For those of you that are not improvisers or are improvisers that live under a large rock and don't get out much, the Playground Theater will be turning five years old on May 8, 2002. We have a big weekend of special shows planned and it looks to be a good time. The weekend directly following it (because we have special shows all anniversary weekend and don't want people to be left out of the fun) we will be hosting our anniversary party, The Improv Prom.

Why a prom, you might ask, since we're all grown up and high school has passed? Well, we have a school theme going at the Playground, with our shows, our outreach programs, etc. And, hell, we thought it would be fun to have a big cheesy theme party, with a big cheesy cover band where we could all dress up in cheesy attire, drink, dance, reminisce and generally have a good time.

It seems there are some in the improv community that have a problem with the idea of a prom. Probably due in part to some horrible scarring experience when that special guy/girl didn't ask them/go with them to their junior/senior prom, or they lost prom king/prom queen to the bitchy girl/guy that sat behind them in AP History, or they were antisocial or they couldn't dance or they went with their mom/aunt/therapist or they got drunk and threw up in the limo or they had bad acne or they did/didn't lose their virginity that night or whatever. We've all had our insecure moments, our embarassing moments, our angst. I know I had mine, though not related to prom. So let's take a moment, please.

Has everyone had a moment of reflection? Good. Now get over yourselves. You're not seventeen anymore. You're an adult. Let it go already. The Improv Prom is not about you and your angst. It's about the Playground's anniversary. It's about having a good time with people you may or may not know. It's about celebrating a milestone in the improv community. Hell, maybe it's even about having a good, no pressure experience at a *gasp* prom.

Is your name not on the Prom Court ballot? Write yourself in and get your friends to vote the same way. Maybe you'll walk off with a cheap tiara and bragging rights. I think I might just vote for Dave Colan's bike, Valentine.

Do you not have a date? You don't need one. You really, really, really do not even slightly need one. But if you're that hung up on it, ask somebody to go with you. I think Dave Gilley posted some excellent dating instructions on the ImprovChicago.com board just the other day to reduce stress and increase success of nabbing that special someone.

The simple fact of the matter is that whatever kind of party we threw, somebody was going to have a problem with it. If it was a black tie dinner, people that couldn't afford it would complain. If it was a regular throwdown at the Playground with a keg, people would complain that it wasn't special enough for the anniversary. If it was a party where every guest was given copious amounts of money just for showing up, I can guarantee somebody would bitch about not having any pockets to put their cash in. C'est la vie.

I am a geek. I have always been a geek. I was not and am not part of the "popular" crowd. Even so, I like getting dressed up and having a good time, whether it be high school prom, or a sorority formal, or a wedding reception or a costume party or whatever. I know many of you out there are also geeks. The event will be filled with people that are geeks. It's the prom the you never went to but are assured, with such a high geek population in attendance, to enjoy yourself at. Plus, you don't have to spike the punch, since the beer's part of the deal.

I've been with the Playground for almost three years now. I've performed there, I've produced there, and God knows, I've worked my ass off there. The next two weekends are a celebration of all the people that have made the co-op and the theater a possibility, that formed a community and worked so hard to keep it together and growing, for the last five years. We are celebrating an experiment that on all accounts, probably shouldn't have succeeded, but did. To all of you that have decided to stop by from whatever part of the community you call home, I thank you in advance for coming out to celebrate our achievement with us.

To all those of you with a negative opinion of how we choose to celebrate, I'm sorry to hear you won't be there. To each his own, I guess.

Vote Valentine the Bicycle for Prom Queen! #