I have been doing stand-up comedy now for five years, and as I have been learning the craft, I am so grateful that I have had my improv background to fall back on. Although stand-ups memorize their material and improvisers make it up on the spot, there are many skills that you can learn in […]
With the summer heat rising, this is a good time to hunker down inside in the air conditioning and catch up on some streaming and reading. I have put together a short list of recommendations that would appeal to a comedy nerd, like myself. 1. Hacks, Season 4 (HBO Max)I originally watched half of the first season of Hacks […]
My daughter Betsy had a talent show at school this week. The other girls in the third grade had teamed up together in small groups to do different dance routies. She was not included. But she wanted to dance. So she came up with a routine herself. She decide to choose the pop anthem “Fight […]
Last week, I shared five tips on how you can be a better improv teacher. This week, I wanted to share some more pieces of advice on how you can make teaching improv easier, more effective and more fun. Enjoy!
Improv teachers are like magicians. When you’re doing it right, it's pulling a rabbit out of a hat. While magicians never give away their secrets, improv teachers do, because they know they can't keep their skills if they don't give them away. Recently I've been doing some reflecting on my career and what I've learned […]
For the last 30 years, one of my passions has been slow improv. I have taught thousands of improvisers from everywhere from Omaha to Poland how to do it. I’ve used the term in my marketing for years, but lately I’ve realized that not everyone knows what I mean when I say it. So, if […]
Last Sunday night, Saturday Night Live celebrated 50 years on TV with a three-and-a-half hour special. I watched all of it all, including some of the red carpet beforehand. I have a long history with the show, starting when I was 12. It was the first show on TV that made me laugh out loud. […]
If you’re a storyteller and you want to make your story unforgettable, make it funny. Laughter is one of the best ways to connect with your audience. Unfortunately, some storytellers don't think they are funny and are afraid to even try, but it’s easier than you think. Once you follow these five easy ways to […]
One of my favorite books on long form improv is The Complete Improviser by Bill Arnett. Bill is an incredible teacher, director and improviser from Chicago whom I first met at IO-Chicago back in the late ’90s. The other day I needed some inspiration for upcoming class, so I took Bill's book off my shelf, […]
Students often want to know when they will know they are getting good at improv. The simple answer might be, “When you are getting more laughs,” but I actually think it's the opposite. When people are starting out in improv, the way they usually measure their success is by how many laughs they get in […]