A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Food Pantry

It's a tale of two establishments in the city.

In times of relentless recession, business is booming at the local food pantry.

Meanwhile, a comedy club finds there aren't a lot of laughs in trying to stay afloat. 

Straddling both is improvisational actor Melvin Kim, newly appointed Development Director of Loaves and Fishes. He's working to raise funds by day and fun by night.

"In an ideal world, I don't know if I would want to be an actor full time," Kim said. "It's an outlet, a hobby I'm comfortable doing."

Kim trained at Second City and worked in Chicago before joining the improv team at Naperville's Comedy Shrine three years ago. He was previously Director of Youth Ministries at Faith Christian Reformed Church in Elmhurst.

Kim looks forward to new ventures with Loaves and Fishes, which is currently constructing a 17,000-square-foot building on High Grove Lane.

"It's a very exciting time right now," Kim said. "We are implementing Pathways to Empowerment Programs. As well as providing food, we want to empower people to help deal with some of the underlying problems they face."

Link to laughter

While the rise in the number of clients at Loaves and Fishes is nothing to laugh about, there's more of a link between improvisational comedy and feeding the hungry than you might imagine.

"One thing I have learned is not to force the funny, because it doesn't come out," Kim said. "In fact, it often falls flat if you are so self-centered. It doesn't work in a team.

"Here (at Loves and Fishes), people have a sense of humor, but when we try to push too hard it falls flat. If we have our own agenda it falls flat, just as it would in improv. We have a team mentality. Sometimes someone takes the lead and brings their gift to the table, but then they might have to step back. Sometimes you don't know who is leading, but it all rides along efficiently anyway."

Growing numbers and new ventures are something Comedy Shrine owner Dave Sinker can only dream about at the moment. After four years in Naperville, the Emmy Award-winning comedy writer is at a crossroads. Struggling to pay a high rent is no joke. Despite implementing several creative ideas to bring in more customers, he's now trying to decide whether he should move on.

"It was never my dream to own a comedy club," Sinker said. "My dream was always to play the wacky neighbor in a sit-com. I don't think I can afford to stay on here past the end of the year, so I'm looking for a new site. I'd like to stay here in Naperville, but I'm willing to go to Hawaii!"

During the summer, the downtown Naperville club has attracted visitors by cutting prices and using Groupon, the popular Chicago discount website. New shows will include teens and Dave's own one-man show to save the cost of paying a troupe of 18 improvisational actors.

"I've loved performing, but the day-to-day hassles of running a business in this town have almost killed me, and the concept of starting over is challenging to say the least," Sinker says.

In addition to its 100-seat theater space, the Comedy Shrine also is home to Sinker's extensive collection of comedy memorabilia.

"This is the best-kept secret in Naperville," he said of the Comedy Shrine. "Writing comedy is therapeutic, but it's a wonderful experience when you get that immediate response when you're performing. We wouldn't have lasted this long if it weren't for the wonderful audiences we have here."

Improv(e) Hunger

Sinker and Kim are joining forces for a special Halloween comedy fundraiser on Oct. 30. Tickets for the show, "Improv(e) Hunger," will be $20 per person, with a choice of two performances (at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.). Tickets are available at the club's website.

You can find the Comedy Shrine above River Square at 22 E. Chicago Ave. in Naperville. 

Download the movie