Improv As It's Own Artform with Lisa Woods

This episode will focus on Improv as an ongoing artform. Speaking with Lisa Woods who has delved into nearly every class that has been available to her in all different types of improv, Lisa takes her craft seriously. We at For The Love of Improv have a strong belief that Improv is never perfected, and is always being learned. We can all improve and we are all perfect as we are right in this moment.

Lisa started improvising as a New Year’s resolution. Starting at a Playground Night at Reno Improv eventually led to classes, and performing, leading jams, and teaching. Falling in love with the art of it, Lisa became a Jack of all trades in her craft taking classes as far as they could go, leading online jams through COVID, doing stand-up, and even clowning. Lisa has written sketch comedy and performed her own shows. Like Katie, her latest passion is clowning and absurdity in performance art. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the fourth episode of For the Love of Improv. I'm Jesse Wicks.

SPEAKER_03 0:05

Hi, I'm Katie Welsh.

SPEAKER_01 0:07

And today we are talking about improv as an art form.

SPEAKER_03 0:12

Yeah, so we have Lisa Woods on today. Lisa's a good friend of ours, and uh we've had the pleasure of doing improv with her, um, performing, practicing, studying. So we're super excited to have her on. Um Lisa Woods has performed and studied improv for five years. She currently performs the living room format, which we might talk a little bit about later, um, regularly at Reno Improv with her improv group, Sensitive People. I happen to also be a member of that improv group. Um Lisa is one of our founders, one of the founders of a clown group that has started hosting Clown Ground. Um I'm also a member of that. Um we haven't actually come up with a name, so that's why it's generic clown group. Um, but we we have started a clown ground, which is kind of the clown version of a playground, um, which we might talk about later as well. Um, and we're just about to premiere our first performance, um, I believe next Saturday. So we're super excited about that. So yeah, welcome, Lisa, to For the Love of Improv. Yay!

SPEAKER_02 1:19

Yay, thank you. And again, world premiere of our unnamed clown group, world premiere. Yeah, for 10 years, right? That's right.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

Yeah, you should just call it the generic clown group. Yeah, or what what did you say?

SPEAKER_03 1:35

The yeah, yeah, generic clown group. Yeah, that's what I said. Yeah, generic clown group. But yeah, so so Lisa, as uh just said earlier, um she I thought she would be a great person to have on the on this podcast because she is a Jill of all trades. She and what I love about Lisa is she's not only an amazing improviser, but she studies. She's a bookworm with it. She gets the book, like she'll take a stand-up class and she'll get a book, you know. With clown, you got, and we'll get into the books she's read. I really want to hear more. I really haven't had that conversation with you, Lisa, about the books, all these books that you've read and gotten into. And um, and she's taken workshops and she's gone to improv festivals, and um, you know, she's tried sketch, she's tried stand-up, she's tried um musical improv, right? We just did that workshop the other weekend. So um, so I'm super excited um to talk with Lisa about all things improv. Let's do it.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

Yeah, you know, one of the things we say at For the Love Improv a lot is that hey, we're not experts. We're studying here and we're learning too. Um, but the truth is like once you study enough, you get to a level that like you might not be an expert in any one thing, but you do have a really good, rounded out idea of what it takes to do improv. And Lisa's one of those people that's super fun to watch because she does have that rounded feel and she's fun to she's fun to play with too.

SPEAKER_03 3:14

Um, so I think that's I can tell too that she's being very humble right now. She's like, oh my God, all this praise.

SPEAKER_02 3:20

No, I mean, seriously, because I still very much in my mind think of myself as a beginner. And um, you know, one of the things I was thinking as I was thinking about this coming up this evening was um first of all, how humbled I am anytime I go somewhere else, because we have a lot of comfort level in Reno Improv. It's like, you know, a small little cozy area. And now I'm comfortable on that stage and in front of strangers in that theater. But um, anytime I've gone somewhere else, when I go to when I've gone to Improv Utopia, I have been um so, so very humbled.

SPEAKER_03 3:58

Um yeah, but that's what I love about you, Lisa, too. It's like you, because I know you've told me, you know, you'll say, Oh, I'm really nervous tonight, or, you know, or oh God, you know, I can't believe I'm doing this. But you still do it. Like you still get out there. And I mean, we all have nerves and everything, but I know I just love that you're just you're still going to the festivals, even though there's there's like a level of discomfort probably that comes with it too, right?

SPEAKER_02 4:24

Oh, absolutely. Um, yeah, my former group, this was the first group I was in right after um finishing classes at Reno Improv. Uh, that group we digress went to the San Francisco Improv Festival. And it had a couple of um really experienced improvisers in that group, Tim Mahoney, um Taylor, both of whom you've interviewed. Taylor went to school for theater, and Tim's been improvising for eight years at that time, and I was very new. Um, and we, I think we got in because we happened to have one good tape that we sent off to them. And also Tim knew people there. So we got in um and we were like the opening act on the first night. But it was just so fun to go, and you see um you see such a variety of acts that we don't get a chance to see in Reno. It's so important to go out and see what's there. Um, I was remembering, um, let's see, I saw um Marcus Sam's and Joe Liz. They do uh that did they do uh collaborations, they go under Sam's and Liz, and they are hilarious to watch on stage. Um they're very physical, um, very clowny now that I have watched clown, very physical. It's just the two of them chain moving all around the stage. Um, Jet Evelith and um Scott Adset, I've seen them twice. Um Jet actually taught Chad Damiani clown. Um, and she's also a great improviser. Um, and Scott, we might know from 30 Rock, and they she's known for her object work. She just does amazing on-scene sketches silently, like the one I saw. She uh somehow she was wearing um this enormous gown with flowing robes, and she's you know moving them around throughout. And somehow I believe I remember that they had sex, and there was this elongated scene with the robes, just the object work was funny.

SPEAKER_03 6:34

That is hilarious. I love that. I love that. And see, that's what I that's this is the very thing that I this is why I wanted we wanted you to have have you on, Lisa, because it's like you are such a great observer of those small little aspects of improv like object work, where it's like, and then you like you said, it's like it gives you such an appreciation for that that part and what can be done with it, you know. But um I feel like we got ahead of ourselves a little bit. We jumped again because nope, it wasn't you, it was us. Because we like to start out and uh with a question that we like to ask all our guests because we feel like it's like everybody's origin story of how they started improv, like, you know, because I think it's like it's like everybody has a special story, you know, and it's like most people who get really into it, it was like it was like a life-changing moment.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

And so there's a birthing moment.

