WLS Channel 7 - Eyewitness News at 4:30pm - "The Practical Theater Company" (1982)

Here's a look at a small repertory company called "The Practical Theater Company" that was spotlighted by critic-at-large John Callaway on an edition of Eyewitness News at 4:30pm on WLS Channel 7.

This segment was entered for submission to the Chicago Emmys, as evidenced at the start of this clip by a title card with the Emmy symbol and the words: "WLS-TV 7 - NATAS Emmy Entry - 10B - Individual Excellence, Non-Performing."

The Practical Theater Company, at the point of this profile, consisted of Brad Hall, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Gary Kroeger and Paul Barrosse. All except the last-named would join the cast of Saturday Night Live starting in the 1982-83 season, and except for Mr. Hall who left in 1984, would stay with the show until 1985. (Mr. Barrosse was a co-artistic director of PTC and would later be a supervising producer of VH1's Behind the Music.) At this very moment, the people in question had all been selected to join the then-very troubled SNL's cast. (Ms. Louis-Dreyfus, of course, would go on to the proverbial "bigger and better things" - including Seinfeld and her more recent vehicle, The New Adventures of Old Christine. She also married Mr. Hall.)

After Mr. Callaway's introduction of the piece, we see Brad and an unknown individual jamming on the guitar on two Monkees tunes, "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" and "I'm a Believer," while Julia is getting ready and Gary is reading the papers searching for new material. There is also mentioned a Chicago connection to SNL, with several ex-Second City members (namely, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray) being a part of the original cast of the show - and a clip of one of the "Olympia Restaurant" sketches (from which the famed catchphrase "Cheeseburger! Cheeseburger!" originated) being shown.

The Practical Theater Company performed at Pipers Alley in Old Town which was next to the Second City's base of operations. Segments of one of the group's improvisational performances are shown, and the four principals are interviewed by John about the challenges each faces about the venture three of them are about to join.

After the end of this report, co-anchor Tim Weigel is seen seated next to John.

This aired on local Chicago TV on Friday, September 3rd 1982 during the 4:30pm to 5:30pm timeframe.

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