Recent Posts:
What to do when you’re creatively burnt outAugust 15, 2019 - 11:05 am
When You’re the Oldest One in Your Improv ClassAugust 12, 2019 - 9:00 am
3 Most Common Mistakes Improvisers MakeAugust 8, 2019 - 2:58 am
To Be Great, You Have to Be Bad FirstAugust 1, 2019 - 2:02 pm
Surprise! I’m HappyJuly 25, 2019 - 1:26 pm
3 Things Therapists Can Learn from ImprovJuly 16, 2019 - 7:16 pm
3 Ways to Have a Good Show, Even If You Have a Small AudienceJuly 10, 2019 - 4:54 pm- How I Take Good NewsJune 19, 2019 - 8:46 pm
Announcing My New One-Person Show, ‘World’s Greatest Dad(?)’May 16, 2019 - 5:51 pm
5 Improv Teachers Who Influenced MeMay 9, 2019 - 4:19 pm
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There's no right way to improvise
/2 Comments/in Blog /by Jimmy CarraneSNL’s Tim Robinson and Jimmy Carrane THERE’S NO RIGHT WAY TO IMPROVISE Last month Eric Voss of Splitsider wrote an excellent article about the importance of finding “the game” in an improv scene, quoting some of the biggest names in improv, including myself. Then a couple of days later, Sally Smallwood of People and Chairs […]
10 Off-Stage Tips to Becoming a Better Improviser
/13 Comments/in Blog /by Jimmy Carrane10 Off-Stage Tips To Becoming a Better Improviser Students ask me all the time, “What can I work on during the week between improv classes to become a better improviser?” My answer is work on your life. Improv is a very transparent art form, and the more you have a rich, full life, the more […]
Go ahead, promote yourself
/6 Comments/in Blog /by Jimmy CarraneGo Ahead, Promote Yourself One of the hardest things for me to do is to ask people to come to my improv shows. I have been performing on a regular basis for more than 20 years and it’s still difficult. I tell myself “Oh, they don’t really care,” or “Why would they come see me?” […]
It's not about being funnny
/2 Comments/in Blog /by Jimmy CarraneIt’s Not About Being Funny If improv is not about being funny, then what is it? You’ve heard it a million times: Improv is not about being funny. But what does that mean? If it’s not supposed to be funny, what’s it supposed to be? I have students pull me aside all the time after […]
My wife thinks I'm not a good actor
/22 Comments/in Blog /by Jimmy Carrane10/19/12: My Wife ThinkS I’m NOT A Good Actor I recently had an audition for NBC’s “Chicago Fire.” A security guard, a couple of lines. Pretty easy… or so I thought. But, whenever I have an audition, I put so much pressure on myself that it’s no longer about getting the job, it’s about my self-worth. […]
Keep saying Yes, And
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Jimmy CarraneKEEP SAYING YES, AND… When I started taking improv classes in Chicago in the late ’80s and early ’90s the goal was simple: study with Del Close at the Improv Olympic, get hired by Second City and then get on Saturday Night Live. The path was narrow. Anyone who even thought about teaching, directing or […]