iO Theater to Present New Vienna Juvenile Sketch Comedy Revue

Vienna Juvenile Sketch Comedy is proud to announce that their fourth sketch revue, The Adventures of Reginald Sampson (and the Consequence of Bliss), will make its debut this April at Chicago's iO Theater (1501 N Kinsbury St, Chicago, IL, 60642). The show will be directed by the group's Resident Director, Sophie Blumberg, and it will be written and performed by Vienna Juvenile Ensemble Members and Layne Dixon, Hank Greene, and Anthony Smith. The show will run on Fridays at 10:30pm from April 22 - May 27, with a preview performance on April 15. All performances will be in The Chris Farley Cabaret. Tickets are $14 for the general public (free for iO students), and they can be purchased online at iOImprov.com/Chicago, or by calling the box office at (312) 929-2401.

"We're so honored and excited to debut our fourth original sketch revue at the world-famous iO Theater," said Vienna Juvenile co-founder and Ensemble Member Anthony Smith. "iO's incredible commitment to comedic quality and excellence, as well as its reputation as a launching point for some of comedy's best talent, makes this a rare and incredible opportunity for us. A huge thanks to the entire iO team for inviting us into their space to present this show."

The show marks Vienna Juvenile's second performance at iO. In August 2015, they performed their third revue, Orbit, in a sold out, one-night only performance.

"Vienna Juvenile's approach to the revue is a breath of fresh air in a sketch scene that often follows tried and true formulas," said iO Creative Director Alex Honnet. "Sure, the writing is great and there are plenty of laughs. More though, you'll walk away feeling exalted and small in all the right ways, the same way you did when you heard your favorite band at 16 for the first time. They aren't afraid to lean into emotion-sometimes to the point of Hallmark card level sentimentality. Somehow it never feels corny or unearned. They come across as romantics and true believers. You should let them try to make a true believer out of you too."

About Vienna Juvenile

Formed in October 2013 by writers/performers Layne Dixon, Anthony Smith and Hank Greene, Vienna Juvenile Sketch Comedy strives to create emotionally driven comedy revues that focus on the common human experiences we share but so rarely talk about-shedding light on anxieties, joys and fears that we often keep to ourselves. Their revues as an ensemble include Who Do I Give This Money To, Journey Into Hindsight and Orbit. They have performed in front of packed houses at Chicago Sketchfest and the legendary iO Theater, have been featured on The Paper Machete podcast, and as headliners at the Indiana University Campus Comedy Festival.

About The Adventures of Reginald Sampson (and the Consequence of Bliss)

We all love stories-the comfort of beginnings, middles, and endings laid out beautifully with happily-ever-afters to depend upon. But in a world of stories, when do we leave time for reality to set in, and, perhaps more importantly, do we let it set in at all? The cast of Vienna Juvenile invite you to join them for an evening of sketch comedy somewhere between imagination and actuality, and ask you to wonder if the beautiful stories we tell ourselves blind us to the beauty of the real world.

Sophie Blumberg (Director) is thrilled to return to Vienna Juvenile, where she is currently Resident Director, for The Adventures of Reginald Sampson (and the Consequence of Bliss). Previous work with Vienna Juvenile includes Orbit and their premiere production, Who Do I Give This Money To? Regional Theatre Credits: Director for Don't Leave Me Here Okay, The Q&A, Elsewhere, and The Rulers of All Worlds: A [Cos]Play at Actors Theatre of Louisville with the Apprentice/Intern Company. Assistant Director for Another Word for Beauty at the Goodman, The Roommate, I Promised Myself To Live Faster, The Brothers Size, A Christmas Carol, The Last Five Years, and Love's Labour's Lost at Actor's Theatre of Louisville. Dramaturg for Objects in the Mirror and The Amateurs at the Goodman Theatre for New Stages 2015. Assistant Dramaturg: Smokefall, The Upstairs Concierge, Feathers and Teeth, and Buzzer at the Goodman Theatre. Chicago Theatre: Director at First Floor Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Chicago Writers Bloc, First Floor Theatre, Pride Films and Plays, The Women's Theatre Alliance, Fury Theatre, Vienna Juvenile, and Cold Basement Dramatics. She is a founder and current ensemble member with devised theatre project The Electric Brain. Blumberg received her B.A from Kenyon College and completed the Directing Internship at Actors Theatre of Louisville in the 2014/2015 Season.

Layne Dixon (Writer/Ensemble) has appeared with Vienna Juvenile in the original revues Orbit, Journey Into Hindsight and Who Do I Give This Money To, and was also recently seen in The Second City Conservatory show, Comedy Train. Other credits include Strapped In at the Annoyance Theatre, independent improv group Dinner for Yesterday and The Second City's student writing 6 show, Love, Security and Other Mythical Creatures. Originally from Atlanta, Layne is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory and previous member of Indiana University's Awkward Silence Comedy. When she's not reading "The Giving Tree" or unsuccessfully trying to swaddle her dog you can find her taking photographs of people around town.

Hank Greene (Writer/Ensemble) has appeared with Vienna Juvenile in the original revues Orbit, Journey Into Hindsight and Who Do I Give This Money To. In addition to his work with Vienna Juvenile, Hank is an award-winning playwright whose work includes three productions of The Blizzard from 2012 - 2014 (Bloomington Playwrights Project), two productions of The Vintage Scenes from 2012 - 2013 (Bloomington Playwrights Project), Death Metal Family Radio Hour (Indianapolis Fringe Festival 2013), Death Metal Podcast for Kids (Indianapolis Fringe Festival 2014), along with his work on Washington D.C.-based mentalist Max Major's newest show, Think Again (Adirondack Theatre Festival). His short play, Little Bunny Honk Honk took home the Audience Choice Award at "The BPP Playoffs" at the Bloomington Playwrights Project and his newest work, Thirty Day Mourning Period (or the Revolution That Occured When Mr. Clybourne Killed Himself and Was Unable to Come in to Work Thursday Morning) won the Reva Shriner Comedy Award, and will make its world premiere at the Bloomington Playwrights Project in the fall of 2016. Hank also serves as Resident Playwright and Literary Associate for the Bloomington Playwrights Project, as well as the Literary Manager at the Adirondack Theatre Festival.

Anthony Smith (Writer/Ensemble) has appeared with Vienna Juvenile in the original revues Orbit, Journey Into Hindsight and Who Do I Give This Money To. When not working in Vienna Juvenile, Anthony is an improviser and playwright. He is an alumnus of Indiana University's Awkward Silence Comedy, where he was president and a playing member with Vienna Juvenile ensemble member Layne Dixon from 2008-2012. His playwriting credits include Silent Night and Black Tie Affair. Black Tie Affair was a selection for Bloomington Playwright Project's New Undergraduate Plays of the Midwest Showcase. After its showcase at Bloomington Playwright's Project it was published by the Writers' Guild of Bloomington.

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