Mee-Ow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mee-Ow, also known as The Mee-Ow Show, is Northwestern University's short-form improv and sketch comedy group.
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[edit] Origins
Founded at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois in 1974 by producers Paul Warshauer ('76) and Josh Lazar ('75). The original Mee-Ow Show was the first performance in the newly constructed McCormick Auditorium in Norris University Center. After extensive creative meetings in the fall of 1973 and winter of 1974, the producers decided to open the creative process to all students. The show was scripted, contained traditional musical and dance numbers, poetry, sketch comedy and was created in reaction to the "closed door policies" of the venerable Waa-Mu, NU's long running annual musical revue. The new open door policy, based on the philosophy of Henry Miller that "Everyman is an Artist," made for a cumbersome and long first production. With a large cast and orchestra, it made for a less than spectacular show but set the stage for what would become one of the longest running student created improvisational shows in history.
In 1976 because of a financial scandal and poor reviews, Mee-Ow was re-conceived by two of its cast members, Bill Nuss ('76) and Eugene "Dusty" Kay ('76), as an improv comedy show with a smaller cast, taking its inspiration from Chicago's The Second City and Kentucky Fried Theatre, which Nuss and Kay had seen perform live while visiting Los Angeles. The name was almost changed to Improv '75, but instead the name and cat logo for Mee-Ow was maintained. Kay and Nuss co-directed the '75 and '76 versions, which put the show back on the campus map.
The show has been a staple of the Northwestern theatre and comedy scene ever since still using some form of the cat as a logo. Northwestern 's mascot is a Wildcat so the logo was a tribute to the school's feline roots.
A great number of Mee-Ow alumni have gone on to perform and teach improv at many of the country's top improv venues, such as Chicago's The Second City, Improv Olympic and the Annoyance Theater, New York's Magnet Theater, The P.I.T. and The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and LA's Groundlings, iO WEST, and UCB West.
Mee-Ow alumni also founded Boom Chicago in Amsterdam and created the popular TV series "Whose Line is it Anyway?".
An extensive archive of the Mee-Ow Show from its first show to the present is maintained in the Northwestern Archives in the Deering Library in Evanston, IL. One of the original producers, Paul Warshauer, helps to maintain the archive. Actors, directors and writers are encouraged to deposit their material for safekeeping in the archive which is open to the public.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Craig Bierko - Actor, "The Music Man", "Cinderella Man", "Scary Movie 3"
- Liz Cackowski - Writer, "Saturday Night Live", Actor, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"
- Daniele Gaither - Actor, "MadTV"
- Ana Gasteyer - Actor, "Saturday Night Live"
- Eric Gilliland - Writer, "The Wonder Years", "Roseanne", "That 70's Show"
- Peter Grosz - Sonic Commercials
- Rachel Hamilton - Actor, The Second City, "30 Rock"
- Kyle T. Heffner - Actor, "Flashdance", "Runaway Train"
- Dusty Kay - Producer, "Roseanne", "Entourage"
- Spencer Kayden - Actor, "Urinetown," "MadTV"
- John Lehr - Actor, "10 Items or Less"
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Actor, "Saturday Night Live", "Seinfeld", "The New Adventures of Old Christine"
- J.P. Manoux - Actor, "The Emperor's New School"
- Josh Meyers - Actor, "MadTV", "That '70s Show"
- Seth Meyers - Actor, "Saturday Night Live"
- John Cameron Mitchell - Actor, Writer, Director "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", "Shortbus"
- Dermot Mulroney - Actor, "My Best Friend's Wedding", "The Family Stone"
- Dana Olsen - Writer, "The 'Burbs", "George of the Jungle"
- Dan Patterson - Creator of "Whose Line is it Anyway?"
