Improv Interviews

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 Ca...

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 Se...

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:...

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 mom...

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 me...

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 Impro...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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! Sh...

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 to...

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 hy...

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, sta...

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 i...

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! H...

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...