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Welcome back to the Billy Merritt podcast, Part 2! Billy shares his journey in LA and his return to FL. So grateful to have the opportunity to interview this improv great!
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Billy Merritt is an improviser, director, actor and all round great guy! Co-author of one of the best books on improv "Pirate Ninja Robot: An Improv Fable" with Will Hines. I've had the great fortune to be studying with him lately on his BIT comedy podcasts and it is a real trip! He is a founding member of The Swarm, and UCB. As a teacher Billy has developed many improvised longform shows. Such as, The Documentary, Improvised One Acts, The Ninja, Murder Murder, Robot Theatre, and the Holiday Spectacular.
Launched in 2024 he curates the BIT Comedy Network with monthly podcast shows "Podcast Town" and "rabbitHOLE" found on Apple Music.
Billy is a compassionate and beautiful improv teacher and I know you'll have funny hearing his story! -
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What a wonderful experience getting to know Vinny Francois! He is a delightful person and we had such fun on this podcast. Vinny has over 25 years experience as a professional improviser in both English and French. He's a founding director of Improv College, Camp Zipzap (an improv camp for adults), was the Executive Producer of Mprov: The Montreal Improv Festival and co-founder of the Montreal Improv Theatre. Vinny has performed in Just For Laughs and improv festivals around the world and he currently writes for The Beaverton.
Be sure to check out his beautiful work at the links below.
Links:
https://improvcollege.ca/
http://www.campzipzap.com/
https://www.can-i-get-a.com/ -
David Raitt is an improviser, author and sketch comedian from Toronto. David shares his unique improv story starting in high school and having a troupe that was together for years!
He has been performing and teaching improv for over 25 years. After acquiring degrees in Cognitive Science and then Law, he started taking improv classes at The Second City, Toronto, in 1996. In 2000, he joined their Canadian National Touring Company. He performed with the Mainstage ensemble and was also on the Training Centre Education faculty for 17 years. He offers speciality workshops in object work, environment and physicality.
His book, Improv Illusionist, https://improvillusionist.com/improv-illusionist-book/ is a terrific guide to movement and physical work in improv. We had a fantastic chat and I know that you'll enjoy learning more about David.
Be sure to sign up for his newsletter at https://improvillusionist.com/subscribe/ with a focus on the improv skills of environment, object work, and physicality in character and performance.
I heartily recommend all of his work! -
Listen to Part 2 of our interview with the fabulous BJ Lange. He has devoted his life to service of others.
When a cancer diagnosis forced BJ, a former Air Force Reserve medic, onto the Temporary Disability Retired List in 2016, comedy and improv helped pull him through. Now he’s using those same skills to help veterans overcome their disabilities.
During the interview BJ spoke about:
The Armed Services Arts Partnership for servicemembers and veterans to get involved at www.asapasap.org
The Ledge Theatre, Hollywood
https://ledgetheatre.org/bj-lange
BJ @ The Second City
https://oldwp.secondcity.com/people/hollywood/bj-lange/
The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1045695952707987
The Air Force Wounded Warrior Program
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/make-em-laugh-helping-vets-through-improv/ -
BJ Lange is a very funny man who has survived many health and life issues but continues to find the bright side of life!
When a cancer diagnosis forced BJ, a former Air Force Reserve medic, onto the Temporary Disability Retired List in 2016, comedy and improv helped pull him through. Now he’s using those same skills to help veterans overcome their disabilities.
