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Talking Shop: An Improv Podcast with Brian Gray
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In Talking Shop, Pittsburgh improv teacher, coach and performer Brian Gray talks improv with improvisers. He gets deep into his guest's relationship with their work to discuss how they perform the way they love to perform. The show features an interview, usually an improv set, and Q&A. brianmgray.com/podcast
20 Episodes
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An interview on the craft of comedy with the directors of the Bristol Improv Theatre (BIT), soon to be the UK’s first improv theater! On this episode, I speak with Andy Yeoh, the Theatre Director of the BIT and Caitlin Campbell, the Assistant Theatre Director of the BIT who are also instructors with the BIT theatre school, performers on the BIT house company, Degrees of Error, and two of the sweetest human beings. We discuss the BIT’s focus on building community (and the general “skillshare” culture in the British improv scene), BIT’s course structure and teaching approach derived from viewing improv as a process, their personal scenework approach to balancing strong offers with emotional discoveries, and the challenges of buying real estate in the UK. To contribute to their fundraising campaign, navigate to: buildthebit.com. Recorded in studio in Pittsburgh and Bristol, UK. For past episodes, visit http://brianmgray.com/podcast. Music in the podcast: Talking Shop Theme by Michelle Horsley Kick Shock by Kevin MacLeod Last Days of Disco by Fhernando
An interview on the craft of comedy with the Artistic Director of the Magnet Theater in New York City, member of the Magnet resident team Junior Varsity, producer of the monthly all female improv show “We Might Just Kiss” and level one teacher Megan Gray. The Magnet is an open and welcome community where they believe they can teach anyone to improvise, and Megan embodies that philosophy. Megan and I discuss her journey to become more confident on stage, the differences between mixed-gender teams and teams with only women, how she gives positive and supportive notes, and so much more! Note: you can overhear lively Magnet classes throughout much of the episode–apologies if this is bothersome. Recorded at the Magnet Training Center in New York City. For past episodes, visit http://brianmgray.com/podcast. More info on the Magnet Theater at http://www.magnettheater.com.
Interview with comedian, actor, voice artist and co-founder of the edgy, dark and surreal sketch comedy troupe Kids in the Hall, Kevin McDonald on his creative process.
Matt Holmes is a 15+ year improv veteran, co-founder of renowned Philadelphia improv team Rare Bird Show, and creator of Matt &, a show in which he improvises a 20- to 45-minute long form set with an audience member who has never done improv before. The show has enthralled me every time I've seen it, enough that I helped bring him to Pittsburgh and enjoyed lots of shop talk at my kitchen table. It took a few months to get him on the show. Matt and I talk about the fascinating strategy he has to prepare to improvise with non-improvisers, his 3 simple rules to fun improv, and the big ideas that are occupying his mind right now. Find more about Matt at http://www.mattandimprov.com.
At the Detroit Improv Festival, I felt so lucky to grab a few minutes of time with 30+ year improv veteran, founding member of the Annoyance Theater, performer and teacher at iO and Second City, the ever-inspiring Susan Messing. We chat about the three different institutions Susan performs at, dive deeper on the Susan Messing quotes that have had a big impact on me, and what gets her off on stage. We didn't have time for a set, but we did get to record in front of a moped gang! So enjoy the street noises!
At Improv Wins in Austin, I also caught up with Artistic Director for the Chicago Improv Festival. Artistic Director for Under The Gun Theater and former head of the training program and Artistic Director of the UCB Theater Kevin Mullaney. Brian and Kevin talk about how, since moving back to Chicago, Kevin has come to admire premise-based improv and teach it as a core way to approach scenes, particularly later in Harold. He talks about his view of games and turning an unusual moment into a game (and how they are not the same thing). We played a few scenes, focusing on using edits to heighten character's game from the previous scene. It went ok and led to a fantastic discussion! Thanks to The New Movement for letting us record in their classroom! Music in the podcast: Talking Shop Theme by Michelle Horsley Kick Shock by Kevin MacLeod Last Days of Disco by Fhernando
The return of Talking Shop features an interview with a founding member of The New Movement theaters in Austin and New Orleans, improv performer and teacher, co-author of Improv Wins, stand-up comic, the creator of the Air Sex World Championship, a pro wrestling manager, a sports columnist and podcaster, and rapper, Chris Trew. The Austin Chronicle has said “Chris Trew is out of his fucking mind.” Brian and Chris talk about how all of his varied pursuits are filtered for him through a lens of comedy and specifically the supportive and collaborative nature of improvisation, how he has brought and maintains a positive and nurturing atmosphere to both of his theaters (on stage and off), how he and his staff build their own language of improv through metaphor and nomenclature, and much much more. Then we play 3 scenes focusing on like characters at the top and "heighten or die."
