Improv
CHICAGO, Ill.—Men have a reputation for forgetting important dates, but Chicago actor Eric Richards has a special way of remembering things.
“I haven’t forgotten a birthday or anniversary since I moved [to Chicago] seven years ago,” said Eric. “Even though my girlfriend and I have been together for almost five years now, I still remember we met on a Tuesday. I know because my improv team at the time, A Reptile Dysfunction, had a rehearsal that night, and we always practiced on Tuesdays.”
“It’s actually pretty creepy,” said his girlfriend, Julia Masterson. “I was trying to remember how old my friend’s son is, and Eric not only remembered his age, but his exact date of birth.”
“It’s really pretty simple,” said Eric. “We drove down to Indianapolis to meet the little guy after my improv team at the time, Hamsterdam, had a show. That team only existed from January to March of 2011, and we only opened for Jump, Jive, and Whale one time. And that time was February 12 of 2011. So I know that’s when Quincy was born.”
Eric has been on 23 different improv teams at four different theaters in the Chicago area – and he remembers the lifespan of each and every one.
“He’s a little like Rain Man in that regard,” said Julia. “Which is great for me, because I never have to remind him when our anniversary rolls around, or when Wapner is on.”
But there’s a much darker side to Eric’s talent. His special ability appears to have taken over the portion of the brain responsible for even the most basic mathematical calculations, a shortcoming that became apparent when the couple attempted to modify a cookie recipe.
“It was pretty bad,” said Eric. “I was trying my hardest to figure out how much Truvia we should use to substitute sugar, but I was really late for a show with my improv team at the time.”
Eric eventually concluded that sugar substitutes, and not Lee Harvey Oswald, assassinated JFK, before he ran out the door to meet up with his team.
“We tried that recipe in April of 2014. I remember because my improv team at the time was Lord of the Onion Rings, and that's when we were at our peak," said Eric. "We had a really great show that night."