I have always liked what St. Louis improviser Ben Noble has had to say about improv in his weekly blog.

Ben found improv only three years ago. He thought it would be great way to make friends and give him a creative outlet after a break up.

Of course, like most of us who fall in love with this thing called improv, he got way more than he bargained for. As he put it, “Improv has made me a better person and has radically changed everything about this life.”

Not bad for someone who been only improvising for three years.

Today, Ben regularly performs on the house team Bad Magic at The Improv Shop as well as with other groups in various venues in St. Louis.

Last April, as he was struggling to get through The UCB Comedy Improvisational Manual – which he said was packed with great info, but read like a textbook -- Ben got an idea. He remembered that desire that all improvisers have when they are first starting out: “To get really good really fast.” And he used that as inspiration for his new book: Improv ABC: The A-Z Guide to Becoming An Unstoppable Improviser.

“I decided to write the book I wish I had when I was coming up and learning the craft -- something practical, straightforward, and, most importantly, fun.”

I could not agree with him more. I found his book to be so much fun, in fact, that I actually forget I was reading. But please do not take my word for it. He was kind enough to give us a sample chapter from his book so you can decide for yourself.

M is for Monologue

 

 

Like this chapter? Get Ben's entire book at www.improvabc.com.

Want to study with Jimmy Carrane and improve your two-person scenes? Sign up for his Art of Slow Comedy Level 2 class TODAY and get $30 for the Early Bird Discount! Class starts Nov. 4.

 

 

Every couple of days, we like to ask our social media followers a question with #ImprovNerdAsks. Often the question is serious or thoughtful, but occasionally it’s decidedly silly. This one was definitely the latter.

We loved the weird stories of improvised shenanigans that you shared with us so much that we thought it deserved a blog dedicated just to some of the weirdest moments in improv. You never know what’s going to happen when you step onstage with a group of people. Sometimes it’s sweet, sometimes it’s funny, and sometimes it’s very, very weird.

Here are some of our favorite weird stories that you’ve shared:

Traded shirts with the other guys on stage. We proceeded to shift shirts throughout the set. Actual shirts. Not object work.” - Andy Perkins

I've played an indignant turkey and the ruler of an undiscovered world as The King and Queen of Katie Couric's Colon.” - Scott Summitt

Someone had a baby, then that baby had a baby, who had a baby, who had a baby. Like Russian dolls. But birth.” - Jordan-Michael Whidbey

Answered a phone call from a cell phone that was found to be inside someone else's vagina.” - Fernando Lao Jr.  

Pulled an adult diaper off of my partner -- with my teeth.” - Jared Dryden

Gave a complete stranger an Eskimo kiss during a jam.” - Maxwell Sam

I was the senior marketing person in charge of marketing trash bags. It started with me criticizing my junior partner. It ended with summoning Satan as voiced by the audience.” - Steven Bateman

Wiped someone's spit from their lips.” - Jason Allman

 

Come on. We know you have your own story of your weirdest moments on stage. Share it with us below!

Are you interested in studying with Jimmy Carrane? His next Art of Slow Comedy: Level 2 class starts Nov. 4. Early Bird deadline ends Oct. 21, so register today!

It has been so much fun to watch Stephen Colbert go from the character of Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report to talk show host Stephen Colbert on Late Night. In his new role as host he is so smart, playful, silly, political, and funny you almost forget the old character.

If you have watched Colbert on either program he makes it look easy. It may not look like it, but he puts a lot of effort into what does. In fact, that's what impressed me the most about him when I first met him back in Chicago in the ’90s, just when I was starting to get serious about my career.

Back then, the Holy Grail for an improviser was to get hired for The Second City touring company. When my friends and I found out Colbert had gotten hired, we were skeptical, judgmental and jealous -- we just didn’t have words to describe our feeling in those days. Really, what we were was threatened. We didn’t know him or his work, well; the only thing we knew was that he worked at the box office at Second City, and that was enough to hold it against him.

Soon after, my friends and I went to one of his first touring company "home" shows in the Second City e.t.c. theater, and after the show, the skepticism, judgment and jealousy were replaced by "Where did he come from?" This guy was good, and his talent shut us all up.

