The Thaumaturgy Department

Published January 27, 2012 
by Rachel Monroe

Pittsburgh and steel; Los Angeles and the movies — many American cities are defined by the industries that shape them. And while in Baltimore that may have once meant shipping and port activities, these days we’re a university city. And that’s not a bad thing at all.

In a recent survey, education expert Dr. Evan Dobelle quantified the economic impact that colleges and universities have on major metropolitan areas… and ranked the Baltimore area as the number three “metroversity” in the U.S. In other words, higher education is a huge economic force around these parts. [cont’d…]

Published September 26, 2011 by The Eds (Baltimore Fishbowl).

We laughed so hard at Second City’s brand-new Baltimore-spoofing comedy show, Charmed and Dangerous — at CENTERSTAGE through October 16 — we had to know how the out-of-town S.C. writers built sketches and songs that nailed our town spot on. Almost no sacred cow is spared, with material taking smart shots at mayoral politics, holy Hopkins, Edgar Allan Poe, community arts, the Grand Prix, even the wacky act of crab-hammering. Happily, and humorously, writer/performer Tim Sniffen, who co-wrote the show’s first draft with Ed Furman…explained a few things.

Tell us about the writing process, and what kind of research was involved. Ed Furman and I [Tim Sniffen] did the initial round of writing. Throughout our weeklong [immersion] stay in Baltimore, we were guided through the city and showered with information from a bunch of Baltimore residents, including Gavin Witt and Heather Jackson, who work at Centerstage. Gavin and Heather arranged for us to meet lots of other people so we could get a good sampling of people. There’s also a degree of ‘writing’ when the show goes into rehearsal: This comes from the director [Matt Hovde] and the cast — some lines don’t flow smoothly, or a joke isn’t quite right, and the cast will work on the spot to tighten up the show and make the humor as local and relevant as possible.

Are any cast members from Baltimore? And what preconceived notions did you all possess about our city? Neither Ed nor I are from Baltimore [I grew up on Long Island, NY; Ed is from Chicago], but I was in the cast for the first Second City show here in January/February of this year [“The Second City Does Baltimore”]. I’m slightly ashamed to admit that a lot of my mental image of Baltimore was based on — wait for it — “The Wire,” and Hairspray. I was happy to find there are not drug deals and/or busts happening on every corner. Surprises for me included your gorgeous harbor, and the amount of kick-ass food in the city. I had heard the arts scene here was cool and eclectic, but actually seeing it, visiting places like Creative Alliance and the Wind-Up Space, made me realize this place is kind of a paradise for artists.

For tix, go here or call (410) 332-0033.

“Charmed and Dangerous”

Thursday, 22 September 2011

Written by Laura Smith and Nadja Maril

The Second City Returns to Baltimore’s CenterStage.

By popular demand, the Second City improvisational ensemble has returned to Baltimore with a follow-up show to their previous performance Second City Does Baltimore, which played last January. Once again, the best parts of the show are the improvisations. They give each audience a unique and special experience. If you aren’t a Baltimorean, however, it may be difficult to follow all the jokes with references to Baltimore public and private schools, Johns Hopkins, and former Governor Schaeffer up in heaven developing waterfront hotels. But inside jokes is part of what Second City is famous for and if you are familiar with Baltimore, the show promises for you a very entertaining evening.

Wednesday nights, Baltimore celebrities join the ensemble as guests to be interviewed, which will then provide fodder for related improvisations. On the schedule for September 28th is the Baltimore Grand Prix General Manager Lonnie Fisher, so expect some improvisations based on racecars and their drivers. October 5th, the celebrity guest will be Musician Dan Deacon and Wham City and on October 12th the celebrity participant will be CenterStage artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah.

Chicago based Second City is a theater company that has multiple shows and ensemble groups performing comedy reviews and musical stage productions throughout the United States. At the heart of all their productions is improvisation, because Second City was founded in 1959 on the concept that original sketches that dealt with topical issues, when paired with original lyrics sung to familiar tunes, would entertain audiences night after night. They’ve been very successful at it. Six actors, all different from the ones who performed last winter— Ryan Archibald, Lili-Anne Brown, Cody Dove, Brooke Breit, Chelsea Devantez, and Ric Walker, are accompanied by musical director and pianist Matthew Loren Cohen. Additional material was written by Ed Furman and Tim Sniffen. Directed by Matt Hovde, the show fuses musical numbers and prepared skits specific to Baltimore that are combined with generic skits and improvised sketches based on words provided by the audience, and body poses that are selected by one of the members of the ensemble.

The show will be playing through October 16th. For more information on upcoming performances call 410-332-0033 or visit the CenterStage website at www.centerstage.org