Podcasts about Charna Halpern

Everyone who works in television and movie comedy knows Charna Halpern. She's trained thousands of actors, writers, and producers at her Chicago theater, founded in 1981, called the iO theater. In this episode, Charna tells personal and funny stories about actors from Chris Farley and Neil Flynn to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Along with actor and director Del Close, Charna invented modern improvisational theater in the 1980s. The art form known as long form improvisation—a 20 or 30-minute fully improvised one-act play—was developed at the iO theater, and is still found on their stage at seven nights a week at 1501 N. Kingsbury Street in Chicago. Charna is one of the best-known and best-loved people in comedy because she developed a system for training actors how to improvise together. Her training takes a full year and it's so effective that TV producers, like Lorne Michaels, regularly visit iO theater to audition the actors who've graduated from the program. Sometimes on Saturday Night Live, every actor was once at the iO theater. Charna created a family, a community, that she lovingly calls “my people.” Here are just a few of the famous actors and writers who we talk about in this episode (in order of mention): Lorne Michaels; Cecily Strong; Tina Fey; Amy Poehler; Mike Myers; Vanessa Bayer; Adam McKay; Brian Stack; Stephen Colbert; David Koechner; Rachel Dratch; Chris Farley; Sarah Silverman; Stephanie Ware; Neil Flynn; Larry David; Seth Myers; John Lutz; Matt Walsh; Tim Meadows. She even tells a story about how she let Adam McKay sleep on her couch before he was famous because he couldn't afford to stay in Chicago. When I was doing my research on improvisation in the early 1990s, the theater was called “Improv Olympic” and only later renamed “iO.” Don't tell anyone I said that.  For more information: iO theater. https://ioimprov.com/ Truth in Comedy. Charna Halpern, Del Close, Kim Howard Johnson. Art by Committee. Charna Halpern. Music by license from SoundStripe: "Uptown Lovers Instrumental" by AFTERNOONZ "Miss Missy" by AFTERNOONZ "What's the Big Deal" by Ryan Saranich   Copyright (c) 2025 Keith Sawyer

Send us a textIn this episode of the Authors Who Lead podcast, I sit down with Kristen Van Nest. Kristen, a talented comedian, author, and business owner, sheds light on her unique writing process, the cultural nuances of living abroad, and her transition from a corporate career to creative pursuits. This episode dives deep into the intricacies of creativity, the challenges of expatriate life, and the transformative power of travel.Timestamp:00:00 Kristen Van Nest: World-traveling comedian, writer, business owner.06:07 Travel broadens perspectives and challenges personal happiness.07:10 Designed life for happiness through travel independence.11:10 Charna Halpern taught improv in Shanghai, transformative.14:38 Self-discovery through questioning values and experiences.19:05 Learning cultural roots of East Asian countries.21:51 Learning the language offers unique cultural insight.25:45 Portuguese pronunciation impresses locals and enhances the experience.29:50 Writing involves phases: Reflection, research, ritual, and closure.30:57 Write 500 words daily; create a book.34:54 Stop editing while writing; just write.37:40 Subscribe for weekly episodes and show updates.Full show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS

Dr. Jeanne Leep – Improv Nerd Meet the brilliant author and professor, Dr. Jeanne Leep. Jeanne played improv in Grand Rapids, Michigan and went on to pursue a Ph.D. in Theatre. I had the good fortune to play with Jeanne recently and was awed by her spontaneity and joy. She went to high school with our mutual friend Jay Sukow and then went on to the University Of Michigan and Wayne State College. Her best-selling book, “Theatrical Improvisation: Short Form, Long Form, and Sketch-Based Improv” is a classic book on the history of improv and sketch comedy that gives a clear definition on this often ambiguous topic. The forward was written by Jeanne's friend, Keegan Michael Key. Her research is extensive and this is certainly a book to add to your Improv Library. Brimming with original interviews from leaders in the field such as Ron West, Charna Halpern, John Sweeny and Margaret Edwartowski, Theatrical Improvisation presents straightforward improvisational theory, history, and trends. She is a Professor of Theatre Arts at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin and her students are really fortunate to have her wisdom and humor. Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/

What a delight to meet the fantastic Rob Norman in Toronto, Canada. Rob is a beloved improviser/instructor/writer/ podcaster. Rob is author of IMPROVISING NOW: A Practical Guide to Modern Improv which is currently being translated into Spanish, Chinese, and Latvian. He is a Second City alumni and has directed both the National Touring Company and Second at Sea. HIs improv journey is fascinating! He started teaching improv before he took any classes! While in high school he asked his mother to go to the library and get a book on improv and she came back with “Truth in Comedy” by Charna Halpern, Del Close, and Kim Johnson. And he started with long form! In addition to hosting and producing the weekly improv podcast, THE BACKLINE, Rob is a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Improv Troupe, and Canadian Screen Award for his performance on CityTV' Sunnyside. Rob also produced the critically acclaimed, improvised horror series LIMITED CAPACITY for CBC Radio,Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/

I'm in Los Angeles at the beginning of my Improv exploration. During an advanced class I'm taking, I go out on stage to do my scene. So I'm sitting there, painting my nails in this scene, when my scene partner comes in and starts suddenly lighting fireworks and firecrackers all around me. I go on painting my nails, not reacting to the situation. The instructor stops the scene right there and says, “Kymberlee, react.”  I'm thinking, “What do you mean? I'm focused. I'm painting my nails.” She responds, “I need you to react with the fireworks going on around you. What's your point of view on that? Do you care? Do you not care? Even if you don't, we need you to react in some way.” Lightbulb moment.  So often, we as storytellers and speakers are so focused on getting to the end of the story or the speech. We're trying to make sure we deliver every line and paragraph correctly that we forget to react and respond to what just happened. And oftentimes, that reaction might just be internal.  My guest today, Niccole Thurman, lives a life reacting as an actress, writer, and Improv performer. In this episode of the Storytelling School Podcast, you'll hear about how she does it and answers questions like: What's the difference in choosing how you react within a role or character in life (or through Improv) versus a scripted version? What different facets can flow into creating a variety of characters? And what can you do when you're having trouble adapting to a role or character? What you will learn in this episode: How to best get into the head of a character you're creating (or co-creating) How to deal with rejection as a storyteller (or in life generally) What story element truly makes comedy work and go viral Who is Niccole? Niccole Thurman is a Los Angeles-based actress and WGA award-winning writer. She is the voice of Jabberjaw, Squiddly Diddly and Dee Dee Sykes in the HBOMax series Jellystone. Her past work includes voiceovers and appearances on: Grace and Frankie and Desperados (Netflix); Kenan , Indebted, and Superstore (NBC); A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO); and Shrill (Hulu). She was also a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Opposition w/ Jordan Klepper. As a writer Niccole has worked on the ESPYs, the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards (hosted By Jimmy Kimmel), Sherman's Showcase (AMC), Baking It (Peacock), Haute Dog (HBO Max), Phoebe Robinson's show Everything is Trash (Freeform), and Robert Smigel's Let's Be Real (Fox). Links and Resources Niccole Thurman @niccolethurman on Instagram @niccolethurman on Twitter Truth in Comedy: The Manual for Improvisation by Charna Halpern, Del Close, and Kim “Howard” Johnson Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

Nick has a fantastic conversation with Katie Rich, an incredible writer/performer who spent 6 seasons writing on "Saturday Night Live," exclusively working on Weekend Update. They talk about Katie's early life growing up on the Southside of Chicago (as a Cub fan!), her days working at "iO" with people like Charna Halpern and Cecily Strong, the time she spent of stage at Second City, and the tense and amazing years she spent writing jokes and working every week on Update. She talks about what it's like to be in the studio while Update is being performed and her jokes are being told, her favorite Update segments, what it was like to write during the insane political and news period that started in 2016, and the time she got to appear on stage with Bill Murray & the World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. Nick and Katie also talk a lot about baseball (and their shared love of the '93 Phillies), throwing up in LaGuardia Airport, getting great advice from George Wendt, and Katie's work in the world of animation. This is a must-listen interview with a hilarious and gifted writer who made wonderful and funny contributions to SNL. [EP37]

Today's guest is another true legend in the world of improv, Susan Messing. She's one of the founding members of The Annoyance Theater, where she has created roles in over thirty original productions including the longest-running musical in Chicago, Co-Ed Prison Sluts.  Susan teaches and performs at the Annoyance Theater and the iO Theater and has also taught improvisational comedy for DePaul University, The University of Chicago and Loyola University.  Her essays have been published in The Second City Almanac of Improvisation and in Charna Halpern's book, Art By Committee.  Susan has also had multiple television and movie appearances, including a role in the film “Let's Go to Prison”.  We talk a little about that experience and how much she loved it. Susan is known all over for being a strong, unfiltered performer.  She has been a source of inspiration to performers everywhere, including myself.  We had a very honest and fun conversation today, and I'm so excited to share this conversation with all of you!