A couple of years later, when I was at the Annoyance Theater, our leader/founder/guru Mick Napier got a shot at directing at the now-defunct Second City Northwest. The theater was out in the far, northwest suburbs of Chicago in a bland office building. A group of us from the Annoyance piled into someone’s Nisan and drove all the way out there to support Mick. Colbert was in the cast, and I remember him doing a great scene with Paul Dinello about two people who were working in a mail room. After the show, on the car ride back to the city, we all agreed that Colbert was our favorite.

By the time Colbert arrived on The Main Stage, he was someone we both looked up to and aspired to be. He was one of the biggest fish in the comedy trout pond of Chicago.

As his star was rising on Main Stage, I was fortunate enough to work with him in a corporate video for a regional chain of gas stations. Most corporate videos can be unoriginal, and this was no exception. It was a parody of Siskel and Ebert’s movie review show, where I played the fat one, while Colbert played the skinny one. I was excited to be cast in something that was paid, and even more excited and honored to work with Colbert, who was already a god to me since he was on Main Stage.

The first thing that impressed me was the fact that when he showed up to the set early in the wee small hours of morning, he had no attitude. Sometimes when people get on the Main Stage, they let it go to their head, but not him. He was personal, friendly and kind – and not in a “Oh, please like me” kind of way. In fact, he was genuine, polite and, most importantly, happy to be there. The guy was a gentleman.

You will hear agents and casting directors warn actors all the time how important it is not to be a jerk on set. That most sane directors prefer to work with nice people, since the days on a set can be long and you have to spend a lot of time with one another. Working with Colbert, he was showing me how that was done.

Even back then, Colbert was the consummate professional. He was prepared. He had his lines down cold so when the camera rolled, he did it effortlessly in a couple of takes, which was certainly different than my approach back then, when I was delusional and thought I was such a terrific improviser that I was going to improvise my way to the top. Memorizing my lines was difficult and I hated doing it, which made me a lot more challenging to work with than a pro like Colbert.

As improvisers, we can be a bit naive and arrogant, treating every gig like a bar-prov show. We can be defiant, thinking, "I don't have to prepare, I am improviser. That's what I do." But talent without discipline will only get you so far. Talent alone is not the only thing that will make you successful. Being prepared and acting professional are equally as important, and that they don't have to be something you look down on.

What Colbert taught me was that being prepared can actually be fun. Since he was so prepared, he had time to play in-between takes, stay loose, be silly, and enjoy himself. I, on the other hand, was desperately cramming, worrying I was going to screw it up, and feeling shitty about myself. His preparedness allowed him to play and have fun, which, of course, gave him better results on camera.

It also freed him up to be generous as a performer, since, unlike me, he was not worried about himself and how he was performing on camera. When I flubbed some of my lines, he was very patient and helped me get back on track. He never missed an opportunity to make me look good. Maybe this was no big deal for him. Maybe he'd done a hundred of shitty corporate videos before and he could do these in his sleep, and he was not a nervous wreck inside like me. I think one of the coolest compliments an actor can get, and one that I have not achieved or deserved, is "that guy is very generous actor." That was Colbert. It all made sense to me when he told me later that day that when he couldn’t come up with any ideas for sketches at Second City, he would go over to other cast members’ apartments and help them work on their ideas to help him get unstuck.

In fact, it was so much fun to work with him and talk to him that all of my typical low self-esteem about my inexperience and not having my lines memorized went out the window. Hanging out with him had trumped doing a paying gig.

Today, when I see Colbert on TV, especially when he acts silly, it reminds me of how much fun I had working with him on that horrible corporate video, and I remember how his silliness is a direct result of his hard work and preparation. You can tell in everything he does from his interviews, to his political desk pieces, to the opening, that he is not just out there making it up as he goes along. He is improvising, yes, but that's a direct result of all of his preparation and hard work. That guy has worked his ass off as a writer, performer and leader to get where he is today. And nobody just improvises their way to the top.

Want to improv your two-person scenes? Sign up for Jimmy Carrane's next Art of Slow Comedy Level 2 Class, starting Nov. 4. Early Bird Special ends Oct. 21!

