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PODCAST

Improv Comedy Connection

The Improv Comedy Connection podcast explores how to more deeply connect with audiences and co-performers in improv, stand up, sketch, and communication through comedy.

comedy improv

All Episodes

01:08:58

Patti Stiles - Improvise Freely

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2023/05/28

We're back with Patti Stiles in our first episode of Season 5. Listeners know Patti from episode 2 of Season Three as well as panelist in the first, fourth, fifth and last sessions of the COVID-19 Summit. Our focus in this episode, though, is her wonderful book - Improvise Freely. It's a timely book, as well as an encouragement and challenge to improvisers - no matter how seasoned.Patti has an infectious enthusiasm for improvisation that comes through in everything she does. You'll no

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01:10:38

Rachael Mason

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2022/08/22

In this, our 50th episode!, Whit has a conversation with Rachael Mason. Rachael has been a mainstay of the Chicago improv scene for many years. She has been a central figure in the Second City’s curriculum and performance and has moved to iO which is set to re-launch under new ownership in Fall of 2022. There, she is the Director of Education and is involved in both the design of the theater’s improv curriculum and performance structures – and as you might guess, we spend some time discussing what

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01:35:55

David Escobedo

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2022/07/18

Our guest on this episode of the Improv Comedy Connection is David Escobedo. David has been coaching and performing improv since 1994. In fact, he coached his first improv team, as there weren't any improv schools around! Later he took classes at iOwest, Second City and other improv schools around Los Angeles. He is quick to acknowledge the impact of his improv teachers during this time, including Jay Sukow (Jay was part of the COVID-19 Improv Summit and was interviewed as part of Season 4), Paul

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01:14:31

Hellena Jang

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2022/05/09

Our guest for this episode is Hellena Jang. Hellena is an improviser, instructor and agile coach in Seoul, Korea, as well as the founder of Imfrog - likely the first Korean language improv troupe on the Korean peninsula. She was introduced to improv through Seoul City Improv, an English language troupe established by ex-pats in the city. That experience led to perhaps one of the most intense deep dives into improv - a couple of extended, immersive journeys that Hellena took to learn about a great

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01:16:49

Tanine Dunais

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/11/01

Our guest for this episode is Tanine Dunais. Tanine grew up in Iran, but discovered improv in the United Arab Emirates. She later moved to Europe, and now resides in the Netherlands, where she pursues improv, bouffon, clowning, and more. This episode features an interesting discussion on the theater traditions of Tanine's homeland, and as well as an fascinating consideration of performing in a context of difference backgrounds and intersectionalities in an ensemble. You can connect with Tanine in a

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01:09:54

Patrick Rowland

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/09/13

In this episode, we talk with Patrick Rowland. Patrick is a writer, comedian, and actor from Chicago, now residing in Los Angeles. He’s studied and taught at The Second City and iO Theater. His solo character work was featured in Alone, Chicago’s Best Solo Comedy at The TBS Just For Laughs Festival in 2013. Austin Comedy Short Film Festival nominated Patrick as Best Supporting Actor for his work in Mr. Mainframe. He is the creator of The Patrick Rowland Sketch Show, a web series he writes produces,

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01:32:01

Jay Sukow

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/08/30

For this episode, Whit has a conversation with Jay Sukow — a US improviser based in LA, but in New Zealand traveling for this recording. After catching up a bit, we jumped into an amazing conversation about his favorite (by far) of over 300 10-minute scenes that he’s been doing since early on in the pandemic. This is all the more impressive given that his online series “10 Minutes with…” where he improvises a 10 minute scene with someone from anywhere on the planet, has over 100,000 views. Jay is

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01:45:28

Stacey Hallal

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/08/02

In this episode, we get the joy of talking with Stacey Hallal - founder of the Curious Comedy Theater in Portland, Oregon where she serves as Artistic Director as well as a regular performer, writer, director and teacher. We talk a bit about her leadership at Curious, but she's also known for her Ruby Rocket, Private Eye character and much, much more. We discuss her affinity for "cross-training" - which dates back to her experience in Chicago in going through the training at iO, Annoyance, Second

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01:26:05

Luana Proença

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/07/19

In this episode, we get to hear from Luana Proença - an improviser from Brazil, presently studying for a PhD in theater/improvisation in Lisbon, Portugal. Luana is a known quantity in much of the global improv world, but not nearly well-known enough in the English-speaking, North American improv community. Listening in will help change that if that's where you're based, and you'll thank me for the experience later. Luana has some very interesting, and clear observations and understandings of the

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01:15:24

Michelle Gilliam

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/07/06

Michelle Gilliam is a voice actor and improviser based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the founder of Improv MKE. She has been involved with improv since high school, and at various times has been immersed in the Milwaukee, Chicago, and Boston improv scenes. With the pandemic, she adeptly stepped into the global, online improv community where her skills and thoughtfulness about the art and the community aspects of improv have garnered her world-wide respect. Her emphasis on being human applies to both