In Episode 91, I sit down with comedian Luke Lynndale and we begin on the word entitled. We also discuss Luke's brand new venture, the Danforth Comedy Festival. In this episode, Luke shares his passion for comedy, the entitlement of comedians and the stresses of producing comedy. We also dive into Luke's early experiences in comedy, taking breaks, wild nights in Australia, and performing during the pandemic. Luke Lynndale is a Toronto-based comedian, writer and actor. When Luke is performing, hang on for the ride – it's fast and hilarious. Luke is high energy and rants about the absurdities that affect his life. His raw truth creates a visceral reaction in audiences while they laugh. Luke has toured Los Angeles and Michigan. He has performed at notable comedy clubs including Yuk Yuks, Absolute Comedy, New York Comedy Club, Flappers Comedy Club, and The Comedy Chateau. He's been featured at comedy festivals including – Salem Comedy Festival, NY Underground Festival, Nestival Festival, and Boston Improv Festival. In 2020, he was a finalist in the Comedian of The North comedy competition in Thunder Bay, ON. He is a graduate of The Second City Sketch Program, Montreal School of Performing Arts, co-founder of critically acclaimed improv duo, DUO DAD, and founding member of Shakespeare improv troupe, We Happy Few. Luke's acting credits include Betrayal (Montreal School of Performing Arts), and Arsenic and Old Lace (Village Players). Luke has studied improv at UCB, The Annoyance, iO, The Second City, Bad Dog Theatre, The Social Capital, and The Improv Retreat. He has taken improv classes led by some legendary teachers which include Will Hines, Hal Rudnick, Billy Merritt, Armando Diaz, Charna Halpern, Jill Bernard, Joe Bill, Dave Razowsky, Brandon Gardner, Toni Charline, Christian Capozzoli, Susan Messing, Rich Sohn, Rebecca Sohn, Tara DeFrancisco, Bruce Hunter, Jon Bander, Jan Caruana, Ken Hall, Lisa Merchant, Matt Folliott, Ralph MacLeod, Rob Norman, Ted Hallett, Isaac Kessler, Frank McAnulty, Paul Constable, Lindsay Leese, Todd Fasen, Becky Johnson, and Kevin Patrick Robbins. He is a graduate of longform programs at both The Assembly and Impatient Theatre Company (ITC). EP #91 - The Johnny Rogers Show LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE: PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/Thejohnnyrogers APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-johnny-rogers-show/id1652119790 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/2SeYAHbIbsxTf8UChBAUIy YOUTUBE: / @TheJohnnyRogersShow  + everywhere podcasts are available Follow Luke Lynndale on social media https://lukelynndale.com/shows/ https://www.instagram.com/lukelynndale/ https://www.tiktok.com/@lukelynndale YouTube: / @lukelynndale  Follow Johnny Rogers on social media https://www.instagram.com/thejohnnyrogersshow/ https://www.twitter.com/TheJohnnyRogers https://www.facebook.com/TheJohnnyRogers https://www.tiktok.com/@johnnylatenight https://www.twitch.tv/thejohnnyrogers https://www.spoti.fi/3uGt9U9

In this episode we unpack French Continental Philosopher Henri Bergson's classic essay "Laughter" from 1900. This Essay Explores... What are the common characteristics in all things funny? What are the differences between Tragedy and Comedy? What function does laughter serve for society? Links to Reading & Articles mentioned Laughter by Henri Bergson Truth in Comedy by Charna Halpern & Del Close Brain Droppings by George Carlin How to be Funny by Steve Allen Night at the Roxbury (SNL skit) Anchor Man (movie) Liar Liar (movie) The Invention of Lying (movie) Austin Powers International Man of Mystery (Movie) Crocodile Dundee (Movie) Tropic Thunder (movie) Big Mouth (show) *note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode! Host: Zach Stehura  UnpackingIdeas.com Guest: Patrick McInnis  ImprovSanDiego.com Theme Music: Polyenso Timestamps 00:00:00 Intro

CHARNA HALPERNCharna Halpern (born June 1, 1952) is founded the ImprovOlympic, now known as iO. Upon iO's founding, in 1983, with partner Del Close, she began teaching Harold to many students in the Chicago theater community. Many prominent comedians performed at iO, from Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Mike Myers, She and Close co-authored the book Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation with editor Kim "Howard" Johnson in 1994.She published Group Improvisation in 2003 and Art by Committee in 2006.The remaining theater in Chicago, originally located in the Wrigleyville neighborhood was forced to relocate due to neighborhood development. In 2017, the theater reopened in the Clyborn North Area. In 2020 during a forced shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic Charna decided to close theater and sell it. iO was then purchased and as of 2022 has reopened with new management. DEL CLOSEDel Close, an actor, improviser, and coach who taught John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray and elevated improvisation to an art form.Close pioneered the concept of “long form” improvisation. “Long form is one suggestion and then you improvise for 25 minutes, and in short form you are constantly coming to the audience for suggestions throughout the evening and treating each improv game as its own little three- or four-minute piece,”While many comedy groups use improvisation as a tool to develop characters and sketches, Close believed that improvisation was the show. He often said there was really only one role for a director: “Light fuse and run!”His ideas, although hotly debated in the comedy world, have influenced nearly every improvisation group in America, from Chicago's legendary Second City to San Francisco's the Committee. “He was the singular most powerful force in improvisation in the world,” said Kelly Leonard, the producer of Second City, where Close acted and directed before opening his own theater. iO with Charna HalpernThe resident guru at “Saturday Night Live” during the show's early years, Close trained several generations of comics, from Belushi and Murray to Mike Myers and the late Chris Farley. Close came up with the idea for the popular early 1980s television show “SCTV,” which stood for Second City Television and was widely credited as the intellectual and spiritual force behind a recent renaissance in Chicago's hotbed of improvisation.Although groups such as Second City use improvisation as a rehearsal tool to develop characters and sketches, Close believed in improvisation as an end in itself. In collaboration with Halpern, he was constantly tinkering with the form, turning the Harold into a more elaborate tapestry of scenes with a cinematic flavor. The ImprovOlympic became the cutting-edge training ground, sending many of its graduates, such as Farley, to better-known venues like Second City and television and movie careers.STORYTELLERCharna HalpernBAND(Piano) Dave Asher(Guitar) Ross Plunkett(Drums) Mike Amandes (Saxophone) Eli V Wilson(Trumpet, Vocals) Ivan Pyzow (Bass) GordonVOCALISTS Matt GriffoDrake ShraderAmber LindeLisa Burton Joe BillSupport the showSupport the show via Matt Griffo's Patreon page at Patreon.com/mattgriffo

