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Improv Comedy Connection

Improv Comedy Connection

By Whit Shiller

The Improv Comedy Connection podcast explores how to more deeply connect with audiences and co-performers in improv, stand up, sketch, and communication through comedy.
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Michelle Gilliam

Improv Comedy ConnectionJul 06, 2021

00:00
01:15:24
Patti Stiles - Improvise Freely

Patti Stiles - Improvise Freely

We're back with Patti Stiles in our first episode of Season 5.  Listeners know Patti from episode 2 of Season Three as well as panelist in the first, fourth, fifth and last sessions of the COVID-19 Summit. Our focus in this episode, though, is her wonderful book - Improvise Freely.  It's a timely book, as well as an encouragement and challenge to improvisers - no matter how seasoned.

Patti has an infectious enthusiasm for improvisation that comes through in everything she does. You'll no doubt be encouraged to pick up a copy of the book after this interview, but you'll also likely want to find out more and follow Patti.  You can do so at pattistiles.com and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

May 28, 202301:08:58
Rachael Mason
Aug 22, 202201:10:38
David Escobedo

David Escobedo

Our guest on this episode of the Improv Comedy Connection is David Escobedo. David has been coaching and performing improv since 1994. In fact, he coached his first improv team, as there weren't any improv schools around! Later he took classes at iOwest, Second City and other improv schools around Los Angeles. He is quick to acknowledge the impact of his improv teachers during this time, including Jay Sukow (Jay was part of the COVID-19 Improv Summit and was interviewed as part of Season 4), Paul Vaillancourt (Paul was interviewed in Season 1), Liz Allen, Steve Green, Duncan Cameron, Vanessa Anton, and more that he would view as particularly inspirational.

One of the philosophies he firmly believes in is that the improv ecosystem is much more flat than we're led to believe. He rejects the notion that there is a dynamic hierarchy of "good improvisers" or teachers, and firmly wants to see people and institutions being put on pedestals. His goal as a teacher is to make you a peer, not a constant student (cash cow). That way there are more people to do good improv with!

David is pursuing his PhD in Chester, UK. He lives there with his super talented and creative partner Monica Escobedo and their adorable new child, Q.

You can find David and one of his most important projects at: www.facebook.com/BoostImprov.

Jul 18, 202201:35:56
Hellena Jang
May 09, 202201:14:32
Tanine Dunais
Nov 01, 202101:16:50
Patrick Rowland
Sep 13, 202101:09:54
Jay Sukow

Jay Sukow

For this episode, Whit has a conversation with Jay Sukow — a US improviser based in LA, but in New Zealand traveling for this recording.  After catching up a bit, we jumped into an amazing conversation about his favorite (by far) of over 300 10-minute scenes that he’s been doing since early on in the pandemic.  This is all the more impressive given that his online series “10 Minutes with…” where he improvises a 10 minute scene with someone from anywhere on the planet, has over 100,000 views.

Jay is very much about positivity towards improv and saying yes within your improv. This has led to a continued desire and enthusiasm for improv and improv community online – something that we also spend some time talking about in this episode.

As far as Jay’s background, he’s been improvising for nearly 30 years.  A few of those he has trained with include Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, David Razowsky, Keith Johnstone, Del Close, Charna Halpern, Jeff Michalski and Mick Napier. He is a graduate of training centers of The Second City, The Second City NW, iO Chicago, and ComedySportz Chicago and the founder of Today Improv.  He also served as the Artistic Director/Head of Training at the Improv Comedy Copenhagen Theatre, where he taught improv and sketch comedy to expats from all around the world.

He previously taught for Second City Chicago, Second City Hollywood, Westside Comedy Theater, iO Chicago (where he was also head of its artistic committee), iO West and ComedySportz Chicago, and has taught at many improv festivals around the world, including the Oslo Impro Festival, the Copenhagen International Improv Festival, the Barcelona Improv Festival and the Chicago Improv Festival. He is the winner of The Golden Pineapple, awarded to the best visiting teacher at Improv Comedy Copenhagen.

