By Bridget Brewer
When I was in middle school, I learned about this crazy Greek soldier named Pheidippides, who ran the world’s first marathon. In 490 BC, when the Greeks defeated the Persians on the battlefield in Marathon, Greece, Pheidippides ran all the way to Athens to deliver the news. Which is insane, because by 490 the Greeks were definitely using domesticated horses. Why didn’t Pheidippides just use a horse? What would possess him to run all the way from Marathon to Athens, without stopping and without sleeping?
Here’s the real kicker: legend says that upon arriving, he yelled out, “Rejoice! We are victorious!” Then he collapsed and died. My middle school self read that story and thought, Hell no. I would never doing something that crazy to my body, ever.
Now, some 13 years later, I am about to do a crazy thing to my body. It may not be as intense as running across Greece in the early 5th century with crappy shoes on, but here it is: I am about to improvise theater, non-stop, for 45 hours.
The Hideout Improv Marathon has been an annual occurrence since 2009. It begins at 5 pm on Friday and continues until the final hour on Sunday, which, in my case, will be 2 pm. Each show is 1 hour long, and the only caveat is that myself and my co-performers – Dave Buckman, Rachel Madorsky, Ruby Willman, Troy Miller, Katie Dahm, Michael Ferstenfeld, and Jay Funky – are not allowed to sleep.
A lot of people have asked me why I’m putting myself through this kind of extreme physical challenge. My parents, for example. My boss. My friends. My middle school self is definitely judging me from the pages of my old diaries. It might not make that much sense on paper, but here’s the thing about marathons: since their inception in 490 BC, they have been about joy. Look at Pheidippides, who ran himself literally to death so he could yell, “YOU GUYS, WE FLIPPIN’ DID IT?” and hear their happy response in person. Look at Fauja Singh, the world’s first 100-year old to finish the Toronto Marathon, who was quoted as saying, “Achieving this will be like getting married again.” Look at Roberta Gibb who, in 1966, when told she wasn’t allowed to run in the Boston Marathon because she was a girl, hid in the bushes until half the runners passed before jumping in and finishing the course at 3 hours, 21 minutes, and 40 seconds, and didn’t give a hell that her score was considered “unofficial.” My own mom ran a half marathon last year in Portland, OR in February – a gloomy, wet, horrible time of year to be in my home state – and when she was done, she said she couldn’t stop laughing.
For 6 years, The Hideout Theatre has successfully managed to find willing performers, funding to feed them, audiences to watch them, and children to benefit from The Hideout Scholarship Fund, which is where your money will be going when you pay for these shows. This year, The Hideout has even expanded to include a special class for kids who register on the Autism spectrum, which was so successful we’ll be teaching two classes again in the fall. Why not keep spreading that kind of empowerment to all people, including those who can’t front the cost of classes?
As improv taught many of us, joy is a powerful thing. I can’t imagine a better way to spend a weekend than sharing joy with my co-performers and with you, knowing that because we are doing this, other human beings will benefit. So on Friday, June 20, at 5:00 pm, I’m going to put on my crappy shoes and do crazy stuff for 45 hours. I know it’s gonna be worth it.
See the complete schedule and get your tickets to the Marathon at:
https://hideouttheatre.com/improvmarathon