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Mark Beltzman is a legendary improv teacher, actor and improviser.  He was a founding member of iO in Chicago and of the legendary Harold team, Barons Barracudas, and performed and directed at The Second City in Chicago.  Jimmy sat down with him and talked about the first time he met Del Close, how the Harold has […]

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Todd Stashwick is an improviser and actor who started out at Second City and now frequently appears in TV and films. (Please, imdb him.) Jimmy sat down with Todd at the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival to talk to him about how he works so much in TV, his physical approach to improv and how […]

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Tom Booker is the owner and artistic director at The Institution Theater in Austin. Jimmy sits down with his old pal and talks to him about the vibrant Austin improv scene, his desire to be famous, and why he likes to name drop. In this very candid and very funny episode you will hear a […]

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During the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival in Austin, TX, Paul Brittain, a former cast member of Saturday Night Live, sat down with Jimmy and talked about how he got started in comedy; his uncle, Bob Newhart; and how he develops characters like “Sex Ed Vincent.” You’ll love this episode, especially the improv!

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During the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival in Austin, TX, the delightful Lauren Lapkus of Orange Is The New Black and Comedy Bang Bang fame sat down with Jimmy to talk about starting improv at a very young age, the differences between training at iO and at UCB, and more.

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Jimmy celebrates his 100th episode! For the big occasion, Jimmy interviews Brian McCann, the Emmy-winning writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He is now creating his own show, The Brian McCann Leasure Hour. The former roommates talk about Brian's path from cartooning to improv to stand-up to sketch, his relationship with Conan O'Brien and […]

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During a trip to our nation’s capitol, Jimmy sat down with Travis Ploeger, former longtime member of New York’s renowned Chicago City Limits and current founder of iMusical in Washington, D.C. Travis talked about his approach to musical improv and Jimmy faced his fear of and small bias against musical improv. It’s an episode you […]

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Here’s one from the vault! Live from Chicago’s Sketch Fest at Stage 773, Jimmy interviews the members of Sad On Vacation. The guys talk about their writing process, the importance of a group’s natural chemistry, and the influence of distance and fame on their creativity. Enjoy!

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In this episode, Jimmy interviews Punam Patel, a current member of Second City’s e.t.c. cast. A native of Florida and an Indian-American, Punam talks about the rising influence of South Asian comedians, her experience understudying for Aidy Bryant, and how she deals with her own imperfections. Take a listen!

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Paul Grondy has been improvising for over 20 years and has been a beloved teacher and a member of the iO Road Show, Frank Booth, and Carl and the Passions. On the eve of iO’s relocation from of its historic Clark Street location, Jimmy and Paul reminisced about iO in the '90s, confronted each other […]