At the Westside Comedy Theater, Jay is in the cast of Mission Improvable and Improv Famous, an Armando-style show featuring some of the best improvisors on the planet. He is also part of the duo Zer0 H0ur with Bill Chott and was an ensemble member of ComedySportz Chicago, several weekend “house” improv teams at iO Chicago and many other improv and sketch comedy groups. At least, that’s the in person stuff!  Also, Jay is the co-host of ImprovCast with Jay and Landon.

Follow Jay and Jay-related stuff at:

JaySukow.com

Today Improv

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Jay also appeared as a panelist on the first session of the Covid-19 Improv Summit and both sessions related to online improv in the Summit.

Aug 30, 202101:32:02
Stacey Hallal

Stacey Hallal

In this episode, we get the joy of talking with Stacey Hallal - founder of the Curious Comedy Theater in Portland, Oregon where she serves as Artistic Director as well as a regular performer, writer, director and teacher. We talk a bit about her leadership at Curious, but she's also known for her Ruby Rocket, Private Eye character and much, much more.  We discuss her affinity for "cross-training" - which dates back to her experience in Chicago in going through the training at iO, Annoyance, Second City along and others, along with experiencing a host of different approaches to improv from the scores of comedy festivals she's been a part of in one capacity or another.

Keep up with Stacey at:

Instagram: @thestaceyhallal

Curious Comedy Theater

Ruby Rocket, Private Eye

Aug 02, 202101:45:29
Luana Proença

Luana Proença

In this episode, we get to hear from Luana Proença - an improviser from Brazil, presently studying for a PhD in theater/improvisation in Lisbon, Portugal. Luana is a known quantity in much of the global improv world, but not nearly well-known enough in the English-speaking, North American improv community. Listening in will help change that if that's where you're based, and you'll thank me for the experience later.

Luana has some very interesting, and clear observations and understandings of the various roles an improviser plays within any performance. I recommend her book on that subject highly, and you can find a link to get your copy below - with very friendly pricing arrangements so that you can be as generous as you can be to Luana while taking advantage of her wonderful work.  We also consider the impact other voices can have on each of us -- first through the lens of the documentary she produced with contributions from 60 improvisers from all over the world -- to just each other's voices.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or go to the episode webpage at https://wp.me/paJcZS-AP.

Jul 19, 202101:26:05
Michelle Gilliam
Jul 06, 202101:15:24
Felipe Ortiz
Jun 21, 202101:15:03
Oluwadamilola Apotieri-Abdulai

Oluwadamilola Apotieri-Abdulai

In this episode, we get to spend time with a true improv pioneer -- Oluwadamilola Apotieri-Abdulai.  Damilola is one of the few improvisers in Nigeria and in West Africa. He has an amazing background in using theater, improv, and other techniques and structures to positively impact individuals and communities throughout the region and indeed across the world.  The work he's done and is doing will inspire you - and is reason enough to listen in to this conversation.

Damilola is the founder of Playback Nigeria which focuses on using art for social transformation and is a leader in the region in promoting mental health awareness, using the arts to support those impact of disasters and dislocations, and otherwise.  He also has a drive to spread the practice of improvisation and other similar arts throughout the continent of Africa and continues to create online fesitvals and other opportunities for people from different countries, particularly children, to connect with each other.

You can follow Playback Nigeria by looking up @PlaybackNigeria on IG, Facebook and Twitter. They are also on the web at www.playbacknigeria.com.

