Improv Obsession - Conversations About Improvising Better

Alex Fernie is the guest this week. He’s one third of the Cagematch juggernaut Convoy. He’s also a member of one of the early UCBLA harold teams Sentimental Lady. Fernie talks about the specifics of specificity, like that one can never be too specific in a scene, and using specifics as gifts. We also talk about using the top of your intelligence as effectively as possible. You guys are gonna love this episode. Rate, Subscribe, comment, enjoy. Happy improvising.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billy Merritt is on the show! You know him from The Smokes, The Soundtrack, and The Swarm. He’s also one of the hosts of the UCBLA Podcast, HOLLYWEIRD! I spend a lot of this episode talking about the Merritts (get it?) of form. Billy also tells me not to sell out my scenes and frankly just gives some great improv advice. Subscribe, rate, comment, enjoy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Casey Feigh is on the show! Casey’s the one of the hosts of Crashbar Improv, he’s a Harold Team performer on John Velvet, he’s a hip hop Improviser on Hip Hop Penguin, and he’s the co-host of the UCBLA Podcast. We talk a little bit about participating in improv jams, about the awesomeness that is the harold. Casey also talks to me a little bit about his new team that is performing the Documentary and he breaks down why you’re gonna want to be at the LA Indie Improv Festival. Also, someone called in with a question about smoking weed, so everyone wins. Subscribe, rate, comment, enjoy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Besser, Member of the Upright Citizens Brigade, Assscat, Improv4Humans, Freak Dance is on the show. Matt and I break down a few improv terms, talk a little bit about Del Close, have a long weird pause. He also tells me why I shouldn’t listen to Improv 4 Humans like I do... Shit. Go see Freak Dance. Subscribe, rate, comment, enjoy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SUZI BARRETT is on the show! You know her from Sentimental Lady, Boom Chicago, and Rough Cut. She fucks me up with super great improv advice. She talks about the Pretty Flower form. She talks about the topic of lady improv. She makes me come up with actual questions. She can’t help with my insurance rates. She also gives what may be the single best Perl of Wisdom yet. Subscribe, rate, comment, enjoy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Josh Simpson and his guest Brooke Ashley Anderson are on the podcast. You know josh from his UCB LA Harold teams Flap Jackson and The Great War, The Twitter Show, and a bunch of other indie awesomeness. We talk at length about Flap Jackson, even though Josh didn’t really wanna talk about it. Also how practicing and doing shows gets the FEELING of doing scenes in your bones, bad or good. Josh talks a bit about how game is simply an agreement. Also, it gets pretty contentious over Netflix. Subscribe, rate, comment, enjoy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Betsy Sodaro from Bangarang, and a bunch of other improv awesomeness talks to me! We cover the all important topic, “Woman in Improv.” The importance of just believing in YOUR funny. We talk about how improv is a great way to get to know people and socialize. I also confess that I’m afraid of her daily double teammate, Toni Charline. Seriously guys. I’m afraid of her. Subscribe. Rate. Comment. Enjoy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick Mandernach from John Velvet and Room 101’s host team Shakedown is on the show! After me stumbling over how to pronounce his name, we have an amazing conversation about how our college experiences weren’t as fun as our comedy and UCB experiences. We talk a bit about trusting the technique of improv even when it doesn’t go well. Nick also tells me some of his pet peeves as a host of an independent show. Also improvising in character. Wow, we covered a lot of improv stuff, this show is amazing... Oh, also, Butt Thursdays. Subscribe. Rate. Comment. Enjoy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE DC Pierson is here on my podcast. He’s currently on Shitty Jobs, the infamous improv show at UCB LA. DC tells me he’s proud to be on a “weird” team and how he feels they’ve earned the right to be weird. Also, he tells me WHY you listen to your partner, and it weirdly shifts my perspective on listening. Thanks, DC. Also I make DC talk about Barenaked Ladies. It’s not as sexy as you think. Subscribe. Rate. Comment. Enjoy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Wengert improvisor on The Smokes, Rueben Williams, Rueben Starship, and a ton of other improv amazingness is on the show. Joe’s also the Academic Supervisor of UCB LA. He talks to me about the importance of bonding as an improv team. He shares a bit about making time to have a non-comedy life. Also Joe dances the Mummers Dance for me and you didn’t get to see it. Subscribe. Rate. Comment. Enjoy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Improviser Greg Tuculescu comes on the podcast and throws down the gauntlet, claiming to be the person who’s taken the most classes. You know him from a number of UCB New York teams including The Law Firm, Fwand, Only in LA, and of course the movie Bridesmaids. Greg also tells me why one should never be a professor, oh and he gives some improv tips. Subscribe, rate, comment, enjoy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I pack up the podcast and go to Camp Hollywood to talk to Colton Dunn of Rough Cut and Boom Chicago. He tells me a little bit about the early days of UCB New York, his motivation to move to Amsterdam and the benefits of performing at Boom Chicago. Colton also shares that MADtv was wrong in not hiring him the first time around. Best of all, Colton makes a special offer to Improv Obsession Podcast listeners (Covered in the first 2 minutes). Subscribe, rate, comment, enjoy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eugene Cordero from The Smokes, Diamond Lion, and Reuben Starship comes on the podcast and tells me about the duality of his improv style. He hooks me up with advice on how to let yourself off the hook. Then he indulges my far too many questions and tells me about how Muay Thai relates to improv and how he was critiqued on the Improv Resource Center Message Boards for being a terrible improvisor. Subscribe, Rate, Comment. Thanks for listening.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weeks guest, Monika Smith (Coming Clean, Rough Cut, McSmith, 58008) confuses me with a bunch of Canadian stuff, Bear vs Bayer, University vs College. AND since she’s the first woman on the podcast I talk to her about what it’s like to be a woman improvisor, and I’m pretty sure I come off like a terrible male. She’s the best cause she indulges my multiple failures as a host. Hope you enjoy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mano Agapion is one of the newest Upright Citizens Brigade Los Angeles performers on the brand new Harold team, Winslow. He talks with me about the path he took on his way to becoming a performer. Next we chat about the surreal feeling that comes with doing a first show as a member of a UCB house team. Finally we rap on what the future looks like from his perspective as a brand new UCB performer. Go see how Winslow grows during their run at UCB, also, check out Mano’s website, he seriously needs more IMDB credits.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode I go 20 minutes without introducing my guest Allan McLeod (Arts and Athletics, A Kiss From Daddy, The Twitter Show). Allan talks about the legacy he wants to leave behind, an appreciation for the different bathrooms in Los Angeles theaters and then we reminisce about a girl who almost flashed us over Chatroulette. I promise that we talk about improv stuff too. ENJOY.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hiarious improvisor Alex Berg comes on and talks all kinds of cool stuff. Did you know his three man improv team Convoy has never had a coach? You know him from his UCB Los Angeles teams Convoy and Sentimental Lady. You may have also read his Tumblr where he improvises with Cleverbot, Berg and Bot. ALSO, New intro music by Crystal Friedman. Hope you enjoy. Ok love you, bye.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here’s the PREMIERE episode of the Improv Obsession Podcast. I talk with Dominic Dierkes who you know from Derrick Comedy, and their awesome feature film Mystery Team. You can see him do improv every Sunday at 11:00 PM at UCBLA with his team Shitty Jobs. And, you can also go to a recording of his podcast, The Anytime Show, to get updates on that and other general hilarity, check out his twitter at @DominicDierkes. Don’t forget to watch Allen Gregory, which Dierkes is now a staff writer for. I got to see a screening of the pilot of Allen Gregory before it aired and it was awesome.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices