If you have taken improv classes and worked with a good teacher who knows your work, you will one day get a "hard note." A "hard note" is usually a bad habit you have developed over time that you either think is working or you are unaware of. Some examples of "hard notes" I’ve given over […]
Last weekend I went out of town to teach a couple of Slow Improv workshops at the 2 Day Comedy Festival in a little town in New England called Kittery, ME. I had not flown to teach at an improv festival in almost 10 years. I used to do it all the time before my […]
On Tuesday I turned 62. (If you didn't have a chance to wish me happy birthday, you can do it the comments below.) When you become my age, it’s very popular to get together with your friends and complain about your health. You talk about your cholesterol levels and statins and how it sucks to get old. Old friends […]
In December my friend and fellow improviser Pat Finn died of cancer. Most people knew him as Finner. Some people called Finnstone, but I am not sure if Pat made that nickname up for himself, and I could not verify it before the publishing of this blog. I cannot explain how this happens, but sometimes the people […]
Evanston comedian Jimmy Carrane is thrilled to be back performing his one-person show, "World's Greatest Dad(?)" on June 6 at the Northfield Public Library! About World's Greatest Dad(?) After 10 years in group therapy, Jimmy Carrane is still unhappy that he is not as famous as some of the people he started out doing improv […]
Kris Sharma is a very funny stand-up comedian whose new comedy special, Ethnically Vague, has just been released on YouTube. Last year he opened for Hannibal Buress. I knew Kris when he lived in Chicago. He had been a student of mine and spent years there becoming a great improviser. Kris is someone who understands how important it is to […]
With the new year upon us, I thought I would share with you five things that have helped me in my improv career. With a little courage and willingness, these five things can make a big difference in your career and in your life. Want to learn a new way of improv that is as easy as having a […]
The longer I teach improv, the more I see that some improv “rules” get in the way of students’ improvising. I don't even like to call them rules because that implies that if you're not following them, you are doing it wrong. I try to use the word guidelines. One of the goals of improvisation […]
I love learning about comedians -- their successes and their struggles. Last week, I shared my three favorite documentaries about comedians that I watched in 2025. And this week, I wanted to share my three favorite books about comedians that I read this year. If you don't get these books from Santa, you must find another way […]
Besides being an improv nerd, I am an even bigger nerd about documentaries about comedians. I love to hear about comedians' success as much as their struggles. A good documentary has a way of inspiring me. The best ones let us in on the comedian’s creativity, what motivates them, and teaches us something about them that we […]