During the interview BJ spoke about:
The Armed Services Arts Partnership for servicemembers and veterans to get involved at www.asapasap.org
The Ledge Theatre, Hollywood
https://ledgetheatre.org/bj-lange
BJ @ The Second City
https://oldwp.secondcity.com/people/hollywood/bj-lange/
The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1045695952707987
The Air Force Wounded Warrior Program
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/make-em-laugh-helping-vets-through-improv/ -
Listen to the amazing Larry Gifford, found of the PD Avengers - a patient-led organization, united in the purpose of ending Parkinson's disease. We raise awareness, engagement and hope. This site has an enormous collection of resources and hope for folks with PD. Larry has had an extraordinary life in sports radio broadcast in the US and Canada. When he was diagnosed his life stopped, but only momentarily. He started learning Improv at the TightRope theatre in Canada. He recently had DBS, Deep Brain Stimulation, which has helped him regain many of the abilities he lost with PD. He is truly an inspiration and a real hero!
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What a great experience getting to chat with Chris Mead in the UK. He is an experienced improviser, teacher, director and author. He was part of the renowned Maydays for many years and an artistic director at the Nursery.
Chris authors a fabulous weekly newsletter, Improv Fables. His newsletter is chock full of great info for improvisers and other really interesting things, like music, film and media reviews. His faithful dog, Radio, is also featured every week.
In August he's be teaching a Mockumentary Class which I highly endorse - https://improvtheatre.co.uk/upcoming-show/mockumentary-now-with-chris-mead/
You can get In touch with Chris at:
https://buttondown.email/mrchrismead/
Or read his improv stories at:
https://chrismead.notion.site/Improv-Fables-794d77df30dc47d585b7db519c7d48b0 -
Meet the very funny and prolific writer, Matt Fotis. Matt is an Associate Professor of Theatre at Albright College, where he teaches improvisation, comedy studies, and writing for performance. He is the author of Satire & The State: Sketch Comedy and the Presidency (Routledge 2020), Long Form Improvisation and American Comedy: The Harold (Palgrave Macmillan 2014), and co-author of The Comedy Improv Handbook (Routledge 2016). His latest book, Fifty Key Improv Performers will be released September 2024. He has published or presented on various topics, including improvisational theatre, new play development, political theatre, solo-performance, comedy studies, folklore studies, popular culture and more. His work has appeared in Theatre Journal, Theatre Topics, Theatre/Practice, The Journal of American Drama & Theatre, Academic Minute, The Encyclopedia of Humor Studies, The Encyclopedia of American Studies, McSweeney's, and MLB.com, among others. He is an award-winning playwright and the co-founder and co-executive director of The First Thursday Comedy Series in Reading, PA.
Be sure to check out his very funny videos at:
PSA corona virus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7SV20XJBpU
Late (Date) night with Matt Fotis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FoUYYjzJ9U
Matt Fotis Teaches Online
https://www.youtube.com/@mattteachesonline7350
Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/ -
Meet the amazing Troels Andersen Kjar.
Troels was born, raised, and based in Copenhagen, Denmark. His love of storytelling was kindled as a teenager when he was introduced to Dungeons and Dragons, which he has been playing ever since. 7 years ago he discovered improv by chance, and, like many others, fell in love with the artform. As a performer his main focus is narrative longform.
Mental health disorders effect one out of three people today globally.With honest and vulnerability Troels shares his personal journey with mental illness, specifically Bi-polar disorder. He self-admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Denmark where he received the bi-polar, and other, diagnosis. A voluntary admission to a psych unit is an unusual thing and I salute his courage. However, he was quick to point out that all too often when people think of a psychiatrist in-patient unit, stereotypical images of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" or "Snake Pit" come to mind.
I hope you learn something today that might help you or someone you love. -
Gillian Bellinger is a beloved improviser, teacher and actor. She founded the now thriving Misfit Improv and Acting School in Asheville, N.C. which just celebrated its one year anniversary.
I had met Gillian during the pandemic with our mutual friend, Jay Sukow. We reconnected recently at the Sketch School with Marc Warzecha in Sketch 101 and I knew I wanted to know more about this very funny lady.
We talk about growing up in Texas and how the improv bug got her.
Gillian’s resume is amazing. She has performed as an improviser and taught at Second City Chicago, Second City Hollywood, Westside Comedy Theater in Mission IMPROVable, Comedy Sportz.