SPEAKER_03 7:37

Yeah, exactly. And so can you tell us a little bit about how you got into improv in the first place and what happened, you know, sure there on, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:46

Okay, I'll try not to make this too long, but um like I I raised my daughter by myself, and then when she went off, um I was I was trying to figure out okay, what's my life now? And I started that first year with doing a lot of volunteer work with the things I like, like um Reno Little Theater, Reno, um Philharmonic, Reno Chamber Music, Reno Jazz, you know, it all this theater music stuff. And it just really felt empty because you're not participating in it. And then I um had a visit with my ex-husband's nephew. Now, my ex-husband was Chinese, and I met this young man when he was about 15, and he was I met him in China and he was told to say hello to me, and he was like all he could do to say hello to me. He was very shy, very studious. And I met him over here. Um, he'd been to Harvard or somewhere, and um um was now married, and we were talking, and he was talking about how much he loved improv that he took at whatever school he was at. And I was like, really? You know, you're still it's your second language, your first, you're just get here. And and he was talking about how fun it was, and it just really kind of lit something in me. So um, anyway, New Year's came, I saw a meetup um for Reno Improv, and I thought, well, I'm telling no one that I'm doing this, and I hope to God no one sees me doing this. But I went and I did the playground, and um one of the first things they always say is don't try to be funny. I was like, done, you know. Yeah, yeah, done. Um, and everyone was welcoming, it was fun, the games were fun, we laughed, and um I think I think that there's something different about improv in that way.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

Like if you're going to a theater or you're doing jazz or you're doing any kind of other performance art, there is this element of right and wrong, right? But like in improv, you're literally just going and playing, and maybe a little bit in clowning too, and and some of those like side stuff, but like you you can't really be wrong. And like it really is if you mess up, you can celebrate. And I think that's something that's missing in in theater and and other music things. It's like if you mess up, you messed up. Right, and then you're in your head, and it's okay to be in your head because you're just spouting off pre-made lines. But when, you know, I I just feel like improv makes you get out of your head, and that's what so makes it so fun and exciting is like, oh boy, I'm not supposed to be in my head. So I have permission not to think so hard.

SPEAKER_02 10:36

Absolutely. And if you catch something, if you catch a mistake and play with it, it's it's part of the joy.

SPEAKER_04 10:43

Right.

SPEAKER_02 10:44

I know you always talk about Rosowski, and uh I took a workshop from him in Sacramento a few years ago, and one of the things he did was he led us outside, and he he's very into meditation and awareness, and he was asking us to um name all the things we could hear. Yeah, okay, traffic noise, blah, blah, blah, um, birds chirping. Um, and then he pointed out that we were like standing next to an air conditioner unit that was very noisy, and none of us mentioned that. And I was thinking about how we're kind of so socially cued not to notice things. Like if we're doing past the sound in the playground and someone coughs, they don't, they have tuned that out, right? And we as leaders of playground are like, no, you pay attention to everything that was just brought to you. Um, you whatever you've been trained to not hear, you want to hear.

SPEAKER_03 11:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:43

Yeah. And everything can be made into something or as a part of the scene or whatever interaction that you're doing. And then that's that can be funny in itself, is that you're incorporating this thing that we take for granted as a background noise, and suddenly you're drawing attention to something, and then it's like, oh ha ha, like I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

It's just right. The thing it's all about like comedy is all about expectation, right? So if if society in general is kind of trained to tune something out, and then you bring attention to it, that's that surprise factor that makes people laugh.

SPEAKER_02 12:18

And everyone's like, oh yeah, I did notice that. I did notice that, but I forgot I noticed it, you know? Right.

SPEAKER_03 12:24

Yeah, yeah. And then all of a sudden that's that has that effect too, where it's like, oh, everybody, probably everybody else in the audience did that was noticed it too. And then it's kind of got that bonding thing too, where it's like, oh yeah, we're all in this together. Yeah, right, exactly. So cool.

SPEAKER_01 12:40

Exactly. So uh why did you so that's how you got into it? Why did you stick around?

SPEAKER_02 12:46

Um, I just had fun and I came back for a few more times. Um, and then they said they were starting a class and I asked whether I could join. Um, because it tends to be the same people there. So I was starting to feel comfortable with them. I remember um, well, I won't name, I won't go into old old home week for Reno Improv, but you know, the old standards that are just so fun to play with here.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

Right. Uh well I I think we're really we were really blessed in Reno. Uh I'm no longer there, but uh to have some really good players there and some players who really take um their craft seriously. Um, there is that feeling of safety, like there's nobody judging you, but they do at the same time, they elevate you. You know, that they're they're they're able to to help you become a better performer there. Um just some really, really strong players uh make you fall in love with the art. I mean, which is why we made this podcast because we were in love with it. Yeah or love of improv.

SPEAKER_02 13:56

I was telling Katie over the weekend, and I'll tell you now, Jess, um, that I listened to several of the episodes that I hadn't heard before, and I think you're just doing a wonderful job.

SPEAKER_03 14:06

So well, thank you. And we will use that as a clip to promote our podcast. We did not pay Visa to say that, we promised. Unsolicited. Totally. There's no coercion involved. Um cool. So also just one more follow-up question on that, because um you kind of started out the story by talking about your was it your nephew, right? That um was really shy. And and you kind of have mentioned that you know, you kind of feel humbled and sometimes nervous. And so what when it came time to actually, I don't know how long how far along you got until you actually did a performance. Um, how was that? And what you know, what were you was there some part of you like how did I get into this? What like I just was looking for something fun to do after, you know, my daughter went off to college and all of a sudden I'm on the stage doing this? How is this possible?

SPEAKER_02 15:12

Um, yes, and I was again thinking how much things changed because I remember um I did the level one performance. So after eight weeks plus a couple playgrounds, I I had my first performance. But I mean, I'm quite sure that there were more performers than there were audience at that time, so that helped. You had a slow easing into it, though. Yes, yes. It was probably primarily Reno improv folks watching. So that made it easy, and um and it gets better over time. But yes, I I have to remind myself with students now um how hard I was on myself initially and how hard I would take any criticism or how I'd always be thinking of how other people were perceiving me. You know, like, oh, she came out with a poor initiation again. You know, always that was in my head, and it's really taken a few years. And now it's like, oh, I don't even remember until I have a really terrible time again.

SPEAKER_03 16:19

Yeah, and we should mention that um, you know, Lisa is, and I probably should have mentioned this in the bio. So sorry about that, Lisa. Um, but Lisa also teaches improv now um at Reno Improv a little bit, a little bit. A little bit. I think you uh you've co-teach you've co-taught level one and and now level two, is that right? That yeah, and playground. So yeah. Right. And yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:46

So yeah, I mean, I think that what you're saying about that self-editing, um, I noticed that too. When I first started, it was all it was all about me and everybody, everybody was judging me, and everything I said had to get a reaction, or else I I felt invalidated. Um, and what I noticed is that was also true for my regular life. And I think a lot of people do that. They think that every, you know, like they don't realize they're editing themselves all the time, and they're not okay with just kind of being themselves in a certain way. And I think going through that process of level one, level two, becoming comfortable with just being wrong or having a bad scene, and then you know, teachers like you being able to kind of make us comfortable in that um completely changed my life. I mean, I think it completely changed the way that I go about um taking critiques in my own business. I'm a creative, um, you know, letting stuff roll off my back a little bit easier and realizing, you know, people aren't everything is editable. Everything that you say or do is it's not what you say or do, it's it's the reaction you have and and how you keep going. If everything stops you because you're thinking about it too hard, that's what people notice and that's what the audience feels uncomfortable with. But if you say something wrong and then you turn it into something right, um you never really have to worry about what people think of you because it's you know, it's always kind of ongoing. Um, I think that's a huge life lesson.

