Jeff Michalski is an actor, director, improviser, teacher, mentor and so much more. He worked in comedy clubs across the country with the Original Comedy Ranger and was a member of the Groundling in Los Angeles before settling with the Chicago Second City in 1980. During his years with the Second City, Jeff studied with Paul Sills and his historic Story Theatre. While traveling the country with Second City’s National Touring Company he continued training with Second City founder Paul Sills, and artistic directors Del Close, Fred Kaz, and Bernie Sahlins.
Continue reading “Jeff Michalski Improv Interviews”
Join me and meet the incredibly likable Howard Jerome who is a walking encyclopedia of Improvisation history. Howard calls himself an actor, voice guy, and a seminar and workshop leader as well as an MC, work he has been doing for decades with great gusto. Howard’s amazing understanding and dedication to improvisation have led to 111 film and acting credits. He has worked with some of the world’s most creative and innovative minds, including Dr. Jean Houston, a principal founder of the Human Potential Movement, and the great spiritual leader Ram Dass. Howard worked with David Shepherd in the early 70s on projects including Community Makers, Responsive Scene Radio Show, Improv Olympics to name a few.
Continue reading “Howard Jerome with Special Guest Michael Golding (Parts 1 & 2)”
Kay Ross was born in Scotland, grew up in Australia,
and has lived in Hong Kong for 25 years. She has been acting since she was a
teenager, did stand-up comedy for a while, has been performing with short-form improv
team People’s Liberation Improv in Hong Kong for 11 years, is a member of the
Applied Improvisation Network, and leads Applied Improvisation workshops in
Hong Kong and around Asia for companies, universities and community
organizations.
Continue reading “Kay Ross Imagining Possibilities through Improvisation”
Over the course of his seventy-plus year career, Ed Asner has simultaneously established himself as one of the most legendary actors alive while championing social and charitable causes. Ed was born in Kansas City, Missouri, attended the University of Chicago, and served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, appearing in plays put on for the troops as they toured around Europe.
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Carol Bleackley Sills, director of Sills/Spolin Theater Works has been an influential force behind improvisational theater since she left Montreal and came to Chicago in 1959. Carol studied with Viola Spolin, acting as her editor since 1983. With her husband Paul Sills, they created many innovative theaters, beyond Paul’s The Compass, Playwrights Theater Club and The Second City. namely The Game Theater, Story Theater, The Body Politic, Century Hall, The Learning Theater and Sills & Co. Carol and her daughters present workshops at the Wisconsin Theater Game Center and other places nationwide. She is a painter and arts educator.
You can learn more about Carol Sills at: www.paulsills.com/sillsspolin-theater-works/
Carol studied with Viola Spolin, acting as her editor since 1983. With her husband Paul Sills, they created many innovative theaters, beyond Paul’s The Compass, Playwrights Theater Club and The Second City. namely The Game Theater, Story Theater, The Body Politic, Century Hall, The Learning Theater and Sills & Co. Carol and her daughters present workshops at the Wisconsin Theater Game Center and other places nationwide. She is a painter and arts educator.
You can learn more about Carol Sills at: www.paulsills.com/sillsspolin-theater-works/
Continue reading “Carol Bleackley Sills”
Sean A. Mulvihill is currently directing the documentary feature film, “Act Social” featuring Colin Mochrie (Whose Line is it, Anyway?). The film follows Sean and his team on a mission to bring improvisation-based peacemaking skills to world leaders and communities in need.
Sean is well known around the globe for creating and starring in the 2007 docu/drama feature film, Living Luminaries: On the Serious Business of Happiness. The film stars Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now), Marianne Williamson, don Miguel Ruiz (The Four Agreements), and Michael Bernard Beckwith.
Continue reading “Sean Mulvihill Act Social Movie – Improv for Conflict Resolution”
Aretha Sills is the granddaughter of Viola Spolin. She studied theater games for many years with her father, director Paul Sills (creator/director of The Second City and Story Theater), and has conducted workshops for Paul Sills’ Wisconsin Theater Game Center, Bard College, Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Stockholm International School, Sarah Lawrence College, and Northwestern University. She has worked with Tony- and Emmy-Award winning actors and has trained faculty from Northwestern, DePaul, Columbia College, The Second City, The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, LAUSD, CETA, and many other institutions and schools. She is the Associate Director of Sills/Spolin Theater Works and she directs The Predicament Players.
Continue reading “Aretha Sills 3rd Generation Improvisation”
Part 2 of my podcast with Gary Schwartz, an award-winning TV and film actor, director, comedian and a master improvisational acting coach whose 30 years as a performer and improv teacher has helped transform the lives of thousands of people, both on- and off-screen. He studied and worked with Viola Spolin,the mother of modern improv, and is the only master teacher to have ever earned an endorsement from both Viola Spolin and her son, Paul Sills, the co-founder and director of The Second City.
Click to listen to Part I
Continue reading “Gary Schwartz Part 2 of 2”
I met John Dawson through our mutual friend Nick Johne from Chicago’s Second City. They had worked together at Toronto’s Second City before they both immigrated to Chicago and Dublin. His first foray into using improvisation for improved mental health was 7 years ago when he was approached to design and facilitate a series of Dramatic Arts for Wellness Workshops for D.C.U. (Dublin City University) in association with St. James Hospital Dublin’s mental health division. John’s taught his improv-based workshops in Critical thinking, Creativity and Effective Communication/Collaboration Skills for corporate and institutional clients such as Google, Airbnb, DropBox, Twitter Ireland, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin City University, and H.S.E. (Health Service Executive, Ireland). You can learn more about John Dawson at: www.dawsondramaworks@gmail.com Email: dawsondramaworks@gmail.com
In part one of our podcast we talk about John’s development as an improvisor and also his connection with our dear friend Nick Johne.
Continue reading “John Dawson (Part 1 of 2)”
I met John Dawson through our mutual friend Nick Johne from Chicago’s Second City. They had worked together at Toronto’s Second City before they both immigrated to Chicago & Dublin. His first foray into using improvisation for improved mental health was 7 years ago when he was approached to design and facilitate a series of Dramatic Arts for Wellness Workshops for D.C.U. (Dublin City University) in association with St. James Hospital Dublin’s mental health division. John’s taught his improv-based workshops in Critical thinking, Creativity and Effective Communication/Collaboration Skills for corporate and institutional clients such as Google, Airbnb, DropBox, Twitter Ireland, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin City University, and H.S.E. (Health Service Executive, Ireland). In part 2 John talks about his work in mental health. You can learn more about John Dawson at: www.dawsondramaworks@gmail.com Email: dawsondramaworks@gmail.com
Continue reading “John Dawson (Part 2 of 2 )”
