Improv Nerd With Jimmy Carrane

Amey Goerlich is a hugely respected teacher, director, coach, producer and improviser in New York City. She has directed or coached more than 300 teams and off-Broadway productions. She hosts and produces the Indie Cage Match at the UCB and improvises all around the city. Jimmy talked to her her about starting out at the UCB, teaching improv seven days a week and the famous people she has been fortunate enough to work with over the years.

The UCB Touring company consists of Marshall Stratton, Mike Kelton, Jenny St. Angelo, and James Smith. Jimmy caught up with them at The Steel Stacks Improv Comedy Festival and talked to them up about how they got into the touring company and what they've learned from doing gigs on the road. Take a listen!

In this episode, Jimmy interviews Judy Fabjance, a well-known improv teacher at Second City, who recently created a two-person sketch show called "Tales Of A Stage 4 Cancer" with her wife, Kelly Beeman. The show is based on Judy's struggles with cancer and Kelly's experiences as a caregiver to Judy. In this very moving episode of Improv Nerd, they discuss how they created the show and how they turned something so painful into something so funny.

Will Hines is a legendary teacher and improviser at the UCB. He has been performing there since 2000 and he headed up the training center in New York for years. Jimmy talked to him about how he was first exposed to improv in New York back in the late '90s, what the UCB was like when he first started, and what "the game of the scene" means to him. Will is both thoughtful and articulate about improv, so you won't want to miss this episode!

Danny Balel is not someone you may know. He is in the improv trenches doing the un-glamorous work of teaching improv to kids. He is a member of Improv Boston's Touring Company who also teaches improv to a diverse bunch of high school kids in the working class city of Worcester, Mass., as well as at Clark University. In this episode, Jimmy talks to him about his rough teenage years, how theater saved his life and how he's making a difference teaching improv.

Jack Bronis is a teacher at The Second City Training Center in Chicago and he is easily one of the best ones out there today. Jack is also a well respected improviser and actor in the city. Jimmy talks to him about why there should be in gurus in improv, how he brings joy into his performing and why he improvises in his socks. Take a listen!

Sand is an amazing three-man independent improv group, consisting of Mike Brunlieb, Thomas Kelly and Scott Nelson. They are easily one of the best group performing improv in the city of Chicago today. Jimmy talks to them about their wild and unstructured rehearsal process, their unique long form, developing characters and what make the chemistry work in their group. If you are on an improv group or team, you've got to listen!

In this episode, Jimmy interviews Kevin Reome, a well-known teacher at Second City, about coming up at iO with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, his experience of dropping out of improv to sell insurance and then coming back to the scene, and why he loves teaching beginning improvisers. Take a listen!

Antoine McKay is a former member of the Second City Mainstage, a teacher, actor, and is appearing in the new show Empire on Fox. In this episode, Antoine talks about coming up through Second City Detroit, his faith, and not making acting a priority. Don't miss this one!

In this episode, Jimmy brings in a whole bunch of the Improv Nerd team to discuss their favorite moments from 2014. Listen as some of the behind-the-scenes folks talk about exciting times, embarrassing encounters, and what they really think about your host Jimmy Carrane.