Podcasts about The Second City Detroit

Jerry Minor joined me to discuss his first memory of seeing Johnny Cash TV; the Detroit Lions; playing Michael Jackson's glove; being a Jehovah's Witness; proselytizing; leaving the Church and starting comedy; going to a show to try stand up; going to his first comedy show; working in Second City Detroit, Chicago, and Toronto and the similarities and differences; Mr. Show; being hired on SNL in 2000 and moved to cast when Tim Meadows leaves; Grandmaster Rap; working with Eminem on first show; impressions of Billy Dee Williams and Al Sharpton; working with Dana Carvey; the Tom Green episode, Mena Suvari; XFL delays Jennifer Lopez episode; Conan O' Brien; playing Sharpton to Darrell Hammond's Jesse Jackson; being let go; the problem of being the new guy; writing and the song "Somebody's Fucking My Lady" with Craig Robinson; Rodney Dangerfield; Martin Short Show; Anchorman; Abbott Elementary; Beer League; Lucky Louie; working with Louis CK; being in Funny People by Judd Apatow; guys named Jerry; being on the 1st season of Bob's Burgers; Brickleberry: Howard Stern; Yucko the Clown and JD; directing at Second City; SNL's 50th anniversary; David Cross inspires new podcasrt "Playing to the Back of the Room"

On today's episode, we welcome the incredibly talented Jaime Moyer!Jaime, an accomplished actress, writer, and improviser, shares her journey from the stages of The Second City Detroit to various television roles. She has voiced characters on Bob's Burgers and had recurring roles on shows like Modern Family, AP Bio, The Great North, and Night Court. Jaime has also written for LEGO City Adventures. With a lifelong love for live theater, Jaime has taught improvisation worldwide and headlined numerous improv festivals.In our conversation, Jaime shares how her passion for live theater and improvisation shaped her career and influenced her unique approach to creativity. Learn more about Jaime by visiting her website jaimemoyer.com.Subscribe to the podcast today, and don't forget to rate and review and leave a comment!

"Wild 'N Out" and "Whose Line Is It Anyway?” guest star Nyima Funk riffs on the time she played a Motor City gig with her Second City Detroit troupe when she received an inappropriate note from a car exec to which she couldn't say “Yes, and…” Nyima on IG: @nyimafunk -------------------------------------------------- Get the VIP treatment with 30% OFF your first year subscription to DISTROKID. Claim your discount here: distrokid.com/vip/TMEP DISTROKID the easiest way for rockers like YOU to get your music into Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Tidal, TikTok, YouTube, and more. -------------------------------------------------- Get in touch with Too Much Effing Perspective Contact us: hello@tmepshow.com Website: https://tmepshow.com Social: @tmepshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Too Opinionated we chat with actor/writer/director Todd Stashwick! Following productions at The Second City Detroit and The Second City Northwest, he moved to New York. There, he formed a company of improvisers and began staging the underground critically acclaimed "Burn Manhattan" all over the city. Other performers included Kate Walsh, Jeremy Piven, and Spencer Kayden. Aside from his work in improvisational theatre, Stashwick worked for several years in late 1997 through Spring 2000 on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," performing as part of their rotating stable of comedy actors. Todd is known for his work on Star Trek: Picard, The Rundown, The Last Thing he Told Me, SWAT< American Horror Story, Mayans M.C., Kim Possible, 12 Monkeys, Con Man, Gotham, Teen Wolf, The Originals, Justified, Men of a Certain Age, Heroes, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dark Angel, Psych and Star Trek: Enterprise. He is also the writer and co-creator of the online action/horror web comic 'Devil Inside'. He publishes a new free episode weekly on his website, www.toddstashwick.com.  Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod (Please Subscribe)

Explore the captivating journey of Larry Joe Campbell, a master of improvisation and comedy, known for his standout roles in "According to Jim," "The Orville," and more. From his early days in Michigan to his rise in Hollywood, Larry shares the stories behind his most iconic characters, his love for improvisation, and the personal moments that have shaped his career.   Highlights Michigan Roots to Hollywood Stardom: Larry recounts his transition from playing with Star Wars figures to lighting up the stage and screen. Improvisation and Comedy: Insights into Larry's experiences with improvisation at Second City Detroit, and the contrast between stand-up comedy and improvisational theater. Iconic Roles and Behind-the-Scenes: From "According to Jim" to guest appearances on "Friends," Larry provides a glimpse into his career through memorable anecdotes. "Detroiters" and the Heart of Comedy: Larry delves into his guest role on "Detroiters," discussing the show's portrayal of the city's spirit and its comedy scene, alongside personal connections to the cast and crew. Adventures on "The Orville": Reflecting on his role as Chief Engineer Newton on "The Orville," Larry shares his experiences working with Seth MacFarlane and the unique blend of science fiction and humor the show presents. Life Beyond Acting: Exploring Larry's personal life, including the influence of his Michigan upbringing and his vision for future projects in writing and directing.   Discover the resilience, creativity, and humor that have defined Larry Joe Campbell's journey in the entertainment industry.   You're going to love my conversation with Larry Joe Campbell IMDB Instagram Cameo Twitter   Follow Jeff Dwoskin (host): Jeff Dwoskin on Twitter The Jeff Dwoskin Show podcast on Twitter Podcast website Podcast on Instagram Join my mailing list Subscribe to my Youtube channel (watch Crossing the Streams!) Yes, the show used to be called Live from Detroit: The Jeff Dwoskin Show   Ways to support the show: Buy me a coffee (support the show) TeePublic Store: Classic Conversations merch and more! Love the books I talk about on the show? Here is my Amazon store to shop.  

Meet the incredible Marc Warzecha who founded the online Sketch School https://www.thesketchschool.com/ I met Mark this spring when I took Comedy Sketch Writing 101. It was so fantastic that I too all 3 levels and loved it. Marc is a compassionate and highly competent teacher and his classes are always informative and fun! With two decades at THE SECOND CITY Comedy Theatre, Marc Warzecha is an award-winning HEAD WRITER and ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, overseeing dozens of original sketch comedy revues across North America including multiple productions at The Kennedy Center (Washington DC), The Second City - Mainstage and ETC (Chicago), and The Kirk Douglas Theatre (Los Angeles) featuring sketch stars like Keegan-Michael Key (Comedy Central's Key & Peele), Jason Sudeikis (Apple TV+'s Ted Lasso), Tim Robinson (Netflix's I Think You Should Leave), Kay Cannon (writer, Pitch Perfect) and writer/performers currently featured on HBO's A Black Lady Sketch Show, NBC's SNL, FOX's The Simpsons, and more. Marc started his improv journey at Second City Detroit with other mega stars like Moyer and Michal Keegan Marc has been a guest on CNN's “Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” and NPR's “All Things Considered.” Currently living in Los Angeles, he is a proud native Detroiter and Armenian. 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/

This week, a panel of authors and educators from StoryStudio Chicago discuss the process of writing from multiple identities, often marginalized ones, and inspiring young people to do the same. The writers include Dionna Griffin-Irons, Jac Jemc, Juan Martinez and Frances de Pontes Peebles. The following conversation originally took place May 15, 2022 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival. About the panelists: DIONNA GRIFFIN-IRONS is a writer, producer and Director of Talent Diversity and Development for The Second City U.S. and Canada. A Second City Detroit alumnus with 18+ years of experience as a performer, producer and facilitator, Dionna has taught 200+ workshops at colleges, corporate boardrooms, women's shelters and worked with the United States Embassy in Norway and Latvia introducing improv as a tool for social change. Griffin-Irons's outreach work has appeared in Diversity Journal publication, on NPR, ABC, NBC and numerous academic posts including her 2015 TEDx Talk at the University of Chicago. Producer credits include 20+ "Urban Twist" revues, Second City Southside, R.E.A.C.H. (Risky, Eclectic Artists Comedy Hour), Second City Black History Month Show, and Second City & NBC Break Out Comedy Festival. Her 2014 published work can be found in Rowan/Littlefield's anthology Women, Writing and Prison. She is currently writing a memoir on the intersection of comedy, diversity and women in prison. JAC JEMC is the author of the novels Empty Theatre; My Only Wife, winner of the Paula Anderson Book Award; The Grip of It; and the short-story collections A Different Bed Every Time and False Bingo, winner of the Chicago Review of Books Award for Fiction and finalist for the Story Prize. Jemc currently teaches creative writing at UC–San Diego. JUAN MARTINEZ is the author of the short-story collection Best Worst American, winner of the Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award. His work has appeared in various literary journals and anthologies, including Glimmer Train, McSweeney's, TriQuarterly, Conjunctions, Norton's Sudden Fiction Latino: Short-Short Stories from the United States and Latin America, and The Perpetual Engine of Hope: Stories Inspired by Iconic Vegas Photographs. FRANCES DE PONTES PEEBLES is the author of the novels The Seamstress and The Air You Breathe. She is a Creative Writing Fellow in Literature for 2020 from The National Endowment for the Arts. Her books have been translated into ten languages and won the Elle Grand Prix for fiction, the Friends of American Writers Award, and the James Michener-Copernicus Society of America Fellowship. Her second no

