Muprov Musings: Exceptionally Average Improv

Happy Holidays! A few days late but just in time to put our latest slasher into your Christmas Stocking. Gather round the fire and listen to our radio play, Azurite. 

Full slasher example #1. This one paced like the movies that we have been watching so it is a little longer than our normal shows! Gets pretty crazy once the action starts... We will have another full show next week!

Our GIGAspine episodes talk though all the thought processes that go into the narrative choices of a complete show! We think that this is one of the best ways to get insights into how you and you teammates actually make decisions, and to build up that skill separately from the actual improv.

New slasher episode on when/how to break the form in improv. Julian sings a song in this one!

On this episode we break down the plots of five slasher movies to create heat maps of the kills, and strengthen our understanding of narrative timing! We learned a lot making this and are excited to begin experimenting with the new principles! 

In order to do a Slasher you must first learn to be a Slasher! I think that the second half of this episode when we talk about the slasher ordeal is really useful if you want to skip ahead to it!

What are some tropes that start to make your show feel like it is in the slasher genre? How do you engage with tropes in improv? Should you lean into them or play against them? Sorry for the late post, I am editing them further in advance now and just forgot to post it Sunday night!

You have two days left to cast your ballot in the 2024 US election!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!  How do you depict and feel fear onstage? How can you scare your audience and stage partners? Is it okay to to actually feel afraid as the player?  What an awesome episode! Like really this one has so much great stuff in it... So dang useful :) :| :0 80  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eV4aiAFsK4 (Video of the rec...

Happy Halloween!!!! Muprov Musings is back with a frighting format that has been developed and directed by our Co-Host Julian Bernado, and he steps into the guest role on this episode to give you the full backstory of its evolution. The Improvised Slasher lets you play with a whole new side of improvisation. If you have not tried improvised horror before, you have to give this a listen!!!

We are making some structural changes! Tune back in on October 28th for the start of our new season! 

Sam Kamenetz founded the group Improvised DnD in NYC! He comes on the podcast to explain the ins and outs of the format. If you want to audition for the group or see one of their shows live in NYC, check out their instagram!  https://www.instagram.com/improvised_dnd/ Zoom link for Muprov Musings democracy show at 1:15 am Monday 9/23 (The zoom is 24 hours and has tons of great speakers) https://us0...

Special thanks to Ahmad Koya, Anna Mistele, and John Mistele for coming on the podcast to perform a SuperScene! If you like mysteries, aliens, rodents, butterflies, and God, then you will love this SupersScene :)  

As usual we got a little carried away with the practice run! It's a slow-rolling snowball that is pretty delightful in the end! 

Thank you Trey for teaching us the Hush little Baby warm up!  Thank youHal for finding the perfect fossil to represent the spine of the story of Superscene. 

Directing is one of the most important improv skills because if you learn how to be a good director, you will also learn how to be a good Side-coach and Artistic Director! If you want to develop your own signature style and innovate in the world of improv, directing a SuperScene is a great place to start! 

Watch it here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciEg0W3PP7Y&t=114s

It wouldn't be Superscene without Terry Davis... Ahmad Koya, waterbender, world saver, wave maker, comes on the podcast to talk SUPERSCENE— the most fun format of all time. 25/30   Meet Ahmad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM19JJ1Ofuo     Terry Davis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcFrsz2L5zQ      

The amazing Cleo DeOrio joins the podcast LIVE for the next stop of the adventure-–Dell'Arte International! In just two weeks studying here, Clio and the other instructors have taught me a whole new framework for understanding improvisation through the practice and metaphor of physical movement and momentum. Now you can get the concepts straight from Clio herself! 

Hal is flying solo as the host in this one, but with an amazing international guest, Charlotte Gittens! A live, late-night, interview after an incredible show!  Dogpoodle Time Travel event 8/10: https://fb.me/1OZjLNNOaw7YbnA  

This is a really special episode because Henry Kandel was the first person to teach Hal improv! Kandel was improvising in Chicago in the 90s and is an artist with and unique perspective on improv that has shaped a lot of the perspectives of your hosts! We are so happy to have them on the show, and I (Hal) am eternally grateful for the four years of wisdom and experimentation that launched me on th...

Cindy Ong, architect and founder of RTW kids joins the program to talk about the impact that improv can have on young people! She has grown an large independent improv school that students stay enrolled in for over a decade! There is really nothing like it right now in the world of narrative improv! So cool!!! RTW Kids: https://rtwkids.org/mission/   My Architect Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/w...

Robert Greene joins the podcast to kick off our educators series! For any parents out there with young children, we hope this episode will open you up to the power of play in raising kids! Robert is a multi-hyphenate artist so the conversation touches everything under the sun and synthesizes it all together into some beautiful wise words! 

Our first live show!!! Full video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lec-vqzpKNo Tune in to see Hal and Julian at their peak fun, joyously playing all the characters in an unscripted Shakespeare play!!! Check out those crazy costumes! Such a great show!!! The Midnight Dance will whisk you away on a whirlwind ride and show you the power of a pickled onion!

We forgot to post last week, but boy do we have a good reason!!! We just finished organizing the Unscripted Shakespeare Festival! My lord it was so much fun. Sadly, the event that you are about to here about has already concluded, but the good news is that it was amazing and will hopefully happen again next year! Get ready next week to hear the first ever LIVE Muprov Musings shows. (Spoiler alert:...

Happy MUthers Day! One of my all-time favorite episodes for sure! Tune in to hear a full length improv show demonstration!  If anyone listening has an in with Coca-Cola or the Mormon Church, we are trying to get sponsored for this one :)