What a thrill and an honor it was chatting with Improv Legend Paul Vaillancourt on our latest episode of Improv Interviews. Paul is a wonderful improviser and coach and wrote the book “The Triangle of the Scene” A very practical and easy-to-read method for approaching improvisational You can buy it here: https://amzn.to/2Oalcmk.
This was such a wonderful experience as Paul is a truly sweet person. We even did a scene together as he is also so generous! Paul is a writer, actor, director, producer, and most of all improvisor who has been teaching and performing improv across the country for more than 35 years.
He is a graduate of the Comedy Sportz Training Program in Virginia, the Second City Training Center in Chicago as well as the legendary iO in Chicago where he had the rare opportunity to study under the legendary Del Close. After his group, Bitter Noah was selected to perform their signature piece, the Improvised Movie, at the US Comedy Arts festival Paul moved to Los Angeles and founded the iO West where he has been teaching, directing, and performing (both written and improvised shows) ever since. During his time in Hollywood Paul has become a sought-after improv coach, producer, writer, and consultant working with many TV networks including Fox, MTV, VH1, Oxygen, History, and Bravo to name a few. Subscribe to his amazing YouTube channel PV at: https://bit.ly/2O5lxqw. His Improv Tips are short, powerful, and easily digestible clips to help develop all sorts of improv tools. He also has a great series about games for Harold as well as other great video resources. Follow Paul here on Facebook or IG and on Twitter @whatsupwithpv, CLICK HERE
You might want to listen to my fascinating discussions with other improv teachers and innovators including Colin Mochrieand Anne Beatts*Improv Interviews podcast‘ is introduced by Susan L. Parker of yourinternationalvoice.com
In Part 2 of our conversation with the fantastic Ira Sakolsky, we chat about his work teaching and playing improv in Connecticut. One of the wonderful events he co-created 17 years ago is The North Pole Express at the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat in Essex, CT. which is still playing to sold-out audiences.
Ira Sakolsky is a professional actor, musician, and composer, writing and performing for film, theater, television, and industrial shows.
You might want to listen to my fascinating discussions with other improv teachers and innovators including Colin Mochrieand Anne Beatts*Improv Interviews podcast‘ is introduced by Susan L. Parker of yourinternationalvoice.com
Meet Ali Turnbull. A wonderful writer and improviser that has Parkinson’s disease. She finds ways to inspire others with Parkinson’s Disease through exercise and laughter. We met at an Improv for PD class with the delightful Robert Cochrane. I laughed so much during this interview as Ali has remarkable wit and is quite engaging, Ali lives on the edge of the beautiful English Lake District with her husband Robin and a cat called LouLou. Her philosophy on life is expressed in this quote. “I have quickly decided that instead of mourning the brain cells I have lost, I will celebrate those that remain with the things I love – music, exercise, and the great outdoors.”
Assael Romanelli, Ph.D. is a prolific writer, clinician, and internationally known trainer. Our first podcast was on May 5, 2017, a few months before we both presented at the “Yes, and Mental Health Conference” in Chicago. I was so glad to catch up with him and his great body of work over the past 4 years. He has made a great difference in the world of research and clinical improv. He conducted a research project teaching improv to social workers in 2019 he and colleagues published the research project “I’mprovisation – Therapists’ Subjective Experience during Improvisational Moments in the Clinical Encounter”. Assael developed a training course for therapists in theater improvisation skills and observed its impact on their clinical work. The 17 therapists that he trained in this study all had a positive change in relation to their work.
This is our second interview with the fabulous Daniel DeWalt of Covered Bridge Studios and Theaters in the Chicago area. He has recently created a series of FREE Master Level Improv Sessions with their newest enterprise, Generations On The Bridge Improv Playground. Combining the talents of children, teens, and adults who have graduated from their conservatory Comedy & Drama Improv Program in a single group, this promises to be something quite unique. Daniel, along with other professional instructors, is emphasizing advanced improv concepts and they will be opening these sessions soon to graduate-level improv students from all over the country. For more information about these exciting masterclasses and other projects at Covered Bridge, contact Daniel at MycoveredBridge@aol.com
Mary DeMichele has been a pioneer in researching the use of improv for teens who’ve experienced trauma. We met at the premiere of the film Act Social, by Sean Mulivil. How can improv be less overwhelming and scary for the beginner? This is the question that has defined Mary’s 25-year career. Mary is the creator of One Rule Improva — research-based and trauma-informed — accessible approach to learning, teaching, and applying improv, so people can bring the benefits of improv into their lives quickly and easily.