May 24, 202155:58
Sophie Scott
May 10, 202101:17:06
Aree Witoelar
Apr 26, 202101:08:13
Shaun Landry
Apr 11, 202101:34:25
Joe Bill

Joe Bill

Listen in to a fire side chat with Joe Bill -- widely regarded as one of the best teachers of Scenic and Comedic Improvisation in the world today. He is one of the founding members of Annoyance Theater Chicago where, for 12 years, he performed in and/or directed more than 60 different shows. He was the Director of Corporate Training at iO Chicago for 15 years and a Teacher & Guest Artist in Residence at The Second City Conservatory & Training Center for another 15 years. Joe first learned Improvisation and in 1977 studied and worked with Del Close from 1985 through the mid 90’s.

Joe is ½ of the original improvised Monoscene, BASSPROV with Mark Sutton, . They have been heralded by the NY TIMES: "BASSPROV refreshingly has the feel of a quiet character study...jokes emerge organically, using wordplay, character quirks and quicksilver wit."

Joe tours all over the world, teaching and headlining with extremely talented Duo partners like Mark Sutton (Annoyance Theater Co-Founding Member and Artistic Director for Training and Development at The Second City) in the long-running BASSPROV,  Jill Bernard (Huge Improv Theater – Mpls.) in their hit show SCRAM!, with Lee White (CRUMBS – Winnipeg, Berlin) in their heroic Duo show PARADIGM, with International Improv Legend Patti Stiles (AD - Impro Melbourne) in their groundbreaking show Our Play, Stacey Hallal (Curious Comedy Theater – Portland, OR) in Stacey & Joe and We Slept Together, Heather Urquhart (Improviser/Director The Maydays & Showstopper The Improvised Musical – London/U.K.) in their magical improvised Musical Blues Hammer (with the stupendous Joe Samuel on Improvised Orchestra) and with David Razowsky (Host A.D.D. Comedy Podcast) in Razowsky & Bill. He’s played with many other Duo partners, in the U.S. and abroad, in many Festival Ensemble shows and in every improvised format and/or style imaginable. For the last 6 years he has also been teaching and performing in French, in many cities in France, Belgium & Luxembourg. He is living his dream!

He has played as a guest in Play Unscripted with ImproTheatre L.A., Grand Theft Impro at Impro Melbourne (Australia), The Scene at The PIT in New York City and UCB in L.A., with Let’s Have A Ball and ASSSSCAT 3000 at UCB Theater in New York & L.A. and with Kornfeld & Andrews at Magnet Theater in New York City.  And, of course, he has performed, directed, taught and served as an Artistic Adviser for a number of Improvisation/Comedy Theaters & Festivals on every continent except Antarctica (but he’s working on that!) and at every major Improv Festival in The United States.

You can find Joe on facebook at Joe Bill Teaches! | Facebook, which is also the best place to get connected with the Story Chain sessions that Joe hosts.

Jan 24, 202101:35:18
Aretha Sills
Jan 04, 202101:09:23
Jon Carr

Jon Carr

As we get ready to close out Season 3 of the podcast, Whit has a conversation with Jon Carr -- just a week or so out from the big news that Jon has been hired as Executive Producer at Second City.  Just prior, Jon was serving as Artistic Director at Dad's Garage in Atlanta.  Jon was not only a fixture for many years at Dad's, but also in the Atlanta creative community as a whole.  We discuss his start in improv at Dad's, his approach to the craft, and so much more.

In addition to his work at Dad's Garage, Jon impacted and connected with many other organizations.  He has had staged readings at Synchronicity Theatre, Happy Accident Theatre, and Stage Door Players. He worked with Alliance Theatre as their Audience Development Manager. Jon founded United Atlanta Improv and has helped improv theatres around the city come together through collaborative works. With his improv group Dark Side of the Room, he has been able to work with The Center For Civil and Human Rights and perform around North America. He has appeared in a number of Dad’s Garage shows such as: “Cannibal! The Musical,” “The Dad’s Garage Going Out of Business Show,” “The Wrath of Con” and “Effed Up Fairy Tales.” Dad’s Garage has also given him the opportunity to write shows as he has written “Wrath of Con 1,” “Wrath of Con 2,” and “Black Nerd” (Winner of the 2018 Suzi Bass Award for Best Orginal play).

