Improv Nerd With Jimmy Carrane

In this latest episode of Improv Nerd, Jimmy talks to Scott Morehead of the Second City e.t.c. cast and the Late '90s at iO Chicago. Jimmy talks to him about his journey to a resident company at Second City, asking for what you want and becoming a dad.

Katie Rich writes for SNL's Weekend Update, is an alumni of The Second City Mainstage and has performed at iO-Chicago with Carl and The Passions. Jimmy talks to her about her first day on the job at SNL, what goes into writing for Weekend Update, and meeting the President at the White House Correspondent's Dinner.

Have you ever wondered what it would take to start your own Improv Theater? In our first compilation episode, you'll hear clips from previous interviews from successful theater owners such as Mick Napier, Tom Booker, Dianah Dulaney, and more! Take a listen as they discuss how to manage actors efficiently, where to find the perfect location, and what their philosophies were when creating their new space.

In this episode, Jimmy sits down with Dick Chudnow, the creator and founder of ComedySportz, and Matt Elwell, current Executive Director of ComedySportz, at the 2015 ComedySportz World Championship in Rock Island, IL, where they talk about the creation of ComedySportz, the advantage of working clean and short form versus long form. Don't miss this great episode!

Ithamar Enriquez is a writer, actor, teacher and performer. He is an alumni of The Second City, writing and performing shows with the MainStage, ETC and the Second City Touring Company. Jimmy talks to him about physical comedy and his wonderful one-person silent sketch show "Ithamar Enriquez Has Nothing to Say."

Billy Merritt has been a performer, teacher and director since the UCB opened in New York. He was founding member of The Swarm and The Stepfathers in New York, and The Smokes in LA. We talk to Billy about how he classifies improvisers as pirates, robots, and ninjas, and what the game in the scene means to him. He also does an amazing job of deconstructing the improv scene between Jimmy and himself.

Dylan Rohde is the founder and co-owner of The Backline in Omaha, NE, and the producer of the Omaha Improv Festival. We talked to him about studying at the UCB and iO West and why he moved from LA to Omaha to start a comedy theater. He also demonstrates an improv game that you will definitely want to use!

Dave Buckman is a director-teacher-improviser. He started out in studying and teaching in Chicago, before becoming the Artistic Director of Boom Chicago in Amsterdam. He has directed at The Second City in Chicago and Cleveland before moving to Austin in 2005. We talked to Dave about directing at The Second City and Boom, why the growing Austin improv community plays nice together, and what it's like performing with his wife, Rachel. Thanks to Joseph Dailey & Cene Hale for the great opening!

Rob Belushi and Jon Barinholtz are in the duo group Sheldon and the perform improv around the country. Jimmy caught up with them at this year's Chicago Improv Festival, where they talked about their brotherly relationship and how they use it on stage, who they named their show after, and they set Jimmy straight on the whole topic of fame and coming from famous families.

Dianah Dulany is an improv institution. She is the owner and producer of ComedySportz in Houston, where she is wonderful teacher-director-actor-improviser. Jimmy talked to her at the Houston Improv Festival about what makes the culture of ComedySportz special, why short form gets a bad rap, and how to tell one of your performers they need to take a shower. Special Introduction was provided by John Thompson's Renaissance Academy Charter School of The Arts Kindergarten class from Rochester, NY!

R. Kevin Doyle has been involved in improv in Hawaii since 1989. He is a member of On the Spot and a founding member of Loose Screws. In this episode, which was recorded at The Actor's Workshop, owned by Wayne Ward, Jimmy talks to R. Kevin about what it was like improvising in Hawaii back in the day, his unique approach to improv, and how he dealt with depression.

Ali Farahnakian is the founder of the Peoples Improv Theater (PIT) in New York City. An improv legend, Ali studied at iO-Chicago and Second City, was a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade and wrote for Saturday Night Live. Here, he sits down with Jimmy at The New York Improv Festival to talk about his amazing career in improv.

Centralia is an improv group from New York that has developed its own unique style of improv. Jimmy sat down with this legendary group at The New York Improv Festival at The PIT Theater and talked to them about the evolution of the group, their influences and what the New York improv scene was like when the were starting out back in the '90s. You are going to love this one!

Jordan Klepper is a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He has taught and performed at The UCB New York, where he is a member of legendary group The Stepfathers, as well as at iO-Chicago, where he in the the original cast of World News Tonight and a member of Carl and The Passions. In this episode, which was recorded at the Peoples Improv Theater during the New York Improv Festival, Jimmy talks to him about how he got a job on The Daily Show, why he moved from Chicago to New York, and the realities of the comedy world.

Kelly Leonard is the Vice President of The Second City, and President of The Second City Theatricals. He's also co-author of a new book with Tom Yorton, "Yes, And." (How Improvisation Reverses "No, But" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration--Lessons from The Second City) Jimmy talks with Kelly about how he got started at Second City back in 1988, stepping in as the producer at a young age for the legendary Joyce Sloan, and of course- his new book. If you want to get inside the mind of an accomplished producer at one of the most successful comedy theaters in the world, you are going love this episode!

Joe Canale has done it all in the improv world. He's an alumni of The Second City Main Stage in Chicago, and has performed too many shows to list at iO and Boom Chicago. Jimmy talks with Joe about why he's so comfortable being "a lighting rod," what he learned from hosting an improv jam when he was just starting out, and why he wishes he would've stayed at Boom Chicago and Second City for just one more year. Joe Canale is always honest and always insightful.

Dana Quercioli is from Cleveland, where she was the second youngest person to be on a Main Stage at Second City. She is a hugely respected improviser and teacher performing at iO-Chicago and Second City. Jimmy sat down with her and talked to her experience on the Main Stage in Cleveland, driving from Ohio to Chicago on Sundays to take classes at iO, and what she wants to do next in her career.

Brad Morris is a writer/actor/improviser. He wrote for three seasons on Cougar Town, he is an alumni of The Second City Mainstage and a member of the legendary iO Harold team The Reckoning. Jimmy sat down with Brad and talked to him about his journey from iO to Second City to LA as writer, actor and everything in between.

Jill Soloway is the creator of the hit show Transparent. Jimmy sat down with The Golden Globe winner and talked to her about starting out at The Annoyance Theater back in the early 90's, how she is dealing with her success, and the creative process. You will not want to miss this honest and insightful interview!

Noah Gregoropoulos is an amazing teacher, director and improviser at iO-Chicago. He is one of the oldest members of iO, where he has been teaching and improvising for close to 25 years. Jimmy sits down with his old friend to talk about stepping in for Del Close when he died, what "truth in comedy" means to him and where he developed his artistic approach to improv.