She is a SAG voiceover actor and has appeared in numerous commercials, TV and film.
When asked why she named her new theater “Mifit” she told us.
“A bit of a misfit lies in each of us. That unique part of our spirit that delights in play. We strive at Misfit to create that same kind of place, a place to belong, to connect, to create and be a misfit.”
Gillian is a generous and brilliant person and I for one am looking forward to visiting her in Asheville!
https://www.misfitavl.com -
Jane Morris is the queen of improv comedy! Her story is as unique as she is!. Co-founder at Second City ETC, she has done more to advance the art of Improv than anyone else in the universe - and that's not hyperbole!
She has performed and taught all over the world and currently teaches at The Fanatic Salon Theater in Culver City, California. The Fanatic has hosted many comic legends such as Conan O'Brien and Wayne Brady.
Jane is a writer, director and a beloved member of the Improv community.
Jane has so many movie and TV credits as an actor I can't possibly list them all. Her first film was "Nothing in Common" with Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason. And in 2019 she was in "The Laundromat" with Meryl Streep and her husband, Jeff Michalski, who made a guest appearance on this show. She had a recurring role on "The Drew Carey Show".
I was so fortunate to meet Jane in person this year and she is a warm and generous person. I know you'll enjoy getting to know here in this podcast.
Websites and social links
http://heavenhelpus.etsy.com/
http://ohmababy.etsy.com/
http://asksistermarymartha.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/janefmorris?lang=en
Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/ -
Dr. Jeanne Leep – Improv Nerd
Meet the brilliant author and professor, Dr. Jeanne Leep. Jeanne played improv in Grand Rapids, Michigan and went on to pursue a Ph.D. in Theatre.
I had the good fortune to play with Jeanne recently and was awed by her spontaneity and joy.
She went to high school with our mutual friend Jay Sukow and then went on to the University Of Michigan and Wayne State College. Her best-selling book, “Theatrical Improvisation: Short Form, Long Form, and Sketch-Based Improv” is a classic book on the history of improv and sketch comedy that gives a clear definition on this often ambiguous topic. The forward was written by Jeanne’s friend, Keegan Michael Key.
Her research is extensive and this is certainly a book to add to your Improv Library.
Brimming with original interviews from leaders in the field such as Ron West, Charna Halpern, John Sweeny and Margaret Edwartowski, Theatrical Improvisation presents straightforward improvisational theory, history, and trends.
She is a Professor of Theatre Arts at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin and her students are really fortunate to have her wisdom and humor.
Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/ -
The Marvelous Michelle J. Gilliam
Michelle Gilliam is a beautiful person-inside and out! We have been friends for several years and I was delighted to have her as a guest.
Michelle grew up in Milwaukee in a loving and supportive family. During one family gathering, at age 4, she got her first big laugh and knew what her path would be!
She saw a Comedy Sportz show when she was 14 and was hooked! She was inspired to learn this art form and she did! She met Dick Chudnow, founder of Comedy Sportz Milwaukee, the first CS theatre in this country, he let her volunteer until she was old enough to work there! She did tasks like writing 300 name tags, with the benefit of watching lots of shows. A great way to learn and eventually teach!
She was so inspired by Comedy Sportz, she created an improv team in high school, held auditions and created a team she loved to play with.
We talked about her experience being a black woman in the improv world and how that affected her growth as a person and coach.
Today her improv career takes her all over the country and the world.
Michelle is now based in Los Angeles, CA and works as an improviser, actor, host, voice actor, and the Owner and Artistic Director of Improv MKE, an improv comedy school and theater based online, currently serving the world.
She also teaches at The World’s Greatest Improv School, with Will Hines, and guest teaches at various theaters online and in person around the country and world.
Michelle headlined the Festivus Festival in Richmond, the 2022 Edinburgh Scotland Improv Festival and taught two-weekend intensives in Chester and Nottingham in the UK in March of 2022.
