No Suggestion: An Improv Comedy Talk Show

It's huge thrill for #NoSuggestionPod to have my illustrious homie on, actor, teacher, dancer, director, producer, filmmaker, clown and improv comedian, Ketchikan's own, Tallie Medel (@talliemedel)! Co-host Aston Hollins (@astonhollins) makes her triumphant return this week as we chat with Tallie in Radio Free Brooklyn studios about how I was sure she was Jewish and she isn't, going to concerts and festivals, leaving Alaska to go to Emerson college in Boston, why studying Theater Education over joining an acting conservatory was ultimately the right move for her, the inception of the beloved dance trio Tallie is part of, Cocoon Central Dance Team (@cocooncentraldanceteam), the clown program she's spearheading at Brooklyn Comedy Collective (@comedybrooklyn), and Tallie shares the experience of being in the all-encompassing runaway-train known as Everything Everywhere All At Once. Amidst this groovy, winding conversation we also got some trippy, giddy improv scenes in, including scene about a brassy new CIA agent at orientation their first day on the job. This episode was a fever-dream and it was a dream to have Tallie on. She's really making some cool things happen in NYC and teaching all over the country and it was so rad to get to talk to her about it. Enjoy this episode! And if you do, please write a rating for this podcast, subscribe, and tell a friend how funny we are! You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

So much fun getting to know the luminous actor, teacher, filmmaker, content creator, script writer, sketch and improv Liz Coin (@lizcoin) on #NoSuggestionPod this week! Co-host Jake Joseph (@f00lish_b0y) and I had great fun hanging with Liz for an hour at Radio Free Brooklyn studios (@radiofreebk) and learning about Greece, Iowa, coming up in the Chicago improv scene, and how it compares to the New York scene, her love of Viola Spolin, the Improvolution (@improvolutionnyc) theater, her one-woman show, and more! It's a wide ranging and fun chat! We also really have some super silly, diverse, and hilarious improv scenes in this episode, including a scene about an extremely bohemian and laid-back heart surgeon. Liz is full of energy, point of view, and passion! This was a really dope episode! We can't wait for you to get to know Liz! And if you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and leave a review! They really help us! You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

This episode of #NoSuggestionPod is good good good good good time! Second time guest Kalynn Chambers (@kalynnchambers) came back through with her hilarious homie Alex Sanchez (@alboogieeee) for a wild hang with me and guest co-host Christopher Morucci (@christophermorucci) at Radio Free Brooklyn studios (@radiofreebk)! We chat with them about their college jobs, chancellors, Kaitlin Clark, the distinctions between Inwood/Washington Heights/Harlem, stress and relaxation, bubble baths, and mindfulness. We also get in a lot of crazy super funny improv scenes including a scene that takes us perplexing job interview at Citibank. This episode was like a little party in the studio, Alex and Kaylnn brought so much fun and energy with them! I really can't wait for you guys to grab a beverage and come wild out with us. You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

Delighted and thrilled to have the lovely teacher, actor, mom, and improv comedian, Irene Carroll (@andsceneirene) on #NoSuggestionPod this week. I've been pursuing Irene to come on the podcast for a long time because she's so sweet and so fun, and because I'm always so in awe of people who are parents who are very involved with raising their family, who still find ways to make time for their interests and creativity. Co-host Jake Joseph (@f00lish_b0y) and I have a wonderful time hanging with Irene and chatting about everything from Barbenheiming, to children's radio, to practicing for your first kiss, to jingles, KidProv, and as a bonus treat, Irene was friends with the people who founded Radio Free Brooklyn, the station we record this podcast from, and she tells us all about that and by extension the story of Collective Unconscious and the Bowery Poetry Club and the early 2000's NYC Art Star scene! It's a moment in the history of NYC culture I am so fascinated by so I am so geeked by this! We also get in some awesome and silly improv scenes including a scene about an actor at a comic book convention who takes his role as Ant Man very seriously. Irene is so sweet, and has so many cool stories from relentlessly pursuing a life of creativity and adventure, it was a joy to have her on. We know you'll dig this episode! You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

