Improv Town Podcast

In this episode I talk with Brian James O'Connell of the Pack Theater and Camp Improv Utopia all about Position Play. If you've never heard of position play, then you're in for a real treat.

In this episode I talk with Frederic Barbusci all about the French-Canadian improv scene

Bruce Springsteen loves Improv Town. And America. Thanks to Stuart Moses of the Improv London podcast for getting us in touch with the boss. Check out his podcast for more great conversations about improv.

In this episode of Improv Town I talk to longtime UCB teachers and performers Ben Remeaka and Doug Moe. Ben is a longtime member of UCB weekend time Airwolf and Doug is the co-author or the NYT bestseller "How to not get shot and other advice from white people" with D.L. Hughley. Don't forget to rate and review us wherever you're listening.

When justice calls, 3 mild-mannered men become improv team CRISIS and create the origin story of a made-up superhero in the form of reading a comic book. CRISIS: AN IMPROVISED COMIC BOOK is a unique fusion of variety show and pulp superhero story, with all of the strengths of both mediums but none of their weaknesses. And remember, all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do not see this show. Ever since that fateful night when Matt Kerstetter, Kevin Tully, and Mark...

In this episode I interview Will Luera. Will Luera is the former artistic director of Improv Boston, where he created the “Free Form” improv style, also known as Boston or Big Bang style improv, which is known for its fast yet seamless transitions between scenes. Will is now the Director of Improvisation at Florida Studio Theatre, which is a 5-stage theater in Sarasota that also does scripted work. Among other things, Will is also the Director of Big Bang Improv, Artistic Director of the...

Jim Foley is a veteran member of the Bit Players, Rhode Island’s most award-winning comedy troupe. The plan was to talk about genre and compare genre work across short-form and long-form but as that “sound check” suggests, we spend a lot of time just geeking out about what we love about improv. Don’t worry though, eventually we do get around to talking about both short and long-form genre work and after a few afternoon drinks we even do a ridiculous sci-fi scene for y’all at the end. As...

This episode’s interview is with the legendary Joe Bill. Joe is one of the co-founders of the Annoyance Theater, and is one half of the award-winning improv duo Bassprov, along with Mark Sutton. Joe talks about studying with Del Close and how Annoyance Theater got started. We also talk about the various schools of improv thought and his feelings on Chicago vs. Johnstonian Improv (Impro), plus lots of other great improv tips.

It’s season 2 of Improv Town and we are back at the Ocean State Improv Festival! In this episode I interview Christopher Simpson. In addition to running the fest, Chris is the artistic director of the Contemporary Theater Company in Wakefield RI, a theater that does both scripted and non-scripted work. We talk about how his theater started doing improv, why he thinks Johnstonian improv (impro) is the best fit for them and their community, and tons of other fun stuff. As always, if you enjoy...

In this episode I talk with Justin Wilder about the importance of being a lifetime learner of improv and why he thinks that even veteran improvisers can improve their game by revisiting the improv basics. You might know Justin from his starring role in the trailer of everybody’s favorite Andy Samberg movie Celeste and Jesse Forever, or from his titular role in the yet unannounced but totally (absolutely, definitely) happening Wes Anderson movie, The Omniscient Owl. Or maybe you know him as...

Kate Teichman and Casey Calderiso are the co-founders of Wagehouse, an improv comedy theater in Pawtucket, RI. In this episode we talk all about opening your own improv theater!

During my interview with Kate Teichman and Casey Calderiso about about starting their own improv theater, we went off on a bit of a tangent about doing 2 person improv. Here it is!

In this episode I talk with Mike Amaral of the Providence Improv Guild. We talk a lot about position play, which is the idea that there are four basic scene types (straight/absurd, character, realistic, alternate reality) each with its own broad game construct, and that if you know what type of scene you're in, then it makes it easier to play. Here are my notes on position play! https://www.dropbox.com/s/kvdvw4b6cygzhmh/Position%20Play%20and%20the%20Deconstruction.pdf?dl=0

In part 2 of my conversation with Tim Thibodeau we go inside baseball, talking at length about Improv Forms. We talk Harold, openings, getting suggestions, creating your own forms, engaging the audience, and lots more! You might know Tim as a member of Improv Jones, Providence's longest running improv troupe or as the director of the Providence Improv Fest.

Have you ever wanted to put on a full-length improvised murder mystery but don’t know where to start? In this episode, I share everything you need to know to create a high-quality full-length improvised murder mystery show from scratch. FYI, unlike previous episode, this one is just me talking.

Come be a fly on the wall for my awesome conversation with David Razowsky. Before going on to become Artistic Director of Second City Hollywood, Dave studied with Del Close and has collaborated with so many improv and comedy legends that I don't have the space to list them. He is also the host of the fantastic ADD Comedy podcast, which I highly recommend. Dave likes to refer to his improv theories as "subversive" and in this interview we talk all about his unique outlook on concepts like...

In this episode, veteran teacher Tim Mahoney talks about teaching improv to non-improvisers, i.e. teaching Improv 101. In this episode, it's not about teaching people how to make better choices, it's about teaching newbies how to get comfortable simply making choices.

In this episode, Tim Thibodeau talks everything you need to know about running an Improv Fest! You might know Tim as a member of Improv Jones, Providence's longest running improv troupe or as the director of the Providence Improv Fest. I interviewed Tim on Fests and Forms and the conversation ended up going on for 2 hours, so I've broken this interview into 2 parts. This is part 1, and part 2 will be all about improv forms!

In today’s episode I interview Mark Meritt, Musical Director at The Mopco Improv Theatre in Schenectady, New York. We talk about all things musical improv, from short form musical improv to long form narrative musical improv and transitioning from short to long form musical improv. We talk about different musical forms, what to do if you don’t have an accompanist, and for musicians, how you can train to become an improv accompanist. As always, if you like this episode, rate and review us...

Welcome to Improv Town, the podcast where I interview my favorite improvisers from Rhode Island and a far about an improv topic I think they’re great at. Today’s episode is an interview I got to do with Finish improviser Kaisa Kokko while she was in Rhode Island teaching and performing at the Ocean State Improv Festival. Kaisa Kokko is an improviser, director and communication skills instructor from Finland. She’s studied music, special education, and has masters in Education. Kaisa has...