There’s been some buzz about Improv Nerd and The Art of Slow Comedy classes in the press lately as our fall season starts up this Sunday. Here’s what people have been saying:

Here are a few of our favorite throwback mentions in the press:

Seen any Improv Nerd shoutouts lately? Share the love below!

Last month I was at DSI Comedy Theatre in beautiful Chapel Hill, NC, teaching three workshop and doing a live recording of Improv Nerd. At the end of the first day of workshops, we got into a lengthy discussion about the issues of "stage hogs" in improv classes and in shows. You know, those improvisers who jump into every scene in either in class, rehearsals or shows. They don't seem to have a clue how frustrating they are to work with.  

The more we talked about this subject, it was clear we did not have a solution as to what to do when you have a stage hog in your class. So I decided to reach out to some teachers across the country whom I respect and posed the question: “What should you do if there is a stage hog in your class?”

It was great to get so many different views on this. I hope you find their answers as helpful as I did.

 

Will Hines, teacher at The UCB in Los Angeles said:

Stage hogs! Such fun. It's hard to deal with if you're a student in the improv class. It's easiest for the teacher (coach) to deal with. BUT if the teacher doesn't seem to be noticing, or for whatever reason isn't doing anything about it, then your best move is to learn how to make scenes work with these people.

You'll be tempted to just stay on the back line and punish them by staying away from their scenes. Get in scenes with them. Let them drive and you just confirm and re-state and react. It's frustrating because in a way it'll feel like you're letting them get away with it. But just remember that you are making yourself more powerful. Stay low-status, because stage hogs are usually unable to go low status. React to everything they say (you might not be given room to do much else).

Also, play as hard with them as they are with you. If you're tagged out by a stage hog, tag right back in as soon as possible. Just keep saying yes to the facts. Stage hogs may also call you out. "What? You're doing THIS?!??! That's CRAZY!" Just agree that it's crazy and justify/explain your actions in a funny way. Stage hogs do eventually go away as they are fundamentally NOT GOOD!

 

Here's what Rick Andrews, instructor at Magnet Theater in New York said:

Ideally, if someone is stage hogging in a rehearsal or improv class, that's where a good coach or instructor can step in and level the playing field in a kind, non-harsh way. But sometimes that doesn't happen or there's no coach; it's a tricky situation! It's no fun to feel like your ideas aren't being heard. However, if we become so focused on the person we feel is "doing it wrong"-- even if we're right in our assessment -- we now become critical and judgmental as an improviser, which isn't going to lead to better or more fun work.

I think in those situations, all you can really control is yourself. Focus on simple supportive moves you can make to the scene or show. Or make clear, simple choices at the start of the scene; if the person changes the focus of the scene, we can often play both ideas rather than abandoning one of them. If you start a scene with "I feel so itchy today," and the other person says, "Who cares! We gotta bake these pies before the bake sale!" You can be both itchy and baking pies.

If you're feeling consistently shut down by someone, don't be afraid to ask the coach or instructor about it.  They might have a helpful POV or be able to offer more specific advice for playing with someone.

 

Jill Bernard from Huge Theater in Minneapolis said:

Those of us who are stage hogs do so for two reasons: 1.) We are just so excited to be there and/or 2.) We really want to help. We think we’re rescuing you from the HUGE GULF OF SILENCE AND INACTION THAT THREATENS TO KILL US ALL!!! Of course, in reality, that “huge gulf of silence” was a millisecond in length and threatened no one because silence is not a bad thing.

Let's talk about what to do about stage hogging immediately and also long-term. Immediately: Find it funny and 'yes and' them, make their choice the right choice now.

Long-term: This is not something for the other students to fix. Please speak to your coach/director/teacher about it privately during break or after improv class. There are lots of good repair exercises and little rules. "Let's make sure everyone's been in a scene before you are in a second one," is something a coach can say to a steamroller (but not to a mouse who will interpret it to mean they should hide in the shadows counting their teammates). You may also want to end your warm-up series with something meditative and calming so that we enter the stage with less desperation.  