What chaotic, fun time hanging with actor, writer, educator, and improv comedian Shayna Nash (@shaynash131) on #NoSuggestionPod this week! Guest Co-host Christopher Morucci (@christophermorucci) and I had such a giggly silly good time getting to know Shayna, and we got to gab with her about the time she got arrested, how her first improv shows in NYC were ones I used to help produce at Tiny Cupboard, how she moved to NYC for a teaching job, her dad being a secret investigator, country ham, the parent-pick-up incident that drove her to comedy, and more! And in the midst of all that, the three of us manage to get into some into some insane and insanely funny improv scenes, including a scene about some an incredibly intense granny bingo game. This is a really playful and fun episode, we know you'll enjoy it. If you do please rate, subscribe, and tell a friend about No Suggestion: An Improv Comedy Talk Show! You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

This week on #NoSuggestionPod we hang with payroll manager, middle child, actor, karaoke enthusiast, and improv comedian, Matty Tuzynski (@mall_kitty_). Co-host Jake Joseph (@f00lish_b0y) and I have a great time getting to know Matty who is thoughtful, insightful, philosophical, and fun-loving! We chat about Matty's upbringing in rural Pennsylvania, his move to New York, the magic of Quincy Jones, intimacy in improv, Jim Carrey, working at a hostel, and our mutual appreciation of Steve Ling. We also get a big chunk of funny improv scenes in including a scene about a pair of buddies who are monopolizing the photo-booth at the mall. Matty brought so much bright, curious energy, and stunning wisdom to our hour with him, I know you'll enjoy this episode. You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

This week on #NoSuggestionPod we welcome the bright, chipper, and endearing actor, voiceover artist, and improv comedian, Josh Hurley (@joshhurley)! Co-host Aston Hollins (@astonhollins) and got to really wind through a vast array of topics in this lovely and nostalgic conversation with Josh, where we reminisce about many of our childhood favorites, like the movies Clue, Young Frankenstein, Akira, Wayne's World, and particularly Robin Williams classics Hook and Mrs. Doubtfire, as well as fond memories of TV shows like Carol Burnett Show, and Golden Girls. We also talk about the nature of art, the tensions between generations, getting locked out of Tik-Tok, we have a serious debate about the central ideas in the films Barbie and Poor Things, and more! We also have an abundance of hilarious and surreal improv scenes in this episode, including a scene that follows an intense interrogation around a suspected candy jar thief on Easter weekend. This episode is so dynamic, silly, thoughtful, nostalgic, sweet, and full of comedy. It's a quite unexpected gem! We know you'll enjoy Josh, give this episode a listen! And if you enjoy it, please rate, subscribe, and tell a friend! You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

On this special episode of #NoSuggestionPod we welcome the queen of herself herself, straight outta the Swizz alps, actor, comedian, singer, seeker of answers, life, and ecstasy, and clown, the Big Lady, AKA, Miriam Maissen (@biglady.mir.i.am)! Co-host Jake Joseph (@f00lish_b0y) and I got to have a magical and splendorous time with Miriam at Radio Free Brooklyn Studios chatting with her about her adventures to move to America, her marriage to clown and to jazz, searching for answers in the mountains, what improv teaches us, the lessons Miriam learned from an excessively overdue library book, the year she spent studying with the most renowned living clown teacher, Phillippe Gaullier, and more! We also find some of the most beautifully loony improv scenes in this episode, including a scene about a man with amnesia discovering that he might be a father. Thus episode is so gentle, so whimsical, and so fun of stories of adventure and imagination, it really is one of my favorites. Miriam is one of a kind, and so funny. We really think you'll enjoy this episode. Give it a listen! You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

