Posted at 9:25 p.m. Tuesday, April 15

Charna Halpern is famous for turning out top improv talent from her iO training centers in Chicago and Hollywood.

She's taught Tina Fey, Mike Myers, Stephen Colbert, Amy Poehler and many others. So you think she wouldn't stress about turning seven "Real World" roommates into an improv team, right?

"It was bad," she told RedEye on Monday, adding that she initially believed it would be a great commercial for iO. "And then when I saw how difficult it was going to be, I was like, `Well, this could be bad. If I can't pull it off, how impressive is that going to be?'"

As the "Real World" cast members' boss and mentor, Halpern had to train the roommates, and at the end of their three months in L.A., put on a show.

"They knew nothing. It wasn't like the people who come to iO. They're coming to me usually a little more advanced," she said. "That wasn't the case with these kids. These kids were like, ... `Oh, I drank last night. I'm kinda tired, can I watch today?' You know what I mean?

"So I had a job cut out for me."

Halpern eventually won them over by appealing to their ambition to make it in Hollywood. She told them that Fey and Myers are all successful because they wanted it "crazy bad."

"I said, `What do you want? I have a friend who has a shoe store here. I can get you a job there,' " Halpern said. "And they said, `No, no, we want it crazy bad.' "

After all the work and stress, Halpern said their final improv show worked.

"Let's just say I got religious," she said, laughing. "I got religious. I believe there's a higher power. I'm convinced that there is somebody out there looking out for me."

Halpern plans on having a viewing party at iO, 3541 N. Clark St., at 10 p.m. April 30 to watch her first appearance on the show. She said she's pleased with her experience and no longer worries about what we'll see on screen.

"I can relax now, because I know what happens," she said. "And I'm very happy."

Read the complete interview with Charna Halpern on the jump.

See what Halpern had to say about each cast member's work here.

PHOTO of Charna Halpern shot by Terrence Antonio James/Tribune

What kind of training were you able to give the “Real World” cast?

I kind of took the “best of” of my improv classes from the beginning levels to the advanced levels. I had to put up a show and I had just a few months to do it.

They knew nothing. It wasn’t like the people who come to iO. They’ve watched the shows and they have the penchant for it or they’ve taken classes somewhere else or they’re like “This is what I want to do.” They’re coming to me usually a little more advanced lately.

That wasn’t the case with these kids. These kids were like, “What? We’re going to do what?”

And they were looking at it like, “Are you kidding me?” So they didn’t have that initial commitment level that most people have here.

[Other enrollees] are like “This is what I want and I want it really bad. I’m gonna do it.”

[The “Real World” cast members] are like, “Oh, I drank last night. I’m kinda tired, can I watch today?” You know what I mean? So I had a job cut out for me.

In fact, you know, in the beginning I thought this is gonna be so great for iO. We’re going to show everyone how we teach and what we do and how great this place is. … It’s going to be like this giant commercial.

And then when I saw how difficult it was going to be I was like, “well this could be bad.” If I can’t pull it off, how impressive is that going to be?

Did their attitudes eventually improve?

It got better and better, but even still, it takes a long time to get really good at this. And I had to put up a big show and the pressure was really mounting on me. I even said to one of the MTV executives, “How much should I really stress out about this? How much of this last show is going to be on, like a minute or two? I can get you a couple good minutes.”

And they were like, “Oh no, this is the big thing. This is what [the season] is all about. This will be major.”

I was like, “Oh my God.” So it was hard. ... I had to teach them all the basics and the long form, which is very advanced, and put a show. Not an easy task.

Normally, advance classes do the shows, right?

Yeah they go through five levels; they go through a year of training. And even then they have to take electives because they’re not quite ready.

The show the cast puts on, is it just them or others from iO West?

In the beginning, just to get [cast members] their sea legs, I did put them with other people. But for the final show it just had to be them.

How was it working with Joey?

Joey is a sweetheart. Joey’s a perfectionist; he’s very hard on himself. And if he isn’t absolutely perfect, he gets down on himself. He would do a scene where maybe one of the other people would do something wrong and screw it up and he did everything right, he would still be down on himself.