You can connect with Jon on social media:

Instagram @joncarrjr

Twitter @JonCarrJr

And keep watching as he makes his mark on Second City in 2021 and beyond!

Dec 13, 202001:11:49
Feña Ortalli
Nov 23, 202001:14:10
Jonathan Pitts

Jonathan Pitts

Today's new episode features Jonathan Pitts! In this episode, Whit talks with Jonathan - an award-winning, international improv theatre artist, creator, director, producer, and teacher from Chicago. He's been improvising for over 35 years, and has been involved in founding and directing important festivals and experiences like the Chicago Improv Festival and the College Improv Tournament.  We talk tech, we talk the global improv community, we talk technique, and we talk about improv - all drawing on Jonathan's deep experience and interest in making connections across the globe with improv.

You can connect with Jonathan on the web at JonathanPittsImprov.com & GlobalImprovWalkabout.com or on social media:

Facebook: Jonathan Pitts

Instagram: @pitts5038

Twitter: @jpitts_28

Nov 08, 202001:27:01
Sheri Flanders

Sheri Flanders

Sheri is an instructor at the Second City training center in the improv and music departments. She has performed at the Engaging Women Conference, been a guest on Vocalo Radio's Morning AMp Council of Feminist Thought show, and was a panelist for the Inside Jokes Comedy Conference hosted by Women In Comedy, and has appeared in numerous podcasts addressing wide-ranging subjects including art, equity, and criticism. Having performed in a variety of forms from Shakespeare to screen, Sheri is a member of the interracial, married sketch team FLANDERS, the head writer for CHOICE THE MUSICAL, was an ensemble member of Second City’s musical house ensemble, INFINITE SUNDAES, and founded the first and longest-running musical improv team CHEAP TRILLS at Just the Funny theater in Miami. She is represented by NV Talent.

A member of the American Theater Critics Association, her writing as a freelance journalist, critic, and humorist, has been featured in publications such as McSweeney's, the Chicago Defender, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Reader, Rescripted, Performink, NewCity, Chicagoland Musical Theater, and the Windy City Times. Sheri was invited to cover the 2020 Sundance Film Festival as part of their Press Inclusion Initiative.

There's more Sheri at www.sheriflanders.com or you can find her on Facebook and LinkedIn, too.

You can find a lot of Sheri's writing online, but here are a couple of articles to get you going if you don't know where to start:

Black Artistic Leaders Take Charge at Several Chicago Theaters -- The Chicago Reader

Inclusion in Improv: or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Use the Bomb -- Rescripted

Oct 18, 202001:10:48
Flavien Reppert
Oct 04, 202001:01:05
Anna Ong

Anna Ong

In episode 8, Whit talks with Anna Ong.  Anna is a Singapore based Storyteller and Improviser. Anna's first exposure to live storytelling came while performing at an improv show in with The Magnet in New York City in 2018.  That experience led to others, including at The Moth in NYC and with the Story District in Washington DC. Today she is the creator, host and producer of What’s Your Story Slam, a live storytelling competition show based in Singapore that focuses promoting a culture of personal storytelling and a consultant using storytelling, applied improvisation, and other disciplines to assist businesses achieve more. 

We discuss what goes into a good story, but also what goes into a good show.  Given the basic human connection to story, these insights can impact improvisers, stand ups, and communicators of all types.


Sep 20, 202001:09:03
Omar Galvan
Sep 07, 202001:11:09
Balasree Viswanathan
Aug 23, 202056:54
Anne Libera
Aug 09, 202001:07:33
Kevin Mullaney

Kevin Mullaney

In this episode, Whit has a conversation with Kevin Mullaney, who so many will know from the Improv Resource Center, the associated podcast, and his training that has impacted thousands of improvisers. He was the first Artistic Director of the UCB in New York, but is back in Chicago. The subjects include a consideration of what Kevin’s dream curriculum and approach to improv training would be and what characteristics might be found a transcendent improviser. In addition, we spent time discussing how improv might fit differently at different times in life.  

