LAKEVIEW — If you've ever seen stand-up comedy, you know audience feedback is a big part of the show.
"There's a relationship between the comedian and the audience," said Ian Abramson, a 26-year-old Chicago performer. "You're speaking to the audience. If you get a groan or if something doesn't hit, you change what you're doing."
So Abramson started to wonder: What would happen if I took that away?
"Seven Minutes in Purgatory" was born.
During the stand-up show, comedians perform backstage in a soundproof room. Their routine is videotaped and streamed live for an audience. The comedian has no idea how it's going.
"The first time I did it, it was still way more strange than I would've expected," Abramson said. "Somebody could be yelling something out. Nobody could be paying attention. Everybody could've reasonably just groaned at something I'm saying. There is a response, but I don't know what it is. It's kind of an out-of-body experience."
Abramson and production partner Matt Byrne will put on "Seven Minutes in Purgatory" for the third time in Chicago later this month, with a Nov. 18 show at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave.
Comedians will perform in a small bathroom in a projection room. Abramson said he'll film both the performances and audience reaction so he can splice them together later, side-by-side, and put the videos online.
"All the comedians get to see the aftermath," Abramson said. "It feels like you're bombing, and you just kind of hope you're not."
Rebecca O'Neal has performed stand-up in Chicago for the last three years. She'll join the "Seven Minutes in Purgatory" show for the first time this month.
"Any comedian would be afraid of it," she said. "We kind of augment our show in the moment, depending on what people are laughing at, or not laughing at. We work with feedback. To have that taken away is scary."
And that's the draw. O'Neal said putting together a routine has pushed her creatively. She's excited to see what happens — good, bad or other.
"I've been playing around with a couple ideas ... probably nothing that involves audience participation," she said with a laugh. "But I could actually do crowd work and not know what they're saying. That could be funny."
Abramson said comedian reactions to date have varied widely. Some comics embrace their anxiety and roll it into their routine. One performer called the audience to ask how he was doing.
"It's a fun way to see how you perform under this different kind of pressure," Abramson said. "You're basically choosing to have a security camera on you while you're alone in a bathroom, rehearsing in a mirror."
Tickets to the Music Box show are available here.
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