Recent Posts:
Why It’s OK to Fail in ImprovDecember 11, 2019 - 10:30 am
11 Things I’m Grateful For This YearNovember 25, 2019 - 2:09 pm
Obsessing Doesn’t Make You BetterNovember 13, 2019 - 2:52 pm
What I’ve Learned from John HildrethOctober 23, 2019 - 3:54 pm
8 Things to Help You Be More CreativeOctober 16, 2019 - 1:14 pm
Teaching improv to preschoolersOctober 2, 2019 - 10:52 am
5 Ways to Practice Being in the MomentSeptember 18, 2019 - 9:52 pm
The 7 ingredients of a perfect improv sceneSeptember 10, 2019 - 3:51 pm
3 Ways to Improve Your Listening SkillsSeptember 5, 2019 - 10:35 am
How Improv Helps People with Down SyndromeAugust 21, 2019 - 1:50 pm
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Going to the dark side
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Jimmy CarraneThere’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 […]
Accentuate the Positive
/10 Comments/in Blog /by Jimmy CarraneAccentuate the Positive In our last rehearsal for Jimmy and Johnnie, our coach, Jack Bronis, said to me and John Hildreth that we need to play every show with joy. I have been improvising for 30 years and I have never played with joy. I have played with angst and fear and pressure on myself, […]
Time for a Break
/6 Comments/in Blog /by Jimmy CarraneTime for a break There is a myth among improvisers that the more classes you take and more shows you do, the better you will be. We can become addicted to this art form, always hungry to do more. But sometimes, you can do more by doing less. If you feel burnt out or over-extended […]
Humility = Teachability
/5 Comments/in Blog /by Jimmy CarraneHUMILITY = TEACHABILITY If you want to be a better improviser, humility is an important part of the process. Not fake humility, like that bullshit that people say when they are given a compliment after a show, like, “Oh, I am not that good,” or “You think I am good, you should see Billy so-and-so; […]
3 Tips for Letting Go of Jealousy
/14 Comments/in Blog /by Jimmy Carrane3 Tips for Letting Go of Jealousy Jealousy exists, especially among improvisers and actors, though no one really wants to talk about it. It’s part of the human experience, much like anger or sadness. But we think it’s too ugly of an emotion to talk about, something we’re not “supposed” to feel, so instead, we […]
3 Ways to Empower Your Improv
/2 Comments/in Blog /by Jimmy Carrane3 Ways To Empower Your Improv Do you ever get discouraged in your improv and want to quit? Have you tried out for a team and not made it, or watched as other people from your level move up and you don’t? If so, you’re not alone. I’ve felt like giving up so many times […]