1. Can you tell us a little bit about the first improv class you took?

Yes, it was at The Players Workshop of The Second City, and I was 19 years old and scared. I want to make it clear, I wasn’t very good, I sucked. What I found in improv class was not only a group of supportive, like-minded people, but also a way to express myself. Growing up I got in trouble for being a smart aleck, and in improv class I got rewarded for that same behavior.

2. Can you tell us a little bit about the first improv class that you taught?

That was over 30 years ago at The Annoyance Theater. I was scared for different reasons. It was very vulnerable, because I was learning how to teach in front of paying students. It’s the same thing when I was starting to do improv shows. I sucked, and the only way to get better was to do it in front of an audience. It was painful and there is no way to avoid this step. I am grateful for all the students who put up with me learning on the job.

3. What are some ways you tailor your teaching for different skill levels, from beginners to advanced performers?

Great question. Actually, with both beginning and advanced actors, my approach is fairly similar. I want them to have fun and be very playful and silly, because actors think they always have to be very serious. Also, playing together as a group helps build trust. The big thing with beginners is to get them to not worry about being funny, but to trust that the comedy will come by playing the reality of the situation (sounds like acting, doesn’t it?).

4. How is what you’re teaching different from Meisner?

If you’ve taken a Meissner class, you’ve already learned how to connect with your partner, be in the moment, and believe in the imaginary circumstances in a scene. With improv, we take all of these elements, and then I teach you certain games and exercises that help you find a comedic point of view so that you can mine the comedy out of the scene.

5. What’s one piece of advice you always give to your students, and why?

There are no mistakes, only learning opportunities. The fastest way to get at good at improv, or anything else, is to make lots and lots of mistakes. That is what classes and workshops are for. They are safe places to make mistakes, and with guidance from a teacher, you will learn from your mistakes even more quickly.

6. Where can we see you perform these days?

Right now, I do a monthly show at Bughouse Theater with John Hildreth called Jimmy and Johnnie, and we invite a special improv guest to join us each month. I am also doing a lot more stand-up around town and in the suburbs.

7. Why should an actor take an improv class or workshop?

It teaches them to take direction better. We have all prepared for an audition at home and when we get there the casting agent or director wants you to do it a different way. If you have some improv training, you will not only be able to do it confidently, but you will also have fun doing it, which will increase your chance of getting the part.

8. Is it important to have improv on my resume?

Yes, Chicago is an improv town. There are lots of funny people here. I hear actors complain they are not called in for comedic roles. If you don’t think you are getting auditions for comedic parts, you need to have some improv experience on your resume so the casting people can see you as funny.

9. Why do actors think they can’t improvise?

Fear. Actors are convinced they need a script. They don’t. All they need is their acting and life experience to do improv. Meisner-trained actors don’t realize they are already improvising when they are doing repetition. It’s the purest form of improv. I try to just build off what they have already learned at Green Shirt.

10. What makes you a good teacher?

I think by helping student get out of their own way. I do this by learning and listening from my students. As an improv teacher, I need to improvise with the class by listening to what they need in the moment, and then I need to be willing to throw out my lesson plan instead of feeding my ego. When I do this, it’s exciting for all of us, because we are collaborating.