Improv Resource Center Podcast

Paul Grondy has been teaching at iO in Chicago since 1997. He teaches students how to do the Harold and so we talk about Harold structure, the principles of group work, being tender and heartfelt, knowing what you know, and group things. Submissions are due soon for the Chicago Improv Festival. Come see Kevin in Will Act For Food's production of Jack's Precious Moment

Anthony Atamanuik from the UCB Theatre talks about how classrooms can affect a class, ninja improv, finding your improv spirit house, care and detail in space work, framing devices, monoscenes, and improvised movies.

Jodi Lennon talks about using improv for character development, object work, hot seats and simulating sex on stage. Find out more about Jodi at: jodilennon.comFind out more about her documentary at: jodilennon.com/maron

Megan Johns teaches improv at the Annoyance Theatre and is a member of the New Colony theater company. We talk about Annoyance newbies, hybrid improv classes and using improv to write plays.Follow the link to find out more about my new show Joy Joy Tragedy.

Joe Bill teaches Power Improv Workshops in Chicago and around the country. He is one half of BassProv and SCRAM and has taught for the Annoyance and iO Chicago.I recorded this back in November.

This is our first podcast that we recorded live at the PIT in NYC. I interviewed Nate Starkey of the People's Improv Theater, Porter Mason of the UCB Theatre and Ed Herbstman of the Magnet Theater. We talked about Oscar moments in improv, breaking our bad habits, character baseball, giving enough notes in class and being in the rainbow.

I first met Evan Linder after going to see 11:11 by The New Colony, a play that he cowrote for the company. He also performed in the play. I asked him about their development process and what he told me surprised and delighted me. The play was a good one, interesting and funny, but what I really liked about the production was how connected the actors were to the material. It was as if they knew what they were doing at every moment of the play. Every line made sense and had purpose. That's not a small feat for a new theater company filled with young actors performing a new script. After Evan described the extent to which the writers collaborated with the actors through improvisation, it all made sense.If you are in Chicago, be sure to check out their new show, Pancake Breakfast, which opens this Sunday.

Craig Cackowski from iO West and Second City in LA talks about doing scenes from imaginary plays, feeling scenes before you know what is happening, La Ronde and the North vs. South Harold.See Craig perform in Quartet at iO West and Dasariski at UCB Theatre. He has been writing about his 20 years in improv at yesand.com. He will be an instructor at Camp Improv Utopia next May.

Armando Diaz, founder of the Magnet Theater, talks about connecting with your scene partner, initiations, using improv to write and how to teach better.

Jimmy Carrane talks about grounded scenework, the third choice, reality transaction scenes, commitment, silent scenes, side coaching and group therapy.

Will Hines and John Frusciante from the UCB Theatre in New York discuss the game, improv training simulators, an improv sabbath and things to steal from Ian Roberts.Will and John host the UCB Theatre Podcast and teach at the UCB Training Center.

Kurt Braunohler from the People's Improv Theater discusses solo improv, image streaming, viewpoints and Caligula.

Lillian Frances, owner of the Laugh Out Loud Theater talks about auditions, teaching kids, using your warmups well, and yes-anding life. She performed at iO and other venues in Chicago. She was also a perfomer and assistant director for Boom Chicago in Amsterdam. She directed for Second City National Touring Company, the all women' improv groups Jane and Sirens, and sketch shows with GayCo and Stir Friday Night.

Susan Messing performs regularly at the Annoyance Theatre in Chicago, where she teaches level four classes. She created the curriculum for level 2 at iO Theatre and teaches there as well. Among the episodes we discuss are Caligula, Busby Berkeley, and Doublemint Twins.She can be seen performing every Thursday at 10:30 in Messing with a Friend at the Annoyance. 

Billy Merritt performs and teaches at the UCB Theatre in LA. We talk about premise based Harolds and his character based improv forms where he gets students to create a single character over eight weeks. We also discuss character wheels, the cube edit and the hawk edit.