I recently finished teaching one of my Art of Slow Comedy Summer Intensives, and I'm gearing up to teach another one this weekend. I've been teaching these intensives every year for the past several years, and each year I get the pleasure of teaching students from all over the world: Germany, New Zealand, China, Denmark, Poland, Russia, Israel and more.

In these improv workshops, I realized that regardless of what country students are from, all improvisers seem to suffer from the same issues. It’s amazing how much we all have in common, really. And, since I am now international, I wanted to share with you the three most common mistakes that improvisers worldwide are making and how to correct them.

1. Problem: Saying Too Much Information
   Solution: Say Only One Line at Time
   This came up over and over again this weekend, and I’ve been seeing this in my improv workshops for years. Improvisers have a tendency to vomit up way too much information onto their partner, not giving them the time or the space to react. If only they would slow the fuck down and deliver one juicy line at time instead of a monologue. It is so simple, but it is not always easy to do, especially if you have had this bad habit for a long time and you are getting laughs.Del Close used to use the analogy that good improv is like tennis or ping-pong: I serve up a line to my partner and then my partner hits back to me, then I hit back to my partner. To me, I like to be constantly surprised by what comes out of my partner’s mouth, which leads to discovery, which is always the most gratifying way to improvise.

2. Problem: Using Words Without Emotion
   Solution: Act Your Way Through the Scene
   Yes, that is right. I am here to tell you that acting and improvising are not separate. Unfortunately, when many improvisers start to improvise a scene, they seem to forget this and instead rely too heavily on the words they are saying to carry the scene forward. Unless you are incredibly witty and clever, it’s impossible to sustain a scene on just words alone without showing real emotion underneath. This past weekend, when the students started to emotionally commit to their characters and their scenes and react to what their partners were saying, their improvising becoming riveting. Their characters became vulnerable and real and the players automatically tapped into their life experiences. This is called acting. As the improvisers discovered in this improv workshop, emotions are always more important than words.
3. Problem: Scenes are Too “Nicey-Nice”
   Solution: Let Yourself Get Angry
   Anger is the emotion most improvisers shy away from and the last two weeks proved to me this is true no matter what country you are from. Partially this is because improvisers are often taught that they are always supposed to “agree” to what someone says and that we should avoid arguments. So improvisers incorrectly assume that if they are “yes, anding,” they should never get angry, which makes their scenes flat and lifeless.Plus, showing angry is vulnerable, so many improvisers choose to avoid to play this emotion at all because it’s too scary.If you take one of my improv workshops, I will most likely encourage you to use anger in your scenes because I believe it’s important that we learn how to play using all of the emotions, not just the ones that feel safe.In one of my workshops this past weekend, we were doing a series of scenes where people would come out and do variety of emotions: happy, sad, afraid and angry. Two people came out and did an angry scene, and when they were done, they hugged each in the back line. I thought, “Wow, anger actually brings people closer together.” Who knew?

   What are some issues you are experiencing in your improv? Let us know. We are always trying to get better.

This fall, take your improv to the next level in Jimmy's Art of Slow Comedy Level 1 Class. Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. starting Sept. 18. Only $259 if you register by Sept. 4!

I have been performing since I was in my 20s. And when I started out, I wish to God someone would have told me that to get good at improv, you’re going to have to get comfortable being bad at it for a while – in public – before you can master it.

There are no short cuts.

I don't care how funny you were in high school or college or how talented you are or that you are a natural.

Unfortunately, the only way to really learn how to do improv is to do it in front of an audience on a regular basis when you are not very good. This is still the most painful part of the process for me.

Talk about being vulnerable. Talk about being exposed.

This was torture for a perfectionist.

I went through this recently when I put up my one-person show, “World's Greatest Dad.”

Each week the show was not where I wanted it be, and I was torturing myself because I knew the show wasn’t as good as it could have been, but there was no way to make it better without putting it up on the stage.

But each week the audience came in and enjoyed it anyway. The only person who was not enjoying it was the guy on the stage because I had expectations that I would be awesome on the first night.

I also knew the only way to get the show to where I wanted it to be was to do it in front of an audience on a regular basis and listen and learn what the audience likes and doesn't like. Let them help me find the story.

