Two weeks ago, Lauren and I went on vacation. Our friends Stephen and Amy were renting a house up in Eagle River, WI, for a week and we were going up to meet them from Tuesday to Friday. So Tuesday morning we packed up the Honda CRV and drove the six and a half hours […]
If Del Close, one of the founding fathers of improv, had a mission (other than terrorizing some of his students in his classes), it was to make improv an art form. And if that’s true, that makes you an artist. Back in the ’80s, improv had very little respect. If you told people you were […]
There is a technique I use in my Art of Slow Comedy improv classes that I want to share with you. Whenever I notice my students struggling, trying too hard to figure things out, and trying to improvise the "right way" and not making any mistakes, I will say: "Ok, for the next 10 minutes, […]
Years ago there was an actor here in Chicago who used to book a lot of commercials, parts on TV and films and voiceovers. He always had a positive outlook and he was one of only a handful of actors in town making a living at acting. When I’d see him in the waiting room […]
The thing I love about improv is I can practice things that I need to work on in my own life. It's very simple: When I use the improv principles on stage, they will naturally spill over into my everyday life. And lately I’ve noticed that I’ve actually made a ton of progress and am […]
Sometimes in one of my improv classes, a student will say after doing a great scene with a strong character, “I felt lost. I did not know where the scene was going.” "Good," I will say in an ironic way. "Stay lost. It's working for you." In our creative process, it’s a good thing to […]
I’ve heard that expectations are pre-meditated resentments, and the fastest way to kill your career is to have any expectations about how it is supposed to turn out. Apparently, that’s a lesson I still need to learn. When you have a certain expectation about how a show or a team or anything else is going […]
I am so happy to see so many more people wanting to become improv coaches and teachers. That was not true when I started, where we all wanted to be performers and if you said you wanted to be a teacher it was like you were selling out. I am so glad that times have […]
Last week, I outlined the first five points of my ten-point plan for getting ahead in improv. Read last week’s blog here. This week, I’m back with more of my favorite pieces of wisdom. I hope this helps you, and if you have any questions for me, please email me at jimcarrane@gmail.com. 6. Everyone says […]
I love all of the questions that people ask at the end of each Improv Nerd show. I get inspired by all of the young improvisers who are trying to figure out how to navigate life in this crazy community and create a path for themselves. It's not easy. So, if you’re one of those […]