"Couples Not Doing Good" is an improvised couples therapy show where comedians sit down and invent a problem they need to work through during the session!

More improv/unscripted content at https://www.youtube.com/@thirdbestv

I’m a severely anxious person and I just started taking improv classes because I thought it could help me to be less self conscious. I’m having fun so far, but I also feel like I’m way more awkward and stilted than everyone else in the class. In scenes, I’m able to react to my partners fairly quickly but I just feel a nonstop sense of panic the entire time. I’m bad at expressing different emotions and want to be able to be more animated or varied.

Before and after class, people try to talk to me a bit but I’m just so nervous that I can barely say anything and the conversations die fast. I feel bad because I want to make friends but I just feel too freaked whenever I have to interact with anyone.

Any advice on how to feel more relaxed in scenes? Do you become less anxious over time as you keep doing improv? How do you speak before you have a chance to overthink?

I'm 22 years old, I'm non-binary, I have some weird stutter and rhotacism, I have autism (high support needs),I've been homeschooled (haven't went to public school since after 4th grade), and if I wanna go outside, I have to ask permission (that was for safety reasons, stemming from the time I wandered outside trying to follow my older sibling's school bus, but got lost and had to be taken home by police car). I'm content with my home life, and I'm looking to do improv. Does anyone know any good free improv classes that I can take, and that can accept me regardless of my looks?

Has anyone taken the one week intensive improv class at Magnet in NYC? How was your experience compare to their usual semester long courses?

Hi! Someone on our team recorded our last set. I went to watch it nervously... and was pleasantly surprised! The last time I watched myself I was so stiff so it was great to see my progress and how much more natural I look on stage. I did see a couple things I want to improve. Not being afraid to make bigger physical movements (taking up space on stage). Understanding that it's okay for me to take a beat before I say something. That one in particular was a big take away. When my mind is racing I think everyone is waiting for me. But taking a breath is normal and nobody is going to think that's weird. It might actual help the pacing.

Have you recorded your improv sets? What have you learned from watching them back?

Also includes duo sets from

• Will Hines & Laney Serface
• Marco Torres & Lexie Skye
• Nick Murhling & Jack Brown

What is your experience with teaching people improv that have mobility issues - for example, they are bound to a motorized wheelchair?

And along those lines, hearing issues?

Hi spooky sf improvisors!

Wanted to invite you all to our improvised slasher show (inspired by classic movies like scream, halloween, and friday the 13th) happening on halloween.

It’s narrative longform and will be about an hour! Cast is all alums of the Stanford Improvisors (a group that loooooves a good narrative longform).

slasherondemand.eventbrite.com

On halloween at 8:30pm in the mission (endgames), so you can head on over to your other halloween plans afterwards!

🎃🎃🎃

If you don’t live in the Bay or otherwise can’t make it, I’m also curious to hear your thoughts and experiences doing improvised slashers/horror movies/other scary formats! What’s the format structure? How do you handle improvised stage combat? How scary is too scary? Does anyone do scary short-form games? I love thinking about improv formats and I’ve enjoyed reading the r/improv comments section, so while we’re on the topic of improvised slashers I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts.

A while back here someone asked about the intersection of improv and Tarot in shows and Whatever Fate Decides was mentioned. Both episodes are out now of Neal Leaheey’s Improv Autopsy, the creative mastermind at work with Whatever Fate Decides and all his other improv ventures, including a stint with the International Theatresports Institute. Come take a listen and get inspired to find your fate with Tarot show formats!

Link to Patreon Ep 1 or find Improv Autopsy wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.patreon.com/ImprovAutopsy/posts/171539006

More Neal:

https://www.instagram.com/whateverfatedecides/

https://www.kismetimprov.com/events/whatever-fate-decides-2

Musical improvisers only— what musical improv teacher or workshop really helped you grow the most as a musical improviser?

I’m a musical improviser at a tiny theater in a small city, and I’m curious if there are any notable musical teachers that I could either travel to take a class from or that we could book to travel to our theater! Would love to hear who helped you hone your craft❤️

I’m looking to do the 5 week Chicago iO summer intensive program next year.

Would anyone have any reviews/experiences of the program for those who have done it within the last say 5 years (or before that too!)?

Any tips on:
- maximising learning during the program?
- what your main takeaways from the program were?
- accommodation for someone overseas coming down (airbnb’s?)
- non-improv things to do in Chicago?
- jams/shows to go to?

Thanks!

This is more of a reflection post than a question or comment, feel free to read and comment...or not :)

We - are four person troupe - did our first live show Thursday night. We keep it simple, pretty much using the Shoot From the Hip format of 4 or 5 games then a long form.

Just for fun, within the week leading up to this, my wife (and team mate) made a major job decision. Wednesday, the night before, we bought a new home, mostly out of the blue. Wednesday night I had the worse insomnia.

Ok, so here we go.