We're ecstatic to celebrate and nominate the phenomenal Amy Poehler for the SNL Hall of Fame! Together with our fantastic guest, Victoria Fronso, we embark on the journey of Amy's illustrious career, from her kazoo-playing ice cream parlor days to her current status as an award-winning actor, producer, writer, director, and comedian. Get ready to be inspired by her amazing accomplishments, including her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, her Golden Globe win, and her friendships with Tina Fey, Seth Meyers, and Keena Faye.Discover the incredible impact Amy Poehler has had on the world of sketch and improv comedy. Reminisce on our favorite moments from the Upright Citizens Brigade Sketch Show and how Amy's trailblazing personality inspired us to chase our comedy dreams. Listen in as we analyze her unforgettable characters and sketches, her chemistry with Maya Rudolph, and her collaboration with guests like Justin Timberlake and Katy Perry, which all contributed to her remarkable SNL legacy.Don't miss out as we discuss Amy's groundbreaking depiction of Hillary Clinton, her hilarious lines like "You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go home. I'm going to go home, put my phone on vibrate and call myself." and how she's become an icon and role model for many. Celebrate the one and only Amy Poehler with us and make sure she gets voted into the SNL Hall of Fame!--------- EPISODE CHAPTERS ---------(0:00:08) - Amy Poehler(0:16:38) - Amy Poehler's Comedy Career(0:26:19) - Amy Poehler's SNL Impact(0:35:48) - SNL Characters With Amy Poehler(0:42:46) - SNL Sketches and Character Influences(0:53:37) - Amy Poehler's Impact on SNL(1:01:00) - Celebrating Amy Poehler's SNL Legacy(1:12:11) - Bronx BeatTranscript0:00:08 - Speaker 1It's the SNL Hall of Fame podcast with your host, jamie Dube, chief Librarian Thomas Senna, and featuring Matt Bardille At now. Curator of the Hall, jamie Dube. 0:00:41 - Speaker 2All right, thank you so much, doug Denats. It is great to be here in the SNL Hall of Fame podcast zone. Please come on inside, but before you do, wipe that spring mock off your feet. The SNL Hall of Fame podcast is a weekly affair. Each episode, we take a deep dive into the career of a former cast member, host, musical guest or writer and add them to the ballot for your consideration. Once the nominees have all been announced, we turn to you, the listener, to vote for the most deserving and help determine who will be enshrined for perpetuity in the hall. Folks, it's time. It's absolutely time. The time has come. May 23rd is tomorrow and voting opens up. Have you registered to vote? Go to SNLHofcom, click vote and click register to vote there. Your ballot will be in your hands within 24 hours. Once the 23rd begins and all bets are off, we're going to elect another class in the SNL Hall of Fame. So this is really exciting. And what makes things even more exciting is today's nominee, because if you had your ballot set, it might be thrown asunder when you hear who we are nominating today, and that is Amy Poehler. We are closing out this season by nominating Amy Poehler. This is going to be great. I can't wait to hear what our guest has to say, and really I can't wait to hear what Matt has to say. So let's go and talk to our friend Matt. Hey, matt. 0:02:22 - Speaker 3Hey, jimmy, how are you doing? I'm great. How about you, matt? I am terrific. I'm really looking forward to today's topic of discussion, amy Poehler. Yeah, she's great. Right, she is wonderful 5'2". Born September 16, 1971. So we're starting to get into the cast members that are around my age and making me feel old, since they're already retired from SNL. She has 94 acting credits, 30 producer credits, 19 writing credits, 15 soundtrack credits and six director credits. Yeah, she was born in Newton, massachusetts, to two school teachers. Her dad pushed her from day one to try new things. Prior to going to college, she worked in an old-timey themed ice cream parlor called Chadwix, where she was made to wear a costume and play the kazoo while singing Happy Birthday to customers. And that's actually what helped her realize that she wanted to be a performer, because making people laugh made her feel like a queen. Yeah, so she started improv with my mother's flea bag. While working on her bachelor's in media at Boston College, she took classes at Second City, where she studied with improv. God, del Close. There's so many people I know who are like one degree separated from Del Close. It's bonkers and it's like man. It must have been wild studying with him. But yeah, so while studying with Del, she befriended and began performing alongside Tina Fey at Improv Olympics, and she then went on to co-found Upright Citizens Brigade and helped create the ASCAT format with Matt Besser, ian Roberts and Matt Walsh In 1996, growing from just an improv sketch troupe to a school of its own, sitting side by side with Second City and the groundlings, as one of the most influential improv sketch schools in entertainment. Ucb went on to train luminaries like Aziz Ansari, donald Glover, ed Helms, ellie Kemper, aubrey Plaza, nick Kroll and Zach Woods. Basically, if you see a hot young comedian who's actually no longer that young but still hot ripping up the industry right now, they likely took a UCB class. Now she is, like my wife, a noted fan of bone stugs and harmony. In the early 90s she had a recurring role on Conan O'Brien's late night as Andy Richter's younger sister, with a disturbingly intense crush on Conan. It was a lot to watch. Even back then She brought it all Now. During the first two seasons of Arrested Development she played Willar Nett, god Bluth's accidental wife, before eventually marrying him for real in 2007, before later divorcing. She also played his sister in the film's Blades of Glory with a disturbingly wife-like energy Now while filming the movie Baby Mama with Keena Faye, she was in fact pregnant with her first child, archie. She has formed lasting friendships with both Faye and Seth Meyers, whom she considers her best friends. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, along with a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in Television. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame along with a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series for Parks and Rec, as well as an Emmy and Writers Guild of America Award. The award was the third SNL alumni to give a class day address to the graduating class at Harvard. Alongside Al Franken and Will Ferrell, she started a wine store called Zoolow Wines and Spirits in Brooklyn Park Slope with musician friends Amy Miles and Mike Robertson, where they sell nice bottles of wine for as little as $13. And finally, during the filming of Parks and Rec, polar started a tradition that any time the show was shot on location, the whole cast and crew would have dinner together and she would dedicate a toast to someone, often picking out a cast or crew member, and the toasts would have to continue until everyone was toasted. Mike sure called this the Polar and continued this tradition on the good place. So yeah, she's just a nice human being. Sounds that way. 0:07:21 - Speaker 2Yeah, nice human being who belongs in the SNL Hall of Fame. What do you think? 0:07:25 - Speaker 3Agreed, definitely agreed. 0:07:28 - Speaker 2All right Cool, all right Yes. 0:07:54 - Speaker 4Thank you so much, matt and Jamie and I am to join here today by a wonderful first time guest here on the SNL Hall of Fame. She's a frequent guest on the Saturday Night Networks podcast. Our great friends over there, john Schneider and them Victoria, i actually heard you on John's shows and decided to poach you. That's kind of what I do here and there is all here talent on the Saturday Night Network and then just kind of get you over here on the SNL Hall of Fame, but John doesn't mind. 0:08:26 - Speaker 7No, I'm sure he doesn't mind the double dip. 0:08:29 - Speaker 4No, he does not. We are all good friends, we're all wonderful podcasting communities. So, victoria Fronso, thank you so much for joining us here on the SNL Hall of Fame. 0:08:39 - Speaker 7And thank you for having me. I'm excited to do this. I love debating Hall of Fame people and who's worthy and who may not be worthy, but we're here to discuss who's worthy. 0:08:49 - Speaker 4Yeah, absolutely, and we have a really good one today. But before we get to that, usually I go into more detail about my guest during this intro, but I want you to do it, victoria. So can you talk about your experience as a sketch and improv performer and maybe a little about being a 2023 SNL scholar? 0:09:09 - Speaker 7Yeah, i'd love to, so I always wanted to do comedy. It was kind of second nature, but my parents always told me, to quote get a real job, as a lot of performer parents tell them to do So. After college, probably around 2018, i started taking improv classes at the second city and did a lot of performances there as well, outside of my classes, and then in 2020, i auditioned for the conservatory, which I'll just pair like just for context is kind of like your masters of comedy and improv at the second city, you have to audition to get in and you have to audition to stay in, and then something called the pan pandemic is what it was called happen. 0:09:52 - Speaker 4I've heard about that. 0:09:53 - Speaker 7Yeah, I read about on Twitter and it was like, oh, it was a big deal or something. So I had to pause there. Pause there for a little bit. But last year, while living in Detroit, I was doing comedy at Go Comedy Improv Improv Theater. I don't know why I keep can't say improv for the life of me, even though I do it all the time. I was doing comedy there I was an understudy. I did a couple of sketch shows or a sketch show at the planet Aunt Theater, both theaters founded by Second City Detroit alumni, which is really cool. So you kind of get that training trickle down. And then last year I applied for the Saturday Night Live Scholarship at the second city and was one out of four people who got it, which is really cool. It's a diversity scholarship and it kind of is trying to build a pathway for folks who have a different background, whether that be ethnically racial, if they're part of the LGBTQ plus community, just to get them an opportunity to be in spaces that they may otherwise not have. And what that entails is they pay for my training and what my classes are, And I'm currently in the final stage of my classes at Second City. So it's kind of bittersweet there, But then I get to meet with a few of SNL folks and then hopefully get to audition this time next year. 0:11:12 - Speaker 4Wow, that's awesome And hopefully you won't forget all of us little people who you've interacted with when you're on the show in New York doing that. But that's Victoria, that's so awesome And I just kind of wish you really good luck and wish you well on your venture there. That's so wonderful. 0:11:32 - Speaker 7Thank you so much. I don't expect anything. I'll be very honest. I don't expect to be on SNL. I'm really just grateful to be doing this work. It's been a part of my life for such a long time And now that I'm able to kind of learn from the best and learn all these different techniques whether or not I make a SNL or whatever it is I end up doing I'm just happy to be doing it. And even being on podcasts like this one and just to share my love for comedy in different ways is awesome. 0:12:01 - Speaker 4You bring such a great perspective that we haven't had here. On the SNL Hall of Fame You're not just watching Saturday Night Live and watching sketch performers, you're doing it. You're performing sketch, you're taking the classes, you're making your way through. So I just love that perspective that you bring to this. So that's why I think you're the perfect guest to talk about Amy Poehler, because she was so influential in the sketch and improv world. So her first sketch and improv experience, just real quick, was with Improv Olympic. So can you tell us kind of about Improv Olympic and what Amy's background is with that? 0:12:41 - Speaker 7Yeah, i don't know entirely too much about her time at IO is what it is called But I do know her first class was taught by Sharna Halpern, who is an icon and a staple in the Chicago improv community and just improv everywhere, and so to have your first class in Chicago taught by her is kind of a big deal. You don't see it often. I don't think Sharna is teaching much anymore. She also learned and worked from Del Close, who's also a legend in the comedy world in Chicago and improv as well, and that's actually where she met Tina Fey. So a lot of folks think she met her at Second City, but I think it was actually IO where they met and then they moved on to Second City. But yeah, others at IO, just to name a few, was like Chris Farley was there, and so it's that institution among Second City or where they've built a lot of these great SNL cast members. 0:13:37 - Speaker 4Yeah, the roots of sketch and improv definitely go back to IO and Del Close especially. Del Close is one of those names that you hear. It's almost like hearing about if you're a baseball fan, like Babe Ruth or something like that, and they name Del Close rings like that amongst these circles. 0:13:54 - Speaker 7I was going to say, if you're a fan of improv and sketch and learning about where it all started, i highly recommend reading the book called Improv Nation, and it goes a little bit deeper. If you're a little nerd about it, like me, it goes a bit a lot deeper into it And it talks about how Chicago has become this for lack of a better term a cesspool of comedic geniuses, and that's where everyone comes to really get their foot in the door. 0:14:23 - Speaker 4I think that book delved into Mike Nichols and maybe his work in two And everybody knows Mike Nichols from his time as a director, a really famous director, but he has roots there. Improv Nation is a really good book. I second that. I suggest Improv Nation as well. So yeah, so Amy Poehler joined in 1995, she then moved on to Upright Citizens Brigade where I think most people who caught the me of the tail end are familiar with her before SNL. They know her with UCB. So she co-founded the UCB Theater in New York City in 1999. That's one of the main training grounds for aspiring and sketch improv and comedians. Like Second City and those others, The groundlings in California and LA, These are like the huge breeding grounds for sketch and improv reformers. So Victoria is someone who's currently a sketch and improv comedian. I know you're most associated with second city but you know we can put into context UCB standing in that world of sketch. So maybe let me tell us about UCB's standing in that world and Particularly Amy's influence. 0:15:34 - Speaker 7Yeah, i just take a step back to. I want to call out that Amy Polar was on second cities touring company, which has been part of second cities since, i think, 1967, and It was a way for if you weren't able to make it a second city, second city was gonna come to you and Not many people are able to do that. So I just want to call out how awesome it is and how you know Seldom it is that you get to see folks on touring company. It's very competitive. Former touring members include, like Julia Louis Dreyfus and Chris Redd, and they, her and Tina Fey, actually auditioned on the same day and got to tour together, which is really cool. But UCB, i think it was she founded in 1996 with Matt Welsh who you may know is like the doctor from the hangover. 0:16:20 - Speaker 4Mm-hmm, Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, he's awesome. 0:16:25 - Speaker 7He's so underrated but we'll talk about him another time Among a few others, and they, you know, really found their footing in New York City and that's where they really created a foundation You know they made appearances with. Back. Then was called late night with Conan O'Brien And they played like some characters in the audience You've seen that and also like late night with Jimmy Fallon and and all that where they sit among the audience. They also had a show on County Central, which is really cool. It was improv driven sketches like hidden camera stunts, and most notable, i think, is what was called the, the prostitute Parista, where she's this like former prostitute who goes and interviews at a coffee shop and Matt Well should we just talked about is the hiring man is like I don't think you're qualified And it's very funny, and then they end up being best friends and he ends up following his dreams. It was really funny. And then eventually she was one of the co-founders of UCB theater in New York And I think they also had it in LA, which unfortunately closed during the pandemic but is reportedly back. I I'm gonna describe a moment where I kind of like you know, people peak in high school Yeah, i peaked. I peaked in this moment and then it's been downhill since. It's been stagnant downhill and stagnant a little bit. But March 2020, right before, like literally two weeks before the world shut down, i Went to New York City and I was standing outside SNL at the what's it called, the, just outside where folks can meet the, the cast members. After the show and Chris read, who I've seen numerous times previously in Chicago, recognized me and said oh hey, victoria, how are you? and He said are you here on Monday, which I was Monday was actually March 2nd, was my birthday And he goes hey, come to UCB, me and Ego are doing an improv show. I was like, uh, okay, and Got tickets. We went and that was my first time at UCB. It was really fun. They did this cool little. They were. I love the format of it. I won't spoil it, just in case they're they're doing it again, but they basically are doing. They ask questions or they do a little bit at the beginning and then it turns into an actual scene. And then afterward I got to talk to him a little bit and meet Ego, new Odom, and that was my birthday and that was the best Birthday ever, yeah, and yeah, i peaked and I'll never get. 0:18:48 - Speaker 4You got, i mean, the personal invite from Chris read for one. He didn't. It's not like you went to the show as a fan and then you happen to meet them afterward like you. You Got the personal invite. So yeah, i would. That would be Damn near the peak for me too. 0:19:04 - Speaker 7Yeah, so and I mean it was just, it was a bit. It's a very cool theater. If you're in New York City I highly recommend you go and check it out. It's you can tell like the comedy and the genius that is Amy Poehler. You know why she's an awesome contender for a Hall of Fame spot, just kind of flows through that space and She's definitely inspired me. Her and Tina Fey when I was younger always inspired me Gilda Radner, of course, but you know from my generation, the folks that I, the women I looked up to, were those two and It was because of them I even signed up for my first second city class. And you know, here We are today, a few years later. 0:19:43 - Speaker 4But yeah, so she's. She's definitely an inspiration for you, and And a lot of people and I thought what one of the things that I find fascinating about her As it relates to her time before SNL was you will, you had mentioned the the upright citizens Brigade Brigade Sketch show that was on Comedy Central. So that ran for three seasons. It was with the aforementioned Matt Walsh, matt Besser and Ian Roberts also made up the UCB and it's interesting because she's one of the few, one of the handful of people who get to SNL who Did sketch on television before that. So of course, like we had, keenan Thompson had sketched experience on TV. Darren Killam, i believe, was on mad TV before SNL. Kate McKinnon was known for for Being on a sketch show, but Amy was like that too and I'd watched the upright citizens Brigade on Comedy Central as it was airing and So cool, yeah, so it was awesome. It was like a spiritual successor. I would say to kids in the hall. It kind of had that weird out there kids in the hall vibe, also a precursor to like I think you should leave Tim Robinson's Netflix show. There was some weird elements there. But just totally up my alley, did you have you gone back or did you get to watch upright citizens Brigade on Comedy Central? 0:21:06 - Speaker 7I Wasn't cool enough to watch it. I don't think even I was allowed to watch Comedy Central. 0:21:11 - Speaker 4I was probably dating myself, because I was plenty old enough to watch it. It was airing live. 0:21:17 - Speaker 7Yeah, it was hit or miss, like sometimes they could watch MTV But like I couldn't watch other things, or like my parents let me watch a godfather with that. It was just very weird what they pick and chose of what I could see, but I don't watch it then. I have gone back a few times and and watch bits and pieces of it just to. Sometimes you just need to like get re-inspired and Remotivated so you go and watch some of the folks that you really look up to and what they did and kind of make yourself feel better About where you're at too. No, i've watched it too, like the. The prostitute Parisone was again probably most notable, but one of my favorites too. It kind of demonstrates her Ability to be so multifaceted. I don't think that some of that content stands the test of time. 0:22:03 - Speaker 4Yeah, I don't think they could push it. 0:22:05 - Speaker 7But if you just look at it like face value for the time it was in it was, it was awesome. 