As long as I have been performing, I still don't like this part of the process. Who wants to go out in front of an audience and suck? But the only way to avoid this part of the process is to quit. And at this point, I am not interested in that. I'm glad that I walked through the shame of the first few shows, because by the time I got to the last few, I finally felt like I had shaped the show into something I could truly be proud of.

Want to get some tips on how to get better at improv faster? Don't miss Jimmy's Art of Slow Comedy Summer Intensive happening Aug. 10-11! Only a few spots left!

Something weird has been happening to me lately: I wake up and I feel successful.

I have not changed my diet. I am not getting enough sleep. And I am still not famous. But still, I feel successful.

As you know, for me, this not a normal feeling. And you could see why I would be uncomfortable with my life going well.

Well, I am not. I am actually enjoying it.

Putting up “World's Greatest Dad” has really helped with that. For someone who has always wanted to do stand-up since I was a kid, this is the closest I have come to fulfilling my dream.

I also feel grateful that I get to teach to some really incredible people, who appreciate my style of teaching.

And I get to write a blog that people read.

I get to interview the best teachers and improvisers and artists for my podcast, but I’ve stopped putting pressure on myself to do it every week, and now I only do it when I feel like it.

I get to improviser at least once a month.

I have a great family with Lauren, Betsy and Coco the cat.

I have lots of friends.

For today, I love my life.

I know that this too shall pass, and sometime soon, I’ll go back to feeling miserable and like what I have isn’t enough, but for today, I just wanted to get it documented that I am actually happy so when Betsy gets older and she gets to know me better and she says something like, “Dad, are you ever happy?” I’ll have proof that for a couple of days in my life, at least, I was happy.

Hurry! There's still time to sign up for Jimmy's Art of Slow Comedy Summer Intensive, happening Aug. 10-11. Sign up by Saturday to save $30!

Jay Sukow is one of the best improvisers and teachers out there. He has taught at almost all of the Chicago intuitions and also served as the Artist Director at ICC Theater in Copenhagen. He now lives in Los Angeles and teaches and performs around the world. Jimmy caught up with him in Chicago at Green Shirt Studio to talk to him about why it's important to make positive choices in your scene work, why he uses anger in improv and how he is adapting his teaching as improv changes.

Over the years I have taught all types of people in my improv classes and workshops. The majority of people are actors and improvisers, but another group that I’ve found can really benefit from improv are therapists, life coaches, and health professionals.

Why? Because therapy, just like improv, is all about listening. And when therapists can learn how to drop their own agenda and instead stay in the moment and actively listen to their clients, they are able to be more effective and have a lot more fun.

If you’re a therapist or in the helping profession here are three things you can learn from improv:

1. How to be a better active listener
   Unlike in sketch comedy or stand-up, which is written out ahead of time, improv is all about learning how to truly be in the moment and react off of the last thing your scene partner said. To do it well, you have to let go of what you are planning in your head and instead focus on what your partner is saying. It means constantly emptying your mind so you can respond in the moment. It means observing your scene partner before they even speak and processing their body language to see how they are feeling emotionally. By doing this, we are forging a deeper connection with our scene partner on stage. We are listening on many levels — physical, emotional and verbal — to get an accurate read on our partner in that particular moment. Now as a therapist, imagine how much more effective you would be if you could apply this skill to your clients in individual or group therapy?
2. How to drop your agenda
   This is one of the hardest things for therapists, life coaches and health professionals to do. Why? Because therapists think they have to be the experts and have to all the answers. Sometimes they end up doing all the work for the client and they don't even know it. In that case, nobody benefits. The client doesn’t really learn their own lessons and the therapist is drained. In improv, we understand that by working together, we are able to create something better than if we try to work by ourselves. As a therapist, the more you are able to drop your own agenda and instead meet your clients where they are and be willing to follow your their lead, the more effective you will be. 
   
