The SoCap Improv Comedy Podcast

The Self Conscious Playfulness Spectrum

Self consciousness means being in your head, ruled by fear. Playfulness means being in the moment and ruled by curiosity and fun.

Parody and Satire

What's the difference between the two and why does it matter?

Elephant in the Room

We're told not to address the elephant in the room but I say 'nay'!

Vulnerability

Why Vulnerability Works Saying “yes” to uncomfortable or self‑deprecating offers is playful.It shows others that they can let their guard downAudiences love vulnerabilit

Be Specific

Being Specific in your offers, leads to three main benefits... 1 - audiences find it relatable 2 - roots you in the present moment and 3 - suggests character

Smile When You Say It

The Power of the Smile A smile transforms villainy into comedy“I cheated, and I can’t wait to do it again.”“I stole your car and wrecked it — wow, that was a nice ride.”

Reframing

Flexibility, the ability to pivot, is a terrific skill to have on stage and off. Today, we look at reframing as a way to that.

Doubt

If your audience - be that your scene partner(s), the people watching, or the chap at the dinner partner - is in doubt as to your intentions, the way forward will often b

Why You Need Status

Status is great in comedy and in real life. You likely use it all the time and don't even know it. It's one of those things that once you see, you see everywhere. Once y

My Character Wouldn't Do That

Remaining open to 'who' your character is, what they stand for, what they love, what they hate, and more, keeps you open and alive to your audience (on stage and in the r

Say Less, Seymour

Listening as a gateway to presence and reduced self-consciousness.

Mistakes? We Don't Need No Stupid Mistakes

Mistakes scare the crap out of us, but they're usually only as bad as you think they are! They have wonderful upsides.

In The Beginning

Starting a scene is one of, if not the most, difficult and critical things in improv. I discuss two of the ways to begin scenes and reveal my favourite!

Letting Go of Self-Consciousness

Falling in love. Hanging with good friends. Being in a moment. These are all times when we tend to lose ourselves, get over our self-consciousness, and forget about our s

Avoid Gaslighting Others

Whether on stage or in life real, try not to gaslights others. In improv, it often leads into the argument trap. In life, it escalates tension, shows others you're not li

Playing Strangers

Scenes in which the characters are strangers to each other come with an extra added level of difficulty. For that reason, I encourage improvisers to stay away from them.

The Process Scene

Having a process in a scene will help in a multitude of ways, however, there are also a couple major pitfalls with which to be aware.

I Am A....

A discussion of the third exercise I use when starting almost every class I teach. I Am A... is a game of patterns in which three people are elements within a certain pat

Improv Rule For Life #4 - Be Process Oriented

Being process oriented, or systems based, allows one to make modifications if their goals aren't being realized. Conversely, relying on magical thinking to achieve a desi

Is Mocking Some People Okay or Not Okay - REPEAT Episode 8

Improv has changed a lot in the 35 years since I started. One thing is that we are much more sensitive to people different than us and no longer mock people based on gene