This week we welcome Paul Vaillancourt. Paul is the co-founder (with Charna Halpern) of the iO West and has been teaching and performing improv for over 20 years.In that time he has appeared all over the country including such notable venues as HBO's Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Chicago's iO (where he studied with the immortal Del Close), New York's UCB Theater, and the iO West here in Los Angeles.As an actor Paul has appeared on such shows as “The Drew Carey Show”, the UPN sitcom “Half & Half”, and the Oxygen Network's stand out “Girls Behaving Badly”. Paul has also had success as a writer and producer, co-creating and serving as supervising writer for the MTV hit “The Blame Game” as well as lending his writing and producing talents to a score of other shows for MTV, VH1, USA, Oxygen, Bravo and AMC.Check them out at whatsupwithPV on all social media channels.We now have an INSTAGRAM! Check it out at thecleancomedypodcast on Instagram.We also have a PATREON! Check out patreon.com/CleanComedyPodcast for more details.Turn your funny into money! Check out the official website here: http://comedypreneur.comPick up a copy of “How To Produce Comedy Shows For Fun & Profit” here: https://amzn.to/31H4wxmDo you have a topic that you would like to hear discussed?Are you a clean comedian looking for an awesome podcast to be in?Do you have life-burning questions?Reach out to us at https://www.thecleancomedypodcast.com/contact/

Please give a warm welcome to today's Desk Chair Expert, Grant, who brings his experience writing, performing, and directing comedy. Grant and I break down how to joke about serious subjects, discuss being relatable vs. being specific, and find out how many times we can say “truth” or “honesty” in half an hour (spoiler alert: it's a lot). Grant gives us actionable suggestions for how to generate ideas and get started with creating comedy that evokes emotions and makes a point. You can find more of Grant's work on the SPAP Sketch Comedy YouTube page. References mentioned: How to Write Funny, Scott Dikkers; Truth in Comedy, Charna Halpern, Del Close, Kim “Howard” Johnson; George Carlin; Lysistrata, Aristophanes; Joe Pera Talks With You; Fraggle Rock, Jim Henson; Nanette, Hannah Gadsby As a reminder, this series is called Desk Chair Expert because the guests are regular people talking about subjects they find interesting. Please understand that they are discussing the extent of their personal knowledge and expressing their individual opinions.

Del Close was an early innovator in Chicago's improv comedy scene. His long and storied career included many positions like house director of The Committee, acting coach for SNL, and co-founder of iO. Reset invites Charna Halpern, his co-founder of iO, and Susan Messing, a former student and prolific improv teacher, to discuss is Del's influence on Chicago comedy.

KP joins to talk about origins and dramatic sudden closure of iO theater. How can you make a sustainable business off of adults playing pretend? Turns out it’s pretty hard. This episode has everything: improv comedy, wage theft allegations, desecration of human remains. Twists and turns everywhere! Follow KP's incredible project @they.call.us everywhere!!! Footnotes: Behind the Laughs: Community and Inequality in Comedy, Michael P. Jeffries The Funniest One in the Room: The Lives and Legend of Del Close, Kim “Howard” Johnson Chicago Comedy: A Fairly Serious History, Margaret Hicks Skullduggery, Tad Friend, The New Yorker Comedy Guru Charna Halpern Carries On, Achy Obejas, Chicago Tribune The First Comedy Strike, Richard Zoglin, Time Magazine This Unsung Comic Guru Turned Her Passion For Improv Into a Profitable Business INC Magazine, 2016 iO Co-Founder's Controversial Sexual Harassment Comments Spark Debate, Mae Rice, Chicagoist iO Chicago’s move is more than a new address, Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune iO makes a big move into founder Charna Halpern’s ‘dream theater’, Brianna Wellen, Chicago Reader What We Can Learn From Improv Theaters' PPP Loans, Seth Simons, Paste Magazine

Previous guest, Xavier Padin, returns to talk about NYC's newest comedy collective! Rubbish Comedy Collective is a new comedy crew offering shows and classes. This collective was started in part by Xave. He talks with Jason about why the collective got started, who is involved, what all Rubbish Comedy will be doing on and off stage, the state of affairs in the comedy community, and much more! Their first show is on Oct. 23rd! *********************** Xave's Book Reads: Truth in Comedy by Charna Halpern, Del Close, Kim Howard Johnson Improvise: Scene from the Inside Out by Mick Napier Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art by Stephen Nachmanovitch *********************** Find show and class information at rubbishcomedy.com *********************** Twitter: @XaveTiger, @RubbishComedy, @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrJokes Instagram: @RubbishComedy, @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrPics Facebook: @RubbishComedyNYC, @ThereItIsPod Subscribe to our comedy newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/e22defd4dee2/thereitis

David Nieker comedy is uncommon and unflinching, landing punchlines that span an emotional distance between his heroes, Rodney Dangerfield and Mr. Mike. I get no respect but I try to fight back with my wit,” he says. "I'm proud to finally be able to defend myself with my words.” Since 2010, he's been busy doing that and what he's wanted to do his whole life—making audiences laugh at stand up comedy at clubs and festivals throughout the United States. As an undergrad at the University of Illinois, Chicago, he first walked on screen 1986 as Goon #2 in Goldie Hawn's football classic, Wildcats. He also trained at the early ImprovOlympic with legends Charna Halpern and Del Close. After graduation, he embarked on an introverted creative path as an advertising copywriter at ad agencies and Fortune 500 companies in Chicago, Seattle, Miami and Los Angeles. He became a member of SAG-AFTRA in 2014, and has since been seen in sketches on Jimmy Kimmel Live and CONAN, as an imposter on To Tell The Truth, and as a Woodsman in David Lynch's Twin Peaks: The Return, 2017. He's also been featured in a Justin Timberlake music video, and in a commercial for Mercedes-Benz. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mostlyjuststories/support

For this episode, Whit has a conversation with Jay Sukow — a US improviser based in LA, but in New Zealand traveling for this recording. After catching up a bit, we jumped into an amazing conversation about his favorite (by far) of over 300 10-minute scenes that he's been doing since early on in the pandemic. This is all the more impressive given that his online series “10 Minutes with…” where he improvises a 10 minute scene with someone from anywhere on the planet, has over 100,000 views. Jay is very much about positivity towards improv and saying yes within your improv. This has led to a continued desire and enthusiasm for improv and improv community online – something that we also spend some time talking about in this episode. As far as Jay's background, he's been improvising for nearly 30 years. A few of those he has trained with include Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, David Razowsky, Keith Johnstone, Del Close, Charna Halpern, Jeff Michalski and Mick Napier. He is a graduate of training centers of The Second City, The Second City NW, iO Chicago, and ComedySportz Chicago and the founder of Today Improv. He also served as the Artistic Director/Head of Training at the Improv Comedy Copenhagen Theatre, where he taught improv and sketch comedy to expats from all around the world. He previously taught for Second City Chicago, Second City Hollywood, Westside Comedy Theater, iO Chicago (where he was also head of its artistic committee), iO West and ComedySportz Chicago, and has taught at many improv festivals around the world, including the Oslo Impro Festival, the Copenhagen International Improv Festival, the Barcelona Improv Festival and the Chicago Improv Festival. He is the winner of The Golden Pineapple, awarded to the best visiting teacher at Improv Comedy Copenhagen. At the Westside Comedy Theater, Jay is in the cast of Mission Improvable and Improv Famous, an Armando-style show featuring some of the best improvisors on the planet. He is also part of the duo Zer0 H0ur with Bill Chott and was an ensemble member of ComedySportz Chicago, several weekend “house” improv teams at iO Chicago and many other improv and sketch comedy groups. At least, that's the in person stuff! Also, Jay is the co-host of ImprovCast with Jay and Landon. Follow Jay and Jay-related stuff at: JaySukow.com Today Improv Facebook Twitter Instagram Jay also appeared as a panelist on the first session of the Covid-19 Improv Summit and both sessions related to online improv in the Summit.

