Jimmy Carrane is pleased to announce the release of his second book, Improv Therapy: How to Get Out of Your Own Way To Become a Better Improviser, on May 4. Improv Therapy is an honest and insightful book about the things improvisers don’t want to discuss: their feelings. The book takes a look at the […]
We have all been there. Something happens during the day that rattles us: a break up, a jerky boss at our day job, a fight with a friend. It’s emotional and we can’t shake it. Then that night we have to trot off to improv class, or worse, we have to do a show and […]
Dealing with group dynamics in an improv group can be complicated. You’re dealing with egos and sensitive personalities, as well as a lot of people who probably came from dysfunctional families. In my experience, most problems in improv groups occur when the group hasn’t authorized itself as a group. Basically, the group is wishy-washy about […]
I have gotten to work with some pretty incredible people over the years in improv, as a performer, a teacher and a director. And I will tell you this in all sincerity: The best part of improvising has been the people. This is an art form based in community, and I think one of my […]
Anyone who’s taken an improv class has probably heard the teacher say "play to the top your intelligence," and if you are like most improvisers, you’re not quite sure what they mean. Believe me, I’ve been saying that in my classes for more than 20 years and sometimes I’m confused by it. If you asked ten […]
If you are anything like me and you suffer any kind of disappointment in your improv career, you want to quit. Immediately. Change your phone number. Move out of state. Go into the witness protection program. I am there right now. I suffered a big blow to my ego last week, and now I am […]
This past week, I was working really hard and feeling depressed, because I felt like my work wasn’t getting me anywhere. So I went on Facebook to try to feel better. And it didn't work. It made me feel worse. Everyone I knew was posting about some part they had just gotten on a TV […]
In most improv classes, you learn how to connect with your partner – how to mirror their energy, make your partner look good, build off the last thing that was said, all the stuff we like to say to you about good scene work. But what they don’t usually teach you is how to connect […]
On Monday came the sad news that Harold Ramis died. He was 69 and had been sick for some time. I was first introduced to him when I was 12 years old. My older brother, Bobby, first turned me on to the original cast of Saturday Night Live and then he really fucked me up […]
Sometimes, improvisers get so focused on trying to learn a cool, slick form that they forget that they need to have good scene work. The truth is, if you can do compelling two-person scenes, you can do anything. Jimmy is excited to announce his new Two-Person Scene Tune-Up workshop, which will be held at Stage […]