A comedian known for his roles in movies such as "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" and "Waiting..." as well as the hit NBC television series "The Office," will step onto the stage of the Muncie Civic Theatre this weekend after months of preparation.
Actor and comedian David Koechner will perform a stand-up routine at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
"It's great to see really strong talent coming to downtown," Todd Sandman, artistic and business director of the Muncie Civic Theatre, said. "Hopefully it will help draw more people to the downtown area."
The decision to have Koechner perform downtown was made about nine months ago.
Jeff Johnson, a representative from USA Entertainment Agency, is part of the group responsible for bringing Koechner to Indiana.
Although Johnson and his local contact lack connections with the university, the option of bringing more shows to campus in the future is not outside the realm of possibility.
"It may make sense to try to do some things with the college in the future," Johnson said. "We just don't have the connections there."
Prior to this weekend's Muncie appearance, Koechner will perform in Mishawaka, Ind., just east of South Bend, Ind. Having no ties to the Hoosier state, it's easy to wonder why Koechner is visiting small Indiana towns.
"I like to be versatile," he said. "That's probably the largest part to do with it: versatility. Making sure every part of your engine runs."
Koechner is easily recognized for his role as crass sportscaster Champ Kind of "Anchorman" fame, and his recurring role on The Office as obnoxious sales rep Todd Packer.
Although he typically plays "the loudest person in the room," he insists the outrageous characters he plays on-screen are not at all similar to his real life persona.
"The similarities that I have with Todd Packer and Champ Kind are that we're the same height, weight and have the same hairline," Koechner said. "The rest is satire."
Hailing from the small town of Tipton, Mo., with a population of approximately 2,000 people, Koechner recalled always being the typical class clown.
"Now that obnoxious part of me probably does parallel a person like Todd Packer," Koechner said, laughing. "As a youth, I can't imagine anyone wanting to beat me down more than a teacher."
Growing up in a small town hundreds of miles away from Hollywood, Koechner said he never really saw acting as an option because it was not something he had been exposed to before.
"I had never known anyone who was an actor," Koechner said. "I didn't know how a person went out and did something like that."
Eventually enrolling in the University of Missouri, he chose a major in political science due to an interest in politics and the vague aspiration of becoming a politician. As time went on, he realized that he was really just looking for a stage.
After studying political science for two and a half years, Koechner took a semester off to think about what he wanted to do and if he was moving in the right direction.
"I realized that most politicians come from well to do families, or have a white hot mind, you know, a very separate, different capability intellectually," Koechner said. "I didn't have either of those — the money or the brain power."
It was around this time that Koechner traveled to Chicago and got his first glimpse of the Second City.
The Second City comedy club, theatre and school of improvisation has locations in Chicago, Hollywood and Toronto and has trained high-profile comedians such as Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert.
While visiting the Second City in Chicago, Koechner saw an advertisement for improvisation classes that would set the stage for the rest of his life.
"I guess that's when a light went off," Koechner said. "I was like, ‘Oh my. They teach this. Of course that's what happens. They will teach you how to do this.'"
The Second City was the sign he needed to begin his comedic career. Koechner headed back to Missouri, saved some money and eventually moved to Chicago.
Appearing alongside household names such as Will Ferrell and Steve Carell, Koechner steadily began to solidify his place in the world of Hollywood comedy.
Like any amount of success, Koechner said he didn't reach where he is now without a little bit of hard work and persistence.
"The only obstacle between you and success is yourself," Koechner said. "And in the same tone, you're the one that is responsible for your success."
Although he is easily well known for his roles on the silver screen, within the last two years he has kick-started his stand-up career, and he has previously toured with companies doing improv and sketch comedy.
The adjustment from acting to stand-up had its ups and downs for Koechner. Prior to an earlier gig in Nashville, Tenn., he had been having some shows that were a little off. It wasn't until a club owner of one of the venues he was playing at told him that he just needed to play the hits and do the lines from the movies. That's what they wanted to see.
"I took whatever act I was doing that night and I threw it all away," Koechner said. "I just went out and did whatever I wanted, and it made a difference."
Within the next three months, Koechner will be doing about one show each month at venues in Illinois, Nevada and California.
This does not mean his acting career is on hold by any means. Prior to his shows in Indiana, Koechner filmed new episodes of "The Office."
With the start of the new year, Koechner is certainly looking at a bright future.
"I can't necessarily talk about everything, but I'm shooting a pilot for a television show and there are a couple of movies coming out," Koechner said.
"Producer," and "writer," will also join the titles associated with Koechner's name as he begins work on a couple of television series he will be producing as well as some screenplays.
As for a sequel to the smash comedy hit Anchorman, Koechner said not yet.
"We're just waiting for the studio to get in line," Koechner said. "They're the only people in the entire country, as far as I can tell, that don't want it to happen."
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