You can look Kevin up at kevinmullaney.com and @ircmullaney on Twitter to keep up with what he’s up to.

* Note that this conversation was recorded in early 2020, well before quarantine was instituted in most of the world.  

Jul 26, 202001:09:25
Shannon Dale Stott
Jul 12, 202001:41:32
Patti Stiles

Patti Stiles

Our second episode in Season 3* is with the incomparable, Patti Stiles! Patti learned improv and theatre at the famed Loose Moose Theatre Company in Calgary with Keith Johnstone as a direct mentor. She subsequently moved to Melbourne from where she works as an actor, improviser, director, instructor and playwright. 

Many in the improv community know all this, as few have traveled the world teaching and encouraging improv at the level that Patti does. This particular conversation occurred in early 2020, before COVID-19 and so much more -- so this is a rich and full conversation on the art of improv that I know you'll enjoy. But you can also hear more from Patti in the first, fourth, fifth and last sessions of the COVID-19 Summit. 

Patti has an infectious enthusiasm for improvisation that comes through, but is equally matched by her insight into improvisation technique, strong narrative skill and her spirit of play. Prepare to be inspired, and then be sure to look for more about and from Patti at pattistiles.com and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

* Note that what was to be Season 2 was pushed to Season 3 in light of the COVID-19 lockdown and the Summit that followed. This episode, and several others in Season 3, were recorded in January and February, 2020. No doubt that different conversations and topics would have been considered if this conversation had occurred later.

Jun 28, 202001:23:56
Jimmy Carrane
Jun 14, 202001:13:19
COVID-19 Summit -- Improv on the Other Side

COVID-19 Summit -- Improv on the Other Side

This is the final session of the COVID-19 Summit. In this conversation, we focus on what the current season that may help us "re-start" for the betterment of improv and improvisers on the other side of quarantine.  While we discuss where we're at in the moment, this is more of a forward looking conversation with a high interest in the art of improvisation.  

Panelists: Joe Bill (USA), Beatrix Brunschko (Austria), Jimmy Carrane (USA), Omar Galvan (Argentina/Spain), Stacey Hallal (USA), Inbal Lori (Israel/Germany), Feña Ortalli (Aregentina/Spain), Patti Stiles (Australia), moderated by Whit Shiller (USA)

May 25, 202001:32:06
COVID-19 Summit -- The Globalization of Improv Part 2

COVID-19 Summit -- The Globalization of Improv Part 2

In this continuation of a conversation among improvisers around the world, we discuss the implications and possibilities associated with increased globalization in improv - but also topics such as retaining one's cultural identity and context in their performance and the unique challenges of learning and performing in something other than your first language.  

Panelists in Part 2: Joe Bill (USA), Nick Byrne (Australia), John Gebratatose (USA), Hellena Jang (South Korea), Kaisa Kokko-Palmer (Finland), Sven Lanser (The Netherlands), Felipe Ortiz (Columbia), Patti Stiles (Australia), Cheng Zeng (China), moderated by Whit Shiller (USA)

May 08, 202058:37
COVID-19 Summit -- The Globalization of Improv Part 1

COVID-19 Summit -- The Globalization of Improv Part 1

This is the first of a two-part conversation among 13 improvisers from 10 countries and 6 continents about the impact and implications of globalization on the art of improv. Recognizing that we are still under unusual circumstances and that live, in person, in theater improv will return, the panel discusses how we all might consider the world of improv which we now know is both smaller and larger than we understood before the present health crisis.

