Improvising is about creating something beyond your imagination with the help of other people. It takes humility, it takes courage, it takes faith. We are creating something out of nothing on a regular basis. And to do it, we have to stop pretending that we know what we are doing and get comfortable in the […]
I’ve been traveling around the country a lot lately, teaching improv in all different cities. And one thing I’ve noticed in some communities is that improv can feel like gang warfare. There are theaters that don’t want their students studying or performing at other venues. They are protecting their turf. I get it, they are […]
If you want a bigger career in improv you are going to have to network. If you want to climb the improv ladder, you will not be able to able to avoid this step. You are going to have to play the game. You are going to have to schmooze. If you don't want to, fine. Maybe […]
If you’re an improviser, you’ve probably thought about it: How do I get a writing job on TV? That, my friends, is a very good question, and the answer is not as simple as you may think. Unlike a regular job where you just send in your resume and cover letter, when you apply for […]
When you get to be an improv teacher as respected as Will Hines, former head of the UCB Training Center in New York, who happens to write a great blog (http://improvnonsense.tumblr.com), you get flooded with questions from improvisers all around the country. When you’re me, you just tag onto Will’s questions to make yourself sound […]
Last week, I talked about how to give good improv notes if you are an improv coach or director. This week, I'm going to give some tips on how to give improv notes to your own teammates -- a much trickier proposition. First, let me say, if you are part of an improv group and […]
As an improv director or coach, giving notes after a show is an art. Like improvising, you can only get better at teaching and directing improv by doing it and making a lot of mistakes along the way. Though my methods may seem a little unconventional, I wanted to share them with you because I […]
When we first start taking improv classes we have no expectations. Actually, we are ecstatic. We are just so happy that we finally got up the nerve to start doing it. Each week, we look forward to improv class. We rush off to it. Our life starts to change. Our crappy day job becomes tolerable. Our body changes. People think we […]
I am so grateful that there are so many schools, teachers and methods of improvisation. It's the best thing for the art form and is one of the reasons it keeps growing. That was not the case when I started taking improv classes back in the late ’80s in Chicago. In those days, you had three places […]
The number one rule in improv -- over "Yes, And…," listening, finding the game in the scene, environment, adding specifics, and developing character and emotions -- is “Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously.” It has happened to all of us. We make a Harold team, or get hired by a big comedy theater, or finish a […]