CHICAGO, IL- Mark Kissel has dreams of making it big as an improviser and comedian, and he knew the first step toward that goal was taking classes at Chicago's famed Second City. So after graduating from the University of Minnesota with a BA in broadcast communications, Jeff packed up his things and headed for the windy city.
"I am ready to put in all the effort and pay my dues. I know I'll have to start at the bottom, and that's fine," Mark said during a recent interview. "Hey, Tina Fey was in her first improv class once!" One obstacle he did not anticipate, however, was Debbie Burton.
Debbie Burton lives in suburban Highland Park. The 44-year-old mother of two is a project manager for Checkmate, a Lisle-based payroll-processing firm. "A big part of my job is getting in front of groups of people and talking," Burton explained, "and I wanted to loosen up a bit, ya know, not be so rehearsed. So I heard about these classes and thought they'd help with that"
Kissel disagrees with that assessment.
"I know she doesn't want to do this as a living, that this isn't her passion, like it is for me," Mark said, "but I just wish she would take it a little more seriously. I wish she had more respect for the artform. She clearly doesn't follow the rules. She's constantly denying the reality of what I've built and then goes ahead and imposes her own agenda on me. I mean can you believe that?"
"It's been so fun!" Debbie told me. "The other day, Mark and I did a scene where he was the president and I was the first lady and we both had Diarrhea!"
Mark hasn't said anything to Debbie directly yet. He has instead opted to casually ask other classmates for their opinion on her and hope they bring up her problems.
Share This Article