0:22:10 - Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, definitely Something that, like I compared it to kids in the hall, which was a Lorne Michaels produced show, of course. So definitely something that probably would have caught the attention of SNL producers and possibly Lorne her time on the upright citizens brigade show. That's a tongue twister, upright citizens brigade. 0:22:31 - Speaker 7So no, i'm a little side note. I'm really impressed that you know what kids in the hall is. 0:22:36 - Speaker 4Oh, God, no, okay, i watched kids in the hall. I was a weird eight-year-old, okay, watching kids in the hall. So I would watch SNL in the early 90s. So again, dating myself. But so I was. I was probably watching SNL as it was airing probably around 1990, 91, and after SNL finished they would show kids in the hall. So so, yeah, so if I was able to stay awake by then I would maybe catch some kids in the hall. Of course I watched kids in the hall and comedy central when I was like in middle school, high school, so that's, yeah, i don't know. Just people, probably SNL viewers of my age and generation Also love kids in the hall you. 0:23:19 - Speaker 7You know, before the show, just for context for listeners, we were talking about Sterling Heights, michigan, and how very niche it was. But Kevin McDonald of Kids in the hall did a workshop to a go comedy improv theater in Frandale, michigan. So really. Yes, it was very cool. Yeah, and Again, also like didn't realize that a lot of people knew what kids in the hall is, because usually you mentioned. If you're like, what are you talking? 0:23:46 - Speaker 4about. Oh, yeah, i, the kids in the hall theme song was my alarm on my my phone for years. I think I maybe changed it last year, but the but the kids in the hall theme song was was my alarm that I woke up to for like year, like a decade. That's awesome. So, yeah, you're talking to a huge fan right there and it's a huge compliment to Amy that I would compare Her some of her work before SNL to kids in the hall, a show that I love Just so dearly. So we talked about her, her background before SNL Are flexing her muscles, already doing a lot in the sketch comedy world. So she was on SNL from 2001 to 2009. She debuted during a tense and confusing time in the country and SNL. So in her book yes please, which I highly recommend. Since we're recommending books on this episode, i recommend yes please by Amy Polar. So she talked about how difficult it was to start SNL right after 9-11 Because of the mood of the country. She wasn't sure if people were ready to smile, much less laugh, which is something that I remember Is. Well, that was just kind of the mood of the country in general. So, as far as her SNL stuff goes, what stood out to you about Amy as a sketch performer? 0:25:12 - Speaker 7so I know that a lot of the SNL Performers and cast members are able to take, you know, an ordinary thing and kind of exaggerate it, but I think what stood out about her is how she was able to do it and she, i think, a lot of her stuff What's the what's the word? like what? how do I phrase it? It was simple, yet like punchy, you know, like she didn't have to do a lot to get her point across, and we're gonna talk about a few of these characters, you know, coming down. But she was able to take something so ordinary and mundane and turn it into something Wild and funny and, you know, provide a different outlook. And you know she as as a woman, and especially as a woman in comedy, she was able to be a like a full-on feminist and kind of push through barriers. Not that she's the first to do it and not that she perfected it, but again, someone in my generation looking up to folks. She was right there after, you know, especially after the internet, and I think she was ahead of her time to you on some topics. I could talk about her pre SNL days forever, but she did which I'm gonna go back to really quickly here. She did a pilot, i think, with SNL slash IO called RVTV, with Del Close. You should, it's on, it's on YouTube and You know she has a line in there where she kind of calls out the establishment And she calls out the NRA and she goes it's cool to be a Republican, guns are cool, so is the NRA. Murder is hip, like she already had. She knew before we know, and she brought that perspective To SNL and to all of her, her comedy really. And so that to me, while it's general that her POV, is what stood out to me in her characters and what she wrote and how she performed them. 0:27:00 - Speaker 4Yeah, i think you brought up a good point. I think it she had like an economy of words. She didn't like it was just just just little punchy Kind of things. We would see a lot of that on weekend update, a lot of that on her UCB show, on Comedy Central. I can sell. Just kind of going through the previous seasons which I did recently, it was like, oh this is, this is Amy, and I think Victoria, you brought up just what I didn't even Consciously, i guess think that as far as Amy goes, like why did? why is she so appealing to me? Why is why, like when she was on weekend update, like why do I find her jokes more satisfying than like Seth Meyers jokes? And I like Seth Meyers? but there's a reason why I liked Amy's jokes maybe a little bit more. And then you I think what you said Perfectly encapsulates that- I mean in a word She was fearless. 0:27:52 - Speaker 7Yeah she really like she did her thing and I don't think she let much get in the way of her, you know, getting her point across and how she felt about things. It was always her point of view, which is what we need. We can't just have a shared point of view, which in some cases yes, but when she came, you know, to the writer's room or to the screen, she Was uniquely, always herself, which was brilliant. 0:28:17 - Speaker 4Yeah, and with packed with a lot of confidence To and that's the thing you can have a message and you can have ideas and what you think is a point of view. But I think you need to also really relay that with confidence and Amy had that in droves. She was super confident which is inspiring. 0:28:35 - Speaker 7I mean, we I'm, we being me. I'm gonna bring my perspective as as a woman, especially as a minority in comedy. Like we didn't have a lot of that, you know, on TV where a Woman is outspoken Like some of her character. A lot of her characters are outspoken and they weren't really a shy or reserve. She was up and center and, you know, really didn't care what people had to say. And it's inspiring to me to kind of bring That to the table too and it's allowed me to also in my comedy, to be fake confident. You know, fake it till you make it. But Yeah, she's, she's awesome in that way. 0:29:16 - Speaker 4Yeah, so as far as specific Characters and sketches from her time at SNL, where should we start? 0:29:25 - Speaker 7My goodness, that's a loaded question. I Think the most obvious is probably like what do you think Hillary Clinton? 0:29:33 - Speaker 5It has been such an honor to serve you, the citizens of my home state of New York. Oh, my kidding, this is not my home state. It never was my home state. Pack up the house a chap, a quad bill. What's that We never unpacked? 0:29:50 - Speaker 4even better, Yeah, that was one of her first recurring characters, especially she. She started that in her third season. So her depiction of Hillary Clinton. So we talked about what Amy brought to the table as a sketch performer. You saw some of that in her depiction of Hillary Clinton. 0:30:10 - Speaker 7Yes, she played, of course, an exaggerated caricature of Hillary Clinton, but again, it was this fearless confident. You know I'm calling out the sexism in politics. You know I'm calling out how insane like, especially with her. You know, with Tina Feyess, sarah Palin, calling out how kind of ludicrous it is that Sarah Palin has gotten a little well in 2008, got a little bit further in politics. And she did. And you know she brought her personality to Hillary Clinton and, you know, made it, made it really funny. 0:30:49 - Speaker 4Yeah, and as far as doing impressions and everything like that I'm preaching to the choir, probably here, but you got to find that hook right. As a performer, and I've heard, i've heard some of the masters, like Daryl Hammond, dana Carvey, love, they love talking about how they conjure up impressions. But you have to find that hook And I think with her, hillary Clinton, with Amy Pollars, hillary Clinton she started you know her mannerisms, that laugh, because Hillary didn't really laugh like that, to be honest with you, but it was something that Amy was able to grab onto and say this is an element of this character that I'm creating and let's work from there. 0:31:32 - Speaker 7Yeah, and it's funny that you mentioned that, because when she was with Hillary, which is, i think it was March, march 1st 2008. I think I forgot what season that was, but she does a call open with Hillary Clinton and Hillary Clinton asked her I don't laugh like that, do I? And she was well like, yeah, you know it was. It was just very funny that she you get to call impressions of yourself. You don't really see that And then, of course, in a cold open, which is even more rare, in Second City Saturday Night Live. So I mean, it's just iconic. She's done things that others have never done on that show. 0:32:08 - Speaker 4Yeah, she played Hillary Clinton 13 times throughout the years, from season 29 all the way up to her last season. It was season 34. So she played Hillary Clinton quite a few times. One of the sketches and I don't know if you remember this one, but it's it's what I kind of go back to as far as when Amy first announced herself with confidence something that she first led, it was in her second episode and it's it's a sketch that she wrote with Sean Williams Scott. It was the porn star sketch. 0:32:39 - Speaker 8Hey, can I ask you a question? 0:32:42 - Speaker 1You can ask me anything. You know that. 0:32:48 - Speaker 9When do you think it's a good time to mention in a relationship that you've done some porn? 0:32:56 - Speaker 10What Just like? how long do you think like in a relationship you should wait before you tell somebody you did a little porn? 0:33:05 - Speaker 7Like, first of all, what an era It was. It was again right after, you know, september 11th, unfortunately, but like those early 2000s, like when it comes to comedy, they were so out there It was almost the Wild West. 0:33:21 - Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, people were taking chances, it was. I mean, some of the bad stuff was like it was. I think it was the height of like edge lord kind of comedy which wasn't so wonderful, but then. But you also had people taking chances and delving into ideas that that that maybe are taboo or risque. 0:33:39 - Speaker 7Yeah, I mean Sean Williams, scott himself was in what American Pie Like again wouldn't go so well if it was released as is for the first time today. But yeah, i mean just having him there and then, you know, having her. Like I said, she takes simple things, which I guess being a porn star, dating is something you don't usually see, but it's a simple thing. 0:34:04 - Speaker 4She takes every day right. 0:34:06 - Speaker 7Yeah, and it is a slice of life. Yeah, and it's a different POV. We don't usually see that POV, but you know I love that. She was like downplaying. I know I was, i was in a porn movie and he's like, well, i don't care about your past. There's like, well, this afternoon I guess was my past And then you know, it was just very funny. I think again, really cool that she got to be she was fresh to SNL in the second episode, got to be in, got to be a main character with the host, her second episode. It just I don't know, man, do I? I'm preaching, i'm also preaching to the choir, but like she is doing things that are essentially unheard of in at SNL. Yeah, that's soon. Yeah, that's soon And it's your own sketch that you have co-written. But yeah, I mean, if you wanted to walk through, I guess how it how it went for the rest of folks, I don't want to ruin it for you if that's where you're going. 0:35:05 - Speaker 4Oh, no, yeah, go ahead. 0:35:06 - Speaker 7No, so I mean she's you know having I thought it was a dinner with a boyfriend or it's like. 0:35:12 - Speaker 4Yeah, And she was like Or just like it seemed like a they've maybe a first date or they were in the early stages of dating. 0:35:19 - Speaker 7Yes, Early stages of dating She's like oh, when is it a good time to mention that I've done a porn movie? And he was like what? And then you know she's like, oh, it's. She kind of does like, oh, it was like a one time thing, but she's been in multiple. And he finds out She's like oh, it's your past. And she's like well, this afternoon, i guess, is my past. And yeah, he's like I thought I thought it'd be cool to date a porn star, but it's now that I'm am. It's not fun. She was, i'm not a porn star yet. 0:35:51 - Speaker 4And I think she crossed her fingers to her. She had the mannerism like I'm not a porn star yet, Like yes, I might be looking soon And you know what? 0:36:01 - Speaker 7That's how you want to get your bag. Get your bag, like, not shaming Women for their choices. And then, of course, seth Meyers, who, like I think, was probably her top collaborator throughout her time on SNL, you know, comes in as the waiter. He's like, oh, i think I know you from somewhere, and then it turns out he casted one of her movies and then he goes and rushes to the kitchen and tell his friends And then at the end of it she's signing autographs. So, you know, josh, aka Sean Williams Scott, is just at the end, i guess, accepting of her career. 0:36:37 - Speaker 4Yeah, and I'm sure viewers at the time who knew Amy from her Comedy Central days were waiting for some kind of showcase like that And it came really soon. So she does cite that in her book too. It was just something that of course, was one of the more memorable experiences for her on the time from her time at the show. So that was, like her, basically the first Amy Polar led sketch on SNL. That was from season 27, episode two, sean Williams, scott, go check that out. I think it's a fun episode, just kind of overall. But that I think, and I think this porn star sketch I call it porn it's like porn star date sketch. I think it was like a 10 to one. So I think they kind of just put it at the end of the show. Yes, and it fit perfectly, yeah, so I'm glad it made air. 0:37:27 - Speaker 7I will plug Peacock. It's on Peacock if you want to watch it. So everything, mostly everything, is on Peacock, if I'm not mistaken. 0:37:34 - Speaker 4Yeah, So sometimes when you get to seasons like 30, 31 or so, you find like 15 minute episodes on Peacock. But I think season 27, we're still you can find mostly full episodes. 0:37:46 - Speaker 7Yeah, so go check that out If you're looking for musical performances. I think they cut a lot of those out. But other than that, if you Michael Jordan episodes on there, so just go for it and watch it. 0:37:58 - Speaker 4Another great episode as well. Yeah, and the LeBron James episodes on there too, just if you're more of a LeBron person. 0:38:05 - Speaker 7Oh, you can't say that to me. I literally live in Chicago. I know I was born in the 90s, lived in Chicago during Michael Jordan's era. What are you doing? I got it. I'm just going to start a different podcast about that. 0:38:23 - Speaker 4So what other sketches or characters could we not do the show without talking about? 0:38:32 - Speaker 7Bronx beat. 0:38:33 - Speaker 4Bronx beat Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph Just great chemistry. 0:38:38 - Speaker 7Yeah, they were like I'm surprised it was brought. I mean Bronx. I don't listen, i don't want to offend culture here. I don't know if it's a Bronx or Staten Island. I didn't realize that it was Bronx. I thought it was like the Italians were in Staten Island. But again, i don't want to be wrong, i don't want to offend any New Yorkers. I make it ignore me, but I really loved it. They were like these disgusted, outspoken, sassy women. 0:39:06 - Speaker 10Let me ask you something, frank. You married Well. 0:39:08 - Speaker 7I have a girlfriend. 0:39:09 - Speaker 10Why haven't you asked your girlfriend to marry you? You know what? Don't get married. Listen to us. Don't get married. Your life is over Over. 0:39:15 - Speaker 11She is right. You know what? My husband? I want to kill him. I want to strangle him while he's asleep. I want to kill him. You know what I love him. 0:39:23 - Speaker 10He's in love with my life. Here we go with the waterworks. He gave me my two dollars. What am I going to do? So emotional these days, it's true, i can't help it. He gave me my two dollars. I would die without him. You know what Frank Do. Whatever you want, what am I an expert? 0:39:35 - Speaker 7Who like fond over male guests and would flirt with them. There was a line I don't know if I'm allowed to say on this podcast Go ahead and say it, and if I feel I need to cut it, i will. Okay, she, amy Poehler, was with Jake Gyllenhaal, i believe, was it Jake? No, it was with Justin Timberlake and Andy Sandberg, and she was. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go home. I'm going to go home, put my phone on vibrate and call myself Like so gross but like so funny, like again, kind of talking about that confidence and that fearlessness and all of her characters, like I don't know that I'd be ever confident enough to say that. And then she's like now leave before I change my mind. 0:40:19 - Speaker 4Total Amy Poehler. Just we were talking about how confident she is And these characters both the characters that both she and Maya played in these sketches were sassy, aggressive, just shameless. Yeah, absolutely Just. And they played against most of the male. It was usually a host that would come in. They were shy and just trying to. You could tell they were maybe interns on their show, just trying to learn the ropes or whatever guests who were kind of shy. So they played really well off of these sassy, aggressive women. So I think perfect Amy was like one of the perfect people to play this. 0:40:56 - Speaker 7Yeah, i think the most I mean. Correct me if I'm wrong. I would think the most notable and beloved sketch of that is with Katy Perry, where she comes in in that Elmo t-shirt and they're like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You know, like you know, today's episode is brought to you by the number 38 in the letter D And just like, very funny and she was in but also very empowering for women. This, this feminist POV, comes in, she goes they go never be embarrassed by your body, never, ever. And so it just yeah, it was very funny. Betty Caruso has a piece of my heart. She's America's, america's mom. 0:41:36 - Speaker 4Just wonderful, yeah, and it seemed like this Bronx beat show for these characters was like their outlet, because they do allude to just their moms and they have families at home. So it almost seems like this is their outlet just to kind of say what they want and flirt with who they want. So, yeah, the Bronx beat we don't have to tell our listeners to I'm sure they've checked this out so many times Definitely, as far as Amy Polar goes, part of her canon for sure. Yeah, so, and one another recurring character that we're volleying over here. So another recurring character that I want to mention is Caitlin Rick. 0:42:18 - Speaker 8Rick, rick, listen, rick, i know it's 16 hours until Uncle Scott's wedding And I know that you told me it was too early to put my dress on. But as co-junior bridesmaid, i really feel like I need to walk around and practice in my dress, with the heels and the head thing, and I'll be like dum dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum dum. 0:42:42 - Speaker 4Oh God Which. And Amy says this character, it was the hyperchild who hung out with her uncle. I think it was usually Horatio Sands was the uncle. Yeah, and Amy says that this character was an homage to Gilda Radner and her Judy Miller character. From now And it's kind of funny when I just had that in my mind this reminds me of like the Gilda character. And Amy says that it was an homage to that Judy Miller character from Gilda's I didn't realize that. Yeah, so we're seeing Gilda's influence to an SNL Hall of Famer in her own right. She got voted in Yeah. So, yeah, we're seeing Gilda's influence And Amy, just I love that. She's paying homage to her heroes, essentially, and this was a fun character. 