Enjoy getting to know the marvelous Miss Michelle!
You can connect with Michelle at:
https://www.improvmke.com
linkedin.com/in/michelle-gilliam-b9ab87193
twitter @missyglilqt -
Kathy Klotz-Guest, MA, MBA KEEPING IT HUMAN
Kathy Klotz-Guest is an incredibly funny lady and we had so much fun on this podcast! Her energy is boundless and her passion for the people she serves is lovely. She is a comedian, storyteller, improviser, speaker and author.
Listen as Kathy shares her comedy journey with a stopover in the tech industries.
Kathy brings out the laughter in those she’s touched.
She positively is keeping it human!
I know you’ll love her as much as I do!
Check out her book “Stop Boring Me!” How to Create Kick-Ass Marketing Content, Products and Ideas Through the Power of Improv.”
https://www.keepingithuman.com/books-from-kathy-klotz-guest/
Contact Info
linkedin.com/in/kathyklotzguest
Websites
keepingithuman.com/ (Humor in business speaker)
keepingithuman.com/blog-kathy-klotz-guest/ (Kathy Klotz-Guest blog)
keepingithuman.com/kathy-klotz-guest-keynote-speaker/(Inspiration / Transformation)
Phone
408.578.8040 (Work)
Email
[email protected]
Twitter
kathyklotzguest
Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/ -
Sarah McGillion an amazing improviser with a Master in Artificial Intelligence! She runs a company in Denmark called Inconspicuous where she teaches Applied Improv to businesses, produces and performs in improv shows, and offer classes for improvisers.She is an award-winning actress and improvisers and passionate about showcasing spontaneous comedy in a variety of venues across Copenhagen. Her hysterical audio series, with partner Adrian Mackinder is definitely worth at listen at https://soundcloud.com/user-540220357
You can connect with Sarah at:
https://inconspicuous.eu
https://www.facebook.com/inconspicuouscomedy
https://www.instagram.com/inconspicuouscomedy/
Her professional Facebook page is
https://www.facebook.com/sarahmcgillionCPH
Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/ -
Meet the hysterically funny Aaron Krebs. I can’t remember laughing this much in a podcast since-well never! Among his many accomplishments he and his college buddies created the enormously successful improv show, Mission Improvable which continues to wow college audience. On April 1st, 2009 Mission IMPROVable bought Mi’s Westside Comedy Theater. They embraced the stand-up and improv community, started a training center. Some oil the many great comedians who've performed at Westside include: Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, Dana Carvey, Judd Apatow, Zach Galifianakis, Tig Notaro, Demetri Marin, , Bobcat Goldthwait, Lorraine Newman.
So where is Aaron Krebs going next? Who knows? But wherever he is, laughter and great fellowship will be there!
#Westsidetheatre #inkwelltavern
Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/ -
I had the good fortune to meet Tashika Campbell a few years ago when she was covering a class for Jay Sukow. I loved her energy, compassion and brilliance then and I still do today. In 2023 I studied with she and Steve Pilloff and it was fabulous.
Tashika began improvising in 2027 in Baltimore, Maryland and was originally from Charlotte, North Carolina. We chatted about her first plays she wrote in elementary school that her younger sister would perform. She continued her love of theatre but didn’t really see that could be a “career”. When she was introduced to improv, she knew she’d found her home.
Tashika is a founding member of the award-winning independent troupe Cake Walk and where that term came from. Tashika has headlined festivals across the US and coordinated the first Improv festival dedicated to Black Improvisers in the DMV. She is a much sought-after. Coach, teacher and workshop facilitator.
You can see her work in this 2021 YouTube video from Highwire Improv and the Black Improv Alliance showcasing Baltimore area Black improv and sketch comedy.
https://youtu.be/M481elrUioM?si=lvKDll7edGF_NMbI
I know you’ll love learning more about Tashika!
Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/ -
What a delight to meet the fantastic Rob Norman in Toronto, Canada. Rob is a beloved improviser/instructor/writer/ podcaster. Rob is author of IMPROVISING NOW: A Practical Guide to Modern Improv which is currently being translated into Spanish, Chinese, and Latvian. He is a Second City alumni and has directed both the National Touring Company and Second at Sea.
HIs improv journey is fascinating! He started teaching improv before he took any classes! While in high school he asked his mother to go to the library and get a book on improv and she came back with “Truth in Comedy” by Charna Halpern, Del Close, and Kim Johnson. And he started with long form! In addition to hosting and producing the weekly improv podcast, THE BACKLINE, Rob is a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Improv Troupe, and Canadian Screen Award for his performance on CityTV' Sunnyside. Rob also produced the critically acclaimed, improvised horror series LIMITED CAPACITY for CBC Radio,Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/ -
After taking a workshop with Jill Eickmann I was so delighted to chat with her. Jill's teaching is incredibly supportive and validating! Jill Eickmann, MA, LMFT, is San Francisco’s Leela Improvisational Theater's Co-Founder, Artistic Director, and Director of Corporate Training. Training.Informed by her diverse training and experience, Jill designed Leela’s holistic 5 level improv curriculum. She oversees all elements of Leela’s Corporate Training program including client communication, curriculum design, casting, hiring, and training teaching artists, and facilitation. Jill is a licensed psychotherapist, drama therapist, play therapist, and self-revelatory theatre director who continues to teach and present on the psychological implications and therapeutic benefits of improvisation. With training and experience facilitating groups for individuals struggling with social anxiety & shyness, teaching foster parenting classes, and designing corporate training programs, she is passionate about utilizing improvised role play as “Rehearsal for Life.” Clients include: Adobe, The Clorox Company, IBM, Facebook/Meta, Google, Levi Strauss & Co., LinkedIn, McKinsey & Company, Coinbase, Walmart, and YouTube (among others.)
She has produced events and held board positions for The San Francisco Improv Festival, and is the Executive Producer for Femprovisor Fest, SF’s Feminist Improv Festival. Jill received her BFA in Theatre/ Acting from University of Florida and MA in Counseling Psychology, Drama Therapy from California Institute of Integral Studies. She studied in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco with some of the best from Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (UCB), The Second City, iO Chicago (Formerly Improv Olympic), Annoyance Productions, SF Clown School, and Magnet Theater. In addition to performing in duos and small ensemble projects with Leela’s past and present faculty members, she has performed across the country with notable improvisors including Chad Damiani, Dan Fogler, Law Tarello, Jay Sukow, Tracy Burns, Brian James O’Connell, and Sunita Deshpande. (among others.) As a therapeutic performance artist, she regularly performs with playback theatre actor/director, Roni Alperin in their playback theatre duo, and in an improvised therapy format, “In Session” for the treatment of your favorite fictional character. In their duo, “Intimacy,” Jill collaborates with somatic practitioner, Chelsea McAlexander exploring the intersection between improv and consent. “The Friendship Show” a solo self-revelatory theatre performance, is Jill’s mission to heal adult loneliness through theatrical improvisation.
Always looking to push the boundaries of the art of improvisation, Jill has conceived and directed original formats and theories in long-form improv performance, from a darkly psychological “Improvised Black Mirror” format, to incorporating contact improv and improvised dance in “Story Dance”, as well as on-line formats like, “The Before Times” which was performed at Seattle’s (On-line) Festival of Improvised Theatre with inner monologist, Joe Bill. Most notably, Jill customized a private improv class for cast members of The Lion King – Broadway Tour. Her artistic mission is to inspire people of all walks of life to invest in an improv practice that is connected, mindful, joyful, transformative, and courageously surrenders to TRUTH.
To learn more about Jill, check out these links.
Websites:
http://www.leela-sf.com
http://www.leela-nc.com
http://www.jilleickmann.com
Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/ - もっと表示する
