Talking Shop: An Improv Podcast with Brian Gray

Woody Drennan

Listen in on one of Brian's favorite past times, talking shop with Steel City Improv Theater Artistic Director Woody Drennan.

Woody studied and performed improv for the last 16 years in Los Angeles at theaters such as iO West, UCