Yes, Also

Casey Feigh ( creator of Holy Shit Improv ), talks about analyzing his improv, setting shows up for success, vulnerability vs. perfection, amplifying your skillset, demystifying Hollywood, his early comedy grind, things he’s learned as a producer, the origins of Holy Shit Improv, improv as a destination art form, live-streaming, the power of creators, how to care more in scenes, serious improv, an...

Ally Beardsley and Zac Oyama (Dimension 20, Yeti) , talk about team chemistry, delightful comedic chaos, improv as a path to coming out of the closet, Ally’s first memory of seeing Zac on stage, the early LA indie scene, getting hired by College Humor, their comedic DNA, embracing absurdity, the power of specifics, being surprised by the mundane, Dimension 20, what they love about each others’ com...

James Mastraieni (Founder of the Shared Experience Studio) talks about the neuroscience of comedy, the connection between performers and audience, starting a comedy think tank, sailing vs. rowing, the importance of mentorship, treating premise openings like menus, relationship microcosms, comedy as the harshest art form, the drive to produce, the three major scenic tones, improvised sitcoms, and m...

Rekha Shankar (Dropout, Grand Crew) talks about her early obsession with sitcoms, getting into film school, left-brained comedy, improv as a path to writing, embracing discomfort, the gift of being an outcast, finding game moves, inventing vs. listening, making your own work, Kickstarter tips, letting go of rigidity in scenes, Gravid Water, and more! Access to double the content and other perks at...

Craig Cackowski (Second City, Drunk History) talks about learning Harolds before the internet, the benefit of nerves, studying with Del, the improv that inspired him, Stephen Colbert’s last Second City show, the development of JTS Brown, the intersection of comedy and artsy theater, the core philosophies of Dasariski, three guidelines for better scenes, Yes And vs. I Know, object work games, the C...

Peter Grosz ( The Colbert Report, Veep) talks about studying with Del, the very first Armando show, memories from Boom Chicago, doing a USO tour in Saudi Arabia, writing for Colbert, advice on getting hired for late night shows, experimental long form techniques, eliminating ego, breaking bad habits, doing a Broadway show, writing standup, and more! Access to double the content and other perks at...

Mary Holland ( ASSSSCAT, Happiest Season) talks about growing up in a small town, her path from Virginia to Hollywood, weathering rejection, the fear of not being enough, the biggest lessons from acting class, the summer she fell in love with improv, her lightbulb moment, her voice as an improviser, the power of emotional commitment, loving high stakes, her acting goals, and more! Access to double...

In this very special Bonus Episode™, Suzi and Ryan answer listener questions and share their perspective on: imposter syndrome, playing with stage hogs, building and releasing comedic tension, starting new teams with tact, finding the right ratio of rehearsals to performing, and neurodiversity in improv. If this episode sparks more questions or any feedback, send them to yesalsopod@gmail.com! And...

This week, the legendary Convoy ( Alex Berg, Alex Fernie, and Todd Fasen ) talk about how they met, the evolution of their style, guiding the energy of a show, favorite short form games, their alt universe lives, making a pilot, the frustrating reality of TV development, taping shows to accelerate improvement, favorite character types, the demystification of "game", and more! Access to d...

Brian James O'Connell ( Co-Founder of The Pack Theater ) talks about his early days in Hollywood, training at ioWest, finding a kindred spirit in Miles Stroth, memories of Zumpf, starting The Pack, Camp Improv Utopia, position play, his original form “the ladder”, using longform structure in script writing, the dark joy of the human condition, and more! Access to double the content and other p...

Jess McKenna ( Off Book, Baby Wants Candy, Dropout ) talks about talks about being a theater kid, useful characters for initiations, choosing the fun path in a scene, the MEOW show, going for a joke vs. exploring a comedic idea, the clarity of premise, striving for variety in shows, musical improv and the origins of Off Book, overcoming nerves, navigating a creative partnership, and more! Access t...

