality types, fear and anxiety, and finding a balance between healthy compromise and pushing one's own ideas all play into these projects. Meg strives to actively, joyfully, and adventurously make theatre happen, and she's an inspiration to me (and has been since right after my move to Chicago, as you'll find out herein).

Thanks to Basecamp for sponsoring (incredibly pertinent... Basecamp is excellent for project management) and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for creating support and a community where there wasn't one.

Meghan has been booking performers for and hosting Thunderdome, an irreverent comedy variety show, for almost a year. We get into a lot of the frustrations and revelations that have arisen as a result, including the inevitability of a weekly show happening regardless of being ready for it, balancing life (school, love, self) with being an aspiring performer, and the energy necessary to book the best, most diverse acts. There's some talk in here on the current state of the Chicago comedy community where women and show density are concerned, and we explore what it's like to take over a show and maintain its voice while being true to and discovering your own. Plus, there's a story in here about when Thunderdome became an impromptu one-woman show that is EASILY worth the price of admission ($3).

Thanks to Emporium Arcade Bar for sponsoring. Visit EmporiumChicago.com/cpc for a free drink or game tokens. Special thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsorships and creating a supportive community where there wasn't one.

Mike Gifford graced MBSing with his presence for a frank conversation on companionship, or lack thereof. We cover ground from Mike's (late) introduction to masterbation, a peer into his soul-searching as a lifelong single person, a recent experience of the grass not being green at all on the other side, and his feelings about late Justice Scalia.

Lovelies Mary-Kate, Dylan, and Elliot have inciteful ways that Billy Shakes entered their lives and remains an inspiration for them and across the world of theatre and culture, and we get to spend a lot of time dissecting their new show with Otherworld Theatre, Messina3004, a futuristic adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. After I chat with them as actors (and director/adaptor in Mary-Kate's case), we delve into Shakespeare plays we love, like, hate, and hate that we like to round out a conversation on how influential he truly is even after 400 years.

Thanks to Cards Against Humanity for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsorships and creating a community where there wasn't one.

Shannon's been giving tours of Chicago for about a year now, and she gave an hour of her time in the off season to tell me about what works, what doesn't, and who the biggest troublemakers are on her laissez-faire bus tours. She gets the opportunity to cater tours however she wants, so she's had a great time diving into more of Chicago's darker, more realistic history. I love that one of Shannon's favorite aspects of touring is finding out about the customers and what brought them to Chicago. I can see why the Venn diagram of comedians to guides overlaps quite a bit.

Thanks to Basecamp for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their ongoing support. Check out Shannon's writing and voicework on the Koch Brothers Mystery Show.

Stand back as Lisa and I get down and dirty into why she loves science. From her first visit to the beach (not a lake) to sailing various seas as a cruise ship entertainer, Lisa has loved marine biology since she was around 10. Along with learning about Rosalind Franklin and Sunflower Seastars, I had a grand time chatting about how we both navigated our love for performing as science majors in college. Also, Lisa challenges me to name things that make my tummy hurt and how far my corpse would go in feeding natural predators. She's a blast.

Kristen Schaal is a horse

There's a Rosalind Franklin University in North Chicago!

Here's Lisa on that BMW test track

Thanks to Iron Galaxy for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their ongoing sponsorship coordination and support.