SPEAKER_03 18:40

I think too.

SPEAKER_02 18:40

You said that so well. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 18:42

Yeah, and I think I think too, I mean, for somebody who's such a big ham like myself, so it's always about me. And it's like, yeah, I need that validation, I need that external validation all the time. Um, what I what improv has really helped me with is um, you know, it's actually about giving validation to others, and then and then you get that reciprocation. So that's what's been really eye-opening for me is actually learning how to be more of a supportive person on stage and and then creating an art together and really, and and instead of being like, not that I don't grab it when I can, because that's why I joined clowning. But, you know, I mean, you know, instead of like, oh, when's the spotlight gonna be on me, or you know, looking for those moments where I get the laugh, it's also like, you know, that's because that can be rewarding to get a laugh, obviously. But like to me, that other feeling where you're like you support your partner and then they support you back, and then you create this beautiful thing and you're in sync together. And then that's like that's like one of the best feelings. I don't know about you guys, but that's one of the best feelings I know I get from from doing improv.

SPEAKER_01 19:59

I think that's a part of the art form too. Like that's what's different about improv is like the support of your scene partner um is a craft in itself. And it is something that's unique from each individual, because each individual has something unique to give.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

And I told Katie after I um after my Christmas holidays, I went to a family reunion and it was great. I love my family. Um, but one thing I noticed um was that if I'm sitting around with my improv group or improv friends, and we do, you know, something like that, like everyone will do, you know, just a stupid little thing and it's so fun. It's so fun. And I would do something stupid and they'd all kind of be like, uh, I wonder what that's what that's about. You know, yeah, too much coffee.

SPEAKER_03 20:49

I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 20:51

Right.

SPEAKER_03 20:52

I know, I know. And it's funny too, because like, you know, my husband, who is a total introvert, and um, you know, sometimes he's like, Yeah, I mean, you know, he's very uh, you know, mellow dude or whatever, but um he's like, Yeah, sometimes it's interesting hanging out with your improv friends because I there are times when I just don't know what to do because we're all like, hey, like we're doing a scene and we're like, like, or we're just doing something like silly or stupid, and then we're yes ending each other, and we're like, like, you know, and it's just like, what am I supposed to be participating? How do I fit in? Right? What to do? These are crazy people. And I'm like, yeah, sorry, that's just yeah, that's what that's how it goes. Right.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

Well, we've turned off that mechanism, kind of like Lisa was saying at the beginning. We've turned off that mechanism of being like, Oh, am I supposed to be doing something? It's like you're not really supposed to be doing anything except enjoying yourself and listening. And if you're listening, something naturally comes out. You You end up naturally participating if you're actually listening.

SPEAKER_02 22:03

Yeah. Right. That's the other thing. It's, it's, it's um so meditative. You know, you're not, you're not trying to think ahead of time. Again, I go back to when I first started and I'd be in those two-line scenes, you know, practice drills, and I'd be like, okay, four more people to go. What am I gonna say? What am I gonna say? And oh, it's gonna disappoint. Oh, they did so well, you know.

SPEAKER_01 22:24

Oh, um, and now you go out there and you're not even thinking about it until you jump on stage.

SPEAKER_02 22:31

Yeah, yeah. Shouldn't think about it a little more, but not too much, not too much.

SPEAKER_03 22:36

Well, um, so let's let's get into some some of your studies. Um so you've been to a few, I know you've been to quite a few workshops, but um you've also been to a couple of festivals, which is not something that I've done some workshops, but I've never experienced going to an improv festival. So I'd love to hear some about some of your experiences. What was some of the most memorable things? Um, do you recommend to people going to these? Which ones, etc., etc.

SPEAKER_02 23:08

Well, I've only gone to two festivals and they were both great. One was just down the road in Sacramento, their um inaugural Fim Fest, which was just all sorts of female comedy. Um, and it was it was terrifying. It was just uh sort of an ad hoc women's team that we threw together. And you didn't, you I don't believe you were on that, were you, Katie?

SPEAKER_03 23:33

No, I think you guys invited me, but I something was happening. I don't remember. Yeah, I couldn't do it. Yeah, I was bummed though, because it sounded fun.

SPEAKER_02 23:41

It was, and it's always so fun to see what the bigger cities have, what people are doing. I s I think maybe at that time they'd started to talk about doing sketch, and there was a really good sketch group there. Um, and there was also this trio called Femidi, who does humorous trio anyway. Um I didn't that was my first experience, and it was my first experience on a foreign stage, as it were. Um that was terrifying. Really? Um so kind of re-brought back all those strange feelings of oh, so I I think it's important probably to, or interesting at least, interesting, to go improvise other places and with new people and kind of go, oh, whole different vibe, whole different lights, and you know.

SPEAKER_03 24:35

Yeah, yeah, bigger audience, maybe, or yeah, wow. Okay. Right. And then sounds a little scary, I'm not gonna lie, but sounds fun too.

SPEAKER_02 24:44

And then San Francisco Improv Festival. Um uh I think the best part of that was the different classes that we got to take. They were offering them to everyone, but um, performers got first dibs, and that's where I met Chad Damiani and learned clown, which I was like, ah, this sounds really dumb, but okay. Let's see what it is. And I love it, as you guys know. Um and I also did um a two-hour improvised Shakespeare, which I would love to try that sometime. Um that sounds challenging. Well, maybe it's different from what the title, you know, just on first impression, but that sounds for the most part, genre doesn't appeal to me, like the idea of, you know, vampires as cowboys or I don't know. But um, what they were telling us, the two takeaways that I recall are um first, you you to be Shakespearean, you would sort of analogize your emotions to something in nature, like uh, you know, my love for you is like the spring growing every green, and now, you know, fall, winter. Right. And so you would just sort of wax on, they would say, wax on, just keep up keep going on and on and on. When you think of it that way, it seems quite doable. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:10

It's interesting. Did you ever study like Shakespeare, just like regular Shakespeare in college or anywhere else?

SPEAKER_02 26:17

I read a couple plays in college and in high school. And um, when I was a kid, we went to several Shakespeare's, and I had like uh it wasn't Grimm's fairy tales. Um, there was a like an Shakespeare. So I know like the synopsis at least of lots of Shakespeare stories. So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:39

Cool Shakespeare.

SPEAKER_03 26:41

I thought it was a classic.