   Just like improvising on stage, letting go of your agenda comes done to trust, and this is no different for people in the helping professions. They have to trust their experience and skill, be willing to let go of control and be in the moment with their client or group. When you do this you will get a result beyond your expectations, your clients will get even more benefit, and you will feel invigorated. 
3. How to have more fun
   Having fun is not something you often hear about in the helping professions. You may think, “How can we have fun when we are dealing with serious issues in people’s lives?” Because of that, the job can often be demanding and taxing. Applying improv to therapy doesn’t mean you’re going to start cracking jokes at your client’s expense; it means using the spontaneity of improv and applying it to your sessions. When I teach, my demeanor can sometimes be serious, yet I am still having fun, because I don't know where we are going or where we are going to end up. This can be exciting. And when the class is over, I often hear students say, "We got so much of that class. I loved how one thing built off of the next thing." I can tell you that was not planned; I was improvising with them. I was listening and following them and constantly dropping my agenda. When you learn to work this way, you’ll automatically have more fun.

Want to learn more about how improv can help you as a therapist and also have fun working with other people in your field? Join me for my next Improv for Therapists One-Day Workshop on Sept. 15, 2019 at Stage 773 in Chicago.

Have you ever been back stage before a show and peeked out at the audience to see only a tiny crowd and your heart sank? Yes, it’s disappointing. We all want to play to packed houses all the time, but the reality for most improvisers and actors is sometimes that just doesn’t happen.

Each group and theater has its own guidelines about when to call off a show, but sometimes it’s not always so black and white. Often, if the performers are there and the lights are on, the show is going to go on, even for a handful of people.

That’s what happened last Sunday night at our Jimmy and Johnnie show. We had six audience members -- not our usually crowd. I get it, it was a holiday weekend in the summer. The stage manager came back to us and said it was our call about whether or not to perform. John Hildreth and I had to decide. I hate these kind of decisions. We had an opening act, Mr. Suave, and I asked my friend Shad Kunkle, to perform with us.

Fuck it, we thought, if we have six people in the audience and four people from the opening act, we have ten people. Let's do it, we thought. And you know what? We had a fantastic show. It was so much fun.

So how did we do it? Here are some tips on how to have a good show, even when you have a small audience:

1. Commit to the experience of having fun
   Yes, doing improv shows or a play it is supposed to be fun regardless of the size of the audience, but when you regularly play to a large crowd, you get a little spoiled. So, if you are feeling disappointed, feel your feelings and then see if you can make an attitude adjustment and commit to having fun with the other people who are on stage with you. Sometimes I’ve found that if I look at this as learning experience it can help me get in the right in frame of mind. And because there does not seem to be as much pressure when you are performing to small audiences, you are more relaxed and can take more risks, which can actually be rewarding.
2. Acknowledge the small audience in positive ways
   You can't hide the fact that you have a small audience, so you might as well acknowledge it. In an improv show it can actually become fun if you do it in positive way. Don't be afraid to break the fourth wall at the start of the show by showing some gratitude for the audience members who are there. Make them feel special. You may want to ask everyone’s name or go into the audience and shake their hands. You can say, “We usually don't do this, but tonight we felt like we have an opportunity to get to know everyone.” You can really have a lot of fun without being sarcastic about it. This will make it even more special for the audience. Be aware of where they are sitting, too. This is crucial. If they are spread out in the theater, asked them to move together towards the front. Everyone will get a better experience that way.
3. Adjust your energy
   When you play to large audiences on a regular basis, you can get dependent on the audience’s energy to drive the show, so you don't have to work as hard. Small audience are a little different. It’ll be up to you to keep the energy up. Make sure you keep the show moving. Don't let scenes go on too long -- edit, edit, edit. Also, try to put out a little more energy throughout the show, so it doesn’t feel like it’s lagging. Finding the game quicker can boost the energy, too. Even if it's a really simple game, go for it. I think the goal is to keep the freight train running on the tracks.

Have you ever played to really small audiences? What other tips do you have to share? I’d love to hear them in the comments section below.

ATTENTION PEOPLE! Jimmy still has a few spots left in this Sunday's Art of Slow Comedy One-Day Workshop. Sign up today!

Last Saturday night I opened my one person show, “World's Greatest Dad(?).”

It did not go perfectly; no show ever does.

It went well, don't get me wrong, but I had high expectations.

So afterwards I was filled with shame, self-doubt and self-hatred. I wanted to hide. I wanted to die.

Some of my friends said they loved it. It moved them. It made them laugh.