Genetra Tull ( JV, Benetton ) talks about her original career path as a set builder, why she fell in love with improv, her comedic epiphanies, the journey to Harold night, personal pep talks, her team JV, being a physical player, coming of age as an adult, processing grief through comedy, writing a one-woman show, auditioning for SNL and more! Access to double the content and other perks at ⁠⁠yesa...

Ryan Rosenberg ( Big Grande, ManDogPod) talks about humor as a survival mechanism, being a shy performer, how to save a dying sketch, the benefits of ADHD, Big Grande’s writing process, the fun of setting up a base reality, finding comedy without being mean, playing at the top of your emotional intelligence, why and how you should let the unusual character do their thing, eliminating codependence...

Julie Brister ( UCB, WGIS ) talks about self-doubt, her beginnings in New York in the late 80’s, the start of UCBNY, being taught by Ian Roberts and Amy Poehler, improvising on Zoom, teaching internationally, opinions on forms, learning to listen, her trick for remembering suggestions, finding characters through physicality, her love of selfish characters, and more! Access to double the content an...

Carl Tart ( Grand Crew, In the Know ), talks about improv as basketball, how to move a scene forward as the voice of reason character, Carl’s early days as a background actor, his training at Second City, how he deals with not getting laughs, working on Grand Crew, improv as a way to sharpen your instincts, the comedic voices that shaped him, and more! Access to double the content and other perks...

Jake Jabbour ( founder of WE Improv ) talks about the origin and philosophy of his school, cultivating non-judgmental awareness, improv as a window into self, Jake’s epic nine-audition journey to Harold night, holding scenes loosely, external vs. internal validation, aiming for surprise in scenes, advanced moves for established groups, and more! Access to double the content and other perks at ⁠⁠ye...

Vic Michaelis (Dropout's Very Important People) shares their insights on filmed improv, the power of an audience to determine the fate of a show, Dropout TV, Vic’s reinvention as an actor, the gift of obstacles, approaching improv mathematically, how to mark your improvement, the X factor of team chemistry, examples of favorite object work, and more! Access to double the content and other perk...

Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso’s co-creator and Coach Beard) drops by to talk about the Chicago improv scene of the 90’s, the perceived long form / short form divide, his journey to and through Boom Chicago, how emotional growth can help your improv, the importance of practice, the origins of Ted Lasso, his new solo show, hilariously nightmarish corporate shows, and more! Access to double the content and...

On this week's episode, Oscar Montoya (Minx, Eurovangelists) talks about his his rocky start with improv, his move from New York to LA, owning your playfulness, the importance of playing with honesty, seeing your characters as real people, the Soundtrack Harold, Dance-prov, why he loves doing Harolds, the power of entrances and exits, and more! Access to double the content and other perks at ⁠⁠yes...

Actor/writer/director Stephanie Allynne (The L Word, One Mississippi) joins Suzi for a good ol' fashioned improv nerd-out. They talk about Stephanie's journey from sketch to improv, the subjectivity of comedy, following the path that’s right for you, the difference between the Groundlings and UCB, acting energy vs. performance energy, interpretive creativity vs. generative creativity, how improv s...

Writer/showrunner/rapper/poet Phil Augusta Jackson (Grand Crew, Key and Peele) sits down with Suzi to discuss his path from advertiser to improviser, the ingredients for a perfect improv space, his outside-the-box New York improv shows, improv’s relationship to audience, how he makes voice of reason characters fun, the problem with over-justification, why he loves breakup scenes, improv as therapy...

Actor/Comedian/lover of animals Payam Banifaz ( Everything Everywhere All at Once, Shameless) stops by to talk to Suzi about the physics of comedy, the unique challenges of being an immigrant who wants to be an actor, how to access the universal through specificity, the importance of personal voice, comedic influences, the search for identity, Payam’s favorite types of characters to play, and more...

In our first episode, improv legend and WGIS founder Will Hines dives headfirst into the improv weeds with Suzi. They talk about the early days of UCB New York, the difference between premise and game, how multiple characters’ games can work in a monoscene, Will's strong opinions on initiations, his quest for the “perfect” improv curriculum, the effect of different forms on their players, comedy a...