Chris Alvarado is an amazing improv teacher and actor. I met Chris through our mutual friend, Jay Sukow. Chris has been improvising for 24years and is a master teacher. Chris is so easy to talk with and for half of the interview he’s actually interviewing me! He is incredibly direct, honest, and committed to his art. He is from LA and became addicted to improv at his first class at a community college, where he remained for six years. He traveled to Chicago’s Second City with the hopes of being the next SNL sensation. He returned to LA to study at the IO West, UCB, Westside Comedy Theatre & Second City LA. We talk about the fear of taking an improv class and how brave students are when they walk into their first class – and come back. His podcasts are wonderful and I hope you’ll check them out! Even better, try one of his classes!
Meet Oluwadamilola Apotieri, a wonderful humanitarian, improviser and so much more. Listen to how he got into improv, became a pioneer of virtual improv, teaching kids, playing in the virtual space versus in person, using theatre as a tool for social justice and more. We met through our mutual friend, Beth Boynton, RNOluwadamilolaspeaks of his childhood and passion for playing and performing. He put on his first show at age 7 and by 9 years old had his own TV show. As challenging as the pandemic is, it has also provided some amazing opportunities. He is part of the team that organized the online edition of the yearly Nigerian Children Theatre festival. This is taking place May 27 and May 28 and there’s still time to register. This is an exciting festival that you won’t want to miss! He and his team have been rehearsing online with a small group of delightful Nigerian students over the last couple of months.
What a great joy meeting LeWayne McQueen. He is one of very few Native American improvisers in the U.S. I know you’ll enjoy his great energy and humor as much as I did! One of the things he loves to do with Deboope Newe to put his urban Indian culture into the improv itself, put some language, and sometimes singing on display. His mother passed when he was 18, after seeing him compete in the first annual four directions talent competition. We talk about how this loss changed him. He ran his own independent improv show and class for eight years before the pandemic started. He performs with Mancandy, a musical improv show that fluctuates between full musicals and improv musical review style shows.
What a fabulous time I had chatting with the effervescent Laxmi Priya! We chatted about her work and I learned so much from her! I’ve also studied with her and I heartily recommend her to everyone for a lively and joyous experience!
Laxmi is a Playback Theatre performer and has been improvising for a decade in and around Bangalore, India. She performs with The Adamant Eves (India’s first all-female improv company) and is a co-founder of Citylamps Playback Theatre.
What a thrill and an honor it was chatting with Improv Legend Paul Vaillancourt on our latest episode of Improv Interviews. Paul is a wonderful improviser and coach and wrote the book “The Triangle of the Scene” A very practical and easy-to-read method for approaching improvisational You can buy it here: https://amzn.to/2Oalcmk.
Meet Ali Turnbull. A wonderful writer and improviser that has Parkinson’s disease. She finds ways to inspire others with Parkinson’s Disease through exercise and laughter. We met at an Improv for PD class with the delightful 
Assael Romanelli, Ph.D. is a prolific writer, clinician, and internationally known trainer. Our first podcast was on May 5, 2017, a few months before we both presented at the “Yes, and Mental Health Conference” in Chicago. I was so glad to catch up with him and his great body of work over the past 4 years. He has made a great difference in the world of research and clinical improv. He conducted a research project teaching improv to social workers in 2019 he and colleagues published the research project “I’mprovisation – Therapists’ Subjective Experience during Improvisational Moments in the Clinical Encounter”. Assael developed a training course for therapists in theater improvisation skills and observed its impact on their clinical work. The 17 therapists that he trained in this study all had a positive change in relation to their work.