- Keith Reddin - Playwright
- Jon Rosenfeld - Founder, Artistic Director, "Boom Chicago"
- Kristen Schaal - Actor, "Flight of the Conchords (TV series)"
- Jean Villepique - Actor, The Second City, "The Office"
[edit] Casts by year
2008 "Mee-Ow is the Winter of our Discontent" & "Mee-Ow Talks Down to Children"
Dan "DR" Bruhl
Carly Ciarrocchi
James Daniel
Dan Foster
Jessica McKenna
Jack Novak
Sarah Grace Welbourn
Adam Welton
2007 "Mee/Ow '08: Mee-Ow Declares Its Candidacy" & "Mee-Ow's Anatomy"
Dan Bruhl
Carly Ciarrocchi
Chris Hejl
Nick Kanellis
Jessica Lowe
Jack Novak
Matt Sheelen
Adam Welton
2006 "Mee-Ow is Dead" & "Mee-Ow Pulls Out . . .of Iraq"
Russ Armstrong
John Dixon
Nick Kanellis
Jessica Lowe
Kelly O’Sullivan
Matt Sheelen
Adam Welton
Nayla Wren
2005 "Mee-Ow Admits, Mee-Ow has a Problem" & "Mee-Ow Goes to Old Orchard"
Russ Armstrong
John Dixon
Briggs Hatton
Nick Kanellis
Jessica Lowe
Peter McNerney
Bridget Moloney
Joanna Simmons
2004 "Danger on University Place" & "It’s Not You it’s Mee-Ow"
John Dixon
Briggs Hatton
Jason Kessler
Bridget Moloney
Kate Mulligan
Joe Petrilla
Sheila Shaigany
Dan Sinclair
2003 "Mee-Ow Saves Christmas" & "There’s a Bear in The Theater"
Chris Gorbos
Briggs Hatton
Jason Kessler
Martha Marion
Alex Marlin
Bridget Moloney
Kate Mulligan
Dan Sinclair
2002 "Mee-Owed to be an American"
Laura Grey
Ryan Harrison
Jess Lacher
Dan Mahoney
Martha Marion
Kate Mulligan
Lee Overtree
Frank Smith
2001
Drew Calendar
Laura Grey
Ryan Harrison
Jess Lacher
Dan Mahoney
Martha Marion
Matt McKenna
Lee Overtree
2000 "Mee-Ow on Ice"
Heather Campbell
Lauren Flans
Ryan Harrison
Luke Hatton
Jess Lacher
Matt McKenna
Kristen Schaal
Scott Speiser
1999 "The Last Mee-Ow Show Ever"
David Asher
Liz Cackowski
Heather Campbell
Luke Hatton
Jamey Roberts
Kristen Schaal
Michael Sinclair
Scott Speiser
1998
Liz Cackowski
Heather Campbell
Luke Hatton
Josh Meyers
Ryan Raddatz
Jemey Roberts
Robin Shorr
Justin Spitzer
David Terry
1997
Jill Alexander
Heather Campbell
Josh Meyers
Ryan Raddatz
Jamey Roberts
Robin Shorr
David Terry
1996
Jill Alexander
Peter Grosz
Rob Janas
Laura McKenzie
Seth Meyers
Ryan Raddatz
Robin Shorr
Sarah Yarra
1995
Jill Alexander
Ed Herbstman
Rob Janas
Louise Lamson
Jean Villepique
Dan Weiss
Adrian Wenner
Liv Oslund
1994 "Politically Erect"
Jill Alexander
Ed Herbstman
Louise Lamson
Ethan Sandler
Jean Villepique
Amanda Weier
Dan Weiss
Jason Winer
Adrian Wenner
1993 "The Tao of Mee-Ow"
Colby Bessera
Anjali Bhimani
Abby Cohen
Ed Herbstman
Ethan Sandler
Deborah Stern
Paul Vaillancourt
Jean Villepique
Amanda Weier
Dan Weiss
Adrian Wenner
1992 "It’s a Wonderful Life Sentence"
Lesley Bevan
Scott Duff
Anne Eggleston
Daniele Gaither
Chris Grady
Lillie Hubscher
Mark Kretzmann
Bruce McCoy
Jean Villepique
1991 "Are You There God? It’s Mee-Ow"
Lesley Bevan
George Brant
Daniele Gaither
Rachel Hamilton
Mark Kretzmann
J.P. Manoux
Bruce McCoy
Jon Mozes
Kirsten Nelson
1990 "Sunday Eating Pork with George"
Jill Cargerman
Jason De Santo
Kate Fry
Lillie Hubscher
Spencer Kayden
J.P. Manoux
Philip Pawelczyk
Greg Rice
Jon Rosenfeld
1989 "Salvador's Deli"
Bo Blackburn
Jill Cargerman
Tim Ereneta
Ana Gasteyer
Mary Jackman
Spencer Kayden
Eric Letzinger
J.P. Manoux
Philip Pawelczyk
1988 "Mee-Ow Tse Tung"
Bo Blackburn
Betsy Braham
Jill Cargerman
Tim Ereneta
Stu Feldman
Ana Gasteyer
Jessica Hughes
John Lehr
Jerry Saslow
| width="50%" align="left" valign="top" | 1987 "Eating Mee-Ow"
Mollie Allen
Bo Blackburn
Jon Craven
Marc Goldsmith
Melanie Hoopes
Lisa Houle
John Lehr
Catherine Newman
Jerry Saslow
Matt Wolka
1986 "Oedipuss ‘n’ Boots"
Mollie Allen
Dave Clapper
Jon Craven
Andy Hirsch
Lisa Houle
Jessica Hughes
John Lehr
Barry Levin
Catherine Newman
Dan Patterson
Chris Pfaff
1985 "Local an’ Aesthetic"
Beth Bash
Craig Bierko
Karen Cooper
Rich Kaplan
Dermot Mulroney
George Newbern
Richard Radutsky
Alison Rice
Romy Rosemont
1984 "Escape From Baltic Avenue"
Karen Cooper
Jesse Dabson
Eric Gilliland
Kelly Hughes
Rich Kaplan
Wendy Messing
John Cameron Mitchell
Dermot Mulroney
Richard Radutsky
Romy Rosemont
1983 "Wake Up Yo Tinheads!"
