Andrew Ritter on musical improv and more

Episode 154: Meet the dynamic Andrew Ritter. Andrew started acting as a child in the suburbs of Chicago and was in several productions with a young Vince Vaughn. He loved musicals and acted in high school and college. As a youth, his parents took him to many theatrical productions and Second City Shows. Andrew always loved the comedy there, as well as SNL, so when he left Middlebury College he eventually came back home to Chicago. He spoke about his joy in taking improv classes and eventually became a teacher.

Andrew taught improv and musical improv at Second City Chicago. We chatted about his introduction to musical improv with our mutual friend the brilliant Michael Descoteaux. One of his students was the musical improviser and artistic director of Boom Chicago, Stacey Smith He developed a children’s show called, “The Greatest Story Never Told” In this show he invited the children in the audience to come on stage, choose their own character and make up a story on the spot! He created physical books by hand with illustrations created by the children in the show which audience members could purchase. Photos of some of those books are pictured below.

< You can learn more and connect with Andrew through the links below: During the lockdown Andrew and his family returned to Vermont. He is currently the Founder/Artistic Director at InterACT Creative Vermont, https://interactcreative.org/ where he teaches improvisation, acting, sketch comedy writing, and team building among other classes. He is also the Creative Director/Writer/Voice Actor for The Gfulness APP, a unique meditation app that combines the concept of meditation and mindfulness with comedy based on the idea that laughter is the best medicine. Check it out at https://www.gfulness.com/ Andrew holds a BA in Theater and Psychology from Middlebury College and has studied Wing Chun, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and meditation, and is currently studying and practicing Pencak Silat in Vermont. Andrew is a genuine and talented person. I can attest to his skills as a musical improv teacher because I’ve taken some classes with him. He’s the best. https://www.gfulness.com https://interactcreative.org/ Andrew Ritter Founder/Artistic Director @ InterAct Creative Vermont Creative Director @ The Gfulness APP (c) 773.710.1639 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. You may enjoy hearing from improv teachers and innovators including Colin Mochrie and David Pasquesi *Improv Interviews podcast‘ is introduced by Susan L. Parker of yourinternationalvoice.com

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