As improv has gotten bigger over the years, more and more people have become improv teachers. What once was just a hobby for a handful of people has become an actual profession for hundreds of people around the country. So this week, I started thinking… what made me become an improv teacher in the first […]
Improvisers and actors usually classify themselves either as one or the other. But you know what? I wish improvisers would realize they are really actors and actors to realize that learning how to improvise is a necessary part of acting. Over the years, I’ve found that actors are afraid to improvise, convincing themselves they can’t […]
With the holidays almost here and the year almost over, it’s the perfect time to think about what gifts we’d really like to receive. This year, if you're an improviser, instead of asking for another plaid shirt or pair of skinny jeans, how about asking Santa for some things that will really make you a […]
The other night after an extremely fun Jimmy and Johnnie show, a former student who was in the audience came up to me and my wife, Lauren. I asked if he was still doing improv, and he said to me sheepishly, "Yeah. I have been improvising for six years now, and the problem is I don't […]
Nothing gets me more excited than when an improviser from another city reaches out to me because they are thinking about moving to Chicago. Of course we talk about classes, performances opportunities and their goals. What we often forget to talk about is something equally important: Where are they going to live? So, if you’re […]
Growing up, I always told myself that I was not very good at math. As an improviser, I told myself I was not good at characters. I thought characters had to have an accent or a funny voice, and I knew people who were brilliant at them: Joe Liss, Pete Gardner and Dave Koechner, to name […]
Next week is Thanksgiving here in America, and most improvisers will be headed home to spend some time with their dysfunctional families. For most improvisers, spending the holidays with their parents can be as painful as being cut from a Harold team or bombing on stage. But don't worry, you don't have to get drunk or […]
A friend of mine who is an actor called me the other day in a panic. He had a decision to make and wanted some help. He had been offered a part in an independent film that was shooting out of town. And while he was excited to have a part in a film, he would […]
Lately, I have been trying my hand at stand-up and storytelling, doing some open mics around the city. So far, the results have been mixed, but where I am starting to see it pay off is in my improv. Doing things outside of improv only makes you a better improviser. A lot of times I […]
Over the years, I cannot tell you how much time I have spent trying to figure out why I haven’t had a bigger career. I have seen people I started out with in Chicago go on to have gigantic careers in comedy. What was wrong with me? I could never crack the code. So I started studying […]