In this love letter to improv comedy, comedian Suzi Barrett deep dives with veteran improvisers about their journeys through improv, discussing the philosophies, theories, tips, lessons, and stories they’ve gathered along the way. If you’re a student of improv, you need this podcast. If you’re a superfan of improv, you’ll love this podcast. New episodes every Tuesday! For full video, bonus eps, and improv scenes with Suzi and her guests, subscribe at yesalso.supercast.com ! Email us with you ...
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Hot off the presses... UCB just bought ColdTowne Theater from Dave Buckman and Rachel Madorsky, and Austin will now have a UCB theatre. Dave and Rachel are here to give you the skinny, and talk about the exciting future of ColdTowne and what's next for improv in Austin. Subscribe on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@YesAlsoPodcast Support the show and g…
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Yes, Also - Dave Buckman
1:00:07
1:00:07
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1:00:07Dave Buckman (Executive Producer of ColdTowne Theater in Austin) talks about climbing the ranks at Second City, major takeaways from The Annoyance / Second City / iO, impactful play, the back pocket, fulfilling your promise to an audience, constructing a killer running order, directing at Boom Chicago and Second City, the unlikely origins of ColdTo…
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Mike McLendon (Second City, iO, UCB) talks about being an army brat, finding Comedy Sportz, the Second City cruise gig, improv bootcamp, making everything matter, end-of-show payoffs, the discipline of tags, McRib scenes, what to listen for in monologues, being a good show host, avoiding conflict, slice of life exercises, being funny vs. jokey, gro…
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Beck Drysdale (Key and Peele, Second City) talks about writing jokes as a kid, quitting school to move to Chicago, lessons from Second City, being daunted by the talent of others, the necessity of being bad, improvising vs. fast writing, where smart meets dumb, The Muppets, twoprov, unlearning, playing what’s already there, finding the unusual in t…
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Dan Lippert (Big Grande, ManDogPod) talks about nerves, his early practice groups, funny tour show fiascos, family dynamics informing improv choices, the why of comedy, sustaining collaborative relationships, making playable choices, committing to silliness, telling an audience what’s funny, the many dimensions of trust, why he loves hosting shows,…
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Tao Yang (Dropout, UCB Harold night) talks about Improv Boston, finding balance in training styles, short form limitations, themed Harolds, a nerdy mathematical improv theorem, the improv/sketch paradox, generational humor, the movie form, Harold auditions, College Humor, a riff on the rant opening, a hot take on living rooms, selling the voice of …
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Ben Schwartz(Parks and Rec, Sonic) talks about fear of failure, his first laugh, doing what you find funny, weathering rejection, how venue sizes affect improv, his tour shows and Netflix specials, winning an audience, how he landed Parks and Rec, favorite shows from DCM, how to advance a game as the straight man, top lessons from Ian Roberts, why …
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Susan Messing (Second City mainstage, iO, the Annoyance) talks about discovering Improv Olympic, earlier iterations of the Harold, adding specificity to ambiguity, working with Mick Napier, the early days of the Annoyance, loving hard notes, improv as a sociological study, playing the simple reality, finding your scene partner’s sh*t delicious, jus…
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Jacquis Neal (Dropout, Comedy Bang Bang) talks about the danger of comparison, how he fell in love with theatre, going all in on UCB and the LA indie scene, acting vs, performing, bringing yourself to your improv, shows that have an angle, finding an indie team’s identity, building a form from scratch, how to produce a successful show, and more! He…
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Yes, Also - Chris Gethard
1:14:36
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1:14:36Chris Gethard (The Stepfathers, The Chris Gethard Show) talks about how improv saved his life, UCBNY in the early 2000’s, feeling like the weak link on a team, identifying your improv superpower, the shadow side of curriculums, simplifying game, his public access show, straight man sleight of hand, fuel efficient improv, finding the purest play, im…
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Yes, Also - Jacob Wysocki
1:16:35
1:16:35
