Today, many improvisers want to shy away from certain taboo topics. As artists that is their right, and as a teacher, performer and human being, I try to respect people’s individual boundaries to not do scenes about things they don’t want to talk about. But as a teacher, I also don't want you to miss […]
I used to think the only satisfaction I could get from improv was when I performing it. You know, the attention that being on stage gives you. I thought I could only be happy if I was getting the laughs, the applause and the accolades. That is how I thought for a long time. I was […]
Actors are often skeptical of taking an improv class. I can’t tell you how many actors tell me “I am a serious actor. Why do I need to take an improv class?” Or they say, “I’m not funny,” “It scares me,” or “I wouldn’t be any good at it.” Actors avoid taking improv classes for lots […]
When I first started out teaching improv a million years ago at The Second City Training Center in Chicago, we would occasionally have small classes. Sometimes only five or six people would show up for a Saturday afternoon improv class. I would get really frustrated when that would happen, and I would find Michael Gellman in the […]
So you’re thinking about signing up for your very first improv class. Maybe people have told you that you’re funny, or that you should take an improv class just because it’s fun. But what is an improv class really like? Before you panic or try to get out of it before even showing up, I […]
If you've been taking improv classes for a while, you know that most improvisers are really warm, nice and funny people. But every once in a while, you get someone in your class you just can't stand. Trust me, you don't want to be that person. Luckily, I've done a lot of thinking about what […]
I love my Monday night Art of Slow Comedy improv class and I am going to miss them. They have taught me so much and last night was no exception. In this level, we typically warm up with a series of two-person scenes. This week, after they finished, I asked the class, "How did you feel about what you just did?" One […]
Study with Jimmy Carrane, host of the Improv Nerd podcast, and learn his unique method of the Art of Slow Comedy. In this advanced-level class, you will find out that creating improv scenes can be as easy as having a conversation. You’ll focus on building solid two-person scenes, exploring a theme and using a variety of […]
Many people think that improv is something people are just "naturally" good at. If you're born funny, you can make people laugh, right? Not so. If you want to get better, you're going to have to study this art form and take a lot of classes before you get good. It's just a fact. And […]