Improv Nerd director Sam Bowers recently co-produced the first-ever 24 Hour Sketch Comedy Competition at The Second City. The 24HSCC pitted 10 sketch teams against each other to see who could write and rehearse the best sketch within 24 hours, ultimately putting them up in a rapid-fire revue for an audience and panel of industry […]
If you haven't heard, improv training has become quite popular in the corporate world. Thank God. It seems lately every book on business, sales and presentations I pick up has a chapter or two on the power of improv. Today, when I go into a company or organization to teach improv, most people are not […]
I am a slow learner. And I’m conflicted about learning new things: My soul loves to learn while my ego hates it. Last week, I wrote and performed a new solo piece for a storytelling night called Louder Than a Mom. It was about when I was growing up and we’d go out to dinner as […]
I used to think the only satisfaction I could get from improv was when I performing it. You know, the attention that being on stage gives you. I thought I could only be happy if I was getting the laughs, the applause and the accolades. That is how I thought for a long time. I was […]
The summer is a good time to catch up on some reading, and I have come up with a short list of books all about making it in the world of comedy that I think you would really enjoy inside in the air conditioning or outside in the sun. So if the summer movies disappoint, […]
It’s nice to write a blog every once in a while when you don't have all the answers. This time, I’m going to you for answers, because one thing I’ve learned over the years is if I’m struggling with something, there are other people out there who have struggled with it, too. And if I’m willing […]
If you don't take care of yourself in this exciting, yet taxing art form you will be toast. Toast does not perform well on stage – it’s dry, and flat and doesn't have much flavor. If you want to avoid the toast syndrome, one of the best ways is through a little self-care. Self-care is […]
A couple weeks ago, I talked about the importance of doing improv warm-up games before your classes, workshops and rehearsals. Today, I wanted to share three warm-up games that I have been using for some time that I found to be very helpful. Like improv itself, there is no right or wrong way to play […]
From time to time, a fan of this blog or the podcast will contact me directly and ask me an improv-related question. Recently, I received a question about how to know if you should pursue improv seriously, and I decided to share it because it's something I believe everyone in improv, comedy and acting has […]
When it comes to teaching improv, I am old school. Though I have evolved as a teacher and performer over the years, one thing that has not changed since I started teaching is that I love beginning each improv class or workshop with a series of warm-up games. Warm-up games are essential. This is something I learned from one of my […]