A momentous episode of #NoSuggestionPod, where we have our first real married improv couple! This we co-host Aston Hollins (@astonhollins) and I welcome film/television/stage and voice over actors, producers, writers, and improv and sketch comedians, David Carl (@davidcarlactor) and Katie Hartman (@khartsucks)! This episode we really get to know Katie and David's epic stories and chat with them about their incredible musical comedy show, David and Katie get Remarried, they talk about creating the show 10 years ago when they met all while never realizing they'd eventually start dating and get married, we talk about the performance art class Aston and Katie took together in college, the nudity of cabaret, the heydays of a certain era improv, bringer shows, facing rejection, and more! Not only is the conversation so jam packed and fascinating, we also make some screwball, nutso improv scenes happen, including scene about a nervous magician about to make his debut on the Jimmy Fallon show. I'm so thankful to have had David and Katie on, they've been dream guests for me since this podcast started. To learn more about their live show, which will have another New York run this year, visit davidandkatiegetremarried.com. We barely had enough time to get through everything there was to talk about, this episode is jam packed! Give it a listen! You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

So grateful that one of the perks of hosting #NoSuggestionPod is sometimes I get to meet awesome NYC comedians I've never met before, like this week's guest, comedy writer, actor, filmmaker, sound engineer, Appalachian, and stand-up and improv comedian, Max Carney (@maxcarney)! Co-host Jake Joseph (@f00lish_b0y) brought Max to the show at Radio Free Brooklyn studios this week and it was so cool getting to meet and know Max and getting to do some really fun improv together. Me, Jake, and Max got to chat this week about growing up in Stewart, Ohio, in Appalachia, the first day of deer season being a holiday there, growing up in a house that was haunted, how he got started in comedy, the long-standing, mostly one-sided, bitter feud between stand-up and improv, and more! We also had some wild and funny improv scenes this week, including a scene about a schoolyard bully who is really having some digestive issues. I'm thrilled we could have Max on, he's so interesting and interested, and really has a passion for comedy. Please enjoy this episode, and if you do, please rate, subscribe, comment, and tell a friend! You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

This week on #NoSuggestionPod we have one of the chillest, awesomest dudes in the improv scene, actor, engineer, rapper-musician, and improv comedian, Anthony Yong Brophy (@anthonybroph). Co-host Aston Hollins (@astonhollins) and I had a fun time hanging with Brophy we chat about the wonder of what we might look when we get old, how to wear jewelry, allergies, having a terrible time in Germany, his wonderful trip to Korea where he was taken in by strangers, cooking being meditative, being an electrical engineer, and nervous ticks. We also get a scene in about a group of youths dealing with anxiety in a mall food court. This episode was so easy and fun to record and it was a pleasure to hang out with Brophy. Ya'll enjoy this episode. You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

This week on #NoSuggestionPod, we are visited at Radio Free Brooklyn studios by a being of pure sweetness and light, actor, clown, film set electrician, spiritual seeker, clown and improv comedian, Kevin Karpinski (@playwelltogether33)! Co-host Jake Joseph (@f00lish_b0y) and I got to have a nice hang with the gentle soul that is Kevin and we got to chat about all kinds of things like what the most formative years of ones life actually are, how Kevin made films as a kid, we get to hear about when Kevin lived in Minneapolis and made forbidden eye contact with Prince, what he did when he realized he wasn't going to become a great film auteur, how he moved to NYC, what it was like to work in television production during the great streaming boom, and the importance of breathing. During this serene hang we do slip into some mischievous and funny little improv scenes, including a scene about a pair of young high school boys who have a meltdown attempting to talk to their crush. Kevin has been through a transformative journey of growth through comedy and we're privileged to get some of his story this week. This episode is sweet, odd, and inspiring. Kevin is also really funny. We had a ton of fun this week, we can't wait for you to hear this episode. And if you enjoy the episode, please rate, subscribe, and tell a friend. Help No Suggestion podcast grow! You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

