Sigma Phi Epsilon - Valparaiso University

Page 2 A s an undergraduate at Valparaiso University, John Lutz '95 was compelled to tag along with guys from his freshman dorm to check out Sigma Phi Epsilon during recruitment. He was surprised to connect with so many Indiana Zeta members, and John quickly found a remarkable opportunity to develop writing skills through the fraternity for a successful career in comedy. SigEp Memories _______________________________ "We used to have the most amazing parties," John said. He recalls preparing for annual luaus, dumping sand on the patio and forming a makeshift waterfall for an island theme. It even featured a firework- erupting volcano that went awry one year: "The party scrambled into the house as a bottle rocket zipped between my legs. It might have been safer if we made lava using vinegar and baking soda, but since it was a fraternity house, our kitchen didn't have any food in it." John served as secretary and took minutes from chapter meetings, posting the joke-entwined documents in the house bathrooms. "I thought I was nailing it, but most brothers didn't get my sense of humor," he added. While punchlines didn't always land, his secretary role prepared John for career criticism that helped his development as a comedy writer. From Valpo to NYC ____________________________ "I almost missed my opportunity to work for Saturday Night Live because of a chip on my shoulder," he said. John felt overlooked when he wasn't chosen to perform at a showcase in front of SNL producers at Improv Olympic in 2004, but friends convinced him to attend the event anyway. After speaking with the theater's owner, John secured a spot to perform and impressed the producers enough to fly him out to interview with Lorne Michaels. "They hired me at an SNL afterparty. Long story short … too late (Shoutout to the movie Clue!). I went from performing and teaching improv to writing for SNL in less than two weeks. Moral of the story: don't just complain when things don't go your way, take some kind of positive action. If you do complain, complain to good friends." John found himself balancing work, time, and sleep when Tina Fey asked him to be an extra for the pilot of 30 Rock while he continued to write for SNL. As the show progressed, he faced long days of commuting between the set and the real 30 Rock to prepare for SNL episodes. "Tina mentioned that if the show got picked up, she had an episode where a writer called her the c-word. She didn't want any regular cast members to do that because she didn't want the audience to hate them, so she was going to give it to me. Maybe that's why so many people don't like the character of Lutz. I must have done a good enough job, because she started giving me more and more lines." Career Growth ________________________________ John currently writes for Late Night with Seth Meyers, working on character pieces like his "Leave Him Alone Guy" in the audience. "The sketch starts off with Seth making a joke about someone in the news, and I stand up from the audience and yell, 'Leave him alone! If you want to make fun of somebody, you should make fun of me.' I explain why Seth should make fun of me: 'You could make fun of the fact that when I get embarrassed, my cheeks get bright red. Luckily, no one can see them through my underwear.'" Alongside his work with Seth, John wrote an audiobook titled Escape from Virtual Island about a group stuck in a virtual reality simulator. He has worked on several projects with Paula Pell, including a show they co-created on Roku named Mapleworth Murders. "I was recently in Girls5Eva on Netflix, which also stars Paula. I think 89% of my jobs have involved Paula. The other 11% should have—she's the funniest woman alive." In his personal life, John enjoys staying in touch with SigEp alumni when possible. A few came to one of his improv shows in Chicago this past October, meeting up after his performance. "We hadn't seen each other in forever, but the second we started talking, it was like old times—minus the bargain bin fireworks and urinal jokes." THE SIGEP IN THE WRITERS' ROOM John Lutz '95 on Developing from Fraternity Secretary to Actor, SNL Writer John performing with Seth Meyers on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Photo: LloydBishop/©NBCUniversal. Tag: @LloydBishop You can connect with John at johnmlutz@mac.com. John's Advice for Aspiring Writers "Find people you like working with. Even if you're not making money, you're still doing the thing you love with the people you love. And then when one of them gets successful, ask them for a job." John and Kit Harington in a Game of Thrones pre-taped sketch. Photo: LloydBishop/©NBCUniversal. Tag: @LloydBishop

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