SPEAKER_02 26:46

What is that? Yes. Um I've gone twice to Improv Utopia, which any improviser should do. Um, they have four different camps: West Coast, East Coast, Yosemite, and then one in Ireland. Wow. And I've been to West Coast, which is like a long weekend, and it's several um like four-hour classes. And you can choose which ones you want to take out of like five options. Um, and that was great.

SPEAKER_03 27:20

Um which classes were or was there a particular class that you took that you were like, whoa.

SPEAKER_02 27:27

Um, I remember taking one from it, might have been Landon Kersley, I'm not sure. But um whoever it was, if it wasn't him, um, apologies. Um, it was a ground, it was a my first thing doing characters, and they were talking about um just kind of like spitting out almost like vomit your opinions that characters are very opinionated, they have opinions about everything. Do you you say, Do you do you like baby carrots? And they have strong for or against, you know, the most bland things. Um and this was all new to me. It was just, you know, I was listening to that. Um and I do remember my my proud failure from that too, which um they wanted us to be, they they assigned us things and they told me to be an emo, do a character as an emo, and I just could not do it.

SPEAKER_03 28:29

Couldn't even were you like, what is I don't even know what that is. What is that? You didn't have really a reference or what?

SPEAKER_02 28:37

I I think that was a large part of it.

SPEAKER_01 28:39

I was picturing someone who would like wear white makeup in a business, and like I think it's someone with yeah, dark, like oily hair that's always just kind of like yeah, putting it back out of its face, the white skin, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:55

Yeah, in the 80s we call them goths, but I think the 2000s we started. I don't know. I don't know. Anyway, so what happens with your proud failure?

SPEAKER_02 29:07

Oh well, I just um you know, really made a fool of myself in a bunch of improvisers. So, hey, check that off the list again. Right, yeah, but but it's really fun. It's really fun to go to those places because again, I mean, I think we do have really good people in Reno Improv. Ben, Craig. Um, we were very fortunate to have him, and then Aurora and some of our other teachers are are fantastic, but improv Utopia is people who are making a living teaching and doing improv, and they have how to say it down so well, how to explain it to different people. Um, and also you're playing with people from big cities and really different um backgrounds.

SPEAKER_04 29:57

So that's so cool.

SPEAKER_02 29:59

Yeah, and then Yosemite is different. It's you choose one class to take for the entire entire time. So I um took something called the deconstruction, which is a format from BOC. Um, that's what it is.

SPEAKER_01 30:16

Can you explain what the deconstruction format is?

SPEAKER_02 30:19

Brief briefly, I yeah, it's really complicated. It starts with a um a grounded scene, and then you everyone's paying attention to um words and gestures from that, and then picking it out, like there's a scene where maybe you caught the word um judgment in it, in the scene, and you'll all kind of walk across the stage doing some sort of gesture and saying, judgment, judgment, judgment, you know, very quick little scenes. Um, there are so many parts to this, I I can't remember all of them, but eventually the that scene will you'll go back to that scene and there'll be coloring in from it. Um, there'll be kind of an absurdist scene based on the themes that you picked up from the scene. And at the end, um, I believe it'll go have gone forward as much as seven years in time and sort of have pulled it all together.

SPEAKER_03 31:18

Oh wow, that sounds challenging.

SPEAKER_01 31:21

And very specific. I know when you were in um you were in sensitive people, right?

SPEAKER_04 31:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 31:27

Yeah. Um, so sensitive people was is an awesome group at um Reno Improv, and they kind of have the same type of thing where at the beginning they draw from like they they have a scene where they just kind of sit around and talk about real things that happened in their lives. And then the whole show is always based on on just that conversation they had about the real lives. And I think that there's something exciting about the audience being in on this inside joke of knowing where that idea came from. And it's it's something probably totally different, but they just pull out this one thing, and then it's almost it creates this bond between you and the audience of like, okay, I know the inside joke about where that's from. That sounds like very similar to the deconstruction, but a little more open format.

SPEAKER_02 32:17

I think I think there are some similarities, absolutely. And I do think um, I've had several people in audiences tell me that they like sensitive people in part because they like to see us just sitting there talking about real stories. And we have, I mean, first of all, they always say that they can tell that we really like and appreciate hearing each other's stories. And it's true.

SPEAKER_03 32:37

We get, yeah, we have some fantastic I learned something new about at least one or two people every single time we perform. I'm like, I didn't know that about you. Right. So it's cool. The nice little bonus.

SPEAKER_04 32:53

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:56

Um yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 32:58

Well yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:00

Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:01

Let's go. Should we go into uh one of our um segments? How about we how about we get into a little bit of our concept of the day?

SPEAKER_03 33:11

Yeah, since it kind of goes along with um, I kind of yeah, it kind of goes along with uh what we were just talking about with sensitive people because um the concept of the day is basic well there they're actually I I I picked three this time because um because this is what we do in sensitive people. So I figured since Lisa was in sensitive people, it might make sense to to talk about this. But um basically, um so so basically the three concepts are grounded scenes, which Lisa kind of just mentioned when she was talking about the the deconstruction. So we'll get into that, and then character uh based scenes and then absurd scenes, which she also mentioned with the deconstruction. So um, so grounded, and I kind of grabbed here and there from the internet. Um, so don't don't take these too heavily, people, as official definitions, but I think they I think they match. Um so this one is uh from a site called Collaborative Improv in their glossary of terms for grounded. So it says grounded refers to a degree of realism and practicality. When we play grounded scenes or characters, we are not looking to be extreme or absurd. Instead, we play and perform in a typical situation. This does not mean everything has to be happy. Instead, it means we play real. The emotions, actions, and responses are those we might actually encounter in life and not exaggerated for the sake of exaggeration. Do you guys feel like does that sound like a should we add or take away uh from that definition, or does that sound pretty much right?

SPEAKER_01 34:58

Yeah, I mean, I I think uh grounded is in my head, it's kind of like a baseline of like, hey, this is this is normality in this world. Yeah. Kind of creating a baseline.

SPEAKER_03 35:11

Yeah. Um yeah, and then I guess I'll go through the three of them and then we can come back and discuss. Um, so that's grounded. And then uh this other definition, it wasn't really a definition, it was like a description um taken from Hoopla. Um, and we'll put all these links um in our show notes. Um, so character has to do with point of view, voice, background, mental state, physical behavior, status, you name it. So taking something or a couple of those things and creating a character. And really, um, I think point of view is a big one, you know, really uh, but also, you know, taking a physicality or a way that you speak. Sometimes people, if they're brave, do accents, um, and just making that the character. So a little bit less grounded because now you're kind of being a you know, a little bit more off the wall than just um sort of a more real uh reactionary person as if you were just in real life. And then finally we have um absurd. Uh, and I took this definition from what is absurd humor, your guide to surreal comedy, uh, from a site called Witty Companion. Um, and it says absurd humor or surreal comedy is the type of humor that revolves around illogical situations, behaviors, and absurd characters that make you laugh simply because they are ridiculous and unexpected. So there we have it, grounded character and absurd. And the reason why, like I said before, I chose this is because um kind of a little bit recently um with sensitive people, because the way that the we do a format called the living room. And basically, like you guys mentioned before, is we start off, like Jess was saying, is we start storytelling, telling true stories just about our lives, just as who we are. And then we do scenes inspired both by those stories. And then we do those in three beats. So we do three scenes, we do, well, we tell stories, we do three scenes, we come back, we tell more stories, we do three scenes, we come back and tell stories and then do three scenes. So three beats. And what we kind of decided to do as a group one day, uh, with the help of our coach Jason Sarna, who's been on episode or season one, by the way, just check that out. Um, is he he was he suggested like, why don't we try to do the first beat as grounded scenes, the second beat as character scenes, and then the third beat absurd scene. So it kind of has this, you know, gradual build up from sort of grounded to kind of to the ridiculous. So, anyways, um, I want to hear you guys' thoughts about uh what is what is grounded or character or absurd mean to you, or what what do you guys think?

SPEAKER_02 38:07

Well, when I think grounded, which is my preferred style, um I always think of when my mom was dying and she had cancer that had metastasized her brain, and she was doing some very loopy things that were hilarious. And um just the kind of conversations you have. Um, and I I always remember one time when um we were just sitting and doing embroidery. Um this went play on stage, but because we were trying to think of things to do, and she her brain wasn't no longer telling her like where the canvas was, and so she was um embroidering like a sock or something, and the sock was attached to the embroidery, and um it sounds very plain, but it was kind of hilarious to watch this and to watch, especially to watch how intently she was trying to do it right, you know. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_03 39:15

So you're are you saying that's kind of that kind of went into absurd or no?

SPEAKER_02 39:21

I mean, it was all just what she was doing, but you know, the way life is is really funny. Um or another time I took her to like an ice cream place and um she was still able to walk and talk and so on. So people couldn't tell that she was really sick. Um, and then as we were leaving, that there was a big tip jar there, and she just took it and walked off with it, which is of course not something anyone in their right mind would do, but in her mind it was like, oh, I forgot this, or but it was just hilarious, and their reaction to seeing this happen. Right.

SPEAKER_00 40:00

So what do we do?

SPEAKER_02 40:02

I I sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 40:04

Oh no, go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 40:06

I was gonna say, I I think that a mistake that a lot of like first-level improvisers make is assuming that funny has to be absurd. And there there is a hilarity sometimes in just reality and the way that things actually play out. Um, I remember I, you know, my my experience of um level one, I had I think two actual stand-up comedians in there, and then a couple guys who um fancied themselves hilarious. And there would be a lot of scenes with this absurdity in it. And I felt like I had to match that absurd energy, even though I didn't feel so I it took a lot of energy because I felt like I had to become absurd to to be as hilarious as these stand-up comics were. Um, and I I feel I failed a lot in that because that's not my natural state. I'm actually a pretty grounded person. And and when I started playing to my strengths, which was that grounded character, um, those grounded characters, it became a lot more funny. And I made their characters more funny because I I gave them something to compare their absurdity to. Um and sometimes if I was in a scene with another grounded player, that would be fine. You don't have to have that contrast because, like you said, um, sometimes basic life can be funny if you're pulling out those small things that people don't normally notice, like we were talking about earlier.

SPEAKER_02 41:42

Well, your children probably make you laugh all the time. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:46

Of course, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:47

When they see things or what they say.

SPEAKER_01 41:50

Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:51

And I that's what I love about your, and that's another example too, but your example with your mom when she was ill, and um, she was playing her life as if that was reality. Like that was for her, that made sense to her, and she treated it as such. It wasn't something ridiculous. And I think that that's what ground it is. It it could be some, like it's it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to not do things that are ridiculous. Um, you could do things, but I think it means you treat them as if that were reality. And then there's no like, uh, like, you know, you're just like, yeah, that's you treat it as a matter of fact thing that's happening. Um, and I mean, I struggle the most with Lisa know that knows this, I struggle the most with grounded because I am that like, uh, like I always want to go up there. And I've really appreciated um, you know, especially Jason's coaching of really showing us and and and having us do exercises where it's like, it's really ask, like getting myself to really understand what grounded means. And I I actually really enjoy grounded scenes much more now. And I think that they can be some of the most successful things. See scenes, like you said, Jess, like it's not about being the ham or finding the funny. I mean, it's okay to find like if a line comes to you that's funny, that's fine. But it's just having those real reactions. It's almost it's weird too. Like it's for me, it's like, oh, you just play yourself on stage. Like that's such a foreign concept for me because I, you know, like a lot of actors, I think it's like safer to it feels safer for some people to play other people that are so different from themselves because you feel less vulnerable. But um I think that the most the some of the best performances um I've had that I've surprised myself are in grounded scenes. I'm like, oh, I can do that.

unknown 43:55

You know.

SPEAKER_02 43:56

So I remember in my level one, there was um someone who liked to have scenes where there were, you know, uh drugs or um, you know, lots of lots of sex or something like that going on. Um and at that point I was like, yes, Anne. So yeah, I'll, you know, and I'll have sex with you. Wait, what? Wait, you and your brother. Yeah. Um and which is fine. That which is fine. But it I didn't understand that you're saying yes to the reality scene and you could also not that I would be speaking as myself, but but there would also be funny um in the situation where you have a roommate that is like anything goes and another roommate that's like uh I have work at six could you keep your groans down or whatever. I don't know. Right.

SPEAKER_01 44:53

So it's not always that you have to agree with the actual words that are coming out of the that other person's mouth to be to be grounded. It's that you have to be you have to agree with with the point of view of your character. So that's I mean I think that's where character comes in. You have that grounded of okay this is the status quo but you take it to the next step which is character and now you're talking about point of view which if you want to know more about point of view you can go back and listen to Courtney Rop's um podcast in season one. She talked a lot about point of view and character um and it really is about agreeing with um with who you are as a character and what you've already established. So it's it's it's not always yes and to the last thing they said it's yes and to the reality that you've created um in that grounded part of the scene. And then you from there you can heighten it. So you kind of need that grounded place to be able to heighten it.

SPEAKER_03 45:53

And then once you introduce character that's kind of like the color of the scene um what do they say mental state physical behavior status um like that's I think character is just like not so much oh reality we agree but like oh this is who I am and agreeing with that um is I feel that's like an elevation from grounded a little bit and then from my understanding or my experience with it and the people that I you know like again Jason Sarna talks about it. And maybe you know Lisa maybe you can talk about because you said at some point you talked about one of the first workshops or something you took right was about character.

SPEAKER_02 46:36

Oh character and just sort of vomiting at opinions and just opinions about everything. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 46:42

Yeah and so yeah right there too it's it's really about point of view and holding on. So I think just like what you're saying it's like you're holding on to that point of view is that grounded part of it but it also kind of leans to the absurd or starts to go there because you're no you're like a character. So you can kind of be a little more silly or goofy or a little not as real let's say I don't know. But as long I mean and your point of view can be anything like I want cake that could be a point of view. And the whole time you're in the scene that's all you want your character just wants cake and you know that just plays out and the the to me what I've witnessed is the more the character holds on to their point of view usually the funnier it is you know and if all the characters you know right yeah yeah I know I'm bleeding out yeah I know I need to go to the hospital but but did they have cake there?

SPEAKER_01 47:42

Like will the cake stop me maybe the cake will stop the bleeding like I just I know I need cake you know like it's it's not necessarily denying uh I I mean I guess it is denial to a certain degree but denial that's in you know truth to you you know to who you are and what your point of view is.

SPEAKER_02 48:02

Well and Jason has done such a good job of coaching us on um the those two types of things with the grounded scenes he wants us to come out um not start talking right away but to take start doing some object work and notice what's going on there and then when it's the characters um he'll often just say no what did you what was what was your choice that first choice like I'm cold well then heighten that and heighten that or I want cake and you want yeah what does he say he says choose some he has like a way a very concise he says choose something observe what you did and then continue that and try to heighten it I feel like it's something around those lines is what he says.

SPEAKER_01 48:48

Yeah so how do you how do you guys um had Lisa how do you feel about like say you came in at the beginning of the scene and you made a pretty bold statement like oh I'm cold um and nobody really listened to that and that was like it was totally brushed over nobody yes ended it um but you felt like that was a major point of view of your character um would you hang on to that like a lot of times like I'm like oh well that's gone like my idea is gone um how would you bring that back and would you bring that back i yeah if I were doing my best work I would I would do it back do it again and repeat it and be doing it in the background shivering while you're doing something you know absolutely I think that would be very funny because the audience would notice I did it even if you literally knew that didn't or your character didn't so yeah yeah that's a good question though because some it is it it is a it's it's a bit more challenging if somebody doesn't listen or acknowledge that point of view um then you are kind of left out in the cold. But even if your steam partner doesn't yes stand you you still have a responsibility to yes and yourself and I think yeah yeah and I think it can still be funny.

SPEAKER_03 50:09

And hope the hope is is that your STEA partner you do it enough and you heighten it enough they they you know they'll relent to like oh you're cold. Right. Or whatever do you need a code?

SPEAKER_02 50:22

I don't know challenges the first step Jason says well not you know first he says do something and then notice what you did. What did you do anyway? And did you do like three things? Because you probably aren't going to keep track of all of them.

SPEAKER_03 50:35

So don't give too much at a time just one thing or yeah simple is better yeah and it could be it could be also just I mean we've played it too where it's like um it could be a mannerism it could be a way of walking it could be um you know a way of talking it could be a high voice or a low voice and and what does he's really good about asking us like if you talk like this well what kind of character are you? You kind of sound like John Wayne so now that gives you something you don't like we're talking about trying to have ideas before you get on stage that is such a simple thing I mean I remember hearing that advice and I was like oh my God that just like blew my mind and it's gonna make my improvising that much easier and better by doing that little trick of just doing something with your voice and that helps you or matters and whatever now you know who you are as a character.

SPEAKER_01 51:38

You know you kind of lean into that and then you're like oh okay I'm this person down where I live so okay so you guys have both studied clowning so you have that character point of view what brings it up to that absurdity level how do you how do you heighten clowning well for clowning or or just I mean clowning uses absurdity a lot but in an improv sense uh what takes it up to that next level of absurdity I mean for me I don't think of clowning as absurdity so much as um failure winning losing stakes um so for me um my current shortcut thought is that um improv freed me from worrying about mistakes and clowning made me embrace winning and losing and be like they're all fun they're so fun um and Chad really um pulled that off in a workshop he did with us where he would just arbitrarily say oh you lost you're over in this team um you won you're the hero now oh wait oh now you've done something ridiculous wrong and you are now the worst of the worst when you you know name all these different clusters of people that would be throughout the works the the um workshop space um you're now the leaders you're the supreme leaders you're in the gutter of shame you know right it's interesting how absurdity kind of takes maybe emotions that you might have about rejection and makes them okay because okay I was rejected um because you know my hair was was bigger than yours or I was rejected because I you know had a a sandwich for lunch you know like it it's stuff that doesn't when it's stuff that doesn't matter then I may maybe it I always try and turn it into something existential but maybe it's not well I think yeah I mean I think and I I would say that there is there can be a degree of absurdity um it's kind of a a nebulous word I feel like people have maybe their own definition and experience with what absurdity is um and what absurd comedy is but I think for me too I think um there is there is a bit of a connection between clowning and absurdity um because there's this freedom to do whatever you know like anything kind of counts and it's you know ridiculous and trying to put meaning on this ridiculousness you know kind of like you're describing Lisa where you know there's no there's no real rules you know um it's this silly um construct of rules that is kind of absurd.

SPEAKER_03 54:46

But um but I was gonna say too like our last beat of sensitive people when we do the living room format is absurdity. And sometimes or a lot of times it that those can be the most fun scenes. They can also be and as players sometimes we're like what are we doing? You know we kind of get in our heads and get judgy about it I think and then we're like what the hell was that but um but it can be it can be also very uh you know because you can just go out there and do anything and so you really don't have to have a plan and you don't have to say something smart you know you're just I don't know yeah I haven't really uh figured out what our absurd scenes are in sensitive people yet I the one I struggle with the most um but what they're almost always very short yeah they're almost always have multiple people on stage um grunting and yeah it's always an interesting stage picture I guess I would say and um it's and lots of times I don't know sometimes it can be really cool um and get sometimes the most laughs too and I'm I'm with you Lisa I'm still trying to figure it out and um but it's fun.

SPEAKER_01 56:06

I I think the word that stands out to me in this uh definition of absurdity uh that we read to you was it's ridiculous but also unexpected. So sometimes it doesn't mean that it's like well I'm a crazy person acting crazy. You know sometimes it means it's just something that's unexpected for that situation. You know like um you know super fit person who's um who who's been you know teaching the fitness class and giving all these fitness lessons to everybody goes to lunch in the in you know the last scene with somebody and they they're eating a giant cake while you know the you know the the person who is laying on the couch all day is eating a salad you know like it's just it's unexpected you know and that's what makes it funny or absurd or weird or um I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 57:02

I think um what was I gonna say I I think uh I think it's um well the way I think it we've talked about this with sense of people like it wouldn't work if we started out with absurd scenes because people would it would be too much like um like it would just not it would be too much nonsensical stuff to start off and people would be like what is this but since we start with grounded and then we go to character and then it ends unobserved absurd and am I am I going in and out right now? I can tell my screen isn't weird. Sorry. Sorry people um but you know we start with grounded character and then we end with absurd so we've kind of gained the audience's trust so that at the very end we can kind of get away with being a little more you know ridiculous and weird and avant garde.

SPEAKER_04 57:57

Right.

