It wasn’t until college that Rex Isom Jr. realized he was born to be a performer. Once the Maple Grove resident made the discovery, he pushed his career forward to become a member of Stevie Ray’s Improv at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.
Isom, who grew up in Illinois, jokes that his first performance was as Santa Claus in a kindergarten Christmas play. “I had about one line and barely got that out,” he says. At the time, he had no aspirations for the stage. Growing up, he took part in choir and was interested in music, but never considered making it his profession.
School wasn’t Isom’s favorite place. He was “a bit of a nerd,” and being in the choir allowed him to express himself.
After graduating from high school in 1983, Isom went into the Army reserve, which allowed him to pay for college. He enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and joined an all-male choir. His sophomore year, the theater director approached him about being in a musical and Isom decided to try out. He was given the lead.
Isom realized he was meant to be an actor. From there, he took part in more than 20 productions at UW-La Crosse and directed a play as a senior. As he was preparing to graduate, a recent UW-La Crosse alumnus encouraged him to move to the Twin Cities to pursue his craft.
His first work in the Twin Cities was playing characters at the Minnesota Historical Society Museum. From there, he performed in stage shows at small local theaters. In 1996, Isom auditioned at Brave New Workshop, an improvisation comedy theater in Minneapolis. He didn’t make the main stage, but he was offered the opportunity to take their improv classes for free. He continued working in the Twin Cities until 2002, when he moved to Los Angeles to further his career.
In 2004, he began working at a Los Angeles theater called Improv Olympic West. The theater boasts alumni such as Mike Myers and Chris Farley. Isom worked as the house manager until 2007.
While there, Isom fell in love with improv. “The idea of creating a character and a scene was something I had always done, but the art behind it was something I came across in improv,” he says.
He returned to the Twin Cities and auditioned for Stevie Ray’s Improv in Chanhassen, where he has performed for the past four years.
“We were attracted to Rex because he has a smooth and genuine way of being on stage,” says Stevie Ray, owner and founder of Stevie Ray’s Improv. “His style and humor comes from a real place and he doesn’t force it, which allows the audience to really connect with him.”
Now in its 26th year, Stevie Ray’s is a staple on the Twin Cities comedy scene, and Isom is a mainstay on its stage. The performances are geared mostly for adults, but content-wise, the comedy is family-friendly, with no rude or inappropriate jokes. The group prides itself on performing smart humor.
“Improv is all about doing what you like,” Isom says. “We emphasize good improv in that we aren’t just going after the laugh. Good improv is based on truth and interactions that build scenes.”
Being firmly entrenched in a comedy troupe isn’t a role Isom could have foreseen. Now that he’s discovered his life on the stage, he can’t imagine himself anywhere else.
