I've had the opportunity to meet and talk to some pretty cool people in my life. I don't ask for pictures because of some combination of not wanting to bother them and also wanting to keep a professional relationship (as unlikely as whatever that might be)
Preface: Feel free to skip this if you're just looking for a review. My very personal two-word review of the 22nd Del Close Marathon is: Still sober. Which can mean many things, but at the very least, I think they are all positive. When I am having
This is a song about a couple of adult people who have spent Oh, quite a long time together 'Til one day, one of 'em gets restless and decides to leave Whether it's the man or woman who left is unimportant It's a breakup
I had a hard tiring week for a variety of reasons, so this week is going to be short and I am not, despite the title of this blog, going to beat myself up about it. The way I write, I tend to put little ideas into my drafts folder
The night of my first jam, when I was just starting out—I think I was still in core classes, partway through 501 —I met this kid, Logan, who came in off the street: never improvised, never seen a show, totally fresh. He'd heard about improv and wanted
It's to the chagrin of many students that ultimately reps are what stand between you and mastery of a skill, but the reps you need may be all around you. Near the end of my core curriculum days, I was out with a teacher, and we got to
A few months ago, I was walking with another performer to Brass Tap, a bar/restaurant in Baltimore, after the shows. As a quick aside, I do frequently go to bars or other places that serve alcohol. If the existence of bars could, in and of themselves, make me drink,
As I write this, I just got back from a 201 showcase, which is where the game is introduced in my theatre, and it was so much fun. It was off-the-wall bananas. One of the scenes was basically two rappers treating the Little Mermaid as a documentary, so
And whatever they say on your page three mention Focus on the parts that make you feel good Be grateful for the attention I am such a good storyteller that I can convince myself that no one in my life likes me. I am such a great actor that I
As I write this, I am recovering from a weekend of workshops given by Elana Fishbein in DC and Baltimore, so while I had a bunch of other thoughts about Game when I originally put this into drafts, I think a lot of those thoughts are still marinating in Fishbein.
If Improv is a fire, the base reality is the fuel: The tinder, kindling, sticks, branches, and logs. The game is oxygen. The first unusual thing is the spark, the source of ignition. One interesting exercise is that unusual things can be found by yes, anding within the base reality.
Ambitious to call this Part 1, but I thought I'm pretty sure I'll have other things to say about base reality eventually. I recently heard, at least in Alberta, that some people call "Base Reality" "Platform," which I think is such a
Before I dig into the topic, I want to make absolutely clear that I am not calling anyone out. If you have coached me or taught me, I have agency. I also want to make clear that I want the note! I want to get better. I signed up for
I've been fortunate in my short improv career to have taken—some would say too many—improv classes with Will Hines, both in person and via Zoom. I have emailed Will Hines. Will is free with email and actually responds, even if it's just with a
I am returning from some time away this week. Going to San Juan, Puerto Rico. If everything goes as planned, I'll make it to my show tonight; if my plane is delayed, I won't. I said in a class recently that I was doing "too
The Harold is just like football, baseball, or any other team sport — no one player is more important than anyone else. Each player must share the responsibility. On an eight-man team, each player should do one-eighth of the work. If one person tries to lead a Harold, it
Short post this week. James Acaster is one of my favorite comics, and he recently talked to Mike Birbiglia, another of my favorites. The whole conversation was great, but I really loved what James had to say in this Instagram clip: View this post on Instagram A post shared by
I'm fortunate in my current situation to be able to take Improv classes online with Jim Woods at the World's Greatest Improv School. The class he's offered the most online is Scene Notes: Easy of Hard, which is one of the best classes I
When you're in rehab, part of the process is losing your personal freedoms. Even if you're in a great rehab with your own room, fantastic staff who are present and helpful, nice amenities like an amazing kitchen, and the ability to go outside whenever you want
"There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says 'Morning, boys. How’s the water?' And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of
"The Harold is not great for entertainment. But it IS good for community. It’s a common enemy. Or at least a common challenge. Improvisers love to try and crack it. It inspires them and makes them work hard." Via: New Teamsa good teams night equals a good
Yes, Also - Bonus Ep: Improv and Sobriety with Brendan MartinYes, Also – Bonus Ep: Improv and Sobriety with Brendan Martin It was great to share my journey with both Sobriety and Improv with Suzi. I believe, for many reasons, it’s important to recover out loud. I have shared this message
Yes, Also – Bonus Ep: Improv and Sobriety with Brendan Martin It was great to share my journey with both Sobriety and Improv with Suzi. I believe, for many reasons, it's important to recover out loud. I have shared this message in rehabs and local AA meetings, and I
Improv to Sketch! - The Sketch SchooldescriptionThe Sketch School I have a couple of things in drafts, but the world's kind of rotten right now, and I haven't been as able to do as much writing as I wanted to this week. It's important to