There It Is Podcast

We talked to psychic stand-up comedian, Karen Rontowski! We had a fascinating chat with Karen Rontowski, the psychic stand-up! Karen has spent decades as a touring comedian, appearing everywhere from The Late Show with David Letterman to Comedy Central, and she's also a professional tarot reader who blends full stand-up sets with live card readings on stage. She talks with Jason about growing up d...

We talked to NYC-based actor, improviser, and improv instructor, Ivy Hong! We had a wonderful and long overdue chat with Ivy about her journey from a theater-loving kid in Santa Cruz to speech and debate to navigating the strict expectations at NYU, and eventually finding her creative home in the New York comedy scene. Ivy shares deep insights into the mechanics of performance, the magic of teachi...

The "Of the Show" Fellas are here to talk all that pop! "Best Friend of the Show," Rob, and "Brother of the Show," Trey, join Jason to talk about the end of the Late Show, Stephen Colbert, how SNL picks hosts, and chats a little about the movies this Summer. As usual, it goes off the rails! Instagram: @WhenDovesPodcast, @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrPics  Threads: @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrPics Facebook...

We welcomed back one of our favorite guests, comedy writer and author John Vorhaus! John’s first appearance was one of our most concise and informative episodes, and his return didn't disappoint. Jason and John discuss the enduring legacy of his book, The Comic Toolbox, and dive deep into his new projects, including the upcoming expanded omnibus, The Comedy Writer's Companion and his deeply person...

This episode is the amazing LIVE taping in Brooklyn celebrating our 10th Anniversary! Jason was joined by "Brother of the Show," Trey and "Wife of the Show," Justina, for some surprises and we had performances from previous guests, Art Cai, Julia Schroeder, Myq Kaplan, and Seann Cantatore who also led a final special song. It was a special occasion and a great show! Big thanks to Young Ethel's in...

We talked to Actor, singer, and comedian Erin Richardson! Erin talks about growing up in Northern Virginia, studying voice and musical theater, and moving to New York City where she accidentally fell in love with improv after seeing UCB. She discusses her work across NYC, including performing with the independent sketch crew BoogieManja (on the team Cliff Hanger), and why aligned goals, strong dir...

In this mini episode, Jason makes a case for developing your talent over focusing your efforts on pursuing the big time. After hearing about musician Rick Beato's take on the industry and reading a response to that take from singer/songwriter, Mary Spender (Friend of the Show), Jason got to thinking about why it's so important for artists of any kind to develop. It's a thoughtful mini ep! Instagra...

In this mini episode, Jason talks about pre-show rituals. Do you have a routine you consistently do to get ready to perform? If not, Jason offers some suggestions for things you can do to set yourself up for a great show! He shares what he likes to do, what he'd like to do more often, and what he's seen others do before shows. A pre-show routine can be a great benefit, so try out these tips! Insta...

In this mini episode, Jason talks about the outdate term "straight man" in common. Many have offered the alternative "Voice of Reason" but Jason discusses why this term, while sometimes accurate, isn't always the most fitting. Jason offers "the grounding force" or "tone-setter" as a stronger alternative to "straight man" and he discusses why, giving examples, and how the logic can be used. Instagr...

We talked to Portland-based comedian, Jaren George! Jaren talks to Jason about moving from New York to San Francisco and Portland, starting stand-up after being drawn to the local Portland scene and wanting to improve public speaking. He discusses parallels between comedy and music, including playing in a band, and what he's learned from teaching kids. Jaren describes developing his storytelling,...

We got to talk to satirist Caitlin Kunkel! Jason sits down with Caitlin to trace her journey from collegiate distance swimmer to satire expert. Caitlin delves into how being an athlete led her to naturally merge sports psychology concepts with creative practice. She recounts the experiences that formed her comedy brain, working in Chicago theater fundraising, training and teaching at Second City,...

We got to talk to comedian, Matt Levy! Jason interviews comedian and filmmaker Matt Levy about parenting a three-year-old and collaborating with his wife, who appears in his shorts and has starred in his films. Matt recounts his early comedy path through high-school improv, speech and debate bits inspired by Andy Kaufman, and stand-up classes he took with his dad, plus working at the Tempe Improv....

