Artists take risks. They evolve. They are excited about trying new things, even when they flat-out fail because they know they will have many more failures than successes. They really don't fail; they learn and grow. And they are always seeking inspiration. That is their rocket fuel. I think about my favorite musicians like Neil Young, […]
Two weeks ago I performed a Jimmy and Johnnie show -- an improv show that I have been doing for the last six years with John Hildreth at Second City. Each month we pick a special guest to improvise with us, and this time it was Joe Bill. The three of us always work well […]
Any improviser doing long form knows that editing can make or break a show. Good editing is balancing act between letting the improv scenes develop and not letting them go on too long to drag down the show. Whether you’re looking to improve your editing skills, or you are an improv teacher looking for ideas […]
We are told all the time in improv just have fun up there and everything will take care of itself. But what if you don't have fun in your real life? Well, then you are screwed. I am speaking from experience. I cannot give something away that I don't have. And when I try to fake […]
As a father of a two-and-a-half year old, I read a lot of children’s books. I mean, a lot. Not only does she have a bookshelf full of them, but she wants to read them over, and over and over. Some are good. Some are not so good. And some I’ve even memorized. So when […]
How we look at life is how we improvise on stage. If we can't find the joy in our lives and we look at everything going on in the world as a problem, chances are that is how we will initiate a scene. I see this with my students in class. They will be on […]
As I mentioned last week, if you are improvising today, you're probably doing it online -- on Zoom. And what I am finding is that slowing down your improv works especially well on Zoom. Because improvising on Zoom is more like watching a film or TV show than a theater performance, gives you the opportunity […]
I love when people reach out to me looking for me to share some of my experience in improv. Recently, an improviser contacted me to see if I had done a podcast or written a blog about what to do if you live in a small town and are unhappy with your improv group. Here’s […]
Great improvisers are in the moment. They have no need for the future or the past since they know it will not serve them. They do not have an idea of how the scene will end. They thrive on the uncertainty. They are happy where they're at. This is the hardest thing for me to […]
Are you trying to form an improv group or looking to add more talent to your existing group? Or do you run an improv theater? If so, you might assume that your first order of business is to hold auditions. However, holding auditions isn’t always the best way to discover the best talent. This week, […]