There It Is Podcast

Today is a new fun-sized episode of the podcast's new special edition series, "Comedy Shop Talk!" Periodically Jason will chat with Justina or a special guest about different stories, topics, or thoughts swirling around in the comedy community. The hope is to spur conversation among fellow comedians. In today's episode Jason and Justina talk about a friend's thoughts on moving to a big city, a ser...

Today's episode is with improviser and artistic director of the Magnet Theater in NYC, Megan Gray! She's been performing for over a decade and has so many experiences for you to learn from. Jason and Megan have a great talk about what goes in to being the artistic director, her time performing on a cruise ship, how being entertaining is better than trying to be clever, immersing yourself in an imp...

Today's episode is with improviser and actor out of the Magnet Theater in NYC, Kristina Grosspietsch! Kristina is a dynamic performer who not only performs improv and acts, but also writes, and is an all around rock star of the stage! Jason and Kristina talk about becoming a member of the Magnet Theater. She tells Jason about her time in community theatre, realizing how much she missed performing,...

Today's guest is the founder of comedy-centric website Splitsider, Adam Frucci. Adam is also an improviser and started out at UCB in NY in 2005. Jason talks with Adam about performing regularly at UCB with the group Airwolf, improv theory, writing about comedy, and of course, starting Splitsider. They have a deeper discussion about how people discuss comedy online and joke theft accusations. Jason...

In this episode we talks, Jeremy McLellan. Jeremy is a thoughtful, intelligent stand up comic living in Charleston, SC. Jeremy talks about hot-button issues. He has an appetite for topics like religion, disabilities, gender, and politics, which is reflected in his comedy. Jason and Jeremy talk about these topics as wells as his transition from working with people with intellectual disabilities int...

We got to talk to a Chicago improviser and instructor, the incredible Susan Messing! Susan has been performing improv for quite some time at various theaters in Chicago, and is renowned for her work at iO, Second City, and the Annoyance! Jason and Susan get right into the nitty gritty of many things improv. The pair talk about Susan's approach to improv, the "rules of improv," how she started teac...

This special new episode is about moving to the greatest city in the world! Jason and Justina talk about their move to New York! In it they discuss the experiences they have had involving art and comedy. In the first couple of weeks of living in NYC, Jason and Justina took their first improv class at the Magnet Theater (taught by previous guest Rick Andrews!), Jason doing stand up in Queens, going...

The podcast is on the road this week! Jason, along with fan favorite Justina, got to have their last hurrah with their Greenville comedy crew from the  Alchemy Comedy Theater at NCCAF! What a fun time they had! Jason and Justina talk about performing and the shows they attended. The two also got to talk to friends Evan, Brooke, Nicole, Andrew, and Larry about their experience at the festival, as w...

We talked to actress, comedian, and writer, Erica Rhodes, of A Prairie Home Companion, @Midnight, and more! Erica has done so much in the industry already! Aside from @Midnight, you may have seen her on Modern Family, New Girl, Why? with Hannibal Buress, Comedy Bang Bang, or Live at Gotham! Erica and Jason talk about how she got started as a performer on A Prairie Home Companion at the tender age...

Today's episode is with improviser, instructor, and founder of Improv City in Orange County, CA, Devin Dugan! Jason and Devin have a really great talk about performing improv, teaching improv, his experience running his theater, and more! It's a great one for improvisers who are brand new and those who have been doing it for some time. Instructors can get some insight from this conversation, too....

Today's episode is with actress, improviser, and instructor, Jeris Donovan! Jeris has been acting and performing comedy for over 20 years. She learned the craft of improv in the Chicago theaters The Annoyance, Second City, and iO. She moved to Los Angeles and taught and directed at iO West. While in LA Jeris appeared on TV shows like Spin City and Two Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place. Jeris and Jason...

We talked to creators and performers Maari Suorsa and Henry Riggs of the Charleston, SC sketch duo, "Nameless Numberhead." Jason has a great chat with Maari and Henry about their approach to improv, how they create their brand of comedy, and how they manage being a couple who perform together. They also get into the ins and outs of working and writing together on their sketch duo, "Nameless Number...

