Listening to Renegades: Born in the USA with President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen — “Does my razor need six blades — or am I good with four?” “Should I shave my balding head? Or should I keep holding out?” “How do I handle grooming below the belt?” When I listened to the first episode of Renegades: Born in the USA, the podcast hosted by…

It was much easier than I thought… — The constant slog to produce new content and entertain the masses is both a privilege and a responsibility. Any writer or artist worth their salt will tell you that every adoring fan is like a stone dropped in your pocket. While you can use those stones to throw at other…

How space work brings your scene to life — There are lots of good reasons to emulate Mary Poppins. Who doesn’t want to float away with a flying umbrella? Flirt with a chimney sweep? Walk in and out of children’s lives and gaslight them in ways that will permanently damage their ability to discern reality and fantasy? But beyond…

Move the story along without dropping your character — Improv comedy is a type of storytelling. Every story needs conflict. Often, the conflict is that the characters are trying to solve a problem or overcome some obstacle. But sometimes you find yourself in an onstage conflict that seems to go against the very nature of improv. I’m talking about…

Turns out mainstream adulation comes in strange forms — In the past year, recording artist and all-around bad bitch Lizzo has enjoyed many honors signaling her success in the music industry: chart-topping records, a double platinum single, performances at the MTV VMAs and BET Awards, a collaboration with Missy Elliot. Lizzo is on top of the world. But recently…

I don’t know what I’m doing and neither do you — Every time I spend more than 3 minutes on Medium, I feel like the world’s biggest failure. And that I’m lazy and bad and if I just keep clicking and skimming, I’ll eventually become successful and rich and happy and loved. Wherever you look, there are people promising they know…

Recognizing the signs is the first step to recovery — It seemed so innocent at first. Your friend, partner, or child signed up for a class in improvisational comedy. They wanted to get over their fear of public speaking. They wanted to meet new people. They wanted to break out of their shell. Little did you know the monster that…

In improv, you can be anyone. Don’t take that from others. — When you ask someone how doing improv makes them feel, you often get answers like “free” or “liberated.” That’s because when you walk onstage, there are no limits to what you can be. In one scene, you’re a fire fighter. In the next, you’re an all-knowing alien. In another, you’re…

New to theatre? These terms will help. — People start doing improv to get out of their shell, become more comfortable with public speaking, or just to have fun. For many, it’s their first time getting onstage, so terms like “downstage” or “cheat out” may be completely new. Here are a few common stage terms used to give…