improv Olympic in Chicago, Now Under New Ownership?
by Remember last year during the pandemic when Chicago’s comedy community asked The Second City and the iO to change their ways when it came to …
Tag: Charna Halpern
Chicago iO, The improvOlympic, will not reopen after the pandemic: An End To Another Comedy Institution
First the UCB closed up its doors in New York City. Now comes word that the Chicago theater that gave birth to the Upright Citizens …
iO Chicago alums to write, direct “Del & Charna” movie
Red Crown Productions LLC announced it’s developing a biopic about Chicago improvising legends Del Close and Charna Halpern, Del & Charna. Kay Cannon will direct …
iO West in Hollywood to close Feb. 24, 2018
In the mid-1990s, as a handful of Del Close’s disciples moved to New York City to pursue their own show-business dreams as the Upright Citizens …
Samantha Bee, iOWest give voice and take action to women in comedy against sexual harassment and assault
In case you missed it, the past couple of weeks have borne witness to some significant strides forward toward shining a light on the plight of …
Episode #26: Ali Farahnakian
Ali Farahnakian is living the American comedy dream. Born in Iran and raised in North Carolina, Ali moved to Chicago after college and fell right …
R.I.P. Jason R. Chin, iO Chicago instructor and former artistic director
Longtime Chicago improv actor and teacher Jason R. Chin died suddenly Thursday night. Chin was 46. Improv Olympic founder Charna Halpern passed along the devastating …