July features an interview with 20+ year improv veteran, author of the book author of Directing Improv: Show the Way By Getting Out of the Way, and Educational Director at The Institution Theater, Asaf Ronen. Asaf has taught improvisation in Canada, Great Britain, Norway and in twenty-seven of The United States. His directing credits include the all-girl group goga, the improvised comic book adventure show Ka-Baam!!, and Death in the City, a dramatic longform improv piece, at the NY Fringe Festival. Brian and Asaf talk about how he diagnoses improv scenes, choosing the fun script, the philosophy of The Institution, and how his perfect improv scene starts. Then we play a really fun genre scene with high emotional stakes! Thanks to The Hideout Theater for hosting us in Austin. Music in the podcast: Talking Shop Theme by Michelle Horsley Kick Shock by Kevin MacLeod Last Days of Disco by Fhernando
April features an interview with comedic writer, actor and storyteller, Kevin Allison. Kevin’s first appearance into the public spotlight was on the extremely bizarre and beloved MTV sketch series The State. He is now the host and curator of RISK!, one of one of the Internet’s edgiest storytelling podcasts “where people tell true stories they never thought they’d date to share” and the head instructor of The Story Studio where storytelling is taught to everyone from performers to executives. Brian and Kevin discuss the unique culture of The State and how it reflected in their comedy, their writing process, Kevin's discovery and love of ordinary people talking about extreme situations onstage and how he prepares a story for a RISK! event. This show was unfortunately not able to be recorded live at our normal home at Arcade Comedy Theater. Clips used in the podcast: The Jew, The Italian & The Red Head Gay | MTV Kevin Allison performs at the RISK! Live Show in NYC - Nov. 17, 2011 Music in the podcast: Talking Shop Theme by Michelle Horsley Kick Shock by Kevin MacLeod Last Days of Disco by Fhernando
March features an interview with Aaron Kleiber. Aaron recently made his national television debut on “Gotham Comedy Live” with host Jim Bruer and has been a requested feature performer across the country for Bob Saget, Jim Breuer and Steve-O (to name a few). He has appeared on TV, film, numerous national commercials and produced, wrote and performed in the award-winning independent films Captain Blasto and A Great Disturbance. Aaron studied and performed at the Second City in Chicago and improvises with the Arcade Brian and Aaron discuss Aaron's sense of humor developing into his stage persona, his process of developing a premise into an onstage story or joke, and his many performance modes: acting, improvisation, stand-up, writing. Brian and Aaron improvise two short scenes. Thanks to Zach Simons for audio production and tech, Arcade Comedy Theater for hosting the show, Scott Peters for providing Aaron's clip from Escape from St. Quentin's and Randy Kovitz for providing Aaron's clip from Lightweight. Music in the podcast: Talking Shop Theme by Michelle Horsley Kick Shock by Kevin MacLeod Last Days of Disco by Fhernando
The first Talking Shop of 2014 features a Talking Shop first: an entire team, The Well Known Strangers. Formed originally as a house team at the Steel City Improv Theater in October 2012, the Strangers have been a force on Pittsburgh stages ever since. Beyond Pittsburgh, the Strangers were Official Selections at the Chicago Improv Festival and the Detroit Improv Festival and won the Audience Choice Award at the Pittsburgh 48 Hour Film Festival for their short film, “Hunter Gathering.” Brian and the Strangers discuss the philosophy and approach of the team, their rehearsal process, and the unique group of people that make up WKS. Brian plays in a 10 minute montage with WKS focused on making bold choices without fear of judgement.
In November's episode, Brian sits down with performer, teacher and writer Ric Walker. Ric has taught Improvisation, Acting and Writing for organizations including Pegasus Players, After School Matters and The Second City. He has improvised with legendary companies such as The Improvised Shakespeare Company, Comedy Sportz Chicago, The Second City and MCTD (Midwest Comedy Tool & Die). Ric is currently an MFA Student at Pitt and an active member of the Pittsburgh comedy community. Ric and Brian discuss the process used by Improvised Shakespeare Company and how that show was created in the early days, Ric's informal poll of great improvisers that revealed four qualities of great improvisers and what they are, as well as Ric's use of stock characters, particularly in short form. We then played two 5 min(ish) character-focused games, one in which we played two characters being interviewed documentary-style and the other in which I interviewed a series of Ric's go-to characters. Thanks to Zach Simons for audio production and live tech and our new home at Arcade Comedy Theater for hosting the show. Music in the podcast: Talking Shop Theme by Michelle Horsley Kick Shock by Kevin MacLeod Last Days of Disco by Fhernando Don't miss Talking Shop next month date and guest TBA!
