Andy Eninger is a co-founder of GayCo Productions; teaches comedy writing and improvisation for Second City; and has performed countless times for Chicago Comedy Company, which he started in 1997. Eninger recently agreed to another sort of improvisation by answering some At a Glance questions.
Favorite childhood memory: There are so many good ones. One of my favorites was rolling around under mulberry bushes in this ink-dyed grass. My parents knew when it was happening and made sure that I was wearing my mulberry-safe clothing.
Favorite thing about Chicago: Well, it's the capital of the Midwest. It has all the cosmopolitan things that I need to have; it's gay-friendly, liberal, and [ full of ] culture. Yet, there's still that Midwest sensibility here. In some neighborhoods, you feel like you're in a small town.
Besides the cold weather, your least favorite thing about Chicago: It's people who find a very narrow niche of living and that's all they know. For some [ people ] , it might be their job and working out. It's [ frustrating ] to see people stop growing in the midst of so much growth. Also, there's the fact that there are no hills. [ Laughs. ]
Favorite vacation spot: I spent this past summer in Bar Harbor, Maine. It was absolutely gorgeous.
Favorite decade: Not the '80s. [ Laughs. ] Actually, I love the 1890s. The World's Fair was in Chicago and there was this quickening of things.
Choice—Prince's '80s hits or Michael Jackson's '80s hits?: [ Without hesitation. ] Oh my God, Prince's hits. Michael typified the best of what was going on, but Prince led the curve. Also, Prince is an amazing musician.
Choice—Fame or fortune?: Fame. I've always been obsessed with famous people and the nature of fame.
Choice—A nice body or a nice brain?: I can't have both? See, that's my problem—I can't have both! [ Laughs. ] For myself and someone else, I would ultimately choose a nice brain.
Choice—Confronting or avoiding?: I prefer confronting. Life's too short to avoid things.
Choice—Dogs or cats?: I used to be a cat person but now I'm a dog person. I owned a dog with my ex-boyfriend. Dogs are like people; cats are like furniture.