When iO opened its new facility on Kingsbury Street, one of its most exciting aspects was the Mission, a theater that would be independent of iO’s typical programming structure and left completely in the hands of improv greats TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi. Last week the duo decided the pressure of the production side of things wasn’t their style, so they relinquished control, handing it back to iO founder Charna Halpern. The theater is not by any means closing, despite what Chris Jones reported last week in the Chicago Tribune.
Because the truth is if Jones had shown up to Undressed or any other number of sketch shows in the city at places like the Annoyance Theatre, CIC Theater, pH Comedy Theater, Public House Theatre, Under the Gun Theater, or one of many other venues that pop up around Chicago every day, he would know that there’s no lack of “edgy” and “innovative” sketch comedy in this city. I’m often overwhelmed by the number of promising shows being put up.
