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October 29, 2021
The Legacy of Viola Spolin

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 […]

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May 9, 2019
5 Improv Teachers Who Influenced Me

If you have a kid in any grade from preschool to high school, you’re probably well aware that we’re right in the middle of Teacher Appreciation Week. And this week, as I helped get together a gift bag for my daughter’s teacher, I started reflecting on all of the great improv teachers I have had […]

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September 3, 2014
5 Reasons to Do Object Work in Improv

I promise I will make this brief. Yes, more and more improvisers are eliminating object work from their repertoire, myself included. But really, when we do this we are only cheating ourselves. Today’s improvisers often think object work is gimmicky and silly, something that’s beneath them. But recently, I interviewed Todd Stashwick – a well-known […]

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June 24, 2013
How to Deal with Fear Before a Show

How to Deal with Fear Before a Show Fear before a show is unpredictable. Sometimes I have it, and sometimes I don't. Last month, I had it before doing "Messing with A Friend" with Susan Messing. I love Susan as much as a person as I love playing with her. Having Susan ask me to play with her […]

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