The podcast went on the road when the Alchemy Comedy Touring Company made a trip to the Charleston Comedy Festival! Jason was able to tour with the team he is on to the very fun Charleston Comedy Festival. Jason chats with performers on the team like Jason Underwood (co-host of The Bearded Ones podcast), former guest Harrison Brookie, Ben Burris, Nicole McAden, Brooke Provost, and Larry Simonson....

Today's episode is with NYC Stand Up Comedian, Joe Zimmerman! Joe's a great comic who has appeared on Conan, Last Comic Standing, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and his own Comedy Central Half Hour just to name a few! His album, "Smiling at Wolves" was #2 on iTunes. Jason met when Joe lived in the Carolinas and was a part of "The Beards of Comedy." They reminisce about some old days, talk abo...

Today's episode is with Philly improviser and instructor, Matt Holmes, of the Philly Improv Theater as well as at the Good Good Comedy Theatre! Matt has performed and taught at various national improv festivals like the Del Close Marathon, the Boston Improv festival, and the Chicago Improv Festival. Jason and Matt talk about Matt's renowned improv show, "Matt &," where Matt picks an audience membe...

Today's episode is a New Year's Special! It's a review of all of the 2016 episodes! Jason talks about what he learned or what he liked most about each episode. It's a great starter episode if this is your first time with us! Enjoy and Happy New Year! www. ThereItIsPod.com Twitter and Facebook: @ThereItIsPod

This is a short but special episode. It's the Christmas Episode! It's similar to the Thanksgiving one, in today's episode Jason talks to his partner in life and crime, Justina! They talk about this year's accomplishments, performances, the work that goes into developing as a performer/creator, and general nonsense. Let's all take stock of the year we had in our performances and practices so that w...

Today's episode has the wonderfully talented and all around great person, Amber Nash! Actor and improviser known for her role as Pam from the F/X series, "Archer!" Jason and Amber have a stellar and cheerful talk about how Amber got her start, learning and performing improv at the famed Atlanta Theater, Dad's Garage, and of course, how she got her role on "Archer." It's a great and informative tal...

This episode is with the insanely and uniquely talented Atlanta performer, Mark Kendall! Mark performs solo shows including, "Magic Negro and Other Blackness." Mark performs in Atlanta and around the country at various festivals and he teaches workshops as well. Jason and Mark talk about how he approaches creating and performing solo shows. They also talk about teaching and coaching. Mark has had...

Today's great episode is with Los Angeles actor, writer, and director, Brian James O'Connell who also performs and instructs improv at the iO West as well as at the Pack Theater. Brian is a well versed improviser who Jason met at the New South Comedy Festival. Jason and Brian got into some good stuff about the process of performing more successful improv and coaching improv. They barely scratched...

Molly is a dynamic improviser who performs on the UCB Harold team "Women and Men" and a sketch team called "Buzz Off, Lucille." She's pretty impressive! Jason picks Molly's brain about how she approaches the beats of a Harold. They also talk about how Molly approaches performance in general. Molly also shares her motivation for what improv theater to join. Hint: CUTE BOYS! If the Harold is a form...

In this special Thanksgiving Episode (our first!) we show thanks to past guests and share commentary about creating during tough times. Jason talks briefly about art, particularly music, from the 1960's that was written and recorded during tumultuous times. The hope is that you, creators, feel inspired to get back up and get to work in what was, for many, a shocking and troubling election cycle. T...

Today's guest is Emmy and Peabody award winning Stand Up Comedian, Writer and Podcaster, Paul Mecurio, of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert! Paul talks with Jason about his remarkable career in comedy that started as a Wall Street lawyer/banker before getting into comedy after a chance meeting with Jay Leno leading to his working for The Tonight Show. His caree...

On today's episode, Jason talks to improviser and co-founder of Charleston, SC's Theatre 99, Brandy Sullivan! Jason and Brandy talk about her history in and approach to improv, ways to focus while performing, how to coach and teach performers, the responsibilities a performer has, and how to get invested or vulnerable in a scene! The convo spans a lot of improv talk. You can learn so much from thi...

Today's episode is with Harrison Brookie! He is the improviser, instructor, and Artistic Director of the Alchemy Comedy Theater in Greenville, SC! Harrison is a fast talker, so you gotta keep up, and he has plenty to say, too. Harrison is not only a co-founder of the Alchemy Comedy theater, he's a history teacher. Harrison talks with Jason about improv, his time at Clemson University and in Chapel...