 

Billy Merrit of The UCB in Los Angeles says:

The first thing that pops into my mind with stage hogs is to tell your teacher or coach what's going on.

Do not handle it yourself, or complain about it to others on your team. This can spark judgment and backbiting, and once that starts on a team it's hard to pull it back. Your coach has to be that filter.

The second thought that pops into my mind is: “Why?” Why is the player being a stage hog? Is the person jumping out all the time because they don't trust others with the scene work? Is the person jumping out because they can't control their excitement of playing? Do you think they're a stage hog because you’re stuck on the sides coming up with an idea and they beat you to it?

Simply labeling someone a “stage hog” doesn't label the problem. It places blame. Blaming slows everything down.

 

Bill Binder, teacher at The Torch Theatre in Phoenix suggests:

It's not a perfect solution, but most of the time the stage hogs I come across don't care so much about being physically onstage as they care about feeling important. I spend a lot of time in the early levels focusing on the huge importance and impact of being on the sides; that everyone in the ensemble is contributing to the scene, not just those on the stage; that wisdom in not entering a scene can be a honed skill.

Praising good editing and good offstage etiquette makes everyone, including the stage hogs, take pride in their offstage presence. Often enough, the stage hogs can take ownership of that offstage support in a way that satisfies their feeling of contribution.

 

Jay Sukow formerly of The Second City Training Center in Chicago, now in Los Angeles says:

Stage hogs. Something all improvisors will face at some point. What can you do as a performer to make a stage hog change? Nothing. You can only control the things you do. But you can make the environment a safe place to fail, so that person lets go of the need to control and be in everything; it's always a control/ego/fear move.

Look to the teacher/director/coach to call that out; that's their job. If it's not happening, have one person from your group approach the teacher outside of class and have a one-on-one discussion. Express the concern. In a class setting, there's not much to do outside of that because everyone is writing a check to be there.  

If it's a team and it's an ongoing issue (and you've already talked with the coach) have one person approach them with love and empathy and ask the person if they're aware of what they're doing. If you come at that person with anger or accusations, or if more than one corner that person, it feels like a gang-up. It’ll backfire. Remember, they’re still part of your group and improv is all about the ensemble. Many times, they don't even know. Also, the others in the group might seem timid, so that's why that person is making all the moves. Or maybe they were told by another teacher to get out there more. Now, if that stage hog is an asshole and just doesn't care, then it's time to ask them to leave the group. One person can derail an ensemble if their ego is out of control.  

But remember, most of all, improv is supposed to be FUN.

 

Have you faced stage hogs in your improv classes? If so, how have you dealt with it? Let us know in the comments below.
Want to study with with Jimmy Carrane? His next Art of Slow Comedy: Level 2 class starts Oct. 28. Get the Early Bird Special if you sign up by Oct. 14.

 

 

Improv Nerd will celebrate its fourth anniversary in September 2015, and this fall, the hit comedy podcast hosted by Jimmy Carrane is back with another season of amazing guests. The show will run on Sundays from Oct. 11-Dec. 6 (no show Nov. 8). All shows will be held at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.

This season kicks off with improv legends TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi talking about their long-term partnership as well as their new book, “Improvisation at the Speed of Life.” Other guests this season include WWE wrestler Colt Cabana; director of Second City’s e.t.c. show “Soul Brother Where Art Thou” Anthony LeBlanc; director of Columbia College’s Comedy Studies Program Anne Libera, and WTTW host Geoffrey Baer.

In each interview, which is recorded as a podcast, Jimmy talks with an improv icon about his or her creative process and career in comedy. Then laugh along as Jimmy performs a totally unscripted scene with each of his guests and learn how they created the scene in a revealing interview and question-and-answer session.

Since the live show and podcast began in September 2011, Jimmy has released more than 130 episodes with interviews of such guests as Key & Peele, Bob Odenkirk, Broad City, Jeff Garlin, Andy Richter, David Koechner, Rachel Dratch, Tim Meadows, Scott Adsit and others. The show is hosted on FeralAudio.com, a Los Angeles-based podcast collective that hosts shows by comedians such as Matt Dwyer, Chelsea Peretti, Dan Harmon and more.

