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August 9, 2022
Would You Rather Be Right Or Would You Rather Be Happy?

There's an expression that goes, “Would you rather be right or would you rather be happy?” This applies to improv. I have seen my students time and time again wanting to "do it right" and follow the rules, rather than trusting their instincts and having fun. They would rather be right than happy. There are a lot of reasons […]

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August 4, 2022
Why Improvisers Should Take an Acting Class

If you've been improvising for a while, at some point one of your teachers/coaches will say you need to take an acting class. This may be confusing. If you are like me, you might think something like, “I am improviser, not an actor.” And then a huge acting opportunity will come along, like a play, […]

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June 16, 2022
The Gifts I Got From My Dad

This Sunday is Father’s Day and it’s making me think a lot about my dad, who died a little over six years ago, a few months before my daughter, Betsy, was born. In one of the last conversations I had with him, I read him a list of 11 things he gave me as father. […]

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June 9, 2022
The Last Day of Kindergarten

Kindergarten ended this week for Betsy. She made it through, and more importantly, I did, too. Watching your kid grow up is emotional. One day she has a new BFF, the next she doesn't. It's like watching the stock market. When she was a baby all my friends that were parents said, "Enjoy this time. It will go fast." At […]

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May 26, 2022
Do Your Art For the Joy of It

Do your art for the joy of it. Don't do it unless it brings you happiness. It's not about the fame and fortune. Those will come or they will not. Make up your own definition of what "making it" means and fuck the rest. Do what makes your heart sing or skip a beat, just […]

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May 12, 2022
Moving On. Moving Forward.

I think sometimes improvisers get hell bent at working at certain theaters or making a house team, and then they stay too long at places out of frustration or insecurity. I think moving on is even harder if you work with improv gurus, whom you make your higher power because you think they have all […]

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April 28, 2022
Performing Live Improv Again

I did it. Last weekend I actually did a live improv show in front of a live audience. It had been over two years since I had been on stage, thanks to Covid. But here I was at the Laughing Academy in Glenview improvising again with some people I had known for years and some […]

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March 31, 2022
5 Things To Help You Be More In the Now

Improvisers inherently know that joy is in the now. That’s where the laughs lie, and the audience reinforces that when we are on stage. It's something we train for and hope to achieve in every show, yet I still don't achieve it every time I improvise. Staying in the moment can be hard, even for longtime improvisers like me. […]

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March 25, 2022
3 Things That Will Inspire Your Comedy Career

If you are looking for a little inspiration in your comedy career, I have found three things — a book, a movie and a documentary — that really spoke to me recently, and if you don't mine, I'd love to recommend them to you. Comedy, Comedy, Comedy, Drama by Bob OdenkirkWho wouldn’t want to have Bob […]

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March 18, 2022
Having a Difference of Opinion About Art

I used to think that not only did my opinion matter, but that it defined me. And if you did not agree with me there must be something wrong with you, or worse, something wrong with me. Sharing my opinion about someone's show or a movie wasn't just a matter of an opinion. It was […]

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