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1:16:35Jacob Wysocki (Dimension 20, Yeti) talks about starting Comedy Sportz in high school, the evolution of aspiration, falling in love with filmmaking, making the leap to long form, The Bath Boys, his UCB journey, breaking the Harold mold, Dropout, collaboration, how he finds a character, putting himself in his work, framing vs. rug-pulling, the joy of…
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Yes, Also - Holly Laurent
1:17:30
1:17:30
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1:17:30Holly Laurent (Second City Chicago, Mega) talks about growing up in a high control religion, choosing laughter over tears, identifying what’s scaring you, embracing your inner weirdo, her Second City journey, improvising with Tom Hanks, believing in the sophistication of your audience, deep characters, obsessive human study, supporting offers outsi…
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Yes, Also - Steve Waltien
1:14:53
1:14:53
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1:14:53Steve Waltien (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Improvised Shakespeare) talks about the courage of youth, Second City, marrying intellect with emotion, “killing the king”, the perceived limitations of game, tactics for clarity, reading your scene partner’s signals, escaping unintentional traps, the gift of a character’s philosophy, the beautiful…
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Yes, Also - Sara Rose Caplan
1:05:42
1:05:42
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1:05:42Sara Rose Caplan (Baby Wants Candy, XOXO) talks about playing with her dream team, learning improv as a non-performer, overcoming limitations, musical improv forms, tripling down, tips for working with accompanists, motivating game with emotion, people she’s learned from, embracing intellect, how coming out as trans helped her improv, a philosopher…
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Dhruv Uday Singh (Good Trouble, Queen George) talks about being the pilot of your scene, the measure of a good show, encouraging teachers, embracing process, the importance of stage time, learning from an audience, Second City / UCB / Groundlings, breaking stereotypes, improvising on set, finding his voice, the improv scene in Mumbai, and more! Get…
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Yes, Also - Paul F. Tompkins 2
1:03:06
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1:03:06Paul F. Tompkins (Comedy Bang Bang, Bojack Horseman) returns to the pod in this much-anticipated Part Two! He talks about blending standup and improv, his first Comedy Bang Bang episode, being funny without references, finding character voices, mimicry vs. capturing an essence, expectation and embarrassment, constructing a set, heightening graduall…
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Yes, Also - Nicole Byer
1:01:31
1:01:31
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1:01:31Nicole Byer (Nailed it, Grand Crew) talks about how she found comedy, the ephemeral nature of improv, going to acting conservatory, her early UCB days, improvising with ADHD, finding patient play, meeting Sasheer, the challenge of second beats, object work go-to’s, setting scenes in a fun location, reimagining the Harold, favorite improv memories, …
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Yes, Also - Joe Canale
1:09:32
1:09:32
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1:09:32Joe Canale (Second City, Uncle’s Brother) talks about iO in the mid 90’s, Del’s toxicity, acknowledging privilege, his complicated relationship with Charna, improv savants, hosting jams, confrontational comedy, self-indulgence vs. serving the audience, the art of listening, how improv made him a better person, the importance of diverse voices in co…
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Yes, Also - Philip Labes
1:02:47
1:02:47
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1:02:47Philip Labes (Watchmen, Minx) talks about catching the musical improv bug, finding his path as a singer/songwriter, adapting vs. persisting, success as a trap, where music and improv overlap, hyperconsciousness, using what’s personal, grounded justifications, fostering fearlessness, rhyme tangents, narrative improv, and more! Support us at yesalso.…
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Yes, Also - Lauren Lapkus
1:17:01
1:17:01
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1:17:01Lauren Lapkus (Another Happy Day, Comedy Bang Bang) talks about her early start at iO, learning to use her own voice, the comfort of game, earning an audience, bad improv habits, the magic of indie teams, how she creates Comedy Bang Bang characters, auditioning for SNL, the evolution of dreams, doing improv post-kids, and more!Email us wtih your id…
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Yes, Also - John Ross Bowie
1:09:34
1:09:34
