Creative Direction

The cast of Bevy collaboratively developed their form over three years with guidance and direction from many noteworthy comedic giants and artistic visionaries including: Shelly Gossman, Craig Uhlir, John Lutz, TJ Jagodowski, and Abby Sher.

Time Capsule 2003 Archive

Original Bevy Cast & Bios

Carrie Barrett

Carrie Barrett moved to Chicago from Virginia to study improvisation with Improv Olympic and Annoyance theatres. For the past two and a half years, she’s loved performing at IO with her second family, Harold team James Jackson. Most recently, she performed in the critically lauded improv concept show, The Pilot and can be seen regularly with Ed Illades in the two-person outfit, Crackerjack. Also, she is the proud coach of the fun and talented all-female improv team, Legato. Equally passionate about solo performance, she just ended a six-week run of her show, Case Study, and was recently chosen to participate in Andy Eninger’s solo improvisation program, Sybilization. Carrie has a BFA in photography and fine arts video from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Jennifer Cargill

Jennifer Cargill From 1997-2001, Jennifer performed with ComedySportz Austin. In 2001, she moved to Chicago and completed training at: The Improv Olympic, Annoyance Productions and The Second City Conservatory. She performed on the Improv Olympic mainstage with the harold team Sandbox Democracy for two years. She also performed with the Chicago Sun-Times critically acclaimed all-girl improv team Bevy and the improv team Obsessed. In 2003, with Bevy, she co-wrote, directed and performed at the Improv Olympic sketch showcase for MadTV and was a headliner at Funny Women's Festival in New York City. Jennifer is also proud to be one of the creators of Bevy’s original and unique long form style that is now taught at the Improv Olympic Training Center in Chicago. She is a resident artist at Chemically Imbalanced Comedy Theater in Chicago.

Clair Clairmont FOUNDER

Clair Clairmont has been improvising since 1997, when she first fell in love with the funny people at Second City and took classes there. She has since studied with Improv Olympic and Annoyance, and has performed on such teams as Twisted, Sandbox Democracy, and the Flying Chairs. She has acted in The 24 Hour Project, Thriller Theater: Scooby Doo meets the Happy Days as Ms. C, and most recently The Paper Spaceship. Clair is trained in opera and still loves to sing. She also enjoys vintage style radio shows. For 3 years, she wrote and performed original radio schtick in front a live audience at the Green Mill lounge with the Alan Gresik's Swing Band. She has since continued to nourish this passion by writing and performing live radio shows with Strawdog/WRLS.

Kate Hawley

Kate Hawley is currently a graduate student in the journalism program at New York University. She also studies improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade theatre in New York. While she lived in Chicago, she performed regularly at Improv Olympic with the team James Jackson, and participated in theatre projects as a writer, performer and director. She's in a long distance relationship with Bevy, but the flame is still burning.

Niki Lindgren

Niki Lindgren is currently performing with the Second City National Touring Company. She came to Chicago to study Improv with a BA in Theatre from James Madison University located in Harrisonburg, VA (a.k.a. "Chickentown: Poultry Capitol of the World"). Since then, Niki feels honored to have performed at ImprovOlympic with such talented improv ensembles as "James Jackson" and "Baby Wants Candy." She is also a member of "Bevy," and performs with them whenever she gets a chance. Niki can also be seen in her one-woman show, "Photosynthesis of God and Man" which she has performed at Improv Olympic, and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, as well as other festivals in Chicago. Niki adores her friends and family for their constant support, love, laughter, and free rice.

Holly Laurent

Holly Laurent will sing you a song about how much she loves The Reckoning. She also loves playing with Bevy, teaching at Improv Olympic, and T.J. They also have songs.

Erika May

Erika May digs BEVY like an old soul record. She also performs regularly with Hall of Presidents at IO, the ComedySportz ensemble and with Matt Chapman in their two person show "Fun Club". Currently, she can be seen writing and performing in "The Late Night Late Show with Mark Luge" at ImprovOlympic on Saturday nights.

Lisa Nagatomo

Lisa Nagatomo-Timms, AKA Nagi-T, is obsessed with Bevy. Lisa began improvising to balance her daily life as a social worker but found herself drawn to the art form and the great people who do Improv. Originally trained as a classical ballet dancer, Lisa found a great deal more freedom in Improv. In fact she became so enthralled with Improv that she married a fellow improvisor, and hopes one day to have her own Improv theatre.

Shannon Winpenny

Shannon Winpenny is very happy and honored to be playing with these gals. Her infectious giggle is especially contagious when performing with the lovely ladies of BEVY. Born and raised in Hawaii, she performed and improvised with Loose Screws before moving to Chicago and playing with teams like The Rooftop Players and performing in The Oracle and Silent Movie, both directed by Jonathan Pitts. Her training includes the Second City Conservatory, Improv Olympic, and the Annoyance. When she's not playing with the gorgeous ladies of Bevy, she whoops it up with the members of Baby Brother Mother Soup at Improv Olympic.

Additional Cast Members

Jet Eveleth

Jet Eveleth joined Bevy in March 2004. She began studying and performing improvised theater in the Boston area around 1994. Since then she has studied improv in England at the University of Hull and was also part of Honolulu's troop, "Loose Screws". Jet moved to Chicago in 2000 to pursue improvised comedy and dance. Soon after arriving she had the opportunity to teach improv dance to high school students through the After School Matters program. Since then she has taught in theaters, women's clubs and schools throughout Chicago. This year Jet presented and facilitated a workshop at the Theater of the Oppressed Conference, creating a fusion between motion, rhythm and political theater. Jet tries to bring in her movement background as well as her knowledge of eastern medicine and philosophy into the theories of improv theater. Perspective, energy and body awareness are Jet's points of concentration when teaching improv.

Katie Nahnsen

Katie Nahnsen moved to Chicago to pursue acting and fell in love with improv at Second City and ImprovOlympic. Since then, she has written

and performed in several sketch comedy shows at different theatres throughout Chicago and different festivals throughout the country. Favorites include The Good Time Hour, Heads in the Sand, Hellhouse, and her solo shows, Tales from Waterloo and My New Solo Show. She also performs at ImprovOlympic and around the city with improv-sensations like AutoRock, Barbershop, Bevy, Malice, and Strawberry Quik. Katie’s favorite thing in the world is to create and perform with people she loves and respects…so in her book, Bevy is tops!

Lanette Weninger

Lanette Weninger is a small town girl from South Dakota. The bright lights of the Second City and the Improv Olympic brought her to Chicago. She completed her dance degree at Columbia College Chicago. Now she works for a local mortgage company. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to perform with BEVY and Mammal 79.