Margot Escott speaks with leading improv innovators in her Improv Interviews podcast.
Improv Interviews:
Interview with an improviser:
Michael J. Gellman
Interview with Michael J. Gellman from July 2021 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Gary Schwartz
Interview with Gary Schwartz from June 2021 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Robert Lowe
Interview with Robert Lowe from January 2021 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Shawn Kinley
Interview with Shawn Kinley from December 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Susan Messing
Interview with Susan Messing from December 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Jeff Michalski
Interview with Jeff Michalski from November 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Jay Sukow
Interview with Jay Sukow from September 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Felipe Ortiz
Interview with Felipe Ortiz from September 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Inbal Lori
Interview with Inbal Lori from September 2020 by The Art of Yes.
PANEL DISCUSSION: The Nursery regarding 6 months of online improv
The Nursery Panel: Six months+ of online improvIt's the north American edition of this conversation
Posted by The Nursery on Friday, October 2, 2020
Interview with an improviser:
Patti Stiles
Interview with Patti Stiles from August 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Jonathan Pitts
Interview with Jonathan Pitts from August 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Neil Curran
Interview with Neil Curran from August 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Jill Bernard
Interview with Jill Bernard from July 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Shaun Landry
Interview with Shaun Landry from July 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Greg Tavares
Interview with Greg Tavares from June 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Andrew Hefler
Interview with Andrew Hefler from June 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
John Cremer
Interview with John Cremer from June 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
Joe Bill
Interview with Joe Bill from June 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Interview with an improviser:
David Razowsky
Interview with David Razowsky from May 2020 by The Art of Yes.
Improv in the Third Act
“You can’t help growing older, but you don’t have to grow old.” – George Burns
Almost a decade ago, my family sat in the hospital waiting room, waiting to hear the outcome of the surgery I was undergoing to repair the damage caused by a sudden cerebral aneurysm. My surgeons appeared with the good and the bad news for my family. I had survived the surgery, but my surgeon warned, it was too early to know if I would recovery my memory or ever speak again. To which my brother responded, “Too bad about the memory.”
As you can tell, I grew up in a family that laughed a lot. The 1950s were the stage for the “First Act” of my life. It was filled with hours of us gathered around a black and white television laughing along with “Leave it to Beaver,” “I Love Lucy,” Imogene Coca, Sid Caeser, Jack Parr, Red Skelton, Danny Kaye, Ernie Kovacs, George & Gracie, Carl Reiner. Regardless of what was happening in the world, these shows made you laugh and feel better.
Inspired by these comedy greats and by the work and teachings of Norman Cousins and others like him on “The Healing Power of Laughter & Play,” I used my “Second Act” to become a social worker and tour the country holding workshops to teach other therapists to use humor and play to help their clients.
[Read more…] about Improv in the Third ActRelationship Building is Key to Good Longform Improv
When I first started my Improv journey, I had no idea that that was true. It never even crossed my mind. Yes, the show that actually made me WANT to try this beautiful artform was ALL relationship, but I didn’t really know what I was seeing – just that I liked it. I actually thought that what I was watching was an anomaly. I’d been to shows before, and they just felt jokey and silly to me. The players were sometimes quick and sometimes funny, but really, I didn’t see much that flipped my switches….until that ONE show. I didn’t know WHY I loved it. I just knew I wanted more of it, and I wanted to learn whatever magic that particular duo had to teach.
I stepped into my first Level 1 class almost 3 years ago, and I haven’t turned back. I’ve taken lots of classes and traveled to play and to attend workshops. I’ve watched A LOT of Improv. I’ve learned many things, and I think I’ve gotten better at Improv generally. The core of everything though, that piece that keeps me coming back and, in my not so humble opinion, makes everything else work, is Relationship.
[Read more…] about Relationship Building is Key to Good Longform Improv