SPEAKER_03 58:00

Yeah um okay so that wraps up our concept of the day uh do you want to uh jump into some history sure I mean yeah we were I mean it's not really history I just kind of picked somebody that is um I guess I would say a prominent person in the improv world there there are many obviously but um again a biased pick because um both Lisa and I have taken a workshop from this person and um and it also again going back to um the the idea of grounded so I wanted to talk a little bit about David Razowski um and um and so I'll just start by giving a little just a little background on him and then um and then I'll I'll just say a quote that he says about about what he thinks makes great improv. So he was the former artistic director of Second City in Los Angeles um and he performed with people like Steve Perell, Stephen Colbert Amy Sederis and Rachel Drach. Those were his contemporaries um and um so he has his own unique style and if you ever get people out there if you ever get a chance to take a workshop from him um you know you may not you may not love what he do does you may love it but it is I think it's an amazing um exercise to take one of his workshops it will it will definitely I don't know to me it really influenced my craft and um made me think about improv in a different way does it mean I do the Rasowski method all the time no but it was it was very um interesting and intense to go through so this is what he says and this is taken straight from his website um about the type of style he does I've developed a simple approach to improvising your present awareness is the only thing you need to create compelling smart truthful and surprising scenes we've talked about all of this already period no games uh oh controversy no games no preconceived premises no ideas no ego all that matters is now the actor's level of improvisation experience doesn't matter for all you'll need to bring to my workshop is your present presence all you'll leave with is your joy and excitement and confidence and after all what more do you need love yeah so um discuss um I feel like that is I mean I feel like it's very zen you know kind of like live in the present and moment everything is happening now and now is the only time that exists which is hilarious because if you've ever met Rosowski he is one of the most intense people you'll ever meet he is he is his philosophy is Zen but he is very wouldn't you say Lisa he's uh maybe he's intense um but he he one of the things he does is uh you're all sitting around in chairs um and he's talking about things and then all of a sudden he'll say everyone up but you two just stay exactly how you are and then he'll have you do a scene based on how you were sitting you know the space between you um and it's it's really cool to see that what what just your posture your face bless your face honestly just like in clowning your face doesn't matter as much of course it does but um you know it's all of you and um were you looking towards each other away from each other etc um so just paying attention when when they talk about you are enough it's when you pay attention to everything about you are your feet pointing this way or that are you um is your chin down up you know all of these things so um I I love what Rusowski said and I I get a lot out of that and I think we could all benefit from him pointing out to us what we're missing about ourselves. Yeah yeah yeah and I think and it's been a while now so and you know there's a whole pandemic that happened so I mean in terms of because he was really one of the first ever workshops after Mike Brown we left um but the really first intensive improv workshop I took and so I was just like totally blown away afterwards. But I do remember too he talked a lot about um you know definitely that presence of mind and also being super aware of the building of the scene you know and this idea that I just remember the balloon right you talked about the balloon a lot where it's like the balloon gets bigger and bigger and really and really noticing that noticing that happening in the scene until you're getting to a pot. So that idea of because I and this is something that I don't I'm getting better at but it especially at that point was not very good where it's like I would just want to come out with the thing or you know I would start with too high I would start up here and then the scene had nowhere to go you know because there was not this build up. So really like that's why I appreciate like with Jason having us start off with ground like with object work. Just start off with something small for grounded scenes and let it just just let it just let it do its thing instead of you know I'm always I always feel like I try to rush the scene or I oh God nobody's talking like I got to fill it in or you know I got to say something and um that I really appreciated kind of just really thinking about slowing it down. And he would have us do the sisters do you remember that if I recall correctly it was um you say your line I say my line you say your line I say my line it's the same line back and forth back and forth back and forth until we see a kinesthetic change you know maybe he'd look at us intently to see oh you know something changed in your body um ever so slightly we would not be aware of it probably but sometimes the audience would and then he'd say there it is now chase it down um wholly and fully or something like that and like turn to your partner now before you could not move you were just saying these words and now tell him what is it that you're gonna tell them um because now it's come to that balloon you're talking about it's gonna pop because the tension has risen and tell them so what was really weird that just happened right now that you were just talking about the tension is like your mic or your audio just did this really weird thing like almost like an explosion of audio that I just thought was funny because you're just talking about this metaphor of or whatever it was like right on cue.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:24

I was like Rosowski is that you invite Rosowski oh my goodness let's get a couple more questions in because we are running short on time and I do want to know a little bit more about uh a couple more forms uh that you have studied I know that you've done duo prof.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:47

Um a little bit of stand up all right we're really getting to the dregs now I think I did duop once so really not much to say there. And I've done stand-up two times, both in very gentle atmospheres. But stand-up was really interesting for me. I took a class with Katie, um, with her teacher, Kat Simmons.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:16

Um and who we're gonna have on in the next episode, by the way. She'll be wonderful. Oh, good. Good good. There's like lots of plugs for our different episodes.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:27

We are surrounded by talent. It's great. Um uh and the thing I I need to work on my writing skills, obviously, but the thing that really surprised me about stand-up was how much she said it's about breathing. Um I'd like to do it again. It was really fun to try that, but I'm kind of afraid to do it in real life in a non-um gentle environment.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:57

So, but but that was what that was like a a takeaway that you could maybe apply to other types of performances. I think that's so true. And we'll talk more about that with with Kat, because she is she she does talk a lot about um and and to me, it kind of in in a in a lot of ways, it it does align with Rosowski and that idea of presence of mind and Zen, like you mentioned, Jess, and and just having that mindfulness and the but but being in your body, which sounds silly, but I mean, I know everybody who has performed on stage knows what that feels like when you're like, oh yeah, I'm ready to go, and you get on stage, and then all of a sudden you're like, where did I go? Come back. Like you just, you know, you kind of just have that frozen moment and stop breathing, or you know, and so she talks a lot about like before you even start, you know, just take your place on the stage, own that place, take a moment for yourself, breathe, and then begin.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:02

Which sounds so easy, but yet yeah, it's hard sometimes, you know. Well, and and with clowning too, I think there's breath work that we should start learning. I know they say just before you enter, take a breath and then like present yourself to the audience, let it out. And I you're supposed to do that at a couple other times during the scene, and I would have to look it up to see when, but um the audience can tell when you're breathing. And again, it's a kinesthetic response. They people notice us so much more than we are aware that they notice us. I when I'm on stage, I think I'm invisible, honestly. Um, but they notice even if I'm in the background and I do something, it is noticed.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:47

Yeah, for sure. I also want to hear, um, because I know that you're a quick study. Uh I mean, like I mentioned in the beginning, like you pick up as soon as you start something new or whatever, it's like you're like researching it, you know, you read up on it. So I'd really like to know what are some of the books that have really impacted you um with some of the things. Because I mean, Lisa, you've always you you've also done sketch. We we took sketch from Jason Sarna as well, um, and we ended which culminated it was a year-long class, and it culminated in a show that we got to write. We each got to write our own scene, direct it, and it was an amazing experience. Um, so there was sketch, and obviously we've talked about all the festivals you've been to, and obviously all the, you know, just your different experiences on Teams and things with improv, short form, long form, teaching it, all this stuff. So clowning, obviously. So, what are some books that you would recommend or what has really helped? Sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:54