I did not believe a word they were saying.

Then today, I got this fantastic review in the Chicago Reader, which I feel so grateful for.

I am a slow learner, as you know, and, once again, it became very clear to me that I can’t trust my own feelings after a show.

So the good news is I got a great review, and yes, I am very excited. The bad news is my perception still sucks. Would you expect anything less from me?

I am proud of this show and would love you to read the review and, yes, come and see it in person.

I have big news to share with you today. I am really excited to announce that my new autobiographical one-person show, World’s Greatest Dad(?), is going to be opening at Second City’s Judy’s Beat Lounge next month. The show will run on Saturdays at 6 p.m. from June 15 through July 20.

If you’ve been following my blogs for the last several years, you know that my dad died in March of 2016, just a few months before my daughter, Betsy, was born.

Being a father was never something I was really interested in doing. Since taking my first improv class back in the '80s I wanted to become famous, because I want to be feel good about myself. I had a huge hole that I thought could only be filled by fame. But after having a child at 52, I realized that that hole could be filled from the love I got from my daughter.

In this show, I talk about my journey to becoming a father at 52 at the same time that my own father was dying, and through this roller coaster of life and death, I realize that you don’t have to be the “greatest” to be a good dad.

I’ve been working on bits and pieces of this show for a while now, putting it up at various storytelling performances, and I’ve really excited to share the entire piece in its entirety.

It’ll actually be the fifth one-man show I’ve ever done. My first show, “I’m 27 and I Still Live at Home and Sell Office Supplies,” was a runaway hit, opening at the Annoyance Theater in 1991 and running for more than a year-and-a-half. Since then, I’ve written and performed several others including “Since We Last Talked” (1994), “Dog Tales” (1999), and “Living in a Dwarf’s House” (2001).

But this will be the first one I’ve done in 18 years (can you believe that?), and I’m really excited to see what you think of it.

Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but check back soon here to see when they’re up. I’d love to see you there!

Want to make your two-person scenes really soar? Don't miss Jimmy's Advanced Two-Person Scene Tune-Up happening June 1. Only $89 when you register by May 18!

If you have a kid in any grade from preschool to high school, you’re probably well aware that we’re right in the middle of Teacher Appreciation Week. And this week, as I helped get together a gift bag for my daughter’s teacher, I started reflecting on all of the great improv teachers I have had along the way.

When I think of the improv teachers who have had the greatest impact on me, I think about the ones who helped me find my voice, pushed me to take risks that helped build my confidence, or had different approaches or styles that influenced me.

But most importantly, they saw me. They noticed me. They made me feel I was worthy.

And the teachers that really made a difference in my life also challenged me, like a good teacher can when someone shows potential.

Sometimes it was uncomfortable. Sometimes it was scary. And often, the hardest classes were the ones where I learned the most.

I really had respect for almost all of my early improv teachers, which back in the ’80s was not a very cool job title to have, if it was even one. And I’ve had a lot of respect for other improv teachers whom I’ve learned from along the way.

So, in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, here are five improv teachers who have had a huge impact on me as an improviser, and yes, even a person.

1. Martin DeMaat
   I studied with Martin at Columbia College in the late ’80s in the theater department even though I was an advertising major. Martin was patient and kind. He was a direct disciple of Viola Spolin and to this day I still consider him to be one of the best hands-on improv teachers I have ever had.If comedy is timing, Martin was the right teacher for me at the right time. I was in my 20s, and I was lost. Even though I was in college and had declared a major, I had no idea what I really wanted to do with my life. But Martin's classes were filled with love and support, and in his class, I felt like I could do anything.When students tell me I’m a very compassionate and patient teacher, I know that’s because of Martin's influence.

   Another thing I learned from Martin was the importance of play. I would relentlessly complain to Martin about having to play warm up games. I’d ask him, “Why can’t we go right into doing scene work at the start of class? Why do we have to play these silly games?” He explained to me the method behind his madness -- that they were designed to get us to play and that once he saw us having fun and laughing he knew he could go into the scene work. I have not forgotten that lesson and I carry it with me in every class I teach.

   Martin believed improv could change the world, even if he had to do it one student at time, which is what happened in my case.

