Improv, Beat by Beat
The top improvisors from the UCB Theatre in New York City explain the most important parts of long-form improv, one concept at a time. Hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Thu, April 30, 2020
27 – Goodbye, UCB NY
UCB has recently shut down its last permanent theater and training center. I asked people to share what UCB NY meant to them. Featuring Molly Gaebe, Ian Dyer, Ryan Barker, Rachel Taenzler, Pat Baer, Sonya Saepoff, Ray Cordova, Harsha Vardhan Dasarathy, Bert James, Elisa Ballou, Paris Adkins, Liz Noth, Alex French, Jon Marballi, Betsy Helmer, […]
Sat, May 25, 2019
26 – Advice
I asked many of the people I interviewed the same question: what advice would you give an improvisor in their first year doing improv? Featuring Maritza Montañez, Liz Noth, Chris Scott, Morgan Phillips, Will Hines, Bill DiPiero, Achilles Stamatelaky, Ashley Ward, Ray Cordova, Sebastian Conelli, Joey Price, Patrick Noth, Kevin Mullaney, Lily Du, Nicole Drespel, […]
Mon, May 13, 2019
25 – The Movie
This episode focuses on a fun, but often difficult form, the Movie. One of the original forms developed by Del Close, the Movie is not performed as regularly as some other forms, but it can be rewarding to learn and get good at, and it’s easy for audiences to follow. Featuring David Bluvband, James Dwyer, […]
Fri, March 15, 2019
24 – The Spokane aka the Pretty Flower
This episode focuses on the form of many names, the Spokane / Pretty Flower / Delicate Little Flower / Gadget / Family Guy / so on and so on. We discuss how to do the form, and why it may be a great fit for your team or why it may not be. Featuring Sebastian […]
Thu, January 31, 2019
23 – Coaching, Part 2
How should a coach structure a practice session? What are some exercises to use? How is coaching a house team different from coaching a practice group? These are all questions? Featuring Jenny St. Angelo, Sebastian Conelli, Lindsay Calleran, Johnna Scrabis, Liz Noth, and Will Hines. Co-produced by Alejandro Cardona, and hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Mon, December 24, 2018
22 – Coaching, Part 1
What makes a great coach? How do you become a great coach? How do you give helpful notes? None of those questions get answered. Featuring Bill DiPiero, Achilles Stametalaky, Lily Du, Devin Ritchie, Chris Scott, Jenny St. Angelo, Liz Noth, Lou Gonzalez, Sebastian Conelli, Ray Cordova, Nicole Drespel, co-produced by Alejandro Cardona, and hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Sun, November 04, 2018
21 – Best Notes, Part 2
Once again, each improvisor recounts the notes that shaped their understanding of improv or their understanding of themselves as improvisors. Featuring John Timothy, Beth Appel, Ashley Ward, Jake Cornell, X Mayo, Terry Withers, Maritza Montañez, Kevin Mullaney, David Bluvband, Lindsay Calleran, Rudy Behrens, and Cathryn Mudon. Hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Fri, September 28, 2018
20 – Why Do You Do Improv?
I asked a bunch of improvisors a simple question: “Why do you do improv?” Featuring answers from Nicole Drespel, Kevin Hines, Devin Ritchie, Achilles Stamatelaky, David Bluvband, Lily Du, Chris Scott, Molly Thomas, Morgan Phillips, James Dwyer, Liz Noth, Alex Dickson, Lydia Hensler, Will Hines, and Sebastian Conelli. Hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Wed, July 04, 2018
19 – Cliches and Gaps
19 different improvisors discuss the cliches they are tired of seeing and the gaps between the improvised worlds we create and the world we live in. What do they see too much of, and what do they not see enough of? Featuring Achilles Stamatelaky, Will Hines, Jenny St. Angelo, Kevin Mullaney, Kevin Hines, Bill DiPiero, Molly Thomas, Morgan Phillips, Jesse Lee, Kelsey Bailey, Jessica Morgan, Lydia […]
Wed, May 30, 2018
18 – Jams
An improv jam is basically an open mic for improv: anyone who goes can throw their name in a bucket to do scenes with the jam hosts. They can be stressful and intimidating, but they’re also a great way to get over nervousness over being on stage, to learn how to play with people of […]
Wed, April 25, 2018
17 – Musical Improv
Musical improv is exactly what it sounds like: an improvised musical. A bit of dialogue, and then a lot of singing and dancing. In addition to having its own challenges (such as song structure, rhyming, and narrative structure), a musical improv show still has to have great improv. In this episode, we discuss the challenges […]
Thu, March 01, 2018
16 – House Teams
A house team is a team that is created to perform regularly at a particular theater. At UCB NY, there are 3 levels of improv house teams: Lloyd, Harold, and the weekend. This episode talks about each level: why being on a house team can be frustrating and nerve-wracking, why it can be amazing and […]
Tue, February 06, 2018
15 – Forms
Your first several years of learning long form improv will likely focus on scenework, the Harold, montages, and perhaps another form or two. In this episode, we discuss the other forms: why they’re important to learn and how they’re created. With Lily Du, Chris Scott, Kevin Mullaney, and Kevin Hines. Hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Sat, December 23, 2017
14 – The Monoscene