So excited to share this exciting and absurd episode of #NoSuggestionPod with this week's guest, actor, clown, teacher, humanitarian, content creator, and improv comedian, the powerful Riley Soloner (@rileysoloner)! Guest co-host Christopher Morucci (@christophermorucci) and I run the gamut with Riley, learning about his epic journey, starting as a youth resisting his bohemian, hippie parents encouragement to attend the legendary summer Camp Winnarainbow, going back every year for more than a decade, working with the real Patch Adams, charitable clown trips, diving into the NYC improv scene at the UCB, his pandemic era Twitch show Googy Mornings, wide vs deep reach, meeting his wife as a result of part of the legendary Chris Gethard show, and much more more. In the midst of unspooling this epic tale, we really manage to get some really funny improv scenes in, including a deranged scene about a bodybuilder doing a hunger-strike at his gym. We loved recording this episode so much. Riley is so fun, and also so full of life, and sharp. We can't wait for you to hear this episode! If you enjoy it please rate, and subscribe, and tell a friend! You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

Honored to have actor, producer, Italian-American, clown and stand-up comedian Lauren LoGiudice (@laurenlogi), on #NoSuggestionPod this week! Co-host Aston Hollins (@astonhollins) and I got to hang with her at Radio Free Brooklyn studios and chat about how she started doing and selling out shows in Little Italy, traditionalism vs progress, calling out people on their shit, studying with clown guru Philippe Gaulier, integrating clown into stand-up, Misfit Comedy, and Lauren had some really insightful and inspiring things to say about marketing and growing your audience, and more! We get some improv in, including a scene about a student being super honest about not studying and not caring about history class. We learn a ton with Lauren, we laugh, and we chill! This is a super fun episode with a really brilliant comedian! Check it out!

Such an honor and privilege to have 1/3 of one of the best improv teams in the city, Branded Silk (@brandedsilk), on #NoSuggestionPod, actress, singer, producer, and improv comedian, Onyi Okoli (@onyiokoli)! Jake Joseph (@f00lish_b0y) and I had such a wonderful time with Onyi at Radio Free Brooklyn studios chatting about being a raw vegan, forbidden stories of being a property manager, how being a comedian and having a day job affects your circadian rhythm, the culture shock of moving from predominately black Baltimore to go to USC for theater and how that led Onyi to produce and direct shows for black students while there, growing up with a Nigerian dad and an African American mom, and more! We also got some wildly ridiculous improv scenes this week, including a scene about an unassuming parking lot attendant trying to validate the parking of a very sexually charged pair on a first date. I laughed so hard recording this episode, ya'll! So grateful to finally get Onyi on the show. I've been trying to get her to come on for more than a year, but she's so sought after as a performer and a teacher at Brooklyn Comedy Collective (@comedybrooklyn). I have to say though, this episode is worth the wait. Follow Onyi and pull up to BCC to check out Branded Silk. And if you enjoy this episode, please rate and subscribe, and tell a friend! You can learn more about Ralf, his comedy, his music (as Precious Gorgeous), his acting, his teaching, this podcast, find full episodes of this podcast, and more at preciousgorgeous.com!

This episode of #NoSuggestionPod was a post-punk rager as we chopped it up with actor, comedian, singer-songwriter, band-leader of Gustaf (@gustaf_nyc), Lydia Gammill (@l_y_d_i_a_gammill)! Co-host Aston Hollins (@astonhollins) and I went full romper room chatting with Lydia about being raised on Conan O'Brien, the fact that not everyone laughs every day, finishing things, whether personal art has to be biographical, taking her time to finish her first Gustaf record, sauntering through ancient ruins, our relationship to confidence, and Gustaf's upcoming spring tour. We had a ball, especially in our uproarious improv scenes, including a scene about a very nervous school principal on their first day of work. Lydia and I started in the NYC improv scene together more than a decade ago and I'm so proud of how she's taken her infectious, deranged genius to make beautiful music with her band Gustaf. It was an honor to finally get to have her on and catch up and spaz out. This is such a delightful episode, we're glad to share it with you. If you enjoy it, please rate, subscribe, and share it with someone else! We appreciate you! And if you want learn more about me, this podcast, my music, hire me to coach your improv team or anything else, find me at preciousgorgeous.com!

