Dad’s Garage Natal Chart
By Ames Doyle
As of this weekend, Dad’s Garage is 30-years-old (+1) and you know what that means—we’re entering our astrology era. Thankfully, we keep a theatre astrologer on staff (it’s me) and with enough pestering of the original founders, we’ve got ourselves something akin to a “birth” time to dig into our natal chart. What do the stars have to say about Atlanta’s best improv theatre? Read on to find out!
To analyze the birth chart of a person, institution—heck, even an important event like the first time you had a pumpkin spice latte, you only need three things: the date, the exact time that the thing happened, and the city it happened in. Dad’s Garage was conceived of back in the ‘90s, but since it was founded by a bunch of improvisers—who are an infamously straight-laced and organized kind—the details aren’t exactly in a rolodex somewhere. Thus, Dad’s Garage official birth chart is based on the very first show ever performed, Fun with Science, on June 23, 1995 at 8 p.m.!
Sagittarius Rising
Forget Sun signs (that’s the sign everyone knows), rising signs change roughly every two hours, making it the most personal detail of a birth chart. Dad’s is a Sagittarius rising—a mutable fire sign ruled by Jupiter. In simple terms:
Mutable: Go-with-the-flow, “Yes, and—” energy.
Fire: Energetic, playful, exciting, passionate.
Ruled by Jupiter: Go big or go home, push the boundaries, do it for the plot!
Jupiter is one of the “nicest” planets in the sky—it brings luck, expansion, and a quest for meaning. Dad’s has Jupiter in the first house of self, which means we know who we are and we’re good at embodying it! It also indicates that, when push comes to shove, things tend to turn out okay for us. No complaints here!
Cancer Sun
We’ll have no Cancer slander here—we’ve got feelings and we ain’t ashamed of ‘em! I know I said forget Sun signs, but they are still pretty important. The Sun represents your will, purpose, and sense of self. With the Sun in the sign of the crab, the motivation revolves around nurturance, nostalgia, and getting to-and-fro by moving in unexpected ways (the crab walks sideways!) Dad’s is all about community: fostering it, protecting it (very Cancerian), and evolving to meet the needs of the people we love. Try a little tenderness? Don’t mind if we do! In the 8th house of shared resources and the taboo, Dad’s finds purpose in bringing people together and cracking wise about pretty much anything—I mean, have you seen Vavianna Vardot’s Famous Sex Party?
Cancer is ruled by the Moon, the most personal planetary body—it moves quickly and represents our emotions, our habits and what brings us comfort. It’s also a very maternal planet, bringing in the Mom element to Dad’s Garage. Well, lookie there—we can be both of your parents!
Cardinal: Initiates, focused action.
Water: Bonds people together, capital F Feelings.
Ruled by the Moon: Cozy as heck, ever-evolving and still consistent.
Taurus Moon
The Moon exalts in Taurus, which is astrologer for “really likes it there.” Basically, it has all the tools it needs to do its thing. The Moon, as previously mentioned, is our emotions, our habits, and what makes us comfy. In Taurus, it delights in the finer things: delicious food, fancy beverages and, of course, the best improv money can buy. On the whole, a Taurus moon finds what works for it and sticks to it, embodying the idiom “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
Dad’s Garage has been entertaining audiences with beloved staples like Invasion: Christmas Carol since the theatre’s inception—it’s a fan favorite that simply never stops being a great time! That said, we know a good show when we see it, which is why we also love to bring on new showstoppers like Hot Jambalaya. What can we say? We’ve got exquisite taste.
An astrological chart has a lot of moving pieces, but the Sun, Moon, and Rising signs, or The Big Three, as they’ve come to be known, are a solid place to start. I’d be remiss in my duty if I didn’t mention one, well technically two, last placements.
Mercury + Venus in Gemini
Oh Gemini, another much maligned sign of the zodiac, we’re here to give you justice! Gemini is a mutable air sign—think of it as a quick-witted court jester who knows everything about everyone. Ruled by Mercury, Gemini delights in social cross-pollination. With both Venus and Mercury here in the 7th house of other people and ruling over the houses of community and public visibility, Dad’s is both skilled and passionate about bringing people together and making them laugh. Venus is the other “nice” planet and, coupled with Mercury in Gemini, is able to hand-deliver joy to anyone who crosses its path.
So there you have it! A little peek into the fate and fortune of Dad’s Garage, an Atlanta institution that was written in the stars. If you’d like to celebrate our birthday with us, we’ve got a full weekend of celebratory improv (not to mention a party!) planned for this weekend! Join us—and tell us your Big Three!