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1:09:34John Ross Bowie (Speechless, The Big Bang Theory) talks about the divide between actors and improvisers, finding improv in his late 20’s, studying with Amy Poehler, the nuance of teaching improv, avoiding detachment, emotional arcs, physicality, applying improv to a script, using details from real life, how improv helps him on set, and more!Email u…
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Yes, Also - Ronnie Adrian
1:06:52
1:06:52
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1:06:52Ronnie Adrian (Grand Crew, The Big Team) talks about teaching and coaching styles, his pursuit of an interesting life, his early stand up experience, playing the voice of reason, rooting yourself in the POV of a character, improvising at jams, taking care of the scene as a whole, improv as a team sport, learning to contribute to a scene even if it’…
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Yes, Also - Dan Gregor
1:15:40
1:15:40
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1:15:40Dan Gregor (JV, The Naked Gun) talks about yes and-ing an animated universe, writing vs. improv skill sets, developing humor as a response to religion, his NYU sketch group, the diminishing returns of political comedy, his early UCB days, the marketability of sketch, writing and shooting The Naked Gun reboot, staying true to genre in spoof writing,…
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Yes, Also - Sarah Claspell
1:09:13
1:09:13
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1:09:13Sarah Claspell (co-owner of WGIS) talks about the leap from short form to long form, favorite shows from DCM, the pressures of Harold night, finding a sense of play, fostering team trust, not being defined by your bad scenes, teaching improv to Olympic coaches, WGIS, conquering imposter syndrome, Asian AF, and more!Email us with your ideas and ques…
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Yes, Also - Johnny Meeks
1:07:20
1:07:20
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1:07:20Johnny Meeks (UCB LA’s Academic Director) talks about the “por las buenas” technique, comedic tension, trying to save a bad scene, updating the UCB curriculum, his theatrical roots, memories of a bad standup teacher, improvised plays, the power of simple and honest responses, playing with curiosity, his favorite improv exercise, playing game in scr…
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Yes, Also - Paul F. Tompkins
1:15:36
1:15:36
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1:15:36Paul F. Tompkins (Mr. Show, Bojack Horseman) talks about carving out his identity as a comedian, conquering fear, his early absurdist stand-up, working on Mr. Show, what makes a great showrunner, comedic heightening, advice for sketch writers, comedy as the art of translation, “the tyranny of the template”, chasing fun and novelty, the glory of mul…
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Yes, Also - Cissy Fenwick
1:02:06
1:02:06
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1:02:06Cissy Fenwick (JV) talks about how improv makes her a better therapist, unconditional positive regard, therapists as active voice of reason characters, archetypes, her love of playing annoying people, using reps to set goals, her favorite improv exercise, anchoring game to a POV, emotional stakes, what she’s curious about, and more!Email us wtih yo…
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Yes, Also - Eugene Cordero
1:19:21
1:19:21
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1:19:21Eugene Cordero (Loki, Star Trek: Lower Decks) talks about his elementary school days, cockiness vs. confidence, struggles with dyslexia, finding his calling, the benefits of short form, committing to scenes, the myth of “best” ideas, not taking a coach’s taste personally, the joy of agreement, finding spontaneity within a premise, parenting like an…
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Yes, Also - Chris Eddins
1:21:03
1:21:03
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1:21:03Chris Eddins (Lemon Pepper Wet) talks about learning improv as a way to help with public speaking, using jams to hone your craft, making unusual things make sense, his writing career, the origins of Lemon Pepper Wet, doing the thing, dyslexia and patterns, sustaining a game, facing an audience with cultural differences, being an introvert, advice f…
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Yes, Also - Heather Anne Campbell
1:24:33
1:24:33
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1:24:33Heather Anne Campbell (SNL, Whose Line is it Anyway) talks about the innateness of improv, circumventing shame, forking the multiverse, takeaways from Boom Chicago, honoring an audience, her writing career, the visual experience of comedy, being in dialogue with the world, SNL, Whose Line, playing with Beck vs. playing with Miles, improv as tourism…
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Yes, Also - Ithamar Enriquez
1:15:47
1:15:47