Taylor Abbot
Mark Gunnion
Tammyi Hinz
Chris Heuben
Sue Klein
Ellen Kohrman
Mark Lancaster
Michael Simon
1982 "‘Til The Cows Come Home...Where are Those Damn Cows?"
Steve Beavers
Rob Chaskin
John Goodrich
Chris Hueben
Mark Lancaster
Laura Matalon
Sarah Partridge
Susan Wapner
1981 "Candy From Strangers"
Bekka Eaton
John Goodrich
Mark Lancaster
Bill Lopatto
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Michael Markowitz
Ken Marks
Rod McLachlan
Sandy Snyder
Larry Shanker - Piano
1980 "Ten Against the Empire"
Paul Barrosse
John Goodrich
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Rod McLaughlin
Michael Markowitz
Ken Marks
Dana Olsen
Rush Pearson
Judy Pruitt
Larry Shanker - Piano
1979 "...But is it Art?"
Bill Aiken
Paul Barrosse
Winnie Freedman
Meryl Friedman
John Goodrich
Barb Guarino
Althea Haropolus
Dana Olsen
Rush Pearson
Larry Shanker - Piano
1978 "In Search of the Ungnome"
Paul Barrosse
Jerry Franklin
Shelly Goldstein
Kyle T. Heffner
Ken Marks
Dana Olsen
Rush Pearson
Tina Rosenberg
Bill Wronski
Larry Shanker - Piano
1977 "North By Northwestern"
Peter Bales
Betsy Fink
Janie Fried
Kyle Hefner
Jeff Lupetin
Cindy Milstein
Brad Mott
Dana Olsen
Suzie Plaksin
Keith Reddin
Tom Virtue
1976 "Spirit, My Ass"
Dusty Kay
Peter Bales
Betsy Fink
Jeff Lupetin
Alice Tell
Stew Figa
Kyle Heffner
Keith Reddin
1975 "What Did You Expect?"
Carol Appleby
Mike Bonner
Eloise Jane Coopersmith
Betsy Fink
Thomas Fitzgerald
Wendy Gajewski
Neal Gold
David Garrett
Michelle Holmes
Roy Alan Hine
Curtis Katz
Laurie Karon
Kathy Kirshenbaum
Dusty Kay
Rick Kotrba
Kitty Knecht
Charlie Lucci
Jeff Lupetin
Brad Mott
Jane McClary
Lisa Nesselson
Bill Nuss
Karen Alison Pepper
Keith Reddin
Scott Rothburd
Wendy Taucher
1974 "Just in Time"
Terri Blum
Devan Carter
Bob Chimbel
Sue Cibrario
Carol Cling
Sue Devero
Ken Elliott
Ron Ensel
Meredith Freeman
Jonathan Fox
Debbie Gaber
Wendy Gajewski
Nancy Gordon
Sandy Grimsley
Holly Hartle
Bill Hindin
Marla Jones
Randy Kaplan
Robbie Karnofsky
Dusty Kay
Rick Kotrba
Jerry Larkin
Josh Lazar
Barb Mallorie
Kevin McDermott
Wendy Nadler
Bill Nuss
Rod Oram
Alan Perkins
Russ Pishnery
Tom Reese
Sandy Richens
Patti Rubin
Debbie Sauer
Joe Schuster
Suzanne Sciez
Obie Story
Wendy Taucher
Jeaninee Tortelli
Paul Warshauer
Lisa Wershaw
Jeff Wilson
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