Cleetus Friedman – writer, performer, Jew

After moving to Chicago in 1995 from Baltimore, Maryland, Cleetus began taking classes at Improv Olympic where he had the privilege to develop his skills under the watchful eye of Master Del Close. In the time he spent there, he performed with the infamous Baby Fishmouth that went on to play the Big Stinkin’ Improv Festival in Austin and the Spontaneous Combustion Improv Festival in Kansas City.

After three successful years with Fishmouth, and a denial to audition for Blue Man Group because he “did not fit the height requirements,” Cleetus decided to leave and pursue his solo work.

Cleetus rolled through his first two solo shows Don’t Burn My House! in 1999 and In Full Effect in 2000.

In 2001, Cleetus opened Cracker at Improv Olympic, doing subsequent runs at Angel Island and Frankie J’s. Cracker also appeared many comedy festivals including the Hollywood Comedy Festival and the Del Close Improv Festival in New York.

In the summer of 2002, Cleetus worked with DJ Sapien at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre where he played Antipholus of Syracuse, MC Hendelberg and the Abbess in the hit show The Bomb-itty of Errors.

In 2005 Cleetus, along with DJ Sapien, released White Like Me at the Strawdog Theatre for a successful 8 week run. Soon after he and his wife gave birth to their twins, James D. and Ava Mae. Cleetus has been working on a book about fatherhood and will hope to have it in print, even bringing it to the stage.

During the summer of 2006, Cleetus was hired to write and host the Live Nation Video Network which lead to his work in 2007, where he wrote, co-produced, and hosted the on-camera work for the Live Nation VIP projects. Check the DOWNLOADS page to see more.

Nowadays, the stage for Cleetus is his monthly Supper Clubs. As part of City Provisions, these monthly events combine food, booze, and entertainment to deliver an event that transcends any food experience you have had. See what the vibe is at www.cityprovisions.com.