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A Drink With…Eric Roach

By June 24, 2015No Comments

Bartender, I’ll have a…Bloody Mary, Stiegl chaser

I’m SURE you remember me from such Factory shows as…Top Shelf, Ménage a Trailer, Operation Infiltration, The Willing Participant, Dead Wrong, ‘Namosaur!, Shameless Shamuses, and I wrote Siskel & Ebert Save Chicago.

I got involved with the Factory because…They needed a guy to dress in a big rat suit for a sketch show called Lab Rats. Not one of our greatest, but I was transformed. I had never gotten away with being on stage with just my own rules to guide me and it was a revelation.

My current/next gig is…I’m cast in The Last Big Mistake coming up after Zombie Broads. I’m also thinking of using my Twitter handle more frequently, maybe, it sure is a lot of responsibility! (Editor’s Note: It’s @roachmun. Send him your love and invitations to Spring Awakening)

I give a shit about our move to Rogers Park because…
A) It’s my neighborhood! Seriously, our space is a 5 minute walk from my house, I couldn’t be more pumped for that!
B) We deserve it. We’re finally coming home to the place where we made our bones. I think it will allow us to be more creative and really let everyone in the company shine.
C) We are across the street from Fat Boys Soul Food. I want some goddamned 24/7 TIPS.

If I had to force you to listen to 2 albums, they would be…Willie Nelson’s “Stardust”, preferably on a pontoon boat with some ice cold Busch.
Van Halen, debut, loud as hell.

My favourite Factory memory is…We had just struck Janice Dutts Goes to Life Camp and it had gone slicker than shit, we were done by noon. So, the cooler came out and we sat outside with the music on and it was a gorgeous day! Carrie Sullivan had not showed yet and it was already around 3. I drunkenly asked out loud, “Hey! Where’s Sully?” Our Artistic Director, Scott OKen, drunkenly replied, “I dunno, is the Navy in town?” At that exact moment Carrie walked through the door and happily shouted “Hey guys!!”
I laughed so hard I had an out of body experience. And that is why I love the Factory.

I’m switching drinks, I’ll have a…Stiegl, Bloody Mary chaser.

Phillip Claudnic

Author Phillip Claudnic

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