About Improv Zen
Discover the Zen of Improv Comedy
The Philosophy of Improv
Improv is not just about individual performances; it’s a collective journey. I encourage all improvisers to adopt a philosophy of unwavering acceptance and kindness towards one another. Upon entering the rehearsal space, I urge actors to release any negative judgments or thoughts about their fellow performers. The beauty of diversity within a group can enrich the experience, providing a spectrum of perspectives and characters from which to draw.
Transcending personal biases is vital in creating an authentic connection with your castmates. When you treat your partners with love and respect, despite differing views or backgrounds, you unlock deeper emotional connections on stage. This mindset not only enhances performance quality but also fosters a supportive creative environment, allowing improvisers to explore and expand their artistic boundaries together.
Meet Our Improv Guru
Back in 1990, fresh out of college with a theater degree and a head full of dreams, I landed in Chicago and started training at The Second City. I was lucky enough to learn from—and perform with—some truly brilliant improv minds. Mick Napier and Martin de Maat especially set my brain on fire.
At the same time, I was bouncing around with a dozen different improv groups. Chicago became my lab. My playground.
I lived in this absolutely wild loft with other Second City directors. We literally had a stage in the living room. Every night—after rehearsing eight hours a day and performing shows all over the city—I’d stumble home after midnight… only to walk into 10-30 actor friends experimenting, creating, laughing, and inventing new formats until sunrise. Chaotic, nonstop, beautiful artistry. I loved every second.
Right before I created my improv TV show, I took a big left turn and spent six months living in a tent on the beaches and in the jungles of Kauai. Yoga, meditation, ocean, silence, clarity. That’s where the spark for what became Whole World Theatre really came through.
In 1993, I founded Whole World. I trained over 2,000 students—intensively—and cast every show from those students. We sold out hundreds of shows in a row for years. We built our own production company from scratch, learned video by doing it, and created a TV show that eventually got picked up by one of the Turner networks. We aired regularly, pulled strong Nielsen ratings, and I was honored with a Southeastern Regional Emmy for a related project.
For years, we were sold out three weeks in advance. I used classic Second City structures, invented new forms every week, and kept my actors and audiences excited.
One of my favorite creations was The Novel—a fully improvised cinematic play following the same cast of characters. Audiences went nuts for it. My personal record: 43 standing ovations in a row.
For the next 20 years, I kept experimenting—teaching, directing, refining, pushing. A method emerged. A way of doing improv that hits deep, feels real, and gives performers the kind of emotional authenticity that makes comedy land with real force.
And now… I’m bringing all of this home to Maine.
I’ll be training people who want to have fun, make friends, and eventually perform live—with depth, truth, connection, and explosive joy.
Classes happen in a beautiful, private studio.
Wear something you can stretch in.
You might end up rolling around on the floor.
You’ll definitely end up laughing.
