Recently, I wrote a blog about what you can do if you get a note in improv class that you don’t agree with. I got some great comments from both improv teachers and improvisers, and I thought that it would be helpful to share some of the comments with you. If you’re an improv teacher, […]
Have you ever gotten a note from an improv teacher that you didn't agree with? Did it make you feel confused, frustrated or even ashamed, like you had done something wrong? I assure you, you have not. They say that there are no mistakes in improv. But that doesn’t apply to teachers giving notes. If you […]
This month will mark 10 months that we have been improvising online. Can you believe it? Though improvising online will never replace the thrill of improvising in front of a live audience, I have to say it's a pretty good substitute. During this time, I have gotten to work with students from all over the world who […]
Jimmy Carrane, one of the leading improv teachers in the United States, is pleased to announce that he will be expanding his online improv class offerings this year. Beginning this February, Carrane will now be offering two sections of his Art of Slow Comedy comedy classes — one on Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. Central and […]
We have all been there. We’re in the middle of an improv scene and it is going nowhere. We are dying up there because the scene has stopped going forward. In most cases, an improv scene stalls out because we are being tentative with each other. We don’t need to give up, or even panic, […]
With 2020 coming to an end, you are probably coming up with a list of resolutions for the upcoming year. If you haven't yet, don't. Resolutions don't work — at least not for me. When I used to set them, I would always get the same results, which was by January 3rd, I ended up hating myself […]
This year sucked, and we all know why — Covid. But it hasn't all been a shit sandwich. Although I have certainly missed seeing my friends, going to restaurants, and performing in live theaters, Covid has brought me many blessings as well. I learned to adapt and teach improv online, thanks to the generosity of […]
With the holidays upon on us — boy, did they come on fast! — I wanted to give you a list of some books I highly recommend to add to your gift-giving or gift-getting list this year. Since I covered some comedy books in the summer, this time I wanted to branch out to some other […]
The greatest gift you can give this holiday season is something you give to yourself, and to others — and that is the gift of self-expression. That is what we do in the arts. I don’t care if you work a 9-to-5 job and you write your novel at night. I don’t care if you […]
Chicago has a great history of rebuilding itself, going back to The Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which destroyed 17,450 buildings in a three-mile radius. Out of the ashes, the city came up with a new vision for itself and new style of architecture. It was a Renaissance. I’m hoping the same will be true after this […]