0:43:28 - Speaker 7No, now that you say that, that makes total sense And it comes out in the mannerisms. I mean, Caitlyn is such great birth control if you're debating whether or not you want kids. 0:43:40 - Speaker 4I just took a drink of water. I almost did a spit take. 0:43:44 - Speaker 7No, i just that's. When I think of Caitlyn, i think of great birth control. I was like, oh, i don't know if I want kids, just watch Caitlyn, you know if you're leaning. No, that'll solidify, solidify your decision there. No, i mean, she's like annoying kid with braces. I love the one with. Oh man, he retired twice. What's his name? Tom Brady, and you know, just, she puts on a dress. She's just so annoying, she's hyperactive, she's overly annoying, but that's the point. That's the whole point. 0:44:14 - Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, and I usually yeah, i usually don't love a lot of shouting in sketches. That's why I don't know, that's why I've had to. I've had to come around on Sarah Sherman. I love Sarah now and I love most of her stuff, but a lot I've had to really come around to her more shouty types of pieces that she does on SNL. But I still enjoy these Caitlyn sketches because of her interplay with her ratio And then the character feels fleshed out to me Like there's some hints for a sad home life, forcing Yeah, she's like always just kind of hints at that that she has a really sad home life. 0:44:55 - Speaker 7I think the best characters no matter if it's Saturday Night Live or Key and Peele or whatever it is always have a fleshed out POV And you can tell exactly who they are, where they came from. You can visualize their life outside of the scene that you're seeing. I think those are always made for the best characters. You don't really have to guess who they are outside of the scene. I think that was Caitlyn And I agree The shouty stuff is hard for me too, and I agree with you with Sarah Sherman. I think she's funny, yeah, And I think what she does is so unique and so niche. This is Sarah Sherman we're talking about, but yeah, no, those those louder ones are take a little bit more time for me to warm up to them, but I eventually do, and I think this was at that time, one of the few that were. So it worked because it wasn't constant. I don't think they've ever done constant shouting characters or something that I could be wrong, but I think it worked for her time there. 0:45:57 - Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, i agree, and I think part of her character which I find funny and it's, you know, hinting at how she is outside of the sketch is like her references are old. So she referenced like Dennis Leary Like what little kid references Dennis Leary? or Amadeus, the like the Amadeus? And it tells me that maybe, and this was probably by design by the writers and Amy for this character. It tells me that that that Caitlyn grew up being babysat by the TV and she probably watched a lot of adult content that she shouldn't have been in, not not like sex and violence, but just adult stuff, like like that. That's how I was when I was a kid and yeah, like I said, i'm not talking about like when I was a kid, i would watch movies with nudity. I would watch movies that had like themes of divorce and like finding yourself in midlife crisis, and I was like seven years old Sitting in front of the TV eating cocoa puffs just in my pajamas, watching like Kramer vs Kramer. Yeah, and I kind of think that's how Caitlin was with her homidaeus and Dennis Leary types of references. 0:47:09 - Speaker 7I wonder if her reference to Dennis Leary was kind of an homage to her Massachusetts upbringing as well, since they're both from Massachusetts. 0:47:17 - Speaker 4That's a good point. I'm gonna go ahead and say it was. 0:47:20 - Speaker 7Yeah, i mean, i don't know how close. I think she's from Newton, he's from Warchester, warchester. 0:47:27 - Speaker 4I don't know. You're not a person from Massachusetts, apparently Warester. 0:47:32 - Speaker 7I am a Midwestern gal, through and through from Chicago and Detroit. I call myself a chitroiter. 0:47:39 - Speaker 4Don't let somebody from Massachusetts hear you pronounce it, warchester. 0:47:44 - Speaker 7Okay, listen, i love. 0:47:44 - Speaker 4Duncan. 0:47:46 - Speaker 7I love Duncan, i love Winter, i love the movie Feverpitch Oh yeah, okay With Jimmy Fallon. Yeah, sorry, sorry to the Massachusetts community. You can't see my face. 0:48:06 - Speaker 4So I brought up. Caitlin, so I believe it's your turn. What characters sketch kind of stands out to you? 0:48:14 - Speaker 7Do we want to talk about the needlers? 0:48:16 - Speaker 4We can talk about the needlers. 0:48:18 - Speaker 8Does everyone know what they're getting? Yeah, i think I'm gonna get this beet salad. What. 0:48:24 - Speaker 2The beet salad Bee salad. 0:48:29 - Speaker 10Beet salad. Well, the first two times you said bee salad. 0:48:34 - Speaker 8Yeah, honey, i have a real craving for putting some bees in my mouth. 0:48:38 - Speaker 7I mean, we all know that couple in real life And sometimes I think that they perhaps solved those sketches back in like what 2005. And copy them on purpose, just to make all of us sad and mad. 0:48:54 - Speaker 4Yeah, just to make everybody uncomfortable for their own amusement. 0:48:57 - Speaker 7Yeah, it was. Just it was very like toxic, like the kids today would call that relationship toxic, i think I don't know. Maybe you know this. I have a question because I don't know everything about SNL. Was there a previous version of that called Dan and Sally Harrison, the couple that should be divorced? 0:49:16 - Speaker 4Yeah, so that was the first sketch. They were called Sally and Dan Harrison, the couple that should be divorced. I think they had a theme song. 0:49:24 - Speaker 1You're the horn in my side, you're the face that makes me angry. 0:49:30 - Speaker 5Nothing you ever say or do is right. Sally, and then Harrison, the couple that should be divorced. 0:49:39 - Speaker 4In SNL canon. I consider that the first Needler sketch was that, sally and Dan Harrison. I think their names are Sally and Dan Needler. Possibly going forward They changed the last name from Harrison to Needler, which of course they're needling each other, so there's a bit on the nose, but you want to remember. Sometimes it's on the nose, but yeah, we all know that couple. 0:50:03 - Speaker 7I don't know why I wrote that down when you said it. I wrote it down in my notes as if I'm going to have to retain that for a later day. 0:50:11 - Speaker 4You might. 0:50:12 - Speaker 7You might be on some SNL trivia show and it might come up, maybe that's like if I ever get to audition, they're like, hey, what was the first Needler sketch? I'm going to have to know it. 0:50:24 - Speaker 4Most people don't know that if you audition for SNL, there's a written test to go along with it. We hear stories about what it's like to be up there not getting laughs and still doing the thing, but then what we don't know is that there's a written test. Thorne Michaels is the proctor for the test and he's walking around, so this might be on SNL's written test, victoria. 0:50:46 - Speaker 7Okay, that's so good to know. I'm going to also, after this goes live, download it and like memorize everything we've said word for word, just in case. 0:50:55 - Speaker 4Yeah, just commit it to memory. So this sketch I love that you brought it up because Amy and Seth, they go from aggressive to passive aggressive just in an instant and they have really good chemistry here, that which we've seen a lot throughout SNL, throughout them in particular. 0:51:13 - Speaker 7They're a great duo. Hey, always comparing her to Tina Fey, but they were kind of each other's counterparts at the time but, like Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon, i think, have the same energy as Seth and Amy. they just worked really well together. I think they co collaborated a lot during, you know, their time in SNL. So you see, that which we'll talk about hopefully, i mean which I'm sure we'll talk about later is, you know, we can update and the needlers and and other things that they've, you know, written together and just they did that so well together. I really couldn't see her doing that sketch with anyone else. I love the fertility, fertility clinic one with Natalie Portman because it's like it describes those quote toxic and quote couples so perfectly. we're fighting all the time and then they end up like doing it Like they were doing it in the, in the waiting room, and Jason Sudeik has come and he's like I don't think we'll have any more patients for the day and she's like why is that he goes there doing it? 0:52:16 - Speaker 4Yeah, of course, that's like often the the button to those sketches. The first one, johnny Knoxville, is the one that walks in on them and yeah, that's just perfect, and that's that's how it is with those couples. It's so intense and passionate and it's in past. It's passionate negatively and sometimes passionate very positively. 0:52:35 - Speaker 7Yeah, oh, that's maybe a good word passionate versus toxic and that's what those couples will tell you. 0:52:41 - Speaker 4We're not talks, we're just passionate. 0:52:43 - Speaker 7Yeah, you don't know him like I know him okay. Okay, yeah, like they're like little lines of like, oh, we're late because he thought it was better to take the back roads instead of, oh, the highway. And then they were at dinner and she's like oh, be salad, be salad. He's like beat salad, yeah, because I wanted a bunch of bees in my mouth, just like. Very like. We know those couples, unfortunately, and if you think you're in that couple now and you're listening, please break up and find peace, please do everybody. Yeah, for the sake of society. 0:53:21 - Speaker 4So, yeah, you brought up weekend update, so I want to talk about that now. Actually, good segue. So she, yeah, started weekend update in her fourth season. So she did it season 30 to season 34, final update. Final update was in the middle of season 34. So what did you? and I know they say comparison is the thief of joy, but that's almost Kind of what we do here. Even if we don't do it overtly, it's almost applied that we're comparing cast members and errors and all of that. So I mean, what did you think of Amy on weekend update? 0:53:55 - Speaker 7Of course, to be reckoned with. You know she was part of the first and only female duo to host week and update with Tina Fey. Then, of course, she had a successful run with Seth Myers and she's just had like really great bits. You know, one that stands out to me was you know her and Tina Fey mentoring Lindsay Lohan at the time, who was like that was such a great mean girls era and you know, for folks who are younger, like millennials, i should say that was kind of like our Like the comedy growing up of was you know mean girls and and you know the Tina Fey and Amy Polars growing up. So it was really awesome. You know it was very like. I'm confronting her about rumors they've heard about her which, like at the time everyone had a rumor was very. I think as a side we've done a little bit better, not too much better, but we've progressed a little bit how we treat women and people who are famous but just like saying, you know you have me to Barton arms. You're too skinny, are you eating? I went to the club and then The fun part of the you know the twist of Lindsay Lohan throwing it back on them. She's like well, you slept with people for Tanta movies, are you know? you're drunk right now. And Amy Polars like, yes, i am, no, i mean, she was great. She brought a lot of originality to it again. It's that POV of I am myself, i am me, i'm fearless, i'm confident, and you better listen to me, and this is what I've got to say. She brought that there too. 0:55:26 - Speaker 4Yeah, amy, on update to me, that really allowed her to display her wit and charm on the show she was out of character. Well, kind of out of character, but it was. You know she. She straddled the line is weekend update anchors Do, but she really was allowed to display her wit and charm. She did like playful crowd work in spots. That was really entertaining. She and Tina did a lot of bits amongst themselves outside of the update jokes, like you mentioned that Lindsay Lohan mentorship bit. They would rap, they would sing songs, they would have bits like the The nutbird news quiz, the bitch news quiz, kind of different things like that. So I like that she and Tina When outside of we're just gonna take turns doing jokes and then have like a cast member do a week a bit with us or whatever, like they would do bits amongst themselves, which I think, yeah, really interesting. 0:56:25 - Speaker 7Yeah, i mean out of the wraps, which was your favorite. 0:56:29 - Speaker 4Oh man, not to put you on the spot. Yeah, they did one. It was either the one that I remember most and I went back and rewatched kind of Her weekend update stuff here and there and the one that always stood in my mind was I ended up being the first one that she did in season 30. And that stood out to me to watching it in sequential order because that was one of the first kind of bits that they did outside of the update jokes, so you never really saw like Kevin Niel and rapping. Or like Chevy Chase yeah yeah, jane and Bill Murray rapping together, so yeah, so I did like that first one because I maybe it was just because of the significance, as as if you are watching it how I did, but that one for sure stood out to me. 0:57:24 - Speaker 7And I'd be remiss if I didn't give Jane Curtin a shout out for being the first female weekend host. But no, the one that stood up to me wraps wise is the Sarah Palin rap. I don't know if you remember that. 0:57:53 - Speaker 5Smile, because that smile be creepy. But when I'm being all the leaders in the world gonna finally meet me, how's it go, eskimo? 0:58:02 - Speaker 7Tell me, tell me what you know Eskimo, how you feel Eskimo, tell me, tell me what you feel Eskimo Again. like that era of SNL, like 2000, like the 2008 election specifically, was so awesome to see the actual candidates come on to that show. I think now people would be like we're in such a crisis. what are you doing on SNL situation? so it's cool that we got that from then while we, while we could, and you know, sarah Palin joins the weekend update desk and then kind of like Amy Poehler kind of brings, brings the house down with a wrap about you know, about Sarah Palin like delivering her message and then Andy Sandberg and Fred Armisen as her backup. just really with like the fur coats and you know. Yeah, that was one that stood out to me. I she just man. Again, she's in a lot of things on that show that not many people got to do. I mean, i think I don't know if we're gonna end with a why she deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. But yeah, she was well, we'll get to it, but I had to, yeah, yeah, we'll get to it. So I'll leave my the rest of my thoughts there. I'll pause them for now. 0:59:10 - Speaker 4Yeah. 0:59:10 - Speaker 7so before we move on to what maybe she did after SNL and to your appeal to the voters, what else on SNL should we talk about as far as Amy Poehler goes, I would just love to give a quick honorable mention to two sketches, again also in a in the 2008 ish, you know, near the end of her time is the Bush twin secret language sketch. 0:59:38 - Speaker 8Jenna, we're twins. We have to share our most secret thoughts about everything. It's disrespectful. Just answer me in our secret twin language. 0:59:52 - Speaker 10Barbara, we haven't used that language since. We were like 19. 0:59:56 - Speaker 8Do be you, but think, but dance, but good. but president, but yes, i think, but he's, but really good. 1:00:09 - Speaker 7Like so funny there was, like you know they slapped on some Southern accents and they were drunk and you know they were using their, the secret, the language, to Figure out I'm trying to do it to figure out, like if their dad is actually like smart enough and competent enough to be president, which like was funny because I guess at the time when the rest of America was like what Is is he? and then another one was to love, honor and stock with John McCain hello, gillian. 1:00:45 - Speaker 10The conference wish cut short, so I rushed back to see you. 1:00:49 - Speaker 9David You shouldn't sneak up on people like that. You scared me half to death. 1:00:54 - Speaker 10Forgive me, darling, you know I'd never hurt you. 1:00:59 - Speaker 7That was so funny. It was just like her husband, her older husband, who was like very in love with her, invades her privacy and she's just like he's always in my space and like tries to sue him and so like you're literally married, like She's just a marriage, Yeah he's like he's just a poet and it's like kind of funny because it's like They also bring up again this feminism, feminist point of view of like if you were, if it was a rose reverse, it would be a big deal. Like we'd all be like, you know, leave him alone if she was the one doing it to him. But yeah, i think the amount of times she's gotten to play with you know politicians, especially during these Really important I mean she came during important time in in the US. I feel like that kind of set the tone for, like what she was gonna do in the years after. So I just wanted to give a shout out to those two. I now that I'm like we're talking about it. She did a lot of a lot of political stuff and good for her. I mean, she's involved politically in her personal life, so it just makes sense that she again is enough, is is authentic and genuine and says to herself, even when she's being someone else. 1:02:08 - Speaker 4Yeah, and I don't know if those lifetime movies Exist in that fashion anymore, but that was such a good parody of a lifetime movie from that area. So, that to love, honor and stock the the Jillian Woodward story, that's what that was called. It was in her second season, so that would have been about 2000, late 2002, when that's aired, and that was just Such a perfect parody of a lifetime movie from that era. They captured it so well and I don't know if there's anything Comparable now. Lifetime, does it exist? 1:02:42 - Speaker 7I think it might, but I haven't watched a lifetime movie since like 2006, yeah, so Sorry to say watched in 2006. 1:02:52 - Speaker 4This is, i'm sure. Yeah the reason why you appreciate something like that. So I think those are two excellent choices and really great examples of of her work on SNL. I also highlighted her Dakota fanning show that she did three times. That was a good one. She just was hilarious depiction of a precocious young girl. Amy, amy played that so well. Yeah, when she had Drew Barrymore Barrymore on and Drew Barrymore was playing The Abigail Breslin is a little miss. Yes, and then yeah yeah, Amy played that so well. 1:03:25 - Speaker 7How old were you when you first Scott your, when you got your first nomination? 1:03:28 - Speaker 4and she's like And she's like oh, i didn't know you were that young. 1:03:34 - Speaker 7Yeah, that's so funny. That's a good call out. That was such a. You know, dakota fanning, if you're watching this or if you're listening to this and I know that you are I hope you're doing well And I hope that you felt justice was served in your impersonation of you by Amy polar because it was done out of love. 1:03:53 - Speaker 4So yeah, and I think I think she knows that. So after SNL Amy polar, her main gig was playing Leslie nope in Parks and Recreation. I was a big fan. I imagine you were to Victoria. 1:04:09 - Speaker 7Yeah, i think it was. It just calls out a lot of the nonsense that we may or may not see in Politics, but especially, you know, local politics. A lot of like, a lot of pop culture and societal phrases that we used to like treat yourself, came from that and it's, it's made an impact on on TV and on how we speak to each other. And you know, you know again her and Tina Fey, i Think, are probably one of the few who had these successful TV shows after leaving SNL. Not only that, like producing and directing and and writing and being so successful at it and where it's So ingrained into our society, like. Another example would be like bridesmaids, you know with with Kristen Wiig and how, after SNL, you know she created this really awesome piece of piece of comedy for us to enjoy. And you know we Like I always say shit that is fresh. I pull that from from bridesmaids, but I always pull like treat yourself and you know it's, it's. They're not enough words and maybe they are, but I'm not smart enough to know them. I have a limited vocabulary. But she is Amy Poehler is She's not the first to do it. We like it. We've mentioned Gilda Radner and you know we also mentioned Jane Curtin. They're not the first but they are today's. You know they stand on shoulders but us after them are standing on their shoulders too. So We've been with, you know, parks and rec. She's opened some other doors and avenues for us to be creative and, you know, freed us a little bit to be Open about ourselves in our comedy and how we write and how we look at comedy. 1:05:58 - Speaker 4So after a very successful run on parks and recreation She returned to SNL numerous cameos throughout the years, especially at the weekend up

