Have you ever had the experience where you were creatively stuck on stage? Either you opened your mouth and nothing came out, or worse, you just kept talking and the scene just went nowhere? When that happens, it’s like going into a black hole. But luckily, there are some things we can do on stage […]
I want to let you in on a little secret about improv: The results don't matter. I need to keep reminding myself of this one, because lately this has gotten in my way of my improvising and of teaching improvisation. If I do an Improv Nerd and the interview does not blow people away or […]
Joy is something I am trying to work on in all aspects of my life, especially in my improvising and my teaching. For years, I really didn’t know how to feel joy, and I resented people who seemed happy. God forbid if I met someone who had joy, or worse, had it all the time. […]
Do you ever judge your scene partners’ ideas? One of the basic tenets of improv is to accept everything that our scene partner says as a gift and go with it. I don’t know about you, but I know this concept is way harder than it sounds. I know I am guilty of judging my […]
I am burnt out, fried, my creative reservoir is dry, and the weather man is saying there's no chance of rain in the seven-day forecast. I have gone way past the point of exhaustion. Instead of pulling over to take a break, I passed every rest stop along the way and kept speeding across the […]
What I've Learned After 50 Episodes of Improv Nerd Next week we will be airing our 50th episode of Improv Nerd. It’s been less than two years since we started Improv Nerd, and recently I’ve been reflecting on how it all came about. For more than ten years I was a contributor for WBEZ, a […]
Do You Have to Be The Funniest ON YOUR TEAM? I have recently discovered a flaw of mine that is impacting my improvising -- and not in a good way. Since I started improvising, I have always strived to be "the best improviser." You might think that would be a good thing, but in fact, […]
How to Deal with Fear Before a Show Fear before a show is unpredictable. Sometimes I have it, and sometimes I don't. Last month, I had it before doing "Messing with A Friend" with Susan Messing. I love Susan as much as a person as I love playing with her. Having Susan ask me to play with her […]
As another one of my Art of Slow Comedy improv class prepares to do a long-form performance at The Upstairs Gallery in Chicago this Saturday, I want to share with you some good reminders on what you need to make a long-form work. 1. Have Fun -- When you play with Susan Messing in her […]
There’s been something coming up lately in my improv classes, The Art of Slow Comedy, that I call the dark side. Students will be doing a scene with a so-called dark subject matter -- pedophilia, racism, abortion -- and the scene will end up being more dramatic than funny. Afterwards, the students will look shaken […]