The Monoscene is a form in which the location never changes: there are no edits. In this episode, we talk about how it was developed and what to keep in mind while performing one. Featuring Kevin Mullaney, Lily Du, and Jenny St. Angelo. Hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Fri, November 10, 2017
13 – Acting
Improv scenes should be more than just reciting lines. In this episode, we talk about how acting influences improv, and how to become better at it. Featuring Jessica Morgan, Molly Thomas, Morgan Phillips, Alex Dickson, Sebastian Conelli, Liz Noth, and Will Hines. Hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Mon, September 25, 2017
12 – The Harold: 2nd and 3rd Beats
In a Harold, after the first beats and the first group game, the team returns to the first 3 games for second beats, and then does another group game, and then returns again for third beats. These scenes are chances to play more fun versions of the games from the first beats. Featuring Chris Scott, […]
Mon, September 11, 2017
11 – Auditioning
Most theaters hold auditions to add people to their house teams. Every year around 600 people audition for UCBNY house teams. Molly Thomas, Chris Scott, and Morgan Phillips share their experiences with auditioning. Hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Wed, September 06, 2017
10 – The Harold: Group Games
In a Harold, in between each set of beats is a group scene. These scenes can be tough if the entire team isn’t listening and playing together, but they can also be incredibly fun and change the direction and tempo of your entire Harold. Featuring Johnna Scrabis, Joey Price, Devin Ritchie, Lydia Hensler, and Molly […]
Mon, August 28, 2017
09 – Best Notes
Each improvisor recounts the notes that shaped their understanding of improv or their understanding of themselves as improvisors. Featuring Jessica Morgan, Lydia Hensler, Jesse Lee, Jenny St. Angelo, Lily Du, Molly Thomas, Chris Scott, James Dwyer, Nicole Drespel, Morgan Phillips, Achilles Stamatelaky, Liz Noth, Sebastian Conelli, Alex Dickson, Devin Ritchie, Will Hines, Bill DiPiero, Kevin Hines, Joey Price, and Ray Cordova. Hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Mon, August 21, 2017
08 – The Harold: 1st Beats
The 1st beats of the Harold are the most important part of the Harold. In each 1st beat, the ideas from the pattern game are transformed into characters, games, and worlds that will return throughout the Harold. Featuring Alex Dickson, Jenny St. Angelo, and Bill DiPiero. Hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Mon, August 14, 2017
07 – The Pattern Game
The Pattern Game is one of the fundamental Harold openings. It can seem intimidating at first, but once mastered it can be an effective, clean way of getting clear premises for your Harold. Featuring Achilles Stamatelaky, James Dwyer, Nicole Drespel, Will Hines, Johnna Scrabis, Molly Thomas, Kelsey Bailey, Jesse Lee, Devin Ritchie, and Lily Du. […]
Mon, July 31, 2017
06 – The Invocation
The Invocation is an opening developed by Del Close for the Harold. In this episode, Will Hines and Achilles Stamatelaky convince me of the merits of The Invocation. Hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Mon, July 24, 2017
05 – The Opening
After a team gets a suggestion, they typically do an opening of some sort to generate the ideas they will explore within a Harold. This episode focuses a couple specific openings and on openings in general. Featuring Jessica Morgan, Jesse Lee, Nicole Drespel, Jenny St. Angelo, Achilles Stamatelaky, and Devin Ritchie. Hosted by Curtis Retherford.
Tue, July 18, 2017
04 – The Harold
The Harold is one of the fundamental longform improv structures, but it isn’t easy, at least at first. But once it’s mastered, it is a framework that gives an extraordinary amount of flexibility. This episode focuses on the Harold as a whole: subsequent episodes will go through each particular section. Featuring Will Hines, Kevin Hines, […]
Mon, July 03, 2017
03 – Warm Ups
The next several episodes will focus on the Harold, one piece at a time. This episode focuses on what happens before the Harold, either at the beginning of practice or right before a show: Warm Ups. Featuring interviews with Devin Ritchie, Chris Scott, Sebastian Conelli, Johnna Scrabis, Achilles Stamatelaky, Jessica Morgan, Molly Thomas, Jesse Lee, Kelsey Bailey, Joey Price, Bill DiPiero, Morgan Phillips, and Jenny St. […]
Tue, June 27, 2017
02 – Game – Playing the Game
Now that everyone in the scene has identified the game, it’s time to have fun. This episode goes into the different approaches improvisors use when playing the game. Featuring interviews with Alex Dickson, Lydia Hensler, Sebastian Conelli, Devin Ritchie, Chris Scott, Lou Gonzalez, and Achilles Stamatelaky.
Sun, June 18, 2017
01 – Game – Framing and Justifications
Identifying and playing the game of a scene is the foundation of long-form improv: the improvisors must agree on what’s fun about the scene before they can really explore that game. This episode explains the importance of two fundamental parts of game: framing the game and justifying weird behavior. Featuring interviews with Achilles Stamatelaky, Nicole […]
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