Makeshift Shakespeare

Based on audience suggestions, Makeshift Shakespeare creates fully improvised plays in the style of William Shakespeare. These men make merry with your muchly masterful meanings.

Saturday Night Headliners!!!

Cackowski and Dassie

Craig Cackowski hails from the great state of Virgina, the Mother of Presidents, where he attended the venerable College of William and Mary. He first began improvising as a member of W. & M.’s troupe I.T., and moved to Chicago with a B.A. in Theatre, and an intent to become a serious actor. That quest was sidetracked after his first improv class with Charna Halpern at the Improv Olympic, and forever abandoned after studying for a year with the great Del Close, the guru of longform improv comedy. It was at iO Chicago that Craig first met and worked with Bob Dassie and Rich Talarico, in various groups and teams, including Mr. Blonde, Faulty Wiring, Baby Wants Candy, Close Quarters and The Armando Diaz Experience, Theatrical Movement and Hootenanny. Craig coached many teams in Chicago, including the long-running Frank Booth, and directed such shows as JTS Brown. Craig has taught for iO Chicago and iO West since 1995, and is the three-time winner of the Del Close Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Robert Dassie is originally from Chicago where he studied with many improv luminaries including Del Close, toured with the Second City and co-created and performed in several long-form improvisation shows such as Trio and Quartet (at Improv Olympic) and Close Quarters (at Second City etc). He has appeared regularly in New York at the UCB hosted Del Close Marathon with Dasariski and his two-person show WeirDass, ventured out to Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Baby Wants Candy and has appeared and taught at improv festivals around the globe.

Bob can be seen on HBO’s “Funny or Die Presents…” starring in “Carpet Bros.” along with Tim Meadows, David Spade and Will Farrell. You can also check him out live every Thursday at the IOWest in Quartet/Quintet or often at the UCB Theatre in Dasarisk.