# Tim Clue

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**Tim Clue** (born 1962) is an American [motivational speaker](/source/Motivational_speaker), [comedian](/source/Comedian), director, and [playwright](/source/Playwright), based in [Chicago](/source/Chicago), [Illinois](/source/Illinois).[2][3] He is the co-author of the stage comedy *Leaving Iowa* and the founder of MindSlap Meetings and FunnyPolling, online engagement tools developed for [remote](/source/Remote_work) and [hybrid work](/source/Hybrid_work) team.[4]

For a brief period, he also hosted [WGN Radio](/source/WGN_Radio) comedy show and New Year's Eve radio show with [Steve Cochran](/source/Steve_Cochran_(radio_host)).[5][6]

## Early life and education

Clue was born in 1962 and grew up in [Rochelle, Illinois](/source/Rochelle,_Illinois), a small town outside [Chicago](/source/Chicago).[7][8] He attended [Bradley University](/source/Bradley_University), where he earned a [bachelor's degree](/source/Bachelor's_degree) in [communications](/source/Communication) in 1985.[9][10] At Bradley, he met Marco Benassi, and the two joined the university's speech team, performing adapted [poetry](/source/Poetry) and [short story](/source/Short_story) at tournaments.[10] Their success on the team earned them full scholarships.[10] Clue later coached college speech teams and later taught speech at the [College of DuPage](/source/College_of_DuPage).[10]

In 2005, he received a [master's degree](/source/Master's_degree) in [speech communication](/source/Speech_communication) and [rhetoric](/source/Rhetoric) from [Eastern Michigan University](/source/Eastern_Michigan_University).[11] Later, he also received training at [The Second City](/source/The_Second_City) in Chicago.[12][13]

## Career

Clue began his career writing [stand-up comedy](/source/Stand-up_comedy).[8] In 1992, he founded Short Story Theatre, a company that combined [short fiction](/source/Short_fiction) with documentary footage.[8][14][10] In 1994, its inaugural production, *Greek Stories*, was premiered, which used short stories by [Harry Mark Petrakis](/source/Harry_Mark_Petrakis). A second work, *Other Definitions of Confinement*, premiered at the National Jewish Theatre in 1993, and in 1999 Clue wrote and directed the Chicago-based sitcom pilot *Tiny Pig*.[8]

Later, Clue also directed *Bark Like a Comic* along with A.J. Lentini, Bill Gorgo and Jimmy Rhodes.[7] In 1995, he and Benassi adapted *The Jewish Melody*.[7][10] He returned to collaborate with Benassi in 1997 on *Greek Streets*.[10]

In 2004, Clue co-authored *Leaving Iowa* with Spike Manton. The play received its world premiere at [Jeff Daniels](/source/Jeff_Daniels)' [Purple Rose Theatre Company](/source/Purple_Rose_Theatre_Company) in [Chelsea, Michigan](/source/Chelsea,_Michigan), on January 22, 2004, where it was nominated for Best New Play of 2004 by the *[Detroit Free Press](/source/Detroit_Free_Press)*.[15][16] The play, a road-trip comedy about a middle-aged writer searching for a place to scatter his late father's ashes, transferred to Chicago's Royal George Theatre for a year-long run beginning in 2006 and has since been licensed for productions throughout the United States and Canada.[17][18]

Clue is co-founder of Chicago Sitcom, a production company that develops works for [stage](/source/Theatre), film, and [television](/source/Television). Previously, he has worked as the coach of the [College of DuPage](/source/College_of_DuPage) (COD) national championship speech team.[19]

## Work

### Books

- Manton, Spike; Clue, Tim (2008). *Leaving Iowa: The Comedy about Family Vacations*

### Plays

- *Greek Stories* (1994)
- *Bark Like a Comic* (1994)
- *The Jewish Melody* (1995)
- *Other Definitions of Confinement* (1995)
- ''*Greek Streets* (1997)
- *Tiny Pig* (1999)
- *Leaving Iowa* (2004)[20][21]

## References

1. Brady, Bill & Vieceli, Vince (2014). [*Stand-Up Comedy in Chicago*](https://books.google.com/books?id=h_0ZAwAAQBAJ). Arcadia Publishing. p. 110. ISBN 9781467111843.

1. ["STAGE TICKER"](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-11-23-0711200366-story.html). *Chicago Tribune*

1. ["Comedian Tim Clue: He'd be Rich… If He Could Make it Through the Day-to-Day"](https://wgnradio.com/steve-cochran/comedian-tim-clue-hed-be-rich-if-he-could-make-it-through-the-day-to-day/). November 1, 2015.

1. ["About"](https://mindslapmeetings.com/about)

1. ["Chorus to hold fundraiser gala"](https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20080106/chorus-to-hold-fundraiser-gala). *Daily Herald*. January 6, 2008.

1. Leary, Steve. ["Steve Cochran's Annual New Years Eve Spectacular"](https://www.broadwayworld.com/chicago/article/Steve-Cochrans-Annual-New-Years-Eve-Spectacular-20081228)

1. ["Standup Tim Clue Likes to be Theatrical"](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-02-06-9802060129-story.html). *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*

1. ["About Play"](https://www.leavingiowa.com/about-play-writers)

1. ["The Best Man, Rolaids, and Why I'm a Classroom Anecdote"](https://www.timclue.com/blog/best-man-rolaids-classroom-anecdote)

1. ["Coloring outside the lines Marco Benassi and Tim Clue show their creativity by adapting short stories to the stage"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/309664576)

1. ["STANDUP TIM CLUE LIKES TO BE THEATRICAL"](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-02-06-9802060129-story.html). *Chicago Tribune*

1. ["Preview: Tim Clue/Zanies Vernon Hills | Newcity Stage"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2009/02/02/preview-tim-cluezanies-vernon-hills/). February 2, 2009.

1. ["Squeaky-clean comedy and magic at the Metropolis"](https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20100715/entlife/307159797/). *Daily Herald*. July 15, 2010.

1. ["Leaving Iowa Heading To Chicago"](https://www.theatreinchicago.com/news.php?articleID=75)

1. ["Tim Clue can't get away from 'Leaving Iowa'"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/313121091). *[Daily Herald](/source/Daily_Herald_(Arlington_Heights,_Illinois))*

1. ["Tim Clue finds he has one in comedy writing"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/312736989). *Daily Herald*

1. Jones, Kenneth. ["Leaving Iowa, Chicago Hit About Family Car Trips, Meets End of Road April 8"](https://playbill.com/article/leaving-iowa-chicago-hit-about-family-car-trips-meets-end-of-road-april-8-com-139869). *[Playbill](/source/Playbill)*

1. ["Skyline High School Theatre presents 'Leaving Iowa' under its new artistic director"](https://news.a2schools.org/skyline-high-school-theatre-presents-leaving-iowa-under-its-new-artistic-director/). Ann Arbor Public Schools. November 2025.

1. ["Arlington Heights Daily Herald"](https://newspaperarchive.com/arlington-heights-daily-herald-suburban-chicago-apr-12-1992-p-242/)

1. [""Leaving Iowa" will leave you amused and a little wiser"](https://www.ocregister.com/2008/11/17/leaving-iowa-will-leave-you-amused-and-a-little-wiser/). November 17, 2008.

1. ["IVIC'S 'LEAVING IOWA' TAKES ROAD TRIP THROUGH MEMORIES"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/427945259), *[Evansville Courier & Press](/source/Evansville_Courier_%26_Press)*

## External links

- [Official website](http://timeclue.com)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tim Clue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Clue) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Clue?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.