In October's episode, Brian sits down with Arcade Comedy co-founder and twenty year improv veteran Jethro Nolen. Jethro has studied and performed at iO and Annoyance in Chicago with teachers such as Charna Halpern, Mick Napier, Susan Messing, Joe Bill, Craig Cackowski, Rich Talarico. He has performed with Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, at iO West in LA and studied with The Groundlings. Jethro is now a Creative Director at Arcade Comedy Theater where he performs regularly with Nolen & Nolen, Dinner with the Nolens, and a variety of other shows.. I talk with Jethro about his experience with The Lindbergh Babies, a team directed by Del Close and who performed the last improv form Del ever created. We talked about Del's process and its influences on Jethro's own work, specifically about getting rid of preconceptions about the form and the scene and allowing anything that happens to be a part of the work.
Benjamin Amiri began his improv career at free Irony City workshops in 2008 and his blossomed into a talented player, sought-after coach and introspective articulator about his work. Ben has been a member of the Steel City Improv Theater house teams The Up & Up, Field Trip and Well Known Strangers as well as a number of independent teams and coach of Hotel Nowhere and Yeah Those Guys. I talk with Ben about getting interested in improv as a professional engineer, then diving in hard, being intensely present in his scenes, and his uniquely wonderful coaching style that is focused on positivity and support but not at the expense of a strong motivation for quality. Thanks to Omar Ornelas for audio production, Aaron Tarnow for live tech and the Steel City Improv Theater for hosting the show. Music in the podcast: Talking Shop Theme by Michelle Horsley Kick Shock by Kevin MacLeod Last Days of Disco by Fhernando Don't miss Talking Shop next month on October 20 at 9pm at our new home at Arcade Comedy Theater. I'll be talking to Jethro Nolen!
Michael Capristo has been doing longform improv since 2007. He has studied at the UCB Theater in New York before moving to Pittsburgh where he taught and performed in such memorable SCIT shows as Post-Crisis; Gillotti, Capristo, and Beck; and Delighting Myself with Michael Capristo. He now lives in LA where he performs with his team Old Vegas at the iO West and several indie theaters in town. I talk to Mike about writing vs improv, his definition of game and how he uses finds it without struggling, and the differences among New York, Pittsburgh and LA improv. We then do a monoscene -- which in 10 mins we learned is just a long scene.
Sam Turich has been a professional improviser for over fifteen years. He has directed at Gotham City Improv in NYC where he created the long-running weekly main stage show Off the Top of Our Heads. Sam has acted on stage and screen and is currently in post-production on Progression, a full-length feature about a progressive dinner in Lawrenceville. I chat with Sam about short form improv -- its virtues, how he did it well, and why more people should perform it -- acting, and his zen approach to improvisation. Then we do a short form set together (hosted by the fantastic Gab Cody), before a very lively Q&A.
Listen in on one of Brian's favorite past times, talking shop with Steel City Improv Theater Artistic Director Woody Drennan. Woody studied and performed improv for the last 16 years in Los Angeles at theaters such as iO West, UCB LA, Second City LA and the Groundlings. Since moving to Pittsburgh, he has become an invaluable member of the SCIT family with his work on shows like Midseason Replacements and LawProv, groups such as Well Known Strangers, and his general enthusiasm. We discuss what Woody likes to watch on stage and perform on stage, then he and I sit and improvise around a table.
Brian talks to best friends and five-year duo partners Amie Roe and Kristen Schier. Together, they are the award-winning Amie and Kristen Show/Kristen and Amie Show, an organic and incredibly fun show. Separately, Amie is a member of the Megawatt team Brick at the at the Magnet Theater in NYC and a psychotherapist. Kristen is the Season Producer at the Philly Improv Theater, the Artistic Director of the Philly N Crowd, and a professional actor, improvisor and teacher. We discuss what makes their show special and how they keep their play fun and honest. Then we go onto do some of the most fun improv I can remember. From a fairly offensive mother and son to Kristen making me name Huey Lewis songs when she knows I can't.
In this premier episode, Brian talks to SCIT Teacher and performer and comedy nerd Greg Gillotti. We discuss Greg's performance style as a devotedly supportive player and how he doesn't feel like he is one, his tools for getting out of writer/director mode, his research and preparation for coaching the Nebby Spectres into a narrative arc, and his creation of shows based on catchy names. We perform a series of scenes in which Brian keeps trying to give Greg objects and kisses and Greg keeps begrudgingly welcoming hobos into his barn. Then we talk about the set and Greg answers some great questions from the crowd.
In the first brief episode of Talking Shop: An Improv Podcast, host Brian Gray summarizes the format and goal of the podcast and gets listeners excited about the live recording of the first full episode on March 22 at 11pm at the Steel City Improv Theater. http://www.steelcityimprov.com/shows/schedule#date=2013-03&event=20130322-1100
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