David is Curious

Stu and I went for a walk and had some sandwiches by the River Dee in Chester. Loved chatting improv with him in this casual setting.

Stuart Hughes is on my team "The Spirit of Improv." I love his improv style of discovery and play.  When he finds something that brings him joy he has such an effortless way of playing with it. He and I went for a walk in Chester and I got a chance to talk to him about improv.  Enjoy!

You can also catch Stu on the Oickers, a short form improv team.

THIS IS WHEN SHE MAKES HER ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Hellena Jang is inspirational by activity and by personality. She lifts the spirits of others around her. And she makes magic happen on a global scale (and on an individual scale). I am so impressed and amazed by Hellena. 

She is the kind of person I would collaborate with WAY MORE if we lived closer to one another.

You can find out more about her on her website: www.hellenajang.com

I like to connect with her on Facebook. https://www.hellenajang.com/improv

She has a team called ImFROG. And in this interview she announces another improv project that will ROCK. THIS. WORLD.  So excited for her.

I am also extremely flattered that she chose this interview to officially announce it.

#improv.

This is the final episod of my interview with Jorin - but not my final conversation with him. I feel like I have one of the most "improv perfect" relationships with him. I learn from him, I want to perform with him and yet I don't feel like there is a hierarch between us - there is a mutual cycle of respect.

I look forward to having more conversations with him. I encourage anyone who is passionate about improv to take a class from him or hire him as a coach.  I am fantastically inspired by Jorin.

... this may be one of the biggest moments where he blows my mind.  Talking about how you don't go to see a group because they do improv (or a specific format) but because of the chemistry of the team. Their unique voice.

I still think about this moment. 

We also talk about the value of imagination, from every single person. How it is a process. And how that process is valuable to the endproduct of the improv show. Not just their references, but an improviser's imagination is super valuable.

Jorin Garguilo interviewed regarding improv. I asked him about how some teachers/institutions call improv "silly" or light hearted. His thoughts on improv are enthralling. I agree with him. Jorin is an eloquent, brilliant mind.  This whole interview he drops gems that just shatter my worldview of improv.  I hope you enjoy.

Jorin was in 5 episodes of Hello from the Magic Tavern and performs with Revolver, Felt and the Scene at iO Chicago. He was also a part of the legendary group Rainbow Deli and teaches at the CIC training center.

#Give this a #Listen

We start talking about codes and community building found in the improv process.

Had the pleasure of this conversation about how improv sits in the field of sociology with Vanja Sekic.  Vanja performs with None Direction Improv as part of Inconspicuous Comedy.  Vanja's passion about improv and the way she views it is so interesting.  She sees it as having greater ramifications in the larger community and in identifying smaller communities. 

Part 2 is coming soon!

Paul Quinn is a fantastic improviser. His ability quickly generate quircky characters, draw others into scenes and find the through line of a set is one of the best I've ever seen in the UK. I have the great fortune of being able to improvise with him.

Paul is also a writer, podcaster, gamer and works in radio.  His creativity is impressive.  Improv is only one of many things he excels at.

So, I was curious.

What are his top 10 favorite things in improv?  And he answers.  

...his first, and most favorite, surprised me!

Find his page on Facebook under Quinnprov.

I always love my talks with Steve.  In this last episode we talk about everything in improv that isn't mental or physical. What is left in improv that isn't thought about or physical?  We talk about that.

He is such an inspirational fountain of knowledge.

Steve Green is an inspirational improv teacher. I love talking to him about improv. 

This episode we talk about the constant nature of change and coming at the art of improv with some small sheers, or a GIANT CHAINSAW (BRRRRRRRKKKKKTT!!).

#improv 

We find out more about Steve. At one point the coffee shop gets really loud, sorry about that. I edited right after that.  We'll find a quieter spot to chat next time, because I will bring Steve back.

Steve Green always has such insightful and gentle ways of expressing complex improv concepts. I love working with him in scenes, or being coached by in him classes. He is somsone who I believe should be running his own improv school. He is not only great at progressing information, but he cares about the people he is teaching.  

He's one of improv performers that you wonder "why aren't they a famous actor? Getting paid the big bucks. Being alongside Scarlett Johansson and Benecio Del Toro in the latest Marvel movie ... "

I have a lot of admiration for Steve. 

As does anyone who has worked with him.

This interview takes place as a casual conversation in Bean & Cole in Chester. Lovely backdrop. We always meet there for a chat. This time, I just recorded it!

Initially, I wanted to interview Emily regarding her views on tradition, ritual and movement inside a church. Her personal story of being the first person to go to college, and her interest in musicology (which I had never heard of before!) was so interesting.

I will probably interview Emily again!

Shout out to the Tower Tour at Chester Cathedral.  It is so neat to see the imperfections in the cathedral while at the same time seeing such beauty.  The Chester Cathedral is one of the top tourist attraction to Chester - an already gorgeous city.

To book a Tower Tour check out the Cathedral website: https://chestercathedral.com/

Now we start getting into the cool stuff!  Emily works at the Chester Cathedral - built in 1093 but at that time was a benedict abbey. It is this big beautiful building that is a tourist magnet.  When I saw Gaia there it was breathtaking. Gaia was this massive rotating earth that was internally lit. I've also done the Tower Tour there and it is SO INTERESTING.

She works there!

It's like working at Hogwarts - except more progressive.  YES.

I'm not a religous person, but I love the stuff the cathedral is doing.

We get into in the podcast ... so listen ... 

Continuing our conversation, we talk about the history of religion in England. And I catch Emily off guard and ask her about something in the room - which looks like a wood knife about the size of my forearm. 

We start to get into the "choreography of church" and how you move around any old church or cathedral.

This will get us into Liturgy in the next part, which I find so fascinating. Could liturgy exist in other fields?  Does theatre have liturgy in a sense?  Does a casual tradition like "watching a game at the pub" in a sense have social roles, movement, and rituals?

So fortunate to have Emily lend her intelligence and time. 

Emily Lanigan-Palotai interview is different than the past episodes. This one is good for people who want to talk about music and "what is music?" Emily did her Masters in Medieval musicology, focusing on chant (music). CHANTING. Like, it's effect, where it comes from .. and how prevalent it is in rituals. We talk about the history of traditions and rituals and "what is a church?" She is currently helps to care for the artefacts at Chester Cathedral, and we discuss how her job interacts with something called ‘liturgy’. Emily is fascinating and brilliant. Her story is such a beautiful story.

In later episodes with Emily, we also discuss the BIPOC (or BAME) representation of Jesus Christ or the imperfections within religious spaces. God may be perfect, but that church door needs some oil!  

This whole series is about my curiosity, and Emily was a super interesting interview.

The finale of my conversation with Jay Sukow.  I always like talking to Jay.  He as experience, kindness and one thing I greatly value in friends - he is honest. I always aim to reward that economy of honesty.

Highly recommend Jay Sukow as a teacher and to see his shows.  He is commonly teaching in-person improv classes in Los Angeles.  To stay upto date follow him at Today Improv, in fact he is teaching an improv intensive at the end of this year! (2023)

https://www.facebook.com/todayimprov