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01:15:03

Felipe Ortiz

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/06/21

Our guest for episode 5 of season 4 is Felipe Ortiz - a performer, director and teacher based in Bogota, Colombia. But that 's really not a full summary of what Felipe is as a performer or educator. He blends in, exchanges, plays, interacts and shares tools techniques and insights with artists from around the world. You can see his interest in the body in movement in his use and integration of acrobatics, improvisation, clowning, physical theater, object manipulation and more in his

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00:55:57

Oluwadamilola Apotieri-Abdulai

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/05/24

In this episode, we get to spend time with a true improv pioneer -- Oluwadamilola Apotieri-Abdulai. Damilola is one of the few improvisers in Nigeria and in West Africa. He has an amazing background in using theater, improv, and other techniques and structures to positively impact individuals and communities throughout the region and indeed across the world. The work he's done and is doing will inspire you - and is reason enough to listen in to this conversation. Damilola is the founder ofPlayback

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01:17:05

Sophie Scott

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/05/10

Our third episode in Season 4 is with Dr. Sophie Scott, the Wellcome Senior Research Fellow in Basic Biomedical Science and Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. She is part of UCL's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and in the Division of Psychology & Lang Sciences. So of course we're having her on the podcast, right? Well it is an of course because of her particular lines of inquiry do have quite a lot to say about a subject that all improvisers, comedians and

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01:08:12

Aree Witoelar

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/04/26

Born in Indonesia, and now based in Norway, Aree Witoelar is an improv teacher, director and performer who is also the founder and artistic director of Impro Neuf International. Impro Neuf International is Norway’s first international improv community with over 1,000 members from over 50 countries. Aree has been improvising since 2005, studying from many teachers and throughout his improv career has believed in bringing the global voice to the improv stage. In the new era of online improv, he is

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01:34:24

Shaun Landry

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/04/11

We're back for season 4 with Shaun Landry! Shaun got her start in improv in the mid-1980s in Chicago and has been a strong, joyful, positive presence not only in Chicago, but then in San Francisco, LA and through her travels and online, all over the world. It was a fantastic conversation - both what is being published and what followed -- and it's a great way to start off our next season. We missed you, and if you didn't miss us, you certainly won't want to miss Shaun Landry. More details on Shaun

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01:35:18

Joe Bill

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/01/24

Listen in to a fire side chat with Joe Bill -- widely regarded as one of the best teachers of Scenic and Comedic Improvisation in the world today. He is one of the founding members of Annoyance Theater Chicago where, for 12 years, he performed in and/or directed more than 60 different shows. He was the Director of Corporate Training at iO Chicago for 15 years and a Teacher & Guest Artist in Residence at The Second City Conservatory & Training Center for another 15 years. Joe first learned

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01:09:22

Aretha Sills

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2021/01/04

Our penultimate episode of Season 3 is with Aretha Sills - the granddaughter of Viola Spolin - widely considered the mother of modern improvisational theater) an daughter of Paul Sills (founder and initial director The Second City in Chicago, as well as Story Theater). Aretha studied for many years with her father and is an outstanding instructor in her own right, having worked with Tony- and Emmy-Award winning actors and having trained faculty from Northwestern, DePaul, Columbia College, The Second

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01:11:48

Jon Carr

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2020/12/13

As we get ready to close out Season 3 of the podcast, Whit has a conversation with Jon Carr -- just a week or so out from the big news that Jon has been hired as Executive Producer at Second City. Just prior, Jon was serving as Artistic Director at Dad's Garage in Atlanta. Jon was not only a fixture for many years at Dad's, but also in the Atlanta creative community as a whole. We discuss his start in improv at Dad's, his approach to the craft, and so much more. In addition to his work at Dad's

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01:14:10

Feña Ortalli

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2020/11/23

Feña Ortalli began his acting and improvisation career in 2001 in Buenos Aires. In 2006 he created Global Impro, an improv troupe dedicated to national and international collaboration and exchange. He's currently based in Madrid where he performs and teaches with the larger companies in that city. Feña also has been writing, editing, and providing the general direction of Status, a digital magazine about improvisation, since 2011. He's also the author of the book Impro: Dynamics of the Unexpected

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01:27:01

Jonathan Pitts

Improv Comedy Connection ·

2020/11/08

Today's new episode features Jonathan Pitts! In this episode, Whit talks with Jonathan - an award-winning, international improv theatre artist, creator, director, producer, and teacher from Chicago. He's been improvising for over 35 years, and has been involved in founding and directing important festivals and experiences like the Chicago Improv Festival and the College Improv Tournament. We talk tech, we talk the global improv community, we talk technique, and we talk about improv - all drawing on

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