In this episode, Chris, Sam, and Jaymie pull a page from Truth in Comedy by Charna Halpern and dissect each and every word.   Here is the excerpt:   Every director has heard the dreaded, familiar "My character wouldn't do that." There is nothing a character won't do. When an actor discovers a new character in his personality, he must find what will make him go further — to do the unexpected. Developing characters proved to be one of the most useful elements of the Harold for Chris Farley when he moved on to Saturday Night Live. "I was able to come up with many different characters. In one Harold, I could do five characters, and maybe hone those just a little bit and try 'em again," says Farley. "There are so many different characters you can do in one given Harold — five characters can easily emerge."   KEY POINTS FOR CHAPTER NINE *Commit to the physical. *Let your environment affect you. *Be specific with your objects. *Reveal yourself through your character.

Last June, three months into the pandemic, iO Theater's co-founder Charna Halpern announced that the theater would have to close down permanently. In a recent turn of events, however, iO has found a new set of owners that want to preserve its legacy. Reset talks to Halpern about what the future holds for the Chicago improv mainstay.

This week The TV Boys sit down to discuss Amy Poehler. When was she in SNL? Is she really from Pawnee? What is the most tragic TV death? What is Izzy's most hated sound? Join us as we answer all these questions and much more.

Krisha is wearing a Del Close Marathon t-shirt, which reminds Frank of the time he asked Del's significant other, Charna Halpern, about Del's skull. Frank gives Krisha a pair of vintage sunglasses that used to belong to Jere's Aunt Dee. Krisha asks Frank what he doesn't like about Billy Joel songs. Frank prefers female singers in pop, rock, soul, disco, opera, etc. Krisha gave Frank a 3D Dino Stone project to paint with Artie. Frank shows off photos and video of them painting the resin dinosaur. Frank originally thought they had to match the picture on the box but Artie used different, better colors. Krisha was inspired to paint an aura. She also wants to take a pottery class, which Frank thinks she should try to do in Sevier County. Today's episode is sponsored by Steve's Tree Service. They have 5 star ratings on Facebook, Google, Yelp, and neighborhood apps. Steve's Tree Service serves Knox, Sevier, Blount, Anderson, Loudon, and Jefferson Counties. Call 865-257-6214. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Audible Premium Plus and get a free premium selection that's yours to keep. Go to http://www.audibletrial.com/KrishaAndFrank  Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell for notifications: https://YouTube.com/KrishaAndFrank  Subscribe to the audio of our podcast on your choice of apps including https://krishaandfrank.podbean.com/  Find us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/KrishaAndFrank  https://www.instagram.com/KrishaAndFrank  https://www.twitter.com/KrishaAndFrank  Thanks! K&F

This week we close out 2020 with the worst medical experience Chid has had in quite some time. It's episode 69. Don't judge me for my terrible life, please. Plus, Chris Murphy (@dropchrismurphy) teaches the fellas about improv.Happy New Year. If you want to defray the cost of my medication, $roundingdown on the CashApp. Support the show (https://cash.app/$roundingdown)

Miles Stroth began his study of improvisation in 1987 at the famed Second City Theater in Chicago. In 1990 he began working with Charna Halpern and Del Close at the then ImprovOlympic, now IO in Chicago. Miles has been associated with the IO, teaching, performing, directing, ever since. Wanting to express his own unique perceptions of the work to students, Miles opened The Miles Stroth Workshop in 2007.Miles was a member of the seminal improv team The Family, whose members included Adam Mckay, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, Neil Flynn and Ali Farahnakian. The Family, directed by Del Close, created and introduced into the improv world The Deconstruction and The Movie forms. Miles had the privilege of working with the late Del Close for eight years. Del saw the improv community as a tribe with himself as the Mojo Man and referred to Miles as his Warchief.Miles has been performing weekly since 1992 and has performed in well over 1000 long-form shows. Miles has created or had a hand in creating many of the long-forms that play around the country today. Among them, The Armando, The Deconstruction, The Movie, The La Ronde and Two-Person Long-Form. Among the improv shows, Three Mad Rituals, Dynamite Fun Nest, The Armando Diaz Theatrical Experience, Movement and Hootenanny, Zumpf, Assscat, and Heather & Miles. If you want more on Miles, google him.You can learn more about Miles and The Pack Theater at https://www.packtheater.com/You can also catch the Pack Theater on https://www.twitch.tv/packtheaterDownload your own Vote Plan at https://www.voteplan.us/vote-plan/Follow Vote Plan on Social Media:https://www.instagram.com/voteplan2020/https://twitter.com/VotePlan2020Facebook.com/voteplan2020 

The pandemic quarantine and accusations of racism from a change.org petition has caused the Theater's owner to call it quits. iO Theater owner Charna Halpern discusses with John Howell.

In this episode Kati and Kelsey talk about the books they are *trying* to read and video games. Can you guess who the gamer is? FOLLOW US: Kati - @shelfmadewoman on Instagram Kelsey - @littlereadinglists on Instagram BOOKS WE COVERED: "Range" by David Epstein "Too Much" by Rachel Vorona Cote "Truth in Comedy" by Charna Halpern and Del Close "Save Yourself" by Cameron Esposito "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott "Miracle Creek" by Angie Kim "Caraval" by Stephanie Garber "Significant Zero" by Walt Williams "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline "Slay" by Brittney Morris NOTE: When Kelsey couldn't remember the website created for fanficton it is called Archive of Our Own @ https://archiveofourown.org!

En esta semana del cumpleaños de Del Close, Francisco Antillón habla sobre el libro que creó el formato largo de improvisación como lo conocemos hoy: La verdad en la comedia (Truth in Comedy) de Del Close, Charna Halpern y Kim "Howard" Johnson. __________ Encuéntranos en redes sociales, en facebook, instagram y reddit. ¿Estás en CDMX y quieres tomar clases de improv? ¡Visita theassemblymx.com o las redes sociales de The Assembly México y conoce los próximos talleres! El tema musical es Thought Bubbles de Lee Rosevere. Encuentra su música en Bandcamp.

In this Del Close's birthday week, Francisco Antillón talks about the book that created long from improv as we know it today: Truth in comedy, by Del Close, Charna Halpern and Kim "Howard" Johnson. __________ Find us on facebook, instagram and reddit. Are you on Mexico City and want to take improv classes? Visit theassemblymx.com or The Assembly Mexico's Facebook and find out about the next available classes! The musical theme is Thought Bubbles by Lee Rosevere. Find his music on Bandcamp.

David Pasquesi, actor best known for his roles as Blaise St. John on Lodge 49 (now available on Hulu) and Andrew Meyer on HBO's Veep, sat down with me to talk about the movies that made him who he is today.  Join us, as we discuss witty banter, Buster Keaton tangents, honorable mentions, and eggplant forces. Have something to say about David's influential movies?  Want to share a comment or ask me a question?  It's easy to reach me!  Just visit the Contact Us page to send me a message, or you can email directly at moviesmademepod@gmail.com. Be sure you follow the show on Facebook,  Twitter and Instagram for all the latest Movies Made Me information and unique content. Whether you subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, or Spotify, your ratings and reviews matter!  Provide a rating and your comments about the show on any of those services and I'll be sure to give you a shout-out on an upcoming episode! Here are links to items of interest mentioned in episode 131: Lodge 49 on Hulu and Amazon Prime Improv at the Speed of Life by David Pasquesi and TJ Jagadowski Graveyard on YouTube Truth in Comedy by Charna Halpern, Del Close and Kim "Howard" Johnson Be sure to join me for these upcoming episodes: March 16: Episode 132 featuring another great guest. Movies Made Me is a part of the Dragon Wagon Radio independent podcast network. Learn more at dragonwagonradio.com.

