Improv Interviews

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...

What a gift to chat with Alrinthea Carter, writer, improviser, photographer and so much more. A truly renaissance artist. She had recently moved from Greenville, S.C. to LA for a writing position at the beginning of the WGA strike when we spoke. But that didn't diminish her sense of humor and joyful life. Alrinthea grew up in Europe with wonderfully supportive parents. She began writing plays and...

Meet the incredible Marc Warzecha who founded the online Sketch School https://www.thesketchschool.com/ I met Mark this spring when I took Comedy Sketch Writing 101. It was so fantastic that I too all 3 levels and loved it. Marc is a compassionate and highly competent teacher and his classes are always informative and fun! With two decades at THE SECOND CITY Comedy Theatre, Marc Warzecha is an awa...

Meet award winning storyteller and improviser Kevin McGeehan. In our interview Kevin shares his improv journey in a touching, funny and very honest way. He speaks about his love for his mother and other family members and has a huge heart! He is a 9-time Moth winner and won the 2019 Grand Moth Championship. Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are impro...

Andrew Ritter taught improv and musical improv at Second City Chicago. We chatted about his introduction to musical improv with our mutual friend the brilliant Michael Descoteaux. One of his students was the musical improviser and artistic director of Boom Chicago, Stacey Smith He developed a children’s show called, “The Greatest Story Never Told” In this show he invited the children in audience t...

MONIKA OZDARSKA Monika is a Warsaw-based improviser and a warm and brilliant spirit. We talked about her journey from Middle Eastern Archeology to Graphic Design to Improv. She recalled the tremendous impact that the Barcelona Improv Festival had on her and thrust her into global improv. “WePolak” is the incredible performance show she co-stars in with improviser/actor Jeff Michalski . They have p...

Liz Allen is truly an improv legend. She is a sought after improv coach. In fact, for several years I’ve wanted to study with her but whenever I tried to sign up for an online class - they were full! Learning about her improv journey, philosophy and insight into this art form was truly a gift! Liz is an improviser and teacher who, among other things, coached the improv team in Mike Birbiglia’s fil...

Ted Waltmire was a librarian, pianist and community musical director until his life completely changed in 2009 when he suffered a stroke and lost the ability to play the piano with his left hand. After many years of rehab therapies his friend Dale Galiniak who worked for him at the library suggested Improv. He had an “aha” moment when he realized that despite his continued physical limitations, he...

I had the good fortune to take an improv class with the wonderful Frank Cieta and what a great experience that was. Frank Cieta is a recognizable face to those who loved Madtv and his Captain Kangaroo sketches on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. He is a fantastic and always fun improviser. Frank shares his improv and comedy journey and we had a lot of laughs! Visit my website where I speak to today's leadin...

Shaun Landry is a veteran actor and improviser who owns The Ledge Theatre in LA. She is an accomplished writer and teacher who is beloved by her students. Join us as we explore her life journey and the challenges she dealt with as a woman of color in improv and the performing arts. Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from...

Welcome to Part 2 of our chat with the wonderful Bill Chott. We had so much to talk about and continue learning about Bill and his story. In Part 2, Bill shares his struggles with obesity and how he has overcome it today. 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...

Bill Chott is a fabulous human being who is a writer, improviser and actor. And a very hardworking one! He is an alumnae of ComedySportz, IO and Second City. He toured with the Second City troupe in the '90's. He played with many well-known improvisers and his talent with musical improv is second to none! In our chat we explore this career which includes films and Television like The Ringer, The W...

Meet the fabulous Katy Schutte. Katy is a well respected improviser, comedian, director,teacher and author and we had an in-depth dialogue about her career. We spoke about her philosophy on improv and life and our mutual challenges with anxiety. Her book, The Improviser’s Way: A Longform Workbook" has been an essential read for improvisers around the world.

Welcome back, an encore with Bright Su. He is an improv coach based in San Jose, Ca, USA, and the author of Ji Xing Xi Ju (May 2020), the first complete improv book originally written in Chinese. He is the current Editor-in-Chief of Applied Improvisation Magazine. In this episode, we talk about Improvisation and Spirituality. He says: “Improvisation is Zen and Dao in Western Context, is the journe...

David Razowky is a beloved improv performer, coach, director and author. His new book, A Subversive's Guide to Improvisation, has received rave reviews from improvisers around the world. I first met David in 2017 and was delighted to catch up with him to talk about his writing process and life in theatre. He is such a delightful and fun person. I know you'll enjoy this as much as I did!

Meet the Fabulous Erin Diehl, co-founder of Improveit! She helps clients eliminate barriers to collaboration, communication, and leadership. Improved help teams build sustainable relationships that move business forward, through humor and improvisational comedy. She shares her acting & improv journey and how she became an entrepreneur using her incredible skills. We had so much fun and I know you'...

Bright Su – Let’s do VIP and 4D. Meet my dear friend, Bright Su. He is an extraordinary person and I am so glad to have him as a good fiend. Bright Su is an improv coach based in San Jose, Ca, USA, and the author of Ji Xing Xi Ju (May 2020), the first complete improv book originally written in Chinese. He is the current Editor-in-Chief of Applied Improvisation Magazine. In this episode, we talk ab...

Listen to this fascinating chat with Jim Robinson and Joy Glasser. Jim teaches improvisation and mental health at Mental Health Resources in Minneapolis. As a Fulbright Specialist in Pakistan, Jim brought his course “Improvisation and Mental Health'' to universities and psychology training centers in Islamabad and Lahore. He has taught these courses in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Panama as wel...

Phil Faiss is a wonderful improviser, actor, writer and host of Netflix with Phil. To learn more about him check his social media at: Book: Phil-O-Ween https://a.co/d/6A6R6Dj Facebook: Philoween https://www.facebook.com/philoween Instagram: @philoween https://www.instagram.com/philoween TikTok: @philoween_trends https://bit.ly/3xysC9N Twitter: @philoweenshow https://twitter.com/philoweenshow YouTu...

Karla Dingle is an amazing actor and improviser who started the Queen City Comedy in Charlotte, NC, a live and online theatre that has a global community. Karla shares her acting and improv journey and the struggles she survived to arrive where she is today. Karla is beloved around the world and her theatre offers classes with top improvisers.

Cheryl Sloane was literally raised at Second City Chicago since her mother, Joyce Sloane, was the beloved maternal powerhouse in the origins of The Second City. Joyce Sloane was the woman who found and nurtured such comedy giants as John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Chris Farley, and Bill Murray, She was described as a "den mother" to the actors and staff at this famed improv theatre. If someone needed...

Molly Erdman is a seasoned improviser, starting in high school and being on MainStage and cruise for Second City. She moved from Chicago to LA and pursued her acting career and continued in improv. She is currently getting a master's in counseling and working with children in a school city. We chat about her transition in life and what led her there. She is tons of fun and we had a wonderful time!

Jay Sukow - Part 2 by Margot Escott

Jay Sukow is one of the most respected and beloved improv teachers today. He shares his childhood with a nurturing family and how he became the man he is. His parents gave him a ticket to his first Improv class and he found his passion. He studied at Second City, IO, and Comedy Sports. Jay shares a wonderful story of spending an afternoon with David Shepherd. We chat about our admiration for the "...

Peter Felsman, PhD - Improviser, Social Worker, Researcher by Margot Escott