In Basketball there is a type of player that comes along once or twice in a generation that they call a Unicorn. As you might guess the Unicorn is unique, mainly because they can do a variety of things that haven't been done before. They stand out in a sport where there are a lot of talented and versatile performers.My guest today, Angela Shelton, fits the definition of a Second City Unicorn, having accomplished things that no one else in the Sixty plus years of the theater's existence has achieved. Her Second City experience started when she opened the first ever show at the Second City Detroit in 1993. After writing four shows there she moved north to the Second city Toronto where she became only the second African American performer in that theaters 20 plus year history (more on that later). Having worked at Two different theaters in two different countries is enough to Put Angela into Rare air, but she was barely half way done as she then moved to Chicago writing shows  on both the ETC and Mainstage, making her the only person to open a show on Three Second city Stages. And if you are keeping score, you've figured out she's also the only person to open a resident company show on FOUR Second City stages.  I am thrilled to welcome the unicorn that is Angela Shelton.

Our guest on the show this week is JAIME MOYER! Jaime voiced April and Colleen on FOX TV's BOB's BURGER, guest starred as the Female Snowflake, in FOX's new animation series THE GREAT NORTH. She has had recurring roles on: PEACOCK's AP BIO, Netflix's THE BIG SHOW SHOW, ABC's MODERN FAMILY, and Disney's hit show KC UNDERCOVER. She also appeared on NBC's PARKS AND RECREATION, CBS's 2 BROKE GIRLS and Hulu's FUTURE MAN. Jaime wrote for three seasons of Nickelodeon's LEGO CITY ADVENTURES where she helped create many memorable original characters. Jaime has a lifetime love affair with live theater, and she wrote and starred in original revues as an alum of THE SECOND CITY - DETROIT. Jaime occasionally appears as Guillermo's wife on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE, and she was awarded the sole prize of Maestro at the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival in Austin, Texas in 2011. Twitter: @Jaime_Moyer https://jaimemoyer.com/ Comfort Cases https://www.comfortcases.org/ @comfortcases Wellness Department - Igniting Your Self Love: Mind, Body and Soul. November 21, 2021 - on Zoom https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/igniting-your-self-love-mind-body-and-soul-tickets-204073448177 Podcast Team Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Editor: Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz Graphic: Vicki Brier @brier2019 Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Actors and comedians Frances Callier and Angela V. Shelton (Frangela) join Andrew and Tawny to discuss representing being a person of color when they wrote their scenes at Second City Detroit, calling activities “so white,” if you should be nice people who mistake you for someone else, and much more. As always, leave us a message about anything you think is racist at (323) 389-RACE.