We always love our amazingly talented guests, but this time we were Star Struck! David Pasquesi is a brilliant artist and one of the nicest people you're ever likely to meet. He is a master improvisor and has created memorable performances in many movies and TV series. He was excellent as Julia Louis Dreyfuss's ex-husband, Andrew in VEEP and had a great role as the "local alchemist" on the weird and wonderful Lodge 49. He also has done some infamous and long running voice-over spots for clients like McDonalds and Anheuser Busch. We have included his remarkable commercial reel in this episode. You can also go to David's website to check out his work. David studied with the legendary improvisation pioneer Del Close, who created the Harold and was part of the first ever Harold team, Baron's Barracudas. David describes the Harold as a "long form group improvisation that was developed as a performance piece itself as opposed to using it to create material for revues...The aim is that the work is consistently good enough to be able to warrant a ticket price." We talk about Del's ideas about working genuinely in improvisation. Gary reads from David and TJ Jagodowski's book, Improvisation at the Speed of Life. "Del taught us to play slowly without worrying about entertaining the audience. He stressed the importance of playing at the top of our intelligence...Another big lesson I took from Del was not to talk too much because overusing words diminishes the power of each one. Del taught us to dare to be poets...Don't be afraid of silence." TJ & Dave have been doing long form performances at iO in Chicago and Barrow Street Theatre in New York since 2001. Stephen Colbert says of them, "One of these guys is the best improvisor in the world. And the other one is better." The New York Times calls their work, "...a creative tour de force, an intellectual high-wire act as astonishing as it is entertaining." They met on a team at the Chicago Improv Festival and found they shared a reverence for the same kind of work. They make it "more about discovery than invention...The work can be funny, but also sad, heartwarming, kind, scary, brutal. It's unlimited." David talks about the important role of the audience. TJ & Dave "requires interested people watching it." David and our co-host Frank talk about teaching improvisation. "The most important thing is listening and paying attention...Be genuine moment to moment and the rest of it takes care of itself." Gary asks about another of David's teachers and mentors, Charna Halpern, who built ImprovOlympic with Del, has taught so many magnificent actors and writers, and now owns the marvelous iO Theatre at 1501 Kingsbury. There are 4 performances there every night of the week, a nice bar, and good food. Charna gave us great backstory on a few things. Such as: David camped out at her place when he was a student without an apartment and cooked dinner in exchange for his room. She also told us about him juggling apples in his stand up act and that he does great impersonations (not). Learn more about the force of nature that is Charna on episode 47 of our show, performed live at Steppenwolf Theatre. Frank reviews the superb production of Sheepdog, directed by friend of the show and recent guest, Wardell Julius Clark. Frank says its is an important and powerful play that poses questions that lead to great discussions. Running through February 29. Gary is going to see it Feb. 13 and can't wait. David tells us about some of his other important influences. He took his first class with Judy Morgan. Then read Jeff Sweet's book, Something Wonderful Right Away. David tells us about the importance of the concepts of heat and weight. Heat involves the gravity of the situation and weight is about the emotional charge. Things that they discover about what's "already there" rather than making it up. Gary shares his love of a new book called, Life Isn't Everything,

Steve Dale speaks with Charna Halpern, Co-founder and Artistic Director of the iO Theater, about the power of comedy and laughter. Charna shares what the iO Theater is and what they have to offer; what she’s learned thus far as a member on the board of directors for the Friends of Chicago Animal Care and Control (FCACC); […]

This week I'm honored to speak with iO founder Charna Halpern about improv in general, starting iO, and Del Close. Host: Jason Klamm Producer: Mike Worden Guest: Charna Halpern ioimprov.com Check out Celery Sound Records, my sketch comedy record label at celerysoundrecords.com. Please subscribe to … Continue reading →

First Draft Episode #187: Will Hines Will Hines, improviser and actor, host of the podcast, “Screw It: We’re Just Going to Talk About the Beatles,” and author of How to be the Greatest Improviser on Earth joins me to talk about using his Tumblr to test audience engagement; the delicate nature of writing about a community you are a part of; his thorough approach to making the self-publication process as professional as possible; and his next (fictional) book about improv, co-written with fellow improviser Billy Merritt, Pirate Robot Ninja.   Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode Josh Simpson, an improviser and teacher at the Upright Citizens Brigade training school in Los Angeles, and co-host of The Meat, an improv podcast Jimmy Breslin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and journalist, who wrote The Good Rat, The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight, and The World According to Breslin, and more The Upright Citizen’s Brigade, the improv group and school founded by Amy Poehler, Matt Besser, Matt Walsh, and Ian Roberts. Will’s Tumblr, Improv Nonsense, which gained traction and has been featured on Vulture and elsewhere   Truth in Comedy by Charna Halpern, Del Close, and Kim “Howard” Johnson, considered one of the premiere books about long-form improvised comedy Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual, the UCB training manual Improvise: Scene From the Inside Out by Mick Napier     Bird by Bird: Some Instructions of Writing and Life by Anne Lamott, a writing advice book that Will read as a young computer programmer Andrew Sullivan, a conservative author, editor, and blogger who featured Will’s post, “Improv as religion,” on his site, garnering lots of attention     The Life Changing Art of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron Repetition exercises as a part of the Meisner Technique study of acting     Tenth of December: Stories by George Saunders “A Lack of Order in the Floating Object Room,” by George Saunders, a silly and slightly sci-fi short story that typifies his early writing and is the kind of humor writing that inspires Will John Hodgman, author of Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches In writing, Will is concerned about what he calls “The Kevin Smith Problem,” where every character sounds the same (a la Clerks, Mallrats, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) Jason Mantzoukas, an actor, writer, and seasoned improviser who Will saw constantly improving his craft Offset printing, a style of printing on the page that is “the way to make your book look beautiful,” according to Will, but it is more expensive, and requires a minimum print run Artist Maëlle Doliveux, who drew the cover of Will’s book Chip Kidd, a well-known book designer of Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton; Dry by Augusten Borroughs; and Naked by David Sedaris (he also has a hugely popular Ted Talk!). Daniel Clowes, a cartoonist, graphic novelist, illustrator, and screenwriter. His work is collected in the solo Eightball project. The Pirates, Robots, Ninjas theory, coined by Billy Merritt, a fellow UCB alum and teacher     The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho; and   “Carry On, Jeeves,” by P.G. Wodehouse; and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams are some of the funny books Will recommends Without Feathers by Woody Allen, a collection of his writing which Will read and enjoyed as a masterclass on comedy before we knew all that awful stuff about Woody Allen Out of Sheer Rage: Wrestling with D.H. Lawrence by Geoff Dyre, a meta novel about a man who wants to write about D.H. Lawrence but finds himself wanting to focus on anything else Steve Martin, who blurbed Geoff Dyre’s book and has written his own, Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life (nonfiction) and Shopgirl: A Novella (fiction) Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; Michael Dante  DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works. Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It’s free!   Rate, Review, and Recommend How do you like the show? Please take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you! Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Please share this episode on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or via carrier pigeon (maybe try a text or e-mail, come to think of it). Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post! Thanks again!

It's Tuesday and ... Kat Kenny is our guest! Kathleen Kenny is the Improv Director & Education Director at Bob Carter's Actor's Rep in West Palm Beach where she's been teaching short form and long form improvisation to improvisers of all levels for the past 10 years as well as acting classes for over 15 years. She currently plays with Actors' Rep house team Friends with Benefits and understated as well as Mod 27's Bananas Republic. She's been doing her lotto show Get Lucky with Kat for about 2 years and often guests with local improv troupes doing as many fests as time allows. She received her B.F.A. in acting from the Actor Training Program at the University of Utah and is a graduate of the UCB Training Center in NYC as well as levels I & II of the I.O Chicago Intensives in Miami where she studied with Charna Halpern & Tara Defrancisco. She's taken multiple classes with David Razowsky and loves to be a student as much as she loves to teach. Kat coaches many local improv teams from various theatres and is proud to have taught workshops at many improv festivals including Salt Lake City, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Palm Beach, & the Improv U Improv Cruise.