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1:15:47Ithamar Enriquez (Second City, Curb Your Enthusiasm) talks about his journey through Second City, memories from Tourco, inspiring theatrical techniques, the subjectivity of comedy, accessing satire through relationship, challenging stereotypes, using his voice as a Latinx writer, performing for the Obamas(!!!!), satire vs. shock humor, how he arriv…
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Yes, Also - Casey Feigh
1:18:30
1:18:30
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1:18:30Casey Feigh (creator of Holy Shit Improv), talks about analyzing his improv, setting shows up for success, vulnerability vs. perfection, amplifying your skillset, demystifying Hollywood, his early comedy grind, things he’s learned as a producer, the origins of Holy Shit Improv, improv as a destination art form, live-streaming, the power of creators…
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Yes, Also - Ally Beardsley & Zac Oyama
1:20:22
1:20:22
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1:20:22Ally Beardsley and Zac Oyama (Dimension 20, Yeti), talk about team chemistry, delightful comedic chaos, improv as a path to coming out of the closet, Ally’s first memory of seeing Zac on stage, the early LA indie scene, getting hired by College Humor, their comedic DNA, embracing absurdity, the power of specifics, being surprised by the mundane, Di…
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Yes, Also - James Mastraieni
1:13:48
1:13:48
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1:13:48James Mastraieni (Founder of the Shared Experience Studio) talks about the neuroscience of comedy, the connection between performers and audience, starting a comedy think tank, sailing vs. rowing, the importance of mentorship, treating premise openings like menus, relationship microcosms, comedy as the harshest art form, the drive to produce, the t…
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Yes, Also - Rekha Shankar
1:02:10
1:02:10
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1:02:10Rekha Shankar (Dropout, Grand Crew) talks about her early obsession with sitcoms, getting into film school, left-brained comedy, improv as a path to writing, embracing discomfort, the gift of being an outcast, finding game moves, inventing vs. listening, making your own work, Kickstarter tips, letting go of rigidity in scenes, Gravid Water, and mor…
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Yes, Also - Craig Cackowski
1:51:22
1:51:22
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1:51:22Craig Cackowski (Second City, Drunk History) talks about learning Harolds before the internet, the benefit of nerves, studying with Del, the improv that inspired him, Stephen Colbert’s last Second City show, the development of JTS Brown, the intersection of comedy and artsy theater, the core philosophies of Dasariski, three guidelines for better sc…
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Yes, Also - Peter Grosz
1:18:30
1:18:30
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1:18:30Peter Grosz (The Colbert Report, Veep) talks about studying with Del, the very first Armando show, memories from Boom Chicago, doing a USO tour in Saudi Arabia, writing for Colbert, advice on getting hired for late night shows, experimental long form techniques, eliminating ego, breaking bad habits, doing a Broadway show, writing standup, and more!…
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Yes, Also - Mary Holland
1:22:40
1:22:40
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1:22:40Mary Holland (ASSSSCAT, Happiest Season) talks about growing up in a small town, her path from Virginia to Hollywood, weathering rejection, the fear of not being enough, the biggest lessons from acting class, the summer she fell in love with improv, her lightbulb moment, her voice as an improviser, the power of emotional commitment, loving high sta…
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In this very special Bonus Episode™, Suzi and Ryan answer listener questions and share their perspective on: imposter syndrome, playing with stage hogs, building and releasing comedic tension, starting new teams with tact, finding the right ratio of rehearsals to performing, and neurodiversity in improv. If this episode sparks more questions or any…
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Yes, Also - Convoy
1:18:04
1:18:04
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1:18:04This week, the legendary Convoy (Alex Berg, Alex Fernie, and Todd Fasen) talk about how they met, the evolution of their style, guiding the energy of a show, favorite short form games, their alt universe lives, making a pilot, the frustrating reality of TV development, taping shows to accelerate improvement, favorite character types, the demystific…
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Yes, Also - Brian O'Connell
1:07:55
1:07:55