“I should have fixed that. I should have helped.” Even though he did everything right, he’d still be down on himself.

I hope he continues to work with me here in Chicago because he just needs to learn to have some fun. Because he does have fun when he’s onstage and he likes it.

I think he could do it. I think he’d be good. And I’m proud of him. I think he’s really taken himself in hand.

So your mentoring of them went beyond the iO experience?

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. There were times when I was at the house talking to them about things. I don’t know what gets on TV, but I know Kim came to me very drunk one night crying and talking to me about problems.

I don’t know what they’ll show. There’s a million hours of [filmed] material.

Have you talked with Joey since you’ve been back in Chicago?

Yes. I definitely want him to come back. And we’ve talked about him doing some personal training for me too. I’ll take advantage of that. What the heck, I’m a good friend with a personal trainer who’s amazing. I might as well take advantage of it.

Do you recall in silly or embarrassing moments for you or the cast?

You do forget the cameras are on. There’s this one time that I’m sure won’t be on … I went out to dinner the with [cast] and I hadn’t eaten all day. The food came and I just dove into it. … then I realized the cameras were there …

So you do forget the cameras are there?

You do because they’re very good at staying out of the way … They have this very nice, comfortable foam rubber belt which is your mic. … So you forget you’re mic’d. And they stand far away … with zoom lenses.

Several times the girls and I were in the office and we’d look around to see that there were no cameras and we’d say “OK here’s what I think we need to do …”

Then all the sudden you see the camera coming over the banister … and I’m like “Oh man, they’re here. They’re everywhere.”

It was like that in the house too. I was with Joey one night and—you think no one’s around—and we’re talking and having a very big heart to heart. It’s about 2 in the morning and I go, “Honey, you go to bed. I’m going to leave. Should I just take off my mic? I don’t want to take it to the hotel.

And the phone rings and someone says “Leave the mic on and come outside and meet us.” And I go outside and the door opens and there are four guys from the control room.

You’re never alone. You’re never alone. And then sometimes I’m done, they’ve taken off my mic and I’m walking down the street checking my messages. Thank God I’m not talking to myself. And I look up and the cameras right in front of me and the [cameramen] are walking backward.

And I’m like “What are you doing? It’s over. I’m done. I’m off the clock.”

So when Joey went to rehab for 30 days, he wasn’t training with you. But he does come back?

He comes back, but the problems don’t end there. More stuff happens. Lots of exciting stuff happens.

In an early episode, Greg doesn’t come to watch one of the mandatory improv shows you’ve assigned them to watch, and we see you scolding him on the phone. How did that play out?

I made it mandatory to see the shows because it reinforces [lessons]. They only had a very short time to learn. … So yeah, he didn’t show up.

I’d been told by the producers, “You’re the job. You have right to get angry, to dock them pay, to fire them, to do whatever you want. You can get very angry.”

I didn’t want to be a screaming Mimi. That’s just not my style. I wanted to use my improvisational skills to be the best teacher and for them to learn everything. Everything was a lesson.

So one day they were on in class and I said “You know, the people who made it here, that you idolize, like Tina Fey, Mike Myers, Amy Poehler. They made it because they wanted it crazy bad. They came to all the shows. They came to all their classes and they watched other people perform. They loved it so much they were always here. And because they were always here and they loved it so much they got really good. And because they got really good they got hired.”

I said, “That’s what happens. You got to want it crazy bad and I can’t make you want it crazy bad. If you don’t want, you don’t have to come. Forget it. It’s not mandatory anymore.”

“What do you want? I have a friend who has a shoe store here. What do you want? What do you want to do?”

And they said, “No, no, we want it crazy bad.”

And I said, “Then if you want it crazy bad I’ll see you here in the evenings.”

And the director was like, “Pretty shrewd.”

How did their show end up? Were you happy?

Let’s just say I got religious. [Laughs.] I got religious. I believe there’s a higher power. I’m convinced that there is somebody out there looking out for me.

Are you pleased with the end result with your experience?

Yes, I am. That’s why I can relax now, because I know what happens. And I’m very happy.

Not worried about the editing?

I don’t think [the producers] can make [cast members] look bad at the end. They really did a good job, so I was happy.

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