Today's guest is a multi-hyphenate entertainer from Chicago, Jill Valentine! You heard Jill talk about her comedy festivals in the recent episode about festivals, but today you get to hear all about her! Jill has done it all in Chicago! She's an actress, writer, director, improviser and has mostly focused on sketch throughout her career. Jason and Jill went up the hill and talk about how she started studying at Second City, what it was like when she started out in sketch, working in Chicago, taking chances when Charna Halpern talks you into it, wearing all the hats when developing a show, being the Executive Director of Stage 773, and not being a video game character! A ton is covered so listen in and broaden your horizons because a lot of great advice is doled out! More Online: jillvalentineactor.com Twitter - @JillMValentine, @Stage773, @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrJokes Facebook - @Stage773, @ThereItIsPod

Charna Halpern has spent her life helping others, especially those without a Y chromosome. Her career began as teacher in a school for juvenile delinquent girls. That all changed one night in Dixon—an Illinois town of less than 25,000—more than 100 miles west of her hometown Chicago. In this podcast, Charna shares that story and how it led her from one classroom into a completely different one: teaching improv and shaping comedy history. Her students have included Chris Farley, Steve Carrell, Mike Myers, Adam McKay and Jason Sudeikis. But in a male-dominated industry, Charna has never forgotten her girls. In the mid-90s, she noticed two talented young women taking improv classes on different days. One was from Philadelphia, the other Boston. Charna asked them to start learning together because she believed they would not only hold their own, they might show up some of their misogynistic fellow prodigies. It worked…and still does 25 years later. Other podcast highlights include Charna explaining the revolutionary idea of long format improv, working with Lorne Michaels, and convincing a young woman in her box office to step out and audition for Saturday Night Live. The woman reluctantly agreed and today is a comedic fixture on the show. Finally, any real talk with a Chicago native has to address pizza. Charna cites her favorites in the podcast, including Pizzeria Uno (River North). 1K is affiliated with the 100 Words Film Festival and powered by OrthoCarolina. 1K is hosted by Scott Galloway. Produced and edited by Jordan Snyder. Music composed by Jason Hausman. Recorded at Concentrix Music and Sound Design.  

Ms. Halpern mentored comedy legends like Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Amy Poehler, and Cecily Strong—while building a comedy empire with her iO Theater, home of 'The Harold' (the improv format she created with Del Close).  

David Pasquesi is one of the most experienced improvisers currently performing on stage, focused on exploring the moment together with the audience, and not just performing for the audience. His Chicago and New York based show Tj&Dave—with his stage partner TJ Jagodowski—surprises hundreds every week not just because it’s funny, but for its honest search and discovery of connections that just a moment earlier did not exist. From The Second City to Hollywood, as an actor Dave has performed for theatre, commercials, movies, and TV shows including Groundhog Day, God of Carnage, Strangers with Candy, Veep, Curb your Enthusiasm, At Home with Amy Sedaris, and many different films directed by Harold Ramis. He was also part of the original group developing The Harold, the first long form improvisation conceived by Del Close as a self-enclosed structure in the ’80s and still performed at Charna Halpern’s iO Theater Chicago. His recently published book, co-authored with Tj Jagodowski and Pam Victor, is Improvisation at the Speed of Life.  

Charna Halpern founded the Improv Olympic theaters in Chicago and Los Angeles, she worked directly with Del Close and mentored many of the most successful comedians working today. Josh and Jake went to Chicago and sat down with Charna for a very special conversation about the history of the Improv Olympic Theater in Chicago, her days working with Del Close, Chris Farley's formative years, what it was like to mentor people like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Adam McKay and Brian Stack, and a whole lot more. Charna also talks about the future of improv comedy, the fun and family she's found through improv and the importance of comedy in these particularly messed up times. We don't improvise on this episode, we just go way inside baseball. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy ( https://www.acast.com/privacy ) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-meat-improv-with-jake-jabbour-and-josh-simpson/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In today's special episode we celebrate our One Year Anniversary!! Jason and Justina kick off the episode then Jason introduces clips of great "There It Is" moments! Take a listen at what you might have missed in previous episodes! Relive some favorite moments (like fun moments with Ayden Mayeri and Susan Messing) and relearn some sound advice (from Charna Halpern, Joe Toplyn, and Katy Berry). We all need reminders! It's a celebration! Come enjoy it with us! Follow us on Twitter: @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrJokes Facebook: @ThereItIsPod

Update: PT39 transcript now available Alex and Nick welcome Alison Tafel, staff writer on Netflix's BoJack Horseman, to discuss writing on an adult comedy animation TV show. What is the BoJack Horseman writers' room like? How different is writing for animation from live-action? How do writers interact with animators? How much is planned in advance of the season? How are episodes broken in the room? The Paper Team horses around... SHOWNOTES Content Starting out in Hollywood, getting staffed on BoJack Horseman, and the writing process on the Netflix TV show (00:46) Resources and Next Time On (48:53) Links Alison Tafel on Twitter BoJack Horseman on Netflix Kenneth Parcell Raising Hope Bunk'd NBC's Late Night Writers Worshop Raphael Bob-Waksberg Project Greenlight "Fish Out of Water" (3x04 - BoJack Horseman) "Downer Ending" (1x11 - BoJack Horseman) "Stop the Presses" (3x07 - BoJack Horseman) Greg Kinnear Margo Martindale Jessica Biel Charming Cheetah Comedy on YouTube John Myers on Twitter Stoopid Buddy Stoodios David Hill on Twitter Superstore Rachel Bloom Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Sheet Music Resources "Truth in Comedy: The Manual for Improvisation" - Charna Halpern, Del Close, Kim Howard Johnson "Comedy Writing for Late-Night TV" - Joe Toplyn This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode. If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :) You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

This week, Charna Halpern and her dog Violet join Sarah in bed! Charna is the co-founder of iO (formerly improv Olympic). They talk about Del Close, psychic dreams, recruiting for SNL and experiences with several iO alumni including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Cecily Strong and more!   You can follow Charna on Twitter @CharnaHalpern or visit ioimprov.com for more information about the theater.   Sleeping with Sarah is a podcast where comedian and narcoleptic, Sarah Albritton interviews people in her bed. They talk about sleep, comedy and relationships. Sleeping with Sarah is proud to be part of the Laugh Factory podcast network. Visit www.sleepingwithsarah.com for more information. You can follow Sarah on twitter:@sarahalbritton and instagram @sarahalbritton or visit her at www.sarahalbritton.