Dionna Griffin-Irons is a comedy performer, producer, mentor and facilitator. Dionna joins The Stephan Dyer Podcast to discuss how improv and journaling helped her survive in prison, the importance of identity shifts, motherhood, mentoring, The Second City and her legacy in diversity and inclusion. Dionna Griffin-Irons is the former Director of Diversity, Talent & Inclusion for The Second City U.S. and Canada. A Second City Detroit alumna with 20+ years of experience as a performer, producer and facilitator, Dionna has taught 200+ workshops at colleges, women's shelters, corporate boardrooms and worked with the United States Embassy in Norway and Latvia introducing improv as a tool for social change. Today Dionna produces, mentors, and teaches in comedy. Links: TEDxUChicago Talk: How I Improvised in Prison - and Found My Voice Join Dionna's classes: www.dionnagriffinirons.com Follow Dionna on Instagram @dionnagriffinirons The Artist's Way Book by Julia Cameron: Buy on Amazon Continue the conversation on Instagram @stephandyer .

In this episode, I sit down with the great actor, writer, producer and comic Rico Bruce Wade. We talk about his days writing and performing at the Second City Detroit, his love-hate relationship with comedy, his role as Charles in my film Sincerely, Brenda and much much more!! Follow Rico Here: FB: @RicoShow http://ricoshow.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lifebeyondthelens/support

