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Health & Fitness

Improv Troupe find home at David Adler Music and Arts Center

The Anti-Depressants Improv troupe finds a home at The David Adler Music and Arts Center.

The Anti-Depressants, an improv troupe made up of local improvisers Barb Selvaggio, Tracey Lester, Tom Akouris, Don Closs, Ben Hess, and Ellen Williams will be appearing at the David Adler Music and Arts Center in Libertyville.

The Anti-Depressants started a few years back when they appeared regularly at Salerno's restaurant in Vernon Hills.  Salerno's closed its doors and the Anti-Depressants found themselves without somewhere to perform.

This year the Anti-Depressants found a home at the David Adler Music and Arts Center and have been holding their rehearsals in the historic ballroom.

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Their first show is THIS SATURDAY, JANUARY 19 at the David Adler Music and Arts Center.  There is a 7:30pm meet and greet with the cast and the actual show will be starting promptly at 8:00pm.

The show has adult content.  BYOB for anyone over the age of 21.

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For any questions please call the Adler Center's office at 847-367-0707

Featured Cast:

Tom Akouris (Coach) is a graduate of The Second City Conservatory and is very proud to be coaching such talented and innovative improvisers as The Anti-Depressants.

Barb Selvaggio is an actor, improviser, writer and more recently a blues singer/songwriter and harmonica player. She recently performed at Second City in "The Best of Ten", Gorilla Tango Theater Skokie in "Nobody Grows Up Wanting to Be a Server", Jimmy Carrane's "Art of Slow Comedy Show" and NUFAN's "HomeGoing." She trained at Second City, Annoyance Theater, Improv Playhouse, the late Paul Sills' Wisconsin Dells Improv Summer Program, Victory Gardens Theater and The New Actors Theater in New York founded by Mike Nichols. She dabbled in stand up but her true passion is improv and the Old Town School of Music blues harp program

Tracey Lester has been doing improv and stand up for six years and is one of the founders of The Anti – Depressants. She has performed with Improv Playhouse, Second City and the improv troupe Support Hose. She studied at The Annoyance and Second City.

Benjamin Hess has been doing improv since 2007 in high school, college, and beyond. Raised in West Michigan, he attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, where he was very actively involved in WheatonImprov, the student-run improv club at Wheaton College. After graduation, he moved to Chicago, tried to find a job, and kept doing improv occasionally until he was picked up by the Anti-Depressants.

Don Closs has been doing improv and stand-up for five years, and has been a member of the Anti-Depressants for one year.  He attended high school at the Proviso Math and Science Academy where he was captain of the Improv team for three years.  He is very excited to entertain the masses with the Anti-Depressants.

Ellen Williams is an improviser and writer.  She is currently studying both Improvisation and Writing at Second City and is a member of the improv troupe PANTS PANTS PANTS.  She can also be seen in Ultimate Grand Supreme at Stage 773 this February and March.  She fills her days working as the Administrative Assistant at the lovely David Adler Music and Arts Center and is thrilled to be doing improv in such a beautiful and important historic location.

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