Search Results

March 8, 2024
Why It’s Important to Play the Reality of a Scene in Improv

Some improv teachers (including myself) will say over and over again “Don’t try to be funny.” That can be confusing. A better approach is, “play the reality of the scene.” When improviser do that, especially when they are given a certain task, the funny will show up without them trying. In improv, the more believable you […]

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March 4, 2024
June 3-July 8: Advanced Online Improv Class (Virtual)

Doing slow improv leads to great scene work that's easy and inspired. But sometimes when we get out of practice, we get off track and our improv suffers. We struggle and it's frustrating. This advanced level class is for people who want to continue improving their slow improv. The last class will include an online […]

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February 29, 2024
5 Things Improvisers Need to Stream Right Now

Like many of you, I love to catch up on entertainment late at night before bed, and lately, I've seen some really great TV shows, movies, stand-up specials and documentaries that have reminded me of my own journey as an improviser. So if you're looking for a little creative inspiration, here are a few things […]

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February 29, 2024
May 18: Improv for Actors Workshop

Everyone can improvise, especially actors. Improvising can be as easy as having a conversation. Actors think they need a script, but they are wrong. Improvisingis acting. And when they apply their acting skill to improv, they will see how easy and fun it can be and feel more confident that they can do it. Jimmy Carrane has been teaching improv in Chicago for more than 30 years and has […]

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February 22, 2024
When You Are Lost In a Scene, Be Honest

A lot of times when people are improvising, people think they have to keep going no matter what. Oftentimes improvisers feel so much pressure to keep a scene going that they will muscle ahead in a scene even when they don’t know what’s going on. But confusion without clarity just leads to more confusion. If […]

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February 19, 2024
April 11: Virtual Drop-In Class

Want to check out Jimmy's improv classes without leaving your house? Join us for this one-time class where you will learn how to slow your improv down so you can make it as easy as a conversation. All of Jimmy's classes and workshops teach you how to get out of your head and into your […]

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February 2, 2024
To Be a Master, You Must Remain the Student

To be a master, you must remain the student. We all want to master improv. But a true master accepts that he's never going to master what he's trying to master. Shunryu Suzuki explains it better in his book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: “If your mind is empty… it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are […]

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January 26, 2024
March 23-April 27: Improv for Actors Level 2

Improv For Actors Level 2: Scene Work Made Easy with Jimmy Carrane As actors, improvising two-person, three-person and group scenes can be as easy as having a conversation. The problem is actors get in their own way. They convince themselves they can't act without a script. They don't have the confidence, even though they already have […]

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January 26, 2024
To All You Performers, Keep Going

Kim Greene is the owner of The Laughing Academy in Glenview, and she’s someone I have known in the improv scene in Chicago since the ’90s. We first met doing a business theater gig for Second City, and today, I teach classes for her at her theater. What I love about Kim is that not only […]

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January 4, 2024
Find the Love in Your Improv Scenes

When we watch an improv team or a person on stage who loves improvising, it can be contagious. If we are having fun, the audience is having fun. But often, I forget to bring the joy and bring the love to what I am doing, both on stage and in life. In my improv classes and workshops, we […]

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