Don’t miss your chance to see this podcast live!

SHOW DETAILS
All shows at 5 p.m. at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont, Chicago

Oct. 11 – TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi
Oct. 18 – Irene Marquette
Oct. 25 – Jen Ellison
Nov. 1 – Anthony LeBlanc
Nov. 8 – No show
Nov. 15 – Anne Libera
Nov. 22 – Colt Cabana
Nov. 29 – Matt Higbee
Dec. 6 – Geoffrey Baer

TICKETS:
General admission: $10, $8 for improv students

To purchase tickets, call Stage 773 at 773.327.5252 or purchase online at http://www.stage773.com/

As artists, improvisers and human beings we all get jealous, some of us worse than others. Saying you never get jealous is like saying you never get angry or you never get sad or afraid. It's part of the human condition.

With jealousy, the only thing we can hope for is that the duration doesn't last too long. There have been times when I have been free of it, but jealousy is like cancer: Just when you think you’ve beaten it and it will never come back, it mysteriously shows up in another part of your body.

That’s precisely what happened to me last month. The uber-improv group Beer Shark Mice came to Chicago to do a series of sold-out shows and workshops at iO Chicago.

I have worked with all of the members of that group back in Chicago over 20 years ago, in once capacity or another. Since then, they have all moved to LA and have done extremely well. They are all very talented people. They have all worked hard. But still, I can feel jealous of their success in Hollywood.

Jealousy is not logical, it never has been, so to trying to figure it out makes no sense, but typically, the people I started out with in improv are the ones I can get the most jealous about.

Here's what pisses me off about jealously, besides the fact that I have it from time to time: I am often too afraid to admit that I’m feeling it. When you say you’re jealous of someone, people misinterpret it and think you’re dissing on the person. That could not be farther from the truth.

Admitting you are jealous is a good thing. If you listen to my podcast, Improv Nerd, you have heard me talk about my jealousy of Tina Fey, who started in improv here in Chicago. First of all, my jealousy of her has nothing to do with Tina Fey. It’s 100 percent about me. It’s my issue. If anything, I am dissing on myself. Secondly, I have admitted my jealousy of Tina Fey over 100 times, and guess what? It seems to have subsided for the time being.

Being jealous of someone else just means that you wish that you had something they have. It can be talent, looks, money, fame… anything that you compare yourself to someone else with and feel like you fall up short.

I denied my jealousy of others -- and a lot of my other emotions -- for a very long time, and I can humbly say that denying that I felt it didn’t do any good. I didn't admit I was jealous because I was worried of what people would think of me. People think jealousy and anger are bad, so I denied that I felt those emotions and stuffed them until they reached a toxic level in my body. When you do that, I can guarantee it will come out sideways and it will harm yourself and others and ruin your shows.

I did a two-person show years ago called Naked with Stephanie Weir, one of the best improvisers I have ever gotten to work with. The show was great, but it could have been much better for all of us if I could have dealt with me jealousy better. Not only was I incredibly jealous of her talent, but I also couldn’t admit it at the time, not even to myself. So instead, I made angry and negative choices on stage, which made me difficult to work with. I am sure I was nightmare for all involved, and I still have shame about that show.

If you get anything out of this blog today, I hope that it’s that it’s ok to admit that you're jealous of others, because if you don’t, there’s a good chance it will turn into bitterness. I’ve been down that road many of times, and if we own it and takes steps forward in our own careers, it will dissipate and we can get out of our own way on stage and in our lives.

Only 2 spots left in Jimmy's next Arts of Slow Comedy: Level 1 class! Sign up today to secure your spot in this award-winning class, starting Sept. 23.

If you’re an improviser who thinks you don’t need to really know anything about acting, I have news for you: You do.

While most actors also train in improv, many improvisers are hesitant to try their hand at acting classes. The problem is, when you’re finally cast in a sketch show or other (semi) rehearsed performance, if you’ve never taken an acting class, you may be embarrassed to discover that you have zero clue what your director is talking about.

All improv/sketch/comedy directors use the same theatrical terminology as every other stage director. So you need to know the terminology in order to follow their instructions. While some of these terms may not apply to every show you rehearse for, it’s good to speak the same language as all performers.

