Dumb John
was photographed by Clayton Hauck at See You Soon during a Keep it 100 session on February 7, 2025.
Interviewed on location and edited by Clayton Hauck.
“Chicago's like the only city with an actual improv scene where people kind of understand what's going on and have audiences. You don't find that anywhere else, so that's cool.”
First, Some Stories From
Dumb John via Instagram:
I'm here with Dumb John. Hi Dumb John, how are you?
Good!
How does it feel to get hundreds thousands of photos made of you in a few short minutes?
Amazing! Easiest photo shoot I’ve ever done.
I feel like it takes a lot of pressure off of the modeling aspect of it.
Yeah, and they all looked amazing and we nailed every single one of them.
Well let's not make this about me. Let's talk about you guys! Tell me about Dumb John.
We do a live improv comedy show every Wednesday at 7:30 [at iO]. It's free!
Why do you do a comedy show?
Why do you take photos?
I'm the one asking the questions!
It's a trying time, and we just want to bring joy to the world.
It is a window of joy in my week, every week, of just like an hour of goofing around playing and making people laugh, hopefully.
Yeah, with this group, there's a really huge amount of trust and confidence to where we could do whatever we want and know that everyone else is gonna jump on board and make it look good; so it's like just cut loose and know that it's gonna be art when we're done with it.
What's the best place you all have ever performed?
Manny's Deli? (Laughs)
We talk about trying to do a show at a McDonald's sometimes.
Like an official show, or you just show up and start a show?
We would probably coordinate it where it would be official. Maybe in the Play Place? We’ve joked about doing a tour of McDonald's restaurants.
That's hilarious. Tell me about the Chicago comedy scene a little bit. like what's your favorite place to watch comedy? Shout out someone in you’re your digging these days.
Well, Sand is one of my favorite improv teams, as well as Super Human. Are they still doing it?
Logan Square Improv is a really great theater. We gotta shot out iO cause that's where we play every week.
CIC rest in peace, but it'll be back. It's a great theater.
Oh! The Tuesday Night Good Show, that’s really fun, at Gallery Cabaret. Yeah, that show is awesome.
Chicago's like the only city with an actual improv scene where people kind of understand what's going on and have audiences. You don't find that anywhere else, so that's cool.
How did yall end up in Chicago or are you from here originally? What brought you to Chicago?
I needed to escape from a boyfriend when I moved to Chicago.
I came here to try to play at iO, to be honest.
I moved here to play in a band I was with and tour and live in Chicago, and never left.
I went to college here and I hated it and I found improv. (Laughs)
That's great. Alright, final word, last thought.
We're never going to die and there are no consequences.
Love will always win.
Thank you so much. Dumb John, ladies and gentlemen.
Gallery of Clayton’s favorites from the session with Dumb John:
