Bio:
I am a data scientist, a computer program developer, and artist working in Milwaukee, WI USA. I am internationally published in numerous media.
Some addresses of note with my work:
Erik Kaconis and Improv at The Interchange Theater Co-op
1975: George Carlin opened at the humble beginnings of the Saturday Night Live. Using a break from character in order to drive surprise, the now iconic first utterance of “Live from New York…” was said with a smile. It was 3 years before NBC took notice of the fledgling troupe to give Johnny Carson a weekend. Blasting them into production on national television and producing a platform for greats such as Robin Williams, Danny DeVito, and Rita Rudner.
In just as humble a beginning from Milwaukee, on any given Friday or Saturday at 7:30pm: Milwaukee has a new force in underground comedy. It’s thoughtful, barking, snickering laughter.
Erik Kaconis hosts a randomized improv comedy show interesting enough to warm a stodgy critic’s heart, but also calculated enough to combat the rigamarole of larger less esoteric acts such as ComedySportz while remaining PG-13 accessible. Truthfully, it promises good times for almost all ages (with a stocked bar – parental guidance sought)
Erik’s concept at the Interchange Theater Co-op is interesting. Part student, part professional, the coop members perform every weekend riled by their audiences.
Topics include anything that the audience can surmise. They tag team and team-work through their skits in ways both nuanced and also sometimes obvious. If the crazy is getting too crazy, or if the out-of-control is getting too out-of-control, each team-mate signals a need for help or the ability to help in a meaningful tug-of-laughter-push-pulling for the show to go on.
It’s $10 at the door. Season tickets $100.
Erik teaches comedy clinics and offers shares into the theater to support it.
628 N 10th Street Milwaukee, WI 53233
Thomas Mertons and Chess
Brewed Awakenings Café in Milwaukee’s Brady Street community closed for business recently. I realized that for years I used to meet Tom there.
I had a friend in a young man named Thomas Mertons. He was utterly shrewd, pedantic, and a decidedly good young man. I realized this morning that I hadn’t heard of him in some time. Possibly the city and I have grown more healed of his loss.
He was well known by many as a chess prodigy – from the age of 13 he was considered one of the strongest players of the game of chess in the world – but I spent a good deal of time speaking to him. We would meet once or twice a week for three hours or more to play chess and talk about whatever came to mind. It was a good friendship for about 5 years. In his absence, I still consider the young man to be an old friend.
Tom had a notion of excellence that was curt, but a notion of realistic decency that was deeply ingrained in his personality. Once, I had attempted to quit smoking and thought to switch to less enjoyable self-rolled cigarettes. He simply stated, “Roll thin cigarettes.” in a poke at the absurdity of it. If I were to quit, that goal would be no cigarettes, not thin cigarettes. That was 20 years ago. I still smoke.
He and I lost touch when he started working towards a marriage. This is an aspect of adulthood that many decry and few explain, but people have to implode their relationships towards planned families, and so don’t have the time to discuss philosophy for days on end.
The relationships put a particular pressure on him to succeed financially while the world was less successful on the whole. The throes of the Great Recession of ‘2008’ were already underway and he was unable to support a lifestyle that he thought was moving towards success. The frank truth of the matter was very few people could. Our generation grew with the Dotcom/Startup expectation of wealth. But, it must come from somewhere, doesn’t it. And it more and more often doesn’t. More often than not.
He took his own life ultimately for economic woe and this deeply saddens me. But something about researching him for this writing today alarms me. This is: we forget too completely. Healing from a loss is good, mourning that loss is good. But loss should never be complete. In the case of Tom, I’m unable to find his chess games to discuss for this writing or any other images of him. The internet forgets a good man if I don’t write this.
Remember him.
The Work of Mike Nagel of Milwaukee, WI USA
The work of Mike Nagel was a testament to the possible. I knew the man well. He was a constant force to the good in the arts of Milwaukee, WI USA. His life was interesting, but all his efforts amounted to pushing what’s possible into the world.
He held a certain moral responsibility in his work. I think of the comic book series he produced on the life and decisions of Jesus. While I saw the work being done, I had never the chance to read the finished work, the funding for the comic book was pulled. And the Streeters Cartoon of which he was producer and animator also held an adolescent inner-city moral code to proof. The stories are important. However, this effort, was also pulled due to funding.
During his life his talent, and the talent of many, are often held in suspension by the funding apparatus of the arts. Allow me to point out that the NEA.gov has released under refreshed funding from the Biden Administration a slew of grants that can enable work in the arts. Use them.