To help, we've have come up with a list of some of the basic theater terms every improviser should know:

Blocking: Any rehearsed movement you do onstage other than dance choreography. This means everything from entrances/exits to when you pick up an object (real or imaginary).

Stage Left: When you’re standing on stage and facing the audience, this’ll be your left.

Stage Right: Same deal.

House Left: The same thing as Stage Right. It’s just mirrored from the audience’s perspective.

House Right: I hope to God you get it by now.

Upstage: Walk away from the front edge of the stage. Congratulations -- you’re upstage.

Downstage: About face, soldier. Downstage is the opposite of upstage… big shocker.

Center stage: Smack in the center of the stage. Another no-brainer.

Down left/right, Up left/right: Diagonal movements across the stage. For example, “Down left” would just be downstage/stage left.

Cross: A blocking direction that’s just walking (with some kind of character motivation). In a blocking rehearsal, your director may tell you to “cross up right.” So you would walk towards your 5 o’clock.

Tech: A tech rehearsal incorporates the technical elements of the show. There are different kinds of tech rehearsals for different kinds of things. “Dry tech,” for example, doesn’t require the performers to be there. A “cue to cue” or “Q2Q,” however, requires the performers to walk through the show purely for the needs of the designers and director.

Offbook: This is where you have to ditch your script and have your lines memorized. Tip: When you director tells you that you need to be offbook by a certain date, you’d better be offbook, for your own sake.

Call for line: Again, it’s what it sounds like. But many improvisers don’t know how to do it properly. A professional performer freezes, calls out “Line”, without breaking character, and then moves on.

Read-Thru: A type of rehearsal where you blaze through the dialogue or script. You don’t need to act, you just need to get the words out of your mouth correctly.

Hold: This is one of the many calls that your director or technical director/designer may scream out in the middle of rehearsal. If they tell you to “hold,” you freeze. If they tell you “heads,” you look up and/or jump out of the way. Tip: If a tech director/designer yells at you to do something, do it. It’s usually a safety warning.

Call time: This is the latest time you’re supposed to show up to the stage. If your “call” is at 7 p.m., you should probably be there around 6:45 p.m.

Project: This means to talk louder. “Projecting” is when you increase your volume by speaking from your diaphragm, like a singer. It doesn’t mean raising the pitch of your voice or straining your throat.

Some names of relevant roles that you should know:

Technical director (TD): Oversees designers and all safety and works with and advises the director.

Stage manager (SM): Coordinates with performers, tech, etc. Your go-to person for questions, when you’re running late, etc.

Assistant director (AD): Takes notes for/assists the director. They’ll feed you lines if you call.

Props crew: Sets the props where they need to be. Communicate with the props crew about what props you need, when/where, etc.

Wardrobe crew: Helps store, clean, or repair costumes. Helps with quick changes (common in sketch comedy shows.)

House manager: Person who oversee ticketing, seating, starting on time, etc.

Usher: The people who actually take the tickets and seat the audience.

Remember, by learning basic theatrical terms, you’ll be a more well-rounded, disciplined, and yes, a smarter improviser.

Are you an improviser who is looking to improve your acting skills? Then you'll love Jimmy Carrane's Art of Slow Comedy Class. There are still a few spots available in his next Level 1 class, starting Sept. 23. Sign up today!

(Photo by David Boyll. Photo courtesy of Un-Scripted Theater Company,  which performs The Great Bollywood Puppet Extravaganza at the Gorilla Tango Theater as part of the 2009 Chicago Improv Festival.)

You would think as an improviser I would like to play in my everyday life. You would think I would at least know how to have fun and be silly.

I am sorry to disappoint, but I don't. A couple of weekends ago it became very clear that this might be becoming a problem.

On Saturday afternoon, my wife asked me if I would play with our cat Coco or Moosh-Poosh or whatever name we came up for her that week. I agreed so I would not be accused of not playing with the cat. I really don't see the point of playing with a cat, now that she is no longer a kitten. It does not surprise me that Lauren is afraid that if we are ever lucky enough to have kids that I won't want to play with our kids. This is real fear of mine as well. Playing is not in my DNA.