Justina Sparling, joins us to talk about her fragrance education and experience entity, Eau Snap! "Wife of the Show" Justina discusses Eau Snap, her fragrance education and experience business that hosts events to teach people about perfume, help them find what they like, and build community through shared conversation. She talks to Jason about getting deeply into fragrance during the pandemic via...

We talk to Philly-based comedian, Gabi Swain! Jason talks with comedian and improviser Gabi Swain about her path from Michigan to Pennsylvania (not the other way around), living in Philly, and how a political-science and campaign career (including work in DC) left her burnt out and led her to discover improv. After seeing an all-day improv festival at the Harrisburg Improv Theater, she became deep...

We were joined by writer, climate activist, and creative director, Casey Rand! Casey has done a ton and she talks about it all with Jason in this expansive chat! Casey discusses growing up in Montreal, doing odd jobs (including trying to get a musician on iTunes), then discovering advertising creativity and moving to New York. She also talks about finding improv and sketch at Magnet and how she st...

We talk to NYC-based comedian, writer, and performer, Matt Stephens! Matt talks about how he started doing comedy in Pennsylvania through improv at the Philly Improv Theater, bussing to New York for UCB classes, and later beginning stand-up after moving to New York. Matt discusses writing constantly, learning to create his own work, and developing his character-based work. He talks how his joke st...

The “Of the Show” gang joins Jason to talk all that POP about the Oscars and the Scrubs revival! Jason, Rob, Trey, and Justina react to the major Oscar wins including Michael B. Jordan, celebrate Ryan Coogler’s win, debate Paul Thomas Anderson’s win for One Battle After Another, and compare it to Sinners while critiquing elements like sexualization and story choices. They praise Conan O’Brien’s ho...

We had a great chat with actor, comedian, and writer, Erica Diederich! Jason talks with NYC-based actor and comedian Erica Diederich about their work, including being a Tina Fey in a Booking.com commercial. Erica shares their path from childhood theater near Syracuse to a BFA in theater performance at Niagara University, where audience reactions helped them discover their comedic voice. They discu...

We got the chance to chat with NYC-based comedian, Rachel Niswander! Jason talks with Rachel about getting into comedy at the University of Maryland, performing sketch (Boogie Manja, Maude Night) and stand-up after moving to New York, and creating her late-night-style talk show, “See You Later.” They also dive into their shared love of Saturday Night Live (including her attending multiple tapings)...

We got to talk to actor, author, director, and comic, Iris Bahr! Iris joins Jason to talk about growing up in the Bronx, spending time in Israel, and studying neuropsychology at Brown (with stints at Stanford and Tel Aviv University) before making a big pivot into acting. She gets into her screen work (Star Trek, The Big Bang Theory, Curb Your Enthusiasm), plus what pushed her to start writing and...

We talk to actor and performer, Florence Friebe! Florence shares with Jason how her multicultural upbringing shaped her interest in universal comedy, the play Brody Went Missing, and her music. She describes how therapy and emotional work improved her acting and improv by building safety with emotions, and she and Jason explore improv concepts and developing comedic intuition. Florence also talks...

The 'Of the Show Fellas' are here to talk pop off about the Super Bowl! Jason, Rob, and Trey talk all the pop about the 2026 Super Bowl, touching on everything including Bad Bunny's halftime show, which brought joy, energy, and cultural significance to the stage. They also pop talk the commercials, highlighting their favorites and the "meh" ads. Then the trio debate which fictional quarterbacks fr...

We had the pleasure of talking to multi-hyphenate performer, Jon Bander. Jon shares with Jason how he first started performing and what got him into doing improv, character, musical improv, and stand-up comedy. They discuss the unique charm of people from the Northeast, the fundamental aspects of being a 'nice a*****e,' and the importance of honesty and flaw in comedy. Jon also delves into how he...

We talked to performer and social media strategist, Elaine Bledsoe! Elaine is a fellow BOYF and dear friend so she and Jason fall into a sweet and informative chat! Elaine shares how her background in improv, sketch, and storytelling have directly influenced her work in marketing and social media management at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. She provides valuable tips into effective social media st...

In this mini episode, Jason talks about a simple but powerful collaboration skill: being inquisitive. When you’re collaborating at work, writing, improvising scenes, or even going on a date, curiosity can be the difference between things feeling stuck and things really clicking. Jason breaks down how being inquisitive helps you avoid judging ideas too quickly, understand your partners, and give sc...