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1:07:55Brian James O'Connell (Co-Founder of The Pack Theater) talks about his early days in Hollywood, training at ioWest, finding a kindred spirit in Miles Stroth, memories of Zumpf, starting The Pack, Camp Improv Utopia, position play, his original form “the ladder”, using longform structure in script writing, the dark joy of the human condition, and mo…
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Yes, Also - Jess McKenna
1:14:12
1:14:12
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1:14:12Jess McKenna (Off Book, Baby Wants Candy, Dropout) talks about talks about being a theater kid, useful characters for initiations, choosing the fun path in a scene, the MEOW show, going for a joke vs. exploring a comedic idea, the clarity of premise, striving for variety in shows, musical improv and the origins of Off Book, overcoming nerves, navig…
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Yes, Also - Genetra Tull
1:09:21
1:09:21
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1:09:21Genetra Tull (JV, Benetton) talks about her original career path as a set builder, why she fell in love with improv, her comedic epiphanies, the journey to Harold night, personal pep talks, her team JV, being a physical player, coming of age as an adult, processing grief through comedy, writing a one-woman show, auditioning for SNL and more!Email u…
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Yes, Also - Ryan Rosenberg
1:15:38
1:15:38
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1:15:38Ryan Rosenberg (Big Grande, ManDogPod) talks about humor as a survival mechanism, being a shy performer, how to save a dying sketch, the benefits of ADHD, Big Grande’s writing process, the fun of setting up a base reality, finding comedy without being mean, playing at the top of your emotional intelligence, why and how you should let the unusual ch…
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Yes, Also - Julie Brister
1:09:37
1:09:37
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1:09:37Julie Brister (UCB, WGIS) talks about self-doubt, her beginnings in New York in the late 80’s, the start of UCBNY, being taught by Ian Roberts and Amy Poehler, improvising on Zoom, teaching internationally, opinions on forms, learning to listen, her trick for remembering suggestions, finding characters through physicality, her love of selfish chara…
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Yes, Also - Carl Tart
1:03:15
1:03:15
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1:03:15Carl Tart (Grand Crew, In the Know), talks about improv as basketball, how to move a scene forward as the voice of reason character, Carl’s early days as a background actor, his training at Second City, how he deals with not getting laughs, working on Grand Crew, improv as a way to sharpen your instincts, the comedic voices that shaped him, and mor…
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Yes, Also - Jake Jabbour
1:18:29
1:18:29
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1:18:29Jake Jabbour (founder of WE Improv) talks about the origin and philosophy of his school, cultivating non-judgmental awareness, improv as a window into self, Jake’s epic nine-audition journey to Harold night, holding scenes loosely, external vs. internal validation, aiming for surprise in scenes, advanced moves for established groups, and more!Email…
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Yes, Also - Vic Michaelis
1:09:49
1:09:49
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1:09:49Vic Michaelis (Dropout's Very Important People) shares their insights on filmed improv, the power of an audience to determine the fate of a show, Dropout TV, Vic’s reinvention as an actor, the gift of obstacles, approaching improv mathematically, how to mark your improvement, the X factor of team chemistry, examples of favorite object work, and mor…
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Yes, Also - Brendan Hunt
1:09:55
1:09:55
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1:09:55Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso’s co-creator and Coach Beard) drops by to talk about the Chicago improv scene of the 90’s, the perceived long form / short form divide, his journey to and through Boom Chicago, how emotional growth can help your improv, the importance of practice, the origins of Ted Lasso, his new solo show, hilariously nightmarish corporate…
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Yes, Also - Oscar Montoya
1:00:53
1:00:53
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1:00:53On this week's episode, Oscar Montoya (Minx, Eurovangelists) talks about his his rocky start with improv, his move from New York to LA, owning your playfulness, the importance of playing with honesty, seeing your characters as real people, the Soundtrack Harold, Dance-prov, why he loves doing Harolds, the power of entrances and exits, and more! New…
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