On this episode of W.S.E.G., we talk to Detroit Actress, Singer, and So much more, K Edmonds. We talk about Typecasting, Mental Health, and her time at Second City: Detroit. Find K: https://www.instagram.com/kee313/ http://kedmondsmedia.com/ Find our Sponsor Model Studios: Modedstudios.com Find Reina Mystique: Reinamystique.com Be as Woke as you wanna be and write the show: wespeakenglishgood@gmail.com Find Us On Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/wespeakenglishgood/ https://www.facebook.com/wespeakenglishgood/ Find us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFsCPVyc6w6iRe99yjJtsMw www.wespeakenglishgood.com

Maggie, Brendan, and guest Garrett keep the momentum going with talks of older half brothers before diving into Garrett's Seedling Stage. He shares stories from Second City Detroit, Schoolcraft Community College, marriage, and fatherhood. Enjoy! Music by Will Curry and Artwork by Mitch Socia. Follow us on Instagram: @vulnerabiliteapod

Maggie, Brendan, and guest Margaret continue the episode talking about living in Detroit in the early 90's, non-receptive crushes, and gay husbands before diving into her Sage stage. Margaret shares stories from Second City Detroit and working at Y Arts Detroit before serving some sultry Niche Quiche. Enjoy! Music by Will Curry and Artwork by Mitch Socia. Follow us on Instagram: @vulnerabiliteapod

Replay: Actor Marc Evan Jackson is known for his role as Shawn on The Good Place and Kevin Cozner on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. But he has deep roots in the Detroit improvisational comedy community, both as an alumni of Second City Detroit and as the co-founder of The Detroit Creativity Project, a non-profit that uses improv to teach Detroit students. Marc will performing a two-man improv show with Paul F. Tompkins at The Fillmore on Friday, January 25th, to raise money for the charity.

Host Natasha Pearl Hansen and guest J Chris Newberg talk about his upbringing by con-artists, his run in with a mod boss that skyrocketing the business of his first company, Second City Detroit, performing on Kimmel and finally moving to LA after being fed up from being a private investigator.Video podcast versions available at https://tinyurl.com/ydgjvddoPodcast Website: https://www.comedypopupla.com/futurerolemodelFollow us:https://www.instagram.com/nphcomedyhttps://www.instagram.com/futurerolemodelhttps://www.instagram.com/comedypopup https://www.instagram.com/cpupodcasts

Host Natasha Pearl Hansen and guest J Chris Newberg talk about his upbringing by con-artists, his run in with a mod boss that skyrocketing the business of his first company, Second City Detroit, performing on Kimmel and finally moving to LA after being fed up from being a private investigator.Video podcast versions available at https://tinyurl.com/ydgjvddoPodcast Website: https://www.comedypopupla.com/futurerolemodelFollow us:https://www.instagram.com/nphcomedyhttps://www.instagram.com/futurerolemodelhttps://www.instagram.com/comedypopup https://www.instagram.com/cpupodcasts

Kiff VandenHeuvel says a lot you need to listen to! Our guest on Voice Over Body Shop this week, Kiff Vandenheuvel, is an actor, director and teacher of both improvisational comedy and voiceover. He is also the host of the award nominated voiceover podcast, “All Over Voiceover.” Kiff has many film credits including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Nightcrawler, and La La Land. He is best known for his work in BioShock Infinite as Zachary Hale Comstock, Skavak in Star Wars: The Old Republic, Walter in Telltale's The Walking Dead and as Cliff Rich on the Netflix series, Richie Rich. Kiff is also an alumnus of The Second City Detroit and The Second City Cleveland mainstage casts and has been working with The Second City comedy theatre since 1998. We'll have much to talk about what it takes to succeed as an actor and voice actor, and he answers your questions! Brought to you by Voiceoveressentials.com,  Vo2Gogo.com, Sourceelements.com,  VoiceOverXtra.com,  VOICEACTORWEBSITES.com and J. Michael Collins Demos jmcvoiceover.com/demo-production

Jackson is a regular on shows like "The Good Place" today, but first cut his teeth performing improv at the former Second City Detroit.

Dave, Marcco, Melanie and D+ rated sound guy Anthony Slanda welcome Detroit area comic and show runner Rebecca Concepcion. Rebecca and Marcco bond over some yak about the old Second City Detroit, how having a easy going nuclear family gifted her the freedom to explore comedy and Rebecca's fondness for a very popular 2 Live Crew song. We go over some hate mail, run our tabloid read and Rebecca takes on the SDWSU team in the house favorite. 

Kara Lee Burk began writing while working with The Second City-Detroit and various sketch comedy troupes in New York City. An alumni of the Warner Bros Television Writers Workshop, she has been staffed as a writer on Romantically Challenged (ABC), Melissa & Joey (ABC Family) and The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show (Dreamworks / Netflix). She has developed multiple series, wrote on Hanazuki, a bunch digital shorts for The Littlest Pet Shop (both on YouTube) and is currently a writer for the upcoming Costume Quest (Amazon). "[For writer's block], I switch gears and work on something else for a day. It's like a game of Jenga. You gotta poke at different blocks and work on the ones that move. And if something is stuck, you don't know how moving to another project, something may shift and you'll see the answer." • Kara Lee Burk on Twitter   // Pulling Your Hair Out is produced and hosted by Richard Lowe. Music by Joshua Moshier.

Suzy Nakamura is an actress.  She began her professional career doing small plays, including one show in Siberia.  It was a folktale and she played a bird and she performed it in Siberia. Eventually she was hired to tour with the Touring Company of The Second City. She also opened the first two shows at The Second City Detroit. After moving to Los Angeles, she began guest starring on television, eventually landing recurring roles on The West Wing, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Modern Family. She currently stars with Ken Jeong in Dr. Ken on ABC. Suzy shares a tragedy in her life that has helped her become her own cheerleader to build the confidence to live life on her terms instead of the expectation from others.  Check out her episode to listen to her story. Check out thetaoofselfconfidence.com for show notes of Suzy's episode, Suzy's website, resources, gifts and so much more.

Jaime Moyer is an improviser, teacher and actor. You have seen her in such shows as Modern Family and Parks and Recreation. She was originally a member of Second City Detroit before moving to LA in 2009. In this live episode recorded at The Chicago Improv Festival, Jimmy talks to her about how she auditioned for Second City for a parking pass, how she avoids being pigeonholed in improv, and how she decides what projects to take on.

Actor Jaime Moyer (K.C. Undercover, Parks and Recreation) stops by Studio 309 and discusses growing up in and around theatre, her time at Second City Detroit, and more! Info, photos, links, et cetera -- http://boxangeles.com/115

The 2015 Detroit Improv Festival is in the books, and the gang is here to relive it with you in a two-part extravaganza. In Part I, we talk to two stars of DIF, Nancy Hayden and Jaime Moyer. Both are alums of Second City Detroit, current members of 313 and Mama's Boy, and both were nice enough to take the time to talk to us: Here's how it went: ** Nancy Hayden ** A star is cast/ Forming Planet Ant/ Getting some class/ There and back again / Second City vs. Detroit /Early influences /Auditioning for Second City /A writer's life/ An EXCLUSIVE! /Secrets to success/ Women and improv / **Jaime Moyer** /DIF 2015/ Tony's confession/ Fear of a yes and/ The Culture of Yes/ Our first plug/ Planet Ant West/ Back to DIF/ A family thing/ Auditioning /Writing / The “Prayers for Bobby” story/ No Fritters allowed/ Parting advice. Comments or whatever: @tonyaugusty and @ultimatejohnyar

New "Kahnversations" Podcast with Actor Todd Stashwick!     In this special, post Comi-Con installation of "Kahnversations," we interview Todd Stashwick, star of Syfy Channel's 12 MONKEYS. Todd’s first professional dream was realized at a young age when he was hired to tour the country with Chicago’s famous The Second City. Following productions at The Second City Detroit and The Second City Northwest, Todd moved to New York. There, he formed a company of improvisers and began staging the underground critically acclaimed BURN MANHATTAN all over the city. Other performers often included Kate Walsh and Jeremy Piven. Work in television and film drew him to Los Angeles where he shot several pilots, series and recurring work. Todd has been seen in such films as the Blumhouse Thriller, MOCKINGBIRD; YOU, ME AND DUPREE; SURFER DUDE; THE AIR I BREATHE; and LIVE!. In addition, he starred in the independent film TO BE FRIENDS, written and directed by Jim Eckhart and produced by Aaron Eckhart, which opened The Boston Film Festival. He will soon be seen in JANE GOT A GUN opposite Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor. Most notably, Todd is known for his role as Dale in the FX series THE RICHES opposite Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard. Other favorites include SUPERNATURAL, portraying Bela Lugosi's Dracula, and roles in such shows as GOTHAM (recurring), ORIGINALS (recurring), HEROES (recurring), WEEDS (recurring), TEEN WOLF (recurring), JUSTIFIED (recurring), BURN NOTICE (recurring), as well as comedies like THE EXES, DHARMA AND GREG and WILL AND GRACE. He was excited to be part of the Seinfeld reunion episodes of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM where he played NBC president Sandy Goodman. In addition to acting Todd has launched several writing projects over the last few years, including the web-comic strip DEVIL INSIDE (a collaboration with writer/artist Dennis Calero). He also sold and developed a pilot for Syfy that he wrote with Dennis Calero. Realizing another dream, he is currently co-writer on the STAR WARS video game for Visceral games and Electronic Arts, headed by the influential game developer and director, Amy Hennig. Todd enjoys surfing, is a vicious cinefile and loves to travel. He has a minor obsession with turn of the century Coney Island. A shameless geek, he’s an avid gamer and lover of comic books, sci-fi and horror. His love of improv remains strong and he continues to perform and teach at festivals, both at home and abroad. He lives with his family and too many pets in the Los Angeles area. You can download or subscribe to the podcast for FREE by clicking below. If you like “Kahnversations,” feel free to leave a rating or review on our iTunes page!  __________________________________ So many inspiring podcasts out there allow us to hear all about how well-established stars got to where they are today. But those actors are so faaaaaaar away from where so many of us are today! Wouldn’t it be great to hear from the guy who just booked his first pilot? Or the kid finally doing a studio pic after a bunch of low budget indies? Or the woman who’s been a series regular a few times but is only now becoming a name? What about the guy who’s been on a show for years and you know his face but what’shisnameagain? Or that actress who is now a freakin’ showrunner???? How’d THEY do it, right? How did they transition from relative obscurity, bartending and bottle service, to buying that house in the hills? We’re producing “Kahnversations,” a podcast that provides access to THOSE people -- your immediate predecessors -- so that you can learn from them while their battle scars are still fresh. In “Kahnversations,” our own Ryan Bailey interviews some of Lesly Kahn & Company’s working actors, directors, and writers in order to learn how they got started in Hollywood, the challenges and hurdles they faced, and how they overcame the odds. (They also dish out some crazy stories!) Listen in and enjoy as these entertainers speak candidly about their paths, processes, and experiences. You might even hear a bit about how Lesly and the Kahnstitute have influenced and shaped their careers.    

Antoine McKay is a former member of the Second City Mainstage, a teacher, actor, and is appearing in the new show Empire on Fox. In this episode, Antoine talks about coming up through Second City Detroit, his faith, and not making acting a priority. Don't miss this one!

Jaime Moyer joins The Building Years to talk about starting her improv career out in Second City Detroit, the 313 improv group, her recent Second City cruise line tour, the ups and downs of auditioning, and the pros and cons of having a unique voice.

Steve Cooper talks with actor Suzy Nakamura. Suzy began her career in the touring company of The Second City, and later opened the first two shows at The Second City Detroit. After moving to Los Angeles, she began guest starring on television, eventually landing recurring roles on The West Wing and Curb Your Enthusiasm. She has appeared in over 100 television episodes. Recent guest star credits include In Plain Sight, How I Met Your Mother, Castle and Bones, as well as recurring roles on Modern Family and Men of a Certain Age. Her film credits include the notable independents Timecode Sundance Special Jury Prize winner Treasure Island and Harmony and Me. She has also been in Free Samples and Judd Apatow's This Is 40. Recently she co-starred in Matthew Perry's NBC series Go On and in her spare time, she makes regular appearances in various improvisational and sketch comedy shows around Los Angeles.

CaraTrautman: Author. Actress. Aventurer. I want to write a book! Now what? Find out how Cara said those words and went from the jungles of Gabon to crafting a saucy novel at her local coffee shop. Doubt, fear, excuses and even death couldn't stop her writing journey.