Technical - fail. We did a test run wearing mics which went fine, but as the venue doesn't provide sound, I didn't leave myself near enough time to test prior to the show. That is on me.
Fail part 2 - the venue (outdoor stage) was great at first...but when the sun went down, no one could see our faces any more. That isn't for anyone to blame, that is us not knowing what we didn't know.

Preparation - good. We knew what games we would play, we practice short and long form regular, and bonded as people.

Marketing - No clue. We had people show up from hearing about us on Facebook. With no budget, not sure what else to expect.

Performance - Great. Not that it was a great performance - but it was good, it was funny, it was enjoyable for the audience, and we had a great time. Someone liked it, we had $80 bucks in the tip jar for about 20 to 30 people. But we were on our game, we enjoyed it, and had a nice save in the long form (family friendly show) to move a scene from cheating spouse was revealed to we were actually just adopting children. And one scene which was an accident got great reviews as well.

Overall - We had a great time and our audience did as well. I keep wanting to minimize and say 'we are not as good as' and recognize that some of you are so much better but... fuck that. We had a great time and our audience did as well.

As a Brit doing improv I find I enjoy British groups more than American improvers. I was wondering if I was alone in this view and I wonder people think makes it so different?

I will be in Chicago from February thru May 2027 and would like to try taking a class.

What is considered the best improv school (overall)?

I finally have a free day and wanted to take the leap into a workshop or class where I can try. Are there any going on Oct 24 in NYC

Westside Comedy Theater’s NoHo spot for youth sketch classes starts Monday 10/26. colin@westsidecomedy.com for details

Recently I saw a short scène where a older white man played a Afghan refugee, with an accent as well. Immediately something inside my head went 'AGH'.

We've had the discussion before in our international improv group about when it's ok to do what accent. Still, I can't quite clearly voice why some things do feel so off and why some feel fine.

Anyone any guidelines or different perspectives to offer on this matter?

I’m running Spokane for a group and have looked at various and sundry resources online,and I’m watching family guy, but would love tips on what unlocked the format for you.

I’m drilling different skills with the group in addition to the format:
Running just monoscene
Running just tag runs
Character physicality, point of view
Impulse and grounded ness, emotional honesty
Game
Choice density

What have you found made the difference? What exercises strengthened your Spokane muscle?

For any LA improvisers (or improv fans) looking for a show this weekend:

Game for a Laugh is an Armando-style show with a twist. Our monologist is always a game developer, and they share true stories from their career: the launches, the crunch, the disasters, the weird stuff that happens behind the scenes. The cast then spins those stories into fully improvised scenes.

Game dev turns out to be great source material. The stories are full of high stakes, absurd constraints, strange office cultures, and people who care way too much about very specific things.

This show’s monologist is Sara Hebert (OXENFREE, Afterparty, Black Mirror: Thronglets). She’s spent 10+ years marketing and publishing indie games at Night School, Flight School (yes, weird), and Oscar-winning Moonbot Studios. Now she’s plugged into the mainframe at Human Computer, making a mini-golf platformer called Ballgame. She has stories.

The cast includes May Darmon, Monika Smith, Matt Apodaca, Conner McCabe, Paul Heredia, Rachel Van Nes, Courtney Vineys, and Dan Pavatich

You don’t need to know anything about games to enjoy it. If you like watching a monologue get mined for great scenes, this is your show.

When: Sunday, October 25, 6PM
Where: Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4th St, Santa Monica

All profits go to CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights), supporting immigrant families and communities across Los Angeles.

🎟 Tickets (Promo Code "GAMEON" for 15% off)
💙 Donate Directly

So, I've been Improvising for 5 years [longform/monoscenes/narratives]. And over the ears I feel like I've gotten good at the improv. I listen well, am relaxed and spontaneous during the scenes, accept the reality, and add to it, understand the game of the scene, and know what and when to heighten etc.

I'm not actually that confident about the above, I just want to sound confident to juxtapose that with how I feel about being an actor on stage. I still feel like a flacid balloon. Even though my body is doing things that the scene needs, I feel like it completely lacks intentionality. I still don't "FEEL" like the characters I play, and I feel like I am merely doing a shallow caricature of the people I am portraying.

I'm not scared or nervous about being on stage, because I feel like I am good enough to entertain. But I want to do more. I want to be able to make our improvised worlds real, and I don't feel like I do a good enough job with it.

I understand Improv is about having fun on stage, and I am having fun, but I also have loftier ambitions. I want to be convincing as the people on stage. I want to internally feel satisfied with the characters I am playing, because I do feel satisfied with the stories that we make up. Its the characters that I am generally unconvinced by.

At the risk of sounding unbearable,I’ve become a good improviser, but I want to go beyond entertaining and creating great stories to embody fully realized, believable characters that feel real to me and the audience.

The advice I ask is: are there any books on stage acting that I could study to get better at that? I have no training in theatre, or stagercraft. I am a writting, and filmmaking guy.

I'm at a place in my life where I can't afford to shell $300-400 on acting classes right now.