Roscoe and Gary feel on the cusp of stardom and celebrity as they record Episode 48 in time for the holidays. Basking in the great feedback and listener response to our Charna Halpern interview on the last episode, the boys dream of Booth One seating at the great establishments of the world, particularly the Old Ebbett Grill in Washington, DC, where the shellfish is always fresh and the oysters are always briny and cold. We announce the winner of our Hamilton ticket raffle - that lucky someone who will accompany Gary and Roscoe to the Chicago production on Dec. 4. And the winner is......Fran Bernstein, long-time friend and fan of the show! Congratulations, Fran. We'll see you at the PrivateBank Theatre on the aisle! And don't forget we have the VIP Experience before curtain and at intermission. How Booth One of us.... Gary and Roscoe take a tour of the current Broadway season, noting that the aforementioned Hamilton grossed $3.3M last week, the most money ever made in a single week by a Broadway show. Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 also cleared the $1M mark (much to Roscoe's consternation), joining the ranks of The Lion King, Wicked and Aladdin. Another new Broadway show, Heisenberg, prompts Roscoe to share one of his great unpleasant theater-going experiences of all time. Hint: It involves a faulty hearing device and a Wednesday matinee crowd. And tickets for Sally Field in The Glass Menagerie appear to be selling briskly for a March opening. Lost footage of a filmed version of this play from the 1960's starring Shirley Booth of Hazel fame and Hal Holbrook will be aired on Turner Classic Movies during December. Gary went to the circus again. For the first time in 134 years without elephants. But it's still an experience not to be missed. Booth One tip: Sit as close as you can without being in the front row. It's worth it for the smell of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowd. As well as the snarling of the lions and tigers. Here's an image of Gary in his souvenir pachyderm hat! On a related note, Elephant Polo will now be disbanded in Nepal in the continuing and important efforts for elephant conservation and welfare. Though widely known for it's humane treatment of the animals since 1982, a spokesperson for the International Elephant Polo Championships said, "We've always been ahead of the game in the way we treat our elephants, but we prefer our elephants to remain as elephants, and elephant polo is hardly that." Live long and prosper, you great giants of the jungle. It's been a stellar season for great movies, but we rue the fact that many of the smaller films come and go so quickly in Chicago to make room for the holiday blockbusters. Some films we wish stayed around longer so we could see them are Moonlight, Loving, Birth of a Nation and Inferno. Roscoe mourns for Warren Beatty and his new film Rules Don't Apply, which received mixed notices but can only be seen at 10:00am at one theater in the city. And has per screen grosses in only the hundreds of dollars. Sad. It's A Wonderful Life has always been one of Gary's favorite films, and this holiday season he visited the Live in Chicago version presented by American Blues Theatre. It's a clever, well-produced, and highly entertaining piece of theatre, and Gary recommends it as a perennial must-see. To give our listeners a flavor of the presentation and the high quality of the actors involved, we've inserted a few excerpts from the production, courtesy of the American Blues Theatre publicist and friend of the show, Cathy Taylor. You'll hear George Bailey, Bert & Ernie, Mary Bailey, Mr. Potter, and the unique talents of a great Foley artist. If this doesn't put you in the holiday spirit, we don't know what will. Another installment of Remembering Roscoe highlights the life of Howard Johnson, graduate of Monticello High School in 1912. A true story of triumph of the human spirit. Inspiring, moving, and a story worth remembering.

Gary and Roscoe record Episode 47 before a live audience at Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre as part of the 1st Annual Chicago Podcast Festival. Special guest in the Booth Charna Halpern discusses the legendary iO Theater in Chicago, and her work over a 30-year career using improvisation to develop and discover future comedy stars. Her theaters have been a prime conduit of talented performers, writers, and directors for film and television. Graduates of the iO have appeared on Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien, among dozens of others. Mike Myers called Charna Halpern "The Uta Hagen of comedy." And the New York Times labeled her "The Hidden Architect of Modern Comedy." Alumni of the iO include Adam McKay, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Stephen Colbert, Chris Farley, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, Jason Sudeikis and Vince Vaughn. Under Halpern's direction, the iO Theaters are producing the next generation of artistic geniuses. Charna shares her insight, experiences and advice to aspiring improv performers in a delightful 45 minutes. We promote Charna and Del Close's book Truth in Comedy - The Manual of Improvisation, widely considered to be the improv "bible" for those wishing to learn the techniques, games and structures of long-form improv and "Harold". And if you want to learn more from Charna, get her latest book Art by Committee, a guide to advanced improvisation that includes a DVD showing her principles in action. In a couple of digressions, Gary announces the giveaway of a Hamilton ticket for the lucky winner of a raffle, culled from those who sign up for our A-List at Booth-One.com before November 28. And Roscoe describes his recent New York trip to see Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 at the Imperial Theatre. Suffice it to say that audience participation does not figure highly in Roscoe's enjoyment of theatrical entertainment. Finally, Charna shares her love of animals, particularly her efforts to rescue and find foster homes for dogs. She explains why the ACC animals need homes the most.  For more information on adopting a pet from Animal Care & Control in Chicago, go to this site. She also tells us about the fascinating work she did in Africa with orphaned elephants through David Sheldrick's Wildlife Trust. And describes what it was like to take walks with a wily giraffe named Kiku. As you know, we love elephants on Booth One!  

The New York Times called her "The Hidden Architect of Modern Comedy." She's nurtured the careers of the likes of Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Adam McKay, Chris Farley, Andy Richter, Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant. The lord and master of SNL, Lorne Michael regularly looks to her for new talent. She's gone from having IO (formerly Improv Olympic) kicked out of numerous bar backroom venues (Andy Richter and his pickup truck were always on call to move sets from one place to another) to recently building a 7-million dollar comedy mecca on Kingsbury Street in Chicago, the true home of improvisation. Charna and her old partner in crime, the late, great Del Close, believed that improv could be more than a means to an end- it could be an art form all its own. And Charna has been proving it for over 30 years. Hope you enjoy this conversation with a true force of nature, the amazing Charna Halpern. Also on the show today, a duet with the wonderful Naomi Ashley from her record Another Year Or So, "Lullaby."

Paul Vaillancourt joins us as our first guest! We discuss being a teacher in the world of improv! Paul is the co-founder (with Charna Halpern) of the iO West and has been teaching and performing improv for close to 30 years. In that time he has appeared all over the country including such notable venues as HBO's Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Chicago's iO (where he studied with the immortal Del Close), New York's UCB Theater, and Austin's Out of Bounds Festival to name a few. Paul has also had success as a writer and producer, co-creating and serving as supervising writer for the MTV hit “The Blame Game” as well as lending his writing and producing talents to a score of other shows for MTV, VH1, USA, Oxygen, Bravo and AMC. He published his first book about improv called “The Triangle of the Scene” (available on iBooks and Amazon Kindle) and, for the past year and a half, has been producing a weekly series of videos called “Improv Tips” available on his YouTube channel PVImprov. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pvimprov Twitter: https://twitter.com/WhatsUpWithPV (@whatsupwithpv) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatsupwithpv/ (@whatsupwithpv) YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/pvimprov

This is part 4 (out of 12) of a panel discussion about Del Close, hosted by Charna Halpern at the iO Theatre in Chicago on August 9th, 2016. Charna Halpern, David Pasquesi, Cesar Jaime, Noah Gregoropoulos, and Kim Johnson answer questions from the audience. Part 4 deals with the Harold and its evolution.

This is part 12 (out of 12) of a panel discussion about Del Close, hosted by Charna Halpern at the iO Theatre in Chicago on August 9th, 2016. Charna Halpern, David Pasquesi, Cesar Jaime, Noah Gregoropoulos, and Kim Johnson answer questions from the audience. Part 12 deals with Del Close's legacy through his famous students (Bill Murray, Tina Fey, etc.), and his relationship with Keith Johnstone. Follow us on WeChat: SHCCPodcast

This is part 3 (out of 12) of a panel discussion about Del Close, hosted by Charna Halpern at the iO Theatre in Chicago on August 9th, 2016. Charna Halpern, David Pasquesi, Cesar Jaime, Noah Gregoropoulos, and Kim Johnson answer questions from the audience. Part 3 deals with Del's "witchcraft", how Charna met Del, the Invocation, the first rule of improv and Westminster Kitchen Rules, and how the Harold came about.

This is part 7 (out of 12) of a panel discussion about Del Close, hosted by Charna Halpern at the iO Theatre in Chicago on August 9th, 2016. Charna Halpern, David Pasquesi, Cesar Jaime, Noah Gregoropoulos, and Kim Johnson answer questions from the audience. Part 7 deals with Del's personality and social interactions, his demons, and his use of drugs and alcohol.