Had a lovely hang with comedy writer, producer, nanny, actress, and comedian Slaney Rose Jordan (@slaneyrose) on #NoSuggestionPod this week. Co-host Jake Joseph (@f00lish_b0y) had a good time chatting with Slaney about her namesake, Michael Jordan, Apolo Anton Ohno, competition, growing up in Maine, her inheriting the role of producer of NYC comedy staple, Old School Sketch Show (@oldschoolsketchshow), and her love of Tom Waits. We also get get a bunch of fun improv scenes in including a scene about a down on her luck actress doing her one-woman show at a bar. This is such a chill, warm, easy-going episode. It was really nice getting to know Slaney. She has a lot of passion for art and comedy, I know you'l enjoy this episode. Please give it a listen, and then rate and subscribe. Thank you!

Thrilled to start 2024 with this episode! This week's guests are actor, teacher, philosopher, cannabis advocate, and comedian Shawn Wickens (@timetravelingstoned), back for the third time, and explorer and musician Zarif (@spaceroyz). Co-host Aston Hollins (@astonhollins) and I had such a deeply enjoyable hang at Radio Free Brooklyn studios with these two na'er do-wells. The four of us talked about Interstellar vs The Martian, the lazy bohemian lifestyle, Jane Goodall, Jamiroquai vs Aphex Twin, Zarif describes his style of music which he calls "Ocean music", Shawn gives his definition of jazz, Aston shares about her end of the year blues, and we all sing Prince's Seven together. As if all these good natured hijinks weren't enough, we still managed to get into plenty super silly improv scenes including a scene about a very relaxed and laidback crew of space explorers. This episode really delighted me, and I'm so thankful it's our first episode of the year. Shawn and I have known each other nearly a decade and we have worked a lot with Zarif, I couldn't have thought of a better set of guests to kick the year off with. Thank you to all of you who listen to the podcast and enjoy it. Starting off on this note I feel excited about what this year will bring about for the podcast. I appreciate you being on this journey with us. Enjoy this episode!

What a beautiful, luxurious, elegant salon we had with on #NoSuggestionPod this week with playwright, LGBTQ activist, actress, and comedian, Meg (@phallicmother)! Co-host Jake Joseph (@f00lish_b0y) and I got to spend a lovely hour at Radio Free Brooklyn studios hanging with my old friend Meg this week, and we got to chat about the deeper meaning of mock duck, God's vibe, high value platform shoes, accessibility vs inaccessibility in art, how transitioning affected Meg's approach to art, and how hilarious trans life can be. Amidst all this regalia we also got in some super funny improv scenes, including a scene where a team of homicide detectives on a grieve how tragically plain and boring their suspect is. It was so nice to spend time with my friend Meg, hear about the exciting things she's up to, the things that are important to her life right now, and laugh together about how absurd it all is. We had such a nice time and we think you will too. Please rate this podcast and subscribe! We appreciate you!

This week's episode of #NoSuggestionPod is a free-for-all! We had a wild, delightfully unhinged time with our guests, clown comedy duo Shoshana Rubin-Mann (@shoshanashoshanashoshanashosha) and Riley Stanzione (@rileystanz)! Me and co-host Aston Hollins (@astonhollins) have our work cut out for us trying to tame this wild pair as we gab about topics as far ranging as sounds, popsicle binges at the Celebration Barn, the liberation offered in musical improv, Mr. Bean, Shoshana's failed turtle neck protest. The show is so action packed with music, Shoshana's numb toes are saved by Rileys lined crocs, and the duo tell us about their upcoming show at the Magnet Theater on January 12th, Shoshana and Riley's Laundromat! As if this episode isn't kooky enough, we also get in a gaggle of silly improv scenes starting with a scene about a spaceship captain desperate for moment to complete his vital daily captain's log. This episode was truly so much fun, and recording it flew by, even though there was an actual blackout in he middle of it. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. If you do, please rate this episode, subscribe to No Suggestion, and tell a friend! Thank you!