I am seeing this over and over again — improvisers handcuffing themself in scenes by the so-called rules of improv. The thing that is supposed to give them freedom is actually confining them. I am not the first person to talk about this — Patti Styles and David Razowsky both address how improv rules can get in your way in […]
I love comedy documentaries. And this season, we are about to get a top of them dropped on us like a foot of snow in Chicago in January. Here’s three that I just watched, and the good news is they are all streaming right now on Netflix.
I've been blessed to have been in the improv community for a long time, and it's always great to see some of the people I've known in improv go on to do lots of cool creative projects. So I thought it would be fun to give you an update on some of the improvisers I've interviewed for Improv […]
As an improv teacher it's important to have a healthy teaching-performance balance. When you don't, you're out of alignment. It's like your engine light goes on in the car and you know you need an oil change. I needed an oil change. I needed inspiration. I know when a lot of other improv teachers need inspiration, they take other […]
When people in 12-step groups find out that I teach and perform improv, they always ask me how improv has helped me in my recovery. To me, improv and the 12 steps have a lot in common: They both are done in a group, they both bring more joy into your life, and they both […]
Students ask me all the time, is there any homework I can do in between the next improv class? The answer is usually the same: Yes, you have many opportunities to practice improv in your everyday life, and the best part is that people won't even know you are doing it. Here are three things […]
As someone who has been an improviser and an improv teacher for the last 30 years, I have seen "Yes, and..." work on stage and in the classroom. But in my own life it's a slightly different story. A couple of months ago, I auditioned for a big, leading part in a hugely popular TV show. I […]
My 10-year-old daughter went to art camp this summer, and the first week, she was excluded by some other girls she thought were her friends. The advice I kept giving her was, "If they are excluding you, they are not your friends. Make friends with the other people in camp." This is great advice for improvisers. I cannot tell you […]
Four years ago, I was cast in the TV show The Bear, which shoots in Chicago. I got Covid and was replaced. To say I was disappointed is a huge understatement. I love that show. My friends kept saying, “Don’t worry, they like you. They will have you back. You will get a better part." Like any […]
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 […]