2. Del Close
   Del was completely the opposite personality and had a completely different approach to improv than Martin, though I believe they were after the same goal.Del was a big personality. He was gruff and intimating, and when he lost his patience with a student, he could be downright mean. He was not afraid to stop a scene immediately and give you a hard note that seemed to go on for an hour. On the flip side if you were ever lucky enough to get his praise, you would float out of his class.In terms of style of improv, I don't think anyone had a bigger influence on me than Del. When I entered his class, I had just finished taking classes at Second City, with enough success that it had gone to my head. I had it all figured out. I was arrogant, to say the least. I had no idea about building a scene. To me, a scene was a series of one-liners, where I got most of the laughs.

   Del turned that upside down. He believed in truth in comedy, which is something I connected to immediately and something I am even more fascinated with today, more than 30 years later. He not only gave me permission to go dark in my scenes, but he actually encouraged it. What I’m most grateful to him for is that he taught me to slow the fuck down -- that improv doesn’t have to be rapid fire. This was my first introduction to slow comedy.

3. Liz Allen

   I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to co-teach with Liz Allen back in the early 2000s. We co-taught The Individual Assessment Workshop, which then lead to us writing a book together called Improvising Better.  Liz was one of the best improv teachers I have ever worked with. She not only loved teaching improv, but she was also so connected to the students and cared so much about their progress. At the time, I was a bit of a long form snob, but not Liz -- she got excited teaching long from as much as short form. Liz had also been a student of Del's, who would talk about group mind all of the time, and I am not sure I fully understood it until working with Liz. Man, was she was passionate about Group Mind.

   When you co-teach with someone, you not only get exposed to the games they teach, but also the way they teach them, which is invaluable. It's like grad school for an improv teacher. And I learned so much from co-teaching with Liz. In fact, whenever I teach the vulnerable circle or tell one of my students who has his arms crossed to unfold his arms to stay open to learning, I always think about Liz.

4. Norm Holly
   Though I never technically took one of Norm's classes, we have maintained a student-teacher relationship over the years. When I first started teaching improv at Second City, Norm was someone I would always reach out to to ask for help. He was always generous with his time and experience. When I would have a problem with a student, Norm would help me with what to say and was even willing to go with me when I went to talk to them.
   Where I learned the most from him was when I was directed by him in Tim O'Malley's "God Show." Norm was a master at directing. It was amazing to watch. He had no ego. I'd watch him time and time again drop his agenda. The genius of Norm is that he knew how to exploit the actors' strengths to get the best performance out of them. He changed the blocking for one actor who had a hard time with his original direction and instead put him in chair for his scene. He was constantly improvising and adjusting in the moment. Nothing was an obstacle for Norm. With me, he said, "You are a strong improviser. You will  improvise instead of memorize lines." He was right. I was trying to be a great actor, but he saw my strength and enhanced it. The result was he got a great performance out of me and everyone in the cast with a very light touch. What was even more impressive and something I try to emulate in my teaching is that Norm could say very little and get so much out of an actor. He would give you one tiny little note and it was as if he had opened the flood gates to your imagination. Whenever I give a note to one of my students, I think about how would Norm do it.
5. Jeffrey Roth
   Dr. Jeffrey Roth is a psychiatrist, not an improviser, but if you know me, it probably won’t surprise you that my group therapist made this list. I have been working with him for close to 14 years. He challenged me early on that if I am improv teacher, I should be improvising my lesson plan along with my class. This forced me to be more in the moment and to serve the needs of my students over my agenda.He taught me that I don't need to know every answer to every question from my students, but that as a class, we can find the answers together, or as he would say it in his Brooklyn accent, “The answers are in the room.”But most importantly, and this took easily ten years, that not only am I an expert in improv, but also that teaching improv actually brings me a lot of joy.

When I think back on these five teachers, I know I would not be where I am today without their influence. But I’ve also learned that our teachers aren’t gods. No one is perfect, and you can take what you want from them and leave the rest. I have been so lucky to get work with some great teachers, and looking forward to continuing to learn even more from others, too.

So which teachers have influenced you? If you’ve got a minute, please share with us in the comment section below which teachers have inspired you.
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