Um, I've actually done more podcasts than books, but oh well, yeah, that's great too. Yes, yours, of course. Also, I just listened today to Improv Town. Um, BOC was on there talking about um not the deconstruction so much, but about position play, which is something I'd really like to get into. Um what is that? I don't even know what that is. Position play. Uh he teaches it with with Miles Stroth, who I only know through BOC, but it I'm having trouble seeing my notes, it's getting dark, but um he says that 99% of all scenes are one of four types. It's either a straight observed type, um which is more comedic than anything I think we do in Reno Improv. Maybe the folks that have the comedy background do this, but it's like um some sort of a hit-hit back off hit. Like you're at McDonald's and you're like, um, can you give me the dolphin sandwich? Sorry, sir, we don't have that. Okay, okay. Can you give me the swordfish sandwich? No, we don't have that either. And then like the guy seems to accept it, and then you do a third beat of hitting it with something absurd that's like, well, well, how about the bison sandwich or you know, something like that? Um, what he calls character-driven, which is not the same as what we were talking about, but for him, it's always um what's also called peas in a pod, or people that are yeah, in agreement. So you think of um two wild and crazy guys, or he uses the key and peel sketch where they're two valets and they're like in agreement with the all these movies that they're researching. Um uh then the fourth type is alternative reality, like vampires as cowboys or something like that. Um, and then realistic scenes. Um, so in the way he teaches this, he and this Miles Stroth, they they figure out what kind of a scene it is, and then they know how to respond, what kind of responses are appropriate in that scene that you've set up. Um, and I'd really like to, anyway, he had on Improv Town, he was uh talking about that today. It very much mirrored what he was talking about in Improv Utopia. I also did go on um, I just look up people like Chad. Um, when I got into clowning, I looked him up and listened to a ton of his podcasts and everyone that he mentions, you know. So Natalie Calvis, of course, and um you know, you just start going down those kinds of pathways. But let's see, for books, didn't you get a clowning book? Am I it did it, and I still haven't read it all, but a lot of it is exercises. Um the book I would recommend the most is the one that Jason was using a lot for teaching sensitive people, which is improvise seen from the inside out from Mick Napier.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:14

Oh, yeah, that's a great one. That's a great one. I actually want to get that one. Oh, you're willing to borrow mine, maybe borrow yours, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:22

Yeah, and then um Joe Diffenbacher did this clown, the physical. Oh, cool. Great stuff on YouTube. That's the other thing. I I just you know, you choose someone you like and you just start following them for a while.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:40

Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. That's awesome. Cool. Um, Jess, do you have other questions? That was mine.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:49

Um, well, do you want to play a game?

SPEAKER_03 1:13:52

Yeah, sure. Did we not? I guess we didn't officially do that.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:55

We didn't officially play a game. Okay, so last week I went to the movie theater and there was this guy that took up three seats, and he had a giant bag of popcorn in one hand and three icy's in another. And then what happened? Lisa tells the best.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:19

Well, he he put the icy on the floor next to him, and of all things, he pulled a steak out of his briefcase and a steak knife and a fork, and he started cutting it and eating it right there in the theater. Well, well, Katie tells the next part best.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:41

Yeah, and then a vegetarian walked into the theater because they were watching a vegetarian-themed movie that night and uh called Veggies Gone Wild. And um, you know, they saw this man eating a steak in the middle of the theater, and they couldn't believe their eyes, so they whipped out a knife and said, Let go of that steak man. But what happened next just tells really well.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:17

Yeah, so they had the knives, all of them actually had individual knives, and they started actually cutting up the meat into tiny little pieces and spreading it among all of the vegetarians, and then the vegetarians started throwing it at him, but there were only so many pieces of this meat, right? So eventually he grabbed all of the meat and he threw it at the screen right as the part came on that was just so ironic, but you know, Lisa tells this part best.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:56

Right. It was right when the hero was about to kiss the heroine. Um, it was the cucumber, if you remember, finally got the tomato, and the cucumber was bending over as best he could to kiss her. And then all these pieces of meat landed right on the cucumber, right? As it was a close-up of her face. Uh, but Katie tells the next part best.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:24

Yeah, and um as right then the movie ended, and as the credits were rolling, um, you know, you could just see sort of the the bloody part, you know, left over of the meat just sliding down the screen, um to which uh everybody lifted happened to have a glass of wine, and they lifted their glasses of wine and they said, Cheers to that. The end.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:57

Cheers to that.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:59

Cheers to that.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:03

I was gonna like that story. Uh it's always fun to tell story tell stories. I like to do that with my family.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:12

Um I think improv with kids is so fun.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:19

Jess has that just just has uh um great ideas. She comes up with games um to get her kids to do stuff, or if they, you know, if they're crying to switch them out of that mode. Like she's she's she's uses improv uh for parenting quite well, I would say, right, Jess?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:38

I do. Um, I mean it's a it's a big thing. It it bonds the kids to me because they know that improv is is my interest and something that I love. And I think that it's like it really makes them happy to be included in my interests, and it's something that they can do and I can do, and we can kind of do as a family, um, just to be silly and enjoy each other.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:01

So yeah, kids that kids, uh, my ex's child, Xander. Um, he's at the superhero age, and when I visit him, he will endlessly say, um, who's another villain? He always wants to know about the villains. And I I don't know villains, so we've turned that into an improv game, and I'll come up with imaginary villain names. And he'll say, and what's his what's his strength? And I'll come up with his strength. And then he'll say, But is that a real one? Like the other, you know, like all the real one.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:41

That's a cute game. That's a good one. Play that with your kids, Jess.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:46

Yeah. Uh so Lisa, uh, if people are looking you up, where do they find you on the internet? Or do they?

SPEAKER_02 1:18:54

Do you want people to find you on the internet? I I do not, but Reno Improv, um, come join us at Reno Improv and have fun with us.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:01

Yeah, come see, come see sensitive people uh at Reno Improv and um the QAM group that shall be named soon.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:11

Um we will put those in the show notes. Um, we do have Reno Improv in the show notes already in most of our shows. Uh and we'll put stuff for sensitive people. Please go out and support them. Uh it's such an uh such amazing shows.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:26

If you're in Reno, obviously.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:28

If you're in Remo.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:29

If you're not in Reno, yeah, a traveling improv group, but maybe one day.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:34

Maybe you ought to be. Maybe you ought to be. Um, all right. Well, thank you so much for for being on the show. Um, thanks, Lisa. It was so fun. Yeah. Any final thoughts?

SPEAKER_02 1:19:46

No, just thank you for having me. This is a great podcast you do. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:51

Yay. And see.