Improv Nerd With Jimmy Carrane

In this latest episode of Improv Nerd, Jimmy talks to Scott Morehead of the Second City e.t.c. cast and the Late '90s at iO Chicago. Jimmy talks to him about his journey to a resident company at Second City, asking for what you want and becoming a dad.

Katie Rich writes for SNL's Weekend Update, is an alumni of The Second City Mainstage and has performed at iO-Chicago with Carl and The Passions. Jimmy talks to her about her first day on the job at SNL, what goes into writing for Weekend Update, and meeting the President at the White House Correspondent's Dinner.

Have you ever wondered what it would take to start your own Improv Theater? In our first compilation episode, you'll hear clips from previous interviews from successful theater owners such as Mick Napier, Tom Booker, Dianah Dulaney, and more! Take a listen as they discuss how to manage actors efficiently, where to find the perfect location, and what their philosophies were when creating their new space.

In this episode, Jimmy sits down with Dick Chudnow, the creator and founder of ComedySportz, and Matt Elwell, current Executive Director of ComedySportz, at the 2015 ComedySportz World Championship in Rock Island, IL, where they talk about the creation of ComedySportz, the advantage of working clean and short form versus long form. Don't miss this great episode!

Ithamar Enriquez is a writer, actor, teacher and performer. He is an alumni of The Second City, writing and performing shows with the MainStage, ETC and the Second City Touring Company. Jimmy talks to him about physical comedy and his wonderful one-person silent sketch show "Ithamar Enriquez Has Nothing to Say."

Billy Merritt has been a performer, teacher and director since the UCB opened in New York. He was founding member of The Swarm and The Stepfathers in New York, and The Smokes in LA. We talk to Billy about how he classifies improvisers as pirates, robots, and ninjas, and what the game in the scene means to him. He also does an amazing job of deconstructing the improv scene between Jimmy and himself.

Dylan Rohde is the founder and co-owner of The Backline in Omaha, NE, and the producer of the Omaha Improv Festival. We talked to him about studying at the UCB and iO West and why he moved from LA to Omaha to start a comedy theater. He also demonstrates an improv game that you will definitely want to use!

Dave Buckman is a director-teacher-improviser. He started out in studying and teaching in Chicago, before becoming the Artistic Director of Boom Chicago in Amsterdam. He has directed at The Second City in Chicago and Cleveland before moving to Austin in 2005. We talked to Dave about directing at The Second City and Boom, why the growing Austin improv community plays nice together, and what it's like performing with his wife, Rachel. Thanks to Joseph Dailey & Cene Hale for the great opening!

Rob Belushi and Jon Barinholtz are in the duo group Sheldon and the perform improv around the country. Jimmy caught up with them at this year's Chicago Improv Festival, where they talked about their brotherly relationship and how they use it on stage, who they named their show after, and they set Jimmy straight on the whole topic of fame and coming from famous families.

Dianah Dulany is an improv institution. She is the owner and producer of ComedySportz in Houston, where she is wonderful teacher-director-actor-improviser. Jimmy talked to her at the Houston Improv Festival about what makes the culture of ComedySportz special, why short form gets a bad rap, and how to tell one of your performers they need to take a shower. Special Introduction was provided by John Thompson's Renaissance Academy Charter School of The Arts Kindergarten class from Rochester, NY!