The winter is upon us, which is always a good time for those books that are easy to read and hard to put down. So, if you are looking for something breezy and not too taxing on the remaining brain cells you have left after living through a global pandemic, I have three perfect comedy […]
I just wanted to let everyone know how good I am getting at being a dad. The other day, I had gone to the store and bought birthday cards for Lauren’s mom and my mom and these mini unicorn cupcakes for Betsy. I put them all on the kitchen table and got a pen so we all could […]
When I was a kid, I wanted to be stand-up comedian. That dreamed was interrupted when I took my first improv class when I was 18 years old. That was almost 40 years ago. I have done very well in improv. I have gotten to do a lot of great shows, teach all over the country and […]
I recently watched the documentary “Inventing Improv,” about Viola Spolin, an actor, director and most importantly, a teacher, who wrote one of the most important books about improvisation ever written, Improvisation for the Theater. Spolin is often referred to as "the mother of improv" and the documentary explores her lasting impact on this art form. In […]
My daughter Betsy is having a hard time making friends in Kindergarten. At recess on the playground, she gets scared and shuts down, and instead of talking to the other kids, she just follows them around like a lost puppy. What happens is they either ignore her completely or they get annoyed. As a dad, my heart breaks for […]
Yesterday was a clusterfuck. I got in the car at 11 a.m. to leave for a 11:15 a.m. Covid test and the car did not start. The battery was dead. The exact same thing had happened the day before. Lauren had gotten in the car to go to a dentist appointment and the battery was […]
Have you ever auditioned for something you wanted really badly and gotten it? It could be an improv group, a play, a movie, or a TV show. You were probably super excited when you first get the news, and then terrified when you showed up to the first day of rehearsal or when you got […]
I am back writing this blog after a very busy and unusual summer and will return to talking about improv in the future. I need to ease myself back into writing, and since the summer is coming to a close, I thought this would be a good place to pick back up. Today was Betsy's […]
On July 31, I will be going back to teaching improv in person. The last time I taught in person was March of 2020. It's been a long time. The world has changed and so have I. I have learned a lot by teaching on Zoom and I look forward to continuing to do so. I am one […]
Mark Larson is the author of the wonderful book Ensemble: An Oral History of Chicago Theater. He recently posted on Facebook an excerpt from a conversation he had with actor John C. Reilly for an interview that he did for The Paul Sills and Viola Spolin Oral History Collection at Northwestern University. Though it speaks […]