Third Beats – don’t always start with a character connection. Start simply, with another beat of a scene. play the games, not the characters. Look for real game-based connections (not plot based ones) and play other people’s games in your…
Monthly Archives: January 2011
Writing Is Easy
Every time I get swamped with deadlines or feel pressured to write something brilliant or funny by tomorrow, I just sit down and write. And things work out. It becomes a lot easier once I start doing the work. I…
Scott Adsit
Since John Lutz was unavailable for last night’s John and Scott show at UCB, Scott Adist invited improvisers from the audience to perform with him. I was lucky enough to be one of those improvisers. I have never been that…
Anthony King Is A Great Improv Teacher
See title. Here are some things I have learned from just the first day of class: Just react. Always try to get your partner to react. Always react. Improv is just an endless loop of actions and reactions. Up top,…
I Lost My Epiphany
Waiting for the train after a pretty good show, I had an epiphany. All my worries and fears about my career and personal life fell into place, and I was alright. I was confident in myself and the work I…
John Lutz and Scott Adsit
These guys are incredible improvisers. They are assassins. Everything they do is so precise and careful. They take their time because they are LISTENING, then reacting honestly. They LISTEN to each other’s stage picture, body language, emotional reactions, and edits.…
Back To The Future Ride Not As Good as I Remembered It
Is this the only thing where getting jostled and bumped around makes it better?
(Secret Man Group) Assessment Profile #5: Celeste Conrad
Celeste makes great moves. She’s awesome at theming shows and pushing scenes forward into unexplored territory. Whenever I’m in scenes with her, I’m constantly surprised – and not in the bad way of having no idea of what the fuck…
(Secret Man Group) Assessment Profile #4: Adam Conover
Adam knows how to sell a scene. He’s a strong straight man, and it’s absolutely hilarious when he bunkers down and goes into overdrive, not just forcing his scene partner to justify, but helping him justify. It’s not helpful at…
(Secret Man Group) Assessment Profile #3: Brian Polk
Brian is super smart. Ridiculously smart. If you want to do a scene about an eccentric collector of 18th century European objects, Brian will play it with class and frightening accuracy. If you want to do a scene set during…