So with Lauren watching I threw a string of plastic gold beads on the hardwood floor so Coco could chase them. It was the most excruciating four minutes of my life.

Then on Sunday, Lauren wanted me to do something with her.

Lauren: Do you want to go on a walk to the park and throw the Frisbee?
Me: (long pause)
Lauren: Come on, it will be fun.
Me: (longer pause)
Lauren: It's beautiful out.
Me: (longest pause....) Oh, ok.

I did not want to go. This is not my definition of fun. Fun for me is anything I can do while I am horizontal. Taking a nap, sitting by the pool, getting an MRI. If I am laying down, chances are I am having a good time, and if I can incorporate reading into the activity, I am in heaven.

So, Lauren dragged my sorry ass to the park where we started to throw the Frisbee to each other. I say it was a Frisbee, but it was not a real one. It was a promotional one that you get at a bank, which we all know don't throw as well as real ones. Anyway, we start to toss it around, and all I keep thinking is, “When is this going to be over?”

Most people lose time when then do something that they enjoy. When I am doing something that I enjoy, I am usually checking the time, counting the minutes until it will be done. It does not matter if I am at a movie, on vacation, or having sex. The best part for me is when it's over. For me, it’s hard to hold onto joy because I don’t believe it will last, so I’d rather avoid having any joy at all.

After 10 minutes of playing catch with the wobbly promotional Frisbee, Lauren says my favorite expression: "OK, that’s enough, let's go."

I’m not going to lie. I was grateful to go home into the air conditioning. But I was also grateful that I have someone like Lauren in my life who forces me to have fun and experience joy, because I clearly don’t know how to have it on my own.

I’ve been doing improv for more than 30 years, so I’ve had lots of time to think about it. And I’ve come to realize there are lots of great pieces of improv wisdom that can help people on stage and in their lives.

So about a year ago, I started jotting down these little gems of wisdom and putting them out on social media. They’re kind of like fortune cookies for improvisers, minus the cookie.

They’re not revolutionary concepts, of course; but I hope these little tidbits of #ImprovWisdom have helped you to become a better improviser, and reminded you to keep learning. Here are few of my favorites:

#131: Vagueness is the number one cause of death to any scene.

#133: Beware: Too many “bits” can get in the way of people getting to really know you.

#134: The best PR? Being nice.

#135: You get better by DOING.

#138: Sometimes the best inspiration is a bad show.

#139: Your best shows are ones where you barely try.

#140: The thing people are drawn to is authenticity. So for God’s sake, be yourself.

#141: The more mistakes you make, the closer you are to mastery.

#142: Taking a break is not quitting; it’s making room for inspiration.

#143: Object work is there to support you, not to annoy you.

#144: It’s impossible to succeed in improv without failing.

#145: Putting other people down is not getting ahead. It’s just being a jerk.

#147: If you are not having fun in your off-stage life, how do you expect to have any fun on stage?

#148: If you don’t take time to recharge your batteries, they may die on you in the middle of a show.

#156: How much effort does it really take to give a compliment?

#157: The best kind of improvising is when you don’t know what’s going to happen next.

#158: Telling people what to do in scenes is not improvising; it’s controlling.

#159: When you are frustrated the most in improv class, you are actually learning the most.

#161: Death to improv is thinking you are finished learning.

#166: listening is the quickest way to gain respect.

#178: How long you’ve been doing something doesn’t matter, but how you treat people does.

#180: A selfish player sucks. A selfish character is brilliant.

#182: If you’re “too good” to take class and workshops, you’re “too good” to get any better. You’ll never improve.

#216: "Yes, And" starts with-- "Don't be a dick."

#218: Just because your scene partner isn't saying anything doesn't mean you're not getting anything from them.

#219: You're not as clever as you think.

 

Have you had a favorite #ImprovWisdom that we’ve posted, or one of your own? Tell us in the comments below!

 

To hear Jimmy’s improv wisdom firsthand, sign up for his upcoming class, The Art of Slow Comedy Level 1: The (Fun)damentals, now before spots fill up. The Early Bird Special ends Aug. 31!