This is part 11 (out of 12) of a panel discussion about Del Close, hosted by Charna Halpern at the iO Theatre in Chicago on August 9th, 2016. Charna Halpern, David Pasquesi, Cesar Jaime, Noah Gregoropoulos, and Kim Johnson answer questions from the audience. Part 11 deals with the idea of "following the fear" (misinterpreted by a student as "follow the fun"). Great answer from improv giants! Follow us on WeChat: SHCCPodcast

This is part 10 (out of 12) of a panel discussion about Del Close, hosted by Charna Halpern at the iO Theatre in Chicago on August 9th, 2016. Charna Halpern, David Pasquesi, Cesar Jaime, Noah Gregoropoulos, and Kim Johnson answer questions from the audience. Part 10 deals with Del Close's philosophy for improv as applied to modern improv, and two of his major thoughts: "Cheers, not laughs" and the "theatre of the heart".

This is part 9 (out of 12) of a panel discussion about Del Close, hosted by Charna Halpern at the iO Theatre in Chicago on August 9th, 2016. Charna Halpern, David Pasquesi, Cesar Jaime, Noah Gregoropoulos, and Kim Johnson answer questions from the audience. Part 9 deals with memorable notes the panel members received from Del, his philosophy on developing scenes, and a very famous instance of his "trust exercise".

This is part 2 (out of 12) of a panel discussion about Del Close, hosted by Charna Halpern at the iO Theatre in Chicago on August 9th, 2016. Charna Halpern, David Pasquesi, Cesar Jaime, Noah Gregoropoulos, and Kim Johnson answer questions from the audience. Part 2 deals with the panel members' most memorable experiences with Del, Del's place, his cats, his psychic powers, and his generosity. Follow us on WeChat: SHCCPodcast

This is part 5 (out of 12) of a panel discussion about Del Close, hosted by Charna Halpern at the iO Theatre in Chicago on August 9th, 2016. Charna Halpern, David Pasquesi, Cesar Jaime, Noah Gregoropoulos, and Kim Johnson answer questions from the audience. Part 5 deals with Del's style of giving notes and feedback...

This is part 8 (out of 12) of a panel discussion about Del Close, hosted by Charna Halpern at the iO Theatre in Chicago on August 9th, 2016. Charna Halpern, David Pasquesi, Cesar Jaime, Noah Gregoropoulos, and Kim Johnson answer questions from the audience. Part 8 deals with a poster that a student spotted at the iO, and the influence of drugs on Del Close after he cleaned up his act.

This is part 6 (out of 12) of a panel discussion about Del Close, hosted by Charna Halpern at the iO Theatre in Chicago on August 9th, 2016. Charna Halpern, David Pasquesi, Cesar Jaime, Noah Gregoropoulos, and Kim Johnson answer questions from the audience. Part 6 deals with Del Close's teaching style.

This is part 1 (out of 12) of a panel discussion about Del Close, hosted by Charna Halpern at the iO Theatre in Chicago on August 9th, 2016. Charna Halpern, David Pasquesi, Cesar Jaime, Noah Gregoropoulos, and Kim Johnson answer questions from the audience. Part 1 deals with Del's famous opening monologues, his love of books, and Lenny Bruce. Follow us on WECHAT: SHCCPodcast

In today's episode Jason talks to the incomparable Charna Halpern! Ms. Halpern is the founder and director of the magnificent iO theater and co-creator of the Harold, the basis of long form improv. Jason talks with Ms. Halpern about the heart of improv, the iO theater and the greats who have come through it like Tina Fey and Adam McKay, as well as her role in getting many greats of SNL past and present on the show. It's an enjoyable and informative talk. You can buy her books, "Truth in Comedy" and "Art by Committee" on Amazon. Follow everyone on Twitter: @iOChicago, @iOWest, @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrJokes Websites: www.iOimprov.com, www.ThereItIsPod.com

Really, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey (who she says are truly ‘besties’ in real life), Mike Meyers, Seth Meyer and the list goes on. SNL often comes to see iO (formerly Improv Olympics) shows, and “scouts” new stars for their line up.  Charna dishes about some of the big names she discovered and coached, and […]

Today’s guest on ADD Comedy is Miles Stroth. Miles is a cornerstone in the world of improvisation, having worked and studied under Del Close and Charna Halpern at Improv Olympic (now known as iO). He was a cast member of the legendary improv troupe known as “The Family,” whose members include Adam McKay, Matt Besser and Neil Flynn. He’s appeared in Comedy Central’s “Crossballs” and “Reno 911.” Miles is the driving force behind LA’s Pack Theater. This was a great chat. And there’s a bonus little piece of a poem at the end! Stay tuned.

James C. Leary, best known for playing Clem on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, talks about his career path from performing improv at Texas A&M and learning from Charna Halpern and Del Close in Chicago to moving to Hollywood to write features and act in shows like: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the telenovela Los Beltran, The Comeback, and a lot of commercials. We talk about the struggles of wanting validation from complete strangers and having an unquenchable thirst to perform. He gives advice for breaking into the industry and shares his experience leaving LA to focus on getting sober and to cultivate a creative life outside of Hollywood: representing his Buffy character at conventions, writing about becoming a G-List Celebrity for GeekNation, and performing in Austin, Texas. We also hear his Cockney accent.

This week, I am honoured and thrilled to have been able to interview Charna Halpern, the improv legend from Chicago. She flew all the way from the US to attend the Shanghai Improv Festival and deliver her world-famous Harold workshop over the weekend. Listen to her interview as she shares her love for the spontaneous art of improv and talks Amy Poehler, Chris Farley and how improv can change your life. Wechat: SHCCPodcast

Jeffrey Sweet. Jeffrey is a playwright whose works have been produced around the world, and have featured such actors as Nathan Lane, Jack Klugman, William Peterson, Shelley Berman, and scores more. His classic book Something Wonderful Right Away is an oral history of Second City and The Compass Players, and has been mentioned by Charna Halpern and Mick Napier as inspiring them to open up their theaters. On location in New York City.

Charna Halpern is the artistic director and guiding voice of iO Chicago and iO West. She, Del Close and Howard "Kim" Johnson wrote "Truth in Comedy," and she and Del are credited with the success of The Harold, The Armando Diaz Theatrical Experience, as well as being creative forces that helped the careers of Tina Fey, Chris Farley, Michael Myers, Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler, Matt Besser, Matt Walsh, Stephen Colbert and scores more. Charna is also the author of "Art By Committee."

This is as close as I've gotten to interviewing someone who "needs no introduction..." but if you aren't THAT into improv... the list of people's she's trained and worked with is a who's who of the funniest actors on TV and in movies right now. But if you're not part of the improv world, you need to know that Charna worked with Del Close, who trained many of the Saturday Night Live folks everyone knows, and together they created long form improv... before which improv was mainly exercises for actors (a la Viola Spolin) and short form games like you see on Who's Line Is It Anyway. Charna also founded iO in Chicago, which is one of the major improv theatres in the world, and which has expanded with another branch in Los Angeles, CA. When Lorne Michaels is looking for new SNL cast members, one place he turns is to Charna... and there's a great story in this podcast about her and Chris Farley.

In the 7th episode of the Gettin Close with Mike Marbach podcast I get close with improviser/writer, Rich Talarico. Rich has been improvising for the better part of 20 years having studied in the earlier days of iO with Charna Halpern and Del Close. He currently improvises with Dasariski (along Read more…

The epic Assassins game between iO Chicago and Comedy Sportz! Arnie interviews Kat Gotsick and Jon Forsythe, who ran the game, along with players David Flora, Brett Elam and Josh Logan. Also interviewed in part one: Charna Halpern, Blaine Swen, Jet Eveleth, Adal Rifai, Louis Saunders, Alex Trepka, Patrick Rowland and Nikki Pierce. Look for part two coming after the holidays.

Friend of the show and previous guest Jason Chin interviews co-founder of iO Charna Halpern about the life and legend of Del Close. This show was recorded at the iO Chicago following Armando on Monday March 7th, 2011. Thanks to both Jason who's blog you can read at http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/improvised-blog/ and Charna Halpern for their time.