Introducing: Jake Benke

Name: Jake Benke

Nickname: LuckSack

Favorite Actor: Cillian Murphy

Favorite food: toasted ravioli

Interests: history, movies, puzzles, tennis, and bowling

Hobbies: MTG, board gaming (esp Risk), HON

I take interest to improv because it gives me a chance to work with friends in and environment where everyone can see the best each of us has to offer. I would describe myself as a nerdy, awkward historian that makes jokes that are funnier in my head than in practice. For the life of me, I cannot grow a full on manly beard so I keep a fashionable neck beard or neard for short. Some of my friends say that I am cheesy which is okay as long as you aren't lactose intolerant.

Often when I am not practicing improv you will find me defending myself in all types of crazy arguments. These arguments generally range from my creditability as a historian up to but not limited to recounting minor insignificant details about what adventures may or may not have happened among friendly events between my peers. Most of these arguments end with one of us calling for a time machine to be built on the spot to take us back in time to validate each others claims, while others end with a simple, "you don't even know".

Introducing: Josh Caldwell

The main reason I'm interested in improv is that it will be just another medium to spend time laughing with my awesome friends and hopefully make some other people laugh a little bit too! My favorite actor would probably have to be Robin Williams, no real reason other than the fact that he is Ms. Doubtfire. I guess not much really needs to be added to that point. I'm pretty much up to eating anywhere that doesn't include cilantro. I'm also a sucker for ranch dressing. I'm my years as a dedicated ranch aficionado, I would have to say the Patio takes the gold metal with Chili's earning a very well deserved silver.

When I'm not spending my days explaining to seniors why their house phones can't change channels on their televisions, I typically find reasons to be angry on the Internet. A hobby of mine is being a rabblerouser and a provocateur, at least that is what is perceived by some. I prefer to think of it as sarcasm, but some people just like to be offended.

I really wish I had hair. I truly feel like I have been dealt a shitty hand when it came to luscious locks. I'm contemplating a skullet, as it would be rather classy. I mean just because there is nothing on top doesn't mean I can't jazz up the sides a bit, but maybe my dreams of having golden Brett Michael's hair are slightly delusional. I have tried having hair a couple of times and I felt like people treated me better when I resembled and overweight Fabio. Oh well.

Intoducing: Rhonda Swanberg

I first realized that I wanted to be in the spotlight when I was a zebra in my second grade play. Ever since I have been active in theater and improv. Even though being one character with a script is fun, I like it better when you can change the mood and add a little flavor. That is why improv interested me so much and I have been doing it since. Throughout high school I was in a small Second City team at my park district and then for another two years in college I was part of a tremendous group. Now those times have passed and it is our moment to start our own team.

I have eight cats, a lot of shoes, dancing feet, and big dreams! I am shorter than most and taller than none but I make up for it with my loud voice. I might not always match but it doesn't really matter because it adds to the awkwardness that is me. I am a vegetarian by choice. I love anything to do with cheese, for example: cheese fries, cheese pizza, cheese sticks, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, cheese dip, cheesy broccoli, nacho cheese, and deli cheese right out of the package. It might be safe to say that I am just a small, rolled up cheese ball.

WELCOME!

Welcome to This is not a Blog!

Thank you for stumbling upon our blog and I hope you enjoy it.

Over the course of this blog we will be posting about the progress of our Improv team delightfully named Cocobutter&Cash. My name is Rhonda Swanberg and here is a bit of our back story:

Earlier this year I met all of these awesome people through my boyfriend Jake. I always stressed how much I loved improv when they would ask me about my interests. Over time we started chatting and decided that it would be fun to do some improv games together. After we tried it out a couple times during some crazy nights we knew that we needed to start a team. So here we are documenting our progress as we introduce the members,meeting conversations, and insight to our games and shows.

Please comment and let us know what seems to be working and if you have any ideas that would work well for us as we grow.

The next posting will be an introduction with pictures and descriptions of CocoButter&Cash's players! See you soon!

-R.L.S