“My most important professional accomplishment to date is the ability to keep working with absolutely no skills whatsoever.”Colin Mochrie
An improviser always says yes and how grateful I am that the terrific Colin Mochrie said yes to sharing his story on Improv Interviewswith all of us! Colin is, of course, best known for being in the cast of “Whose Line is it Anyway?” which aired first in the UK and then with Drew Carey in the states. Colin and I met at the premiere of the film Act Social Filmdirected by Sean Mulvihill which Colin also stars in. had a lot of laughs during our chat and I discovered what a genuinely authentic and loving person he is.
He shares wonderful stories of his life as an improviser, comedian, and devoted family man. Although I thought we would only have a half-hour, we ended up speaking for an hour and even playing an improv game! Check out The Alphabet Game with Colin & Margot
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 delight to get to know Stephen Davidson! Stephen is a totally joy-filled improviser who is the Artistic Director of The Improvised Play, Improvable, QI: Queer Improv, Carmen: A gender-swapped Film Noir Fantasy, and of Zeal: The Pride Improv Festival. Stephen is the author of two books about improv, Play Like an Ally and Improvising Gender. Stephen teaches improv independently and through Improvable, with the Free London Improv Project, City Academy, and Hoopla Improv. He has taught and performed all over the world. We chat about his improv origin story and so much more. You’ll understand why his students love him.
Velvet Duke is truly a multi-talented presence in the Improvisational Theatre world today. In our interview, he shares his love of theatre and performing. Here is what his improv colleagues have to say about him. “Velvet consistently works to look at things from different viewpoints and has one of the most widely accessible broadcasts I’ve ever seen.” Michelle J Gilliam. And from improv legend, Jay Sukow, “Velvet Wells is amazing! He’s a ball of fun and a very talented performer and teacher. He is such a great ambassador for, and a leader in, the improv ecosystem.”
Join me and the delightful Maria Schaedler-Luera as we discuss her life as an actor and improviser. She studied with the legendary Augusto Boal and continues to teach his work today. We discuss her move to the states and how that impacted her continuing work with diverse and immigrant folks. For many years Maria, a Brazilian-born educator, and artist studied to be an actor. When she was 15, instead of having a traditional quinceanera, the celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday, she asked for a trip to New York City. After college, she returned to NY to study at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. We talk about the challenges she faced as an actor, who would audition for Latin roles, but due to looking “too white” was cast as European needing German, French and other accents.
Siddharth Venkatesh is a beloved improviser with Improv Comedy Bangalore who has fans all around the world. He loves the “Globalization” of improv in the present scenario, as he gets to improvise with and learn from amazing Improvisers from all over the world. We had a wonderful chat with him and did a fun scene with our friend Landon Kirksey at https://youtu.be/LwOBmU2BTcoIn early September he co-created the ICB FB Community with the objective of enhancing peer to peer interactions, learning, and supporter of Improv. He loves to play Indian classical percussion, which also has an element of improvisation embedded in it. I know you will enjoy this gentle and fun man as much as I did!
I first saw Cheng Zeng at a Black Improvisors and People of Other Cultures improv webinar. Listen to Cheng Zeng’s story of growing up in a traditional Chinese family and how that shaped his first career path. Because there were no arts or drama in his schools and universities, he studied engineering, with no thought of the arts. He describes getting in trouble with his teachers because he “asked too many questions”. He first encountered Improvisational Theatre when he moved to Bejing. He was hooked right away, as so many of us are!
Will Luera is a champion of bringing theatre art to all people, especially those who haven’t had access or ever hear the words, Improv Theatre! He recently became a CrossFit Coach and adds Conflict Mediator to his resume. Although he grew up in Chicago, for 18 years he didn’t know about Improv! It was only when he went to Boston College to study Physics and Computer Engineering, that he learned about improv. Returning home every summer he would study at places like Second City and the IO. And after college, he was part of Improv Boston and now is the Director Emeritus of ImprovBoston.
Jon Nguyen is an improviser living in Norwich, England. He is a beloved improviser and teacher and has trained with various improv companies such as Dogface Improv, The Nursery, the Maydays, Hoopla Impro, and numerous independent coaches worldwide. Jon’s parents came to the UK in the 1970s after the Vietnam war. He discusses being bullied because of his “difference” and how that helped him develop a great sense of humor and his commitment to education with groups like BIPOC. Jon believes it is the responsibility of those who understand their privilege to help others see it and how they can affect the world in a positive way whether they are young or older minds.
I’m so excited to share the great news that my dear friend Clay Drinko’s book, Play Your Way Sane came out today! Clay is an improviser, author, coach, Dad who writes a blog for Psychology Today about Improv and mental health. This is a wonderful, very readable book for everyone! In Play Your Way Sane, Clay offers 120 low-key, accessible activities that draw on the popular principles of improv comedy to help you tackle your everyday stress and reconnect with the people around you. Divided into twelve fun sections, including “Killing Debbie Downer” and “Thou Shalt Not Be Judgy,” the games emphasize openness, reciprocation, and active listening as the keys to a mindful and satisfying life. Whether you’re looking to improve your personal relationships, find new meaning at work, or just survive our trying times, Play Your Way Sane offers serious self-help with a side of Second City sass.
Velvet Duke is truly a multi-talented presence in the Improvisational Theatre world today. In our interview, he shares his love of theatre and performing. Here is what his improv colleagues have to say about him. “Velvet consistently works to look at things from different viewpoints and has one of the most widely accessible broadcasts I’ve ever seen.” Michelle J Gilliam. And from improv legend, Jay Sukow, “Velvet Wells is amazing! He’s a ball of fun and a very talented performer and teacher. He is such a great ambassador for, and a leader in, the improv ecosystem.”
Siddharth Venkatesh is a beloved improviser with Improv Comedy Bangalore who has fans all around the world. He loves the “Globalization” of improv in the present scenario, as he gets to improvise with and learn from amazing Improvisers from all over the world. We had a wonderful chat with him and did a fun scene with our friend Landon Kirksey at 
I first saw Cheng Zeng at a Black Improvisors and People of Other Cultures improv webinar. Listen to Cheng Zeng’s story of growing up in a traditional Chinese family and how that shaped his first career path. Because there were no arts or drama in his schools and universities, he studied engineering, with no thought of the arts. He describes getting in trouble with his teachers because he “asked too many questions”. He first encountered Improvisational Theatre when he moved to Bejing. He was hooked right away, as so many of us are!
Will Luera is a champion of bringing theatre art to all people, especially those who haven’t had access or ever hear the words, Improv Theatre! He recently became a CrossFit Coach and adds Conflict Mediator to his resume. Although he grew up in Chicago, for 18 years he didn’t know about Improv! It was only when he went to Boston College to study Physics and Computer Engineering, that he learned about improv. Returning home every summer he would study at places like Second City and the IO. And after college, he was part of Improv Boston and now is the Director Emeritus of ImprovBoston.
I’m so excited to share the great news that my dear friend Clay Drinko’s book,