Panelists: Oluwadmilola Apotieri-Abdulai (Nigeria), Joe Bill (USA), Tandi Buchan (South Africa), Nick Byrne (Australia), John Gebratatose (USA), Hellena Jang (South Korea), Kaisa Kokko-Palmer (Finland), Sven Lanser (The Netherlands), Felipe Ortiz (Columbia), Katy Schutte (UK), Patti Stiles (Australia), Cheng Zeng (China), moderated by Whit Shiller (USA)

May 08, 202001:29:22
COVID-19 Summit -- The Technique, Texture and Tech for Online Improv

COVID-19 Summit -- The Technique, Texture and Tech for Online Improv

This second of two episodes on online improv, guest hosted by Jules Munns, features a panel of Von Daniel, Amey Goerlich, Elana Fishbein, Roy Janik,  Whit Shiller, and Jay Sukow discussing technique, texture and tech in doing online improv.  In addition, the discussion provides an encouraging look at the role online improv can play in today's and tomorrow's global improv community.

Apr 27, 202001:01:57
COVID-19 Summit -- The "Why" Behind Online Improv

COVID-19 Summit -- The "Why" Behind Online Improv

In this first of two episodes on online improv, the panel (Von Daniel, Amey Goerlich, Elana Fishbein, Roy Janik,  Jules Munns, Jay Sukow, Paul Vaillancourt, with Whit Shiller as moderator) discuss the "why" behind doing online improv.  We consider the community, performance and training aspects of putting improv and improv training online, and talk a little bit about how this medium might stay in play when we can return to on stage improv and training more fully.

Apr 20, 202001:03:08
COVID-19 Summit -- How the Improv World Is Responding to COVID-19

COVID-19 Summit -- How the Improv World Is Responding to COVID-19

This conversation hosted by Whit Shiller with Joe Bill, Holly Mandel, Ed Morgan, Rebecca Northan, David Razowsky, Patti Stiles, and Jay Sukow, is simply a conversation about how each is doing individually and how our improv communities and the global improv community are doing in the face of COVID-19.

Mar 30, 202001:50:45
Dave Razowsky
Feb 16, 202001:14:11
Michael Golding

Michael Golding

Michael Golding visits with Whit in episode 14 - and it's a deep dive into the history of improvisational theater in the US. In particular, we discuss Michael's mentor, David Shepherd, and his role in the very beginnings of the Compass Players, Second City, iO and the Canadian Improv Games. Michael has a wealth of insight into these early days and the mind of one of the more important people from the very beginnings of improvisational theater in North America.

Feb 02, 202001:08:53
Andy Goldberg

Andy Goldberg

Andy Goldberg is one of the founding member of Off the Wall — a short form team that has been performing since 1974! — and is also the author of Improv Comedy which is now in its second edition. Andy and has been featured in such TV and films hits as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Golden Girls, The Goodbye Girl, Full House, and the Practice.

Over the course of his improv career, Andy has improvised with scores of fantastic improvisers and well known entertainment personalities. One of them, Robin Williams, comes up a bit in this conversation — which gives an interesting window into the experience of working with someone who might not exactly follow the traditional improv performance models.

Andy continues to teach workshops, and you can find the most current info on those on Facebook.

Jan 19, 202052:50
Ken Davis
Jan 05, 202001:08:52
Holly Mandel

Holly Mandel

Holly Mandel has a diverse career — she is a speaker, inspirer, creative consultant, improviser, director, teacher, writer and entrepreneur. One town isn’t big enough to contain her, so you she splits her time between LA and New York.

In this episode, we start with a conversation about improv — including an exploration of character-based improv, which Holly grew up in at the Groundlings and continued in Improvolution in New York and Los Angeles. This episode also goes into Holly’s highly-regarded Good Girls Aren’t Funny workshops and presentations, which explores and seeks to understand differences in gender experiences in improv and beyond.

A great place to survey all the things that Holly does is at hollymandel.com, where you can also get links to Good Girls Aren’t Funny and Improvolution.

