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
In 1990. after earning a degree in theater, I began training with the Second City Improv company in Chicago where I performed and learned from many inspirational improv comedy directors. Mick Napier & Martin Demaat were my favorites.
During that time, I also performed with a dozen other improv groups.
I lived in a loft in Chicago with other directors from Second City. We had a stage in our loft where actors constantly experimented with new and original improv formats. After training intensively for professional improv comedy shows eight hours per day during the week and performing improv shows at Second City and at other improv venues almost every night, I would drag myself home after midnight only to be reinvigorated by 30-70 actor-friends who would be in my loft experimenting, partying and practicing, every night of the year.
Just before creating my improv comedy TV show, I spent six months living in a tent on the beaches and in the jungle of Kauai. I would do yoga and meditate daily. This is when I developed a vision for what would become the Whole World Theater.
In 1993, I founded the Whole World Theater. I trained every student intensively (over 2000). I sold out hundreds of shows in-a-row for years casting only my students. We made a TV show by developimg our own production company and practicing the art of video until we were good at it.
I sold the show rights for a five year period to one of the many Turmer Network in Atlanta. We aired regularly, garnered high Nielsen ratings and I won a Southeastern Regional Emmy Award for a related project.
We were sold out three weeks in advance for years. I employed many Second City improv games and forms for our show and invented new games or variations of games each week to keep my audience and my actors excited.
"The novel" is a format of improv I created which follows a cast of characters through an entire improvised cinematic play. This was the audience favorite. My record was 43 standing ovations in-a-row.
For 20 years, I experimented in my own improv studio with various styles of improv by teaching and directing. I now have a method of approach which delivers the deep hard-hitting type of improv performance audiences find most rewarding. Great actors crave depth and power within each moment of comedic performances and this format delivers.
I am bringing all of this to NYC.
I will be training people who wish to be the best improv-comedy actors in the world.
I will be training actors at a beautiful facility in Manhattan called the American Mime Theater.
My program is not for non-actors. There are other improv companies in NYC for amateur fun and self discovery.
Classes will be Saturday mornings 10am - NOON
Please come dressed to do a little stretching in our warm up and to be comfortable rolling around on the floor.
All actors will receive intensive improv comedy training from me. Shows coming soon.