Dec 15, 201901:08:28
Jules Munns
Dec 01, 201958:42
Bone Hampton
Nov 17, 201950:30
Laura Hall

Laura Hall

Episode web page 

Laura Hall is someone who improvisers, in the US anyway, will all know. She’s been a consistent and amazing presence as an improvising musician on Whose Line is it Anyway? in the US right from the start of the series. But Whose Line wasn’t her first gig, and it’s not all she does. In Episode 8, Laura shares more of that story, about music and improv, and so much more.

You can find a lot of information about Laura at laurahall.com, including information about the workshops see and her husband, Rick Hall, do on Music Improv, her Improv Karaoke tracks for download and use in improv performances, and her book, The Improv Comedy Musician, which should be required reading for any improv musician – but also any troupe leader where music will be a part of the troupe’s performances. You can follow Laura on FaceBook, Instagram, and Twitter, too.

Nov 03, 201947:51
Will Hines

Will Hines

Episode 7 of the Improv Comedy Connection features Will Hines! Will has been improvising with the UCB since 1999, where he started with them in New York. He's now in LA, and performs, teaches and coaches improv with the UCB in LA while also acting, writing, and doing a lot of other things as well. Recently, along with Billy Merritt who was on epsiode 2, Will released the book Pirate Robot Ninja - An Improv Fable -- a very different book from his highly regarded How to Be the Greatest Improviser on Earth. They're both great, so be sure to pick them both up! Will shares some great stuff in our conversation that will be interesting and meaningful for the working improviser, as well as someone earlier on in their journey. Some great insights on teaching are shared in our conversation as well, so you'll want to listen to this one more than once! You can find Will at www.willhines.net, on Twitter @willhines, and Instagram @williebhines. We also talked about his Tumblr account and how it was being ignored -- but you can help solve that problem by visiting his site there at improvnonsense.tumblr.com.
Oct 20, 201946:32
Neil Mullarkey
Oct 06, 201954:54
Paul Vaillancourt

Paul Vaillancourt

Episode 5 of the Improv Comedy Connection features Paul Vaillancourt! Paul’s been improvising since college and grew up in the artform at a really interesting time in Chicago before moving to LA to co-found iO West. He’s an author of the book the Triangle of the Scene and has a rich catalog of tips on improv on YouTube. In other words, Paul has tons of content that he’s produced that can help you grow in improv and you should take advantage of all of them!

The conversation in this episode covers a lot of ground — from the basic, atomic level of improv to the artform in general. In it, you’ll find a lot of rich insights and things to think through.

You can connect with Paul on social media at:

FaceBook:  @pvimprov

Twitter: @whatsupwithpv

Instagram: @whatsupwithpv

Check out http://improvcomedyconnection.com/2019/09/22/paul-vallaincourt-se01-ep05/ for more info.

Sep 22, 201953:36
Morgan Phillips
Sep 09, 201943:20
Nnamdi Ngwe
Sep 01, 201938:19
Billy Merritt

Billy Merritt

Billy Merritt, along with Will Hines, came out with a book called Pirate Robot Ninja: An Improv Fable.  The book expands and explains a theory that Billy developed in his teaching that improvisers are either naturally Pirates (driven more by the right brain/emotion) or Robots (driven more by the left brain/logic and facts) — with the Ninja one who was able to access either tendency when needed in the moment.  It’s much more, though, than a discussion of that topic.  In fact, it’s almost an improv workshop in book from from two high level instructors.

This episode includes a discussion of Billy’s early days in improv, trying to figure out improv with some college friends out of Spolin’s book, Theater Games, and then with the National Improv Theater before connecting with the UCB.  Billy continues to improvise and teach at the UCB in LA — although he first began with UCB in New York.  He was a founding member of The Swarm, one of the best regarded improv teams from UCB in New York, and now performs with The Smokes at UCB LA.

You can find Billy on social media at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billy.merritt

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillyMerritt

Pirate Robot Ninja is available at Amazon in both a hardcopy and a Kindle version.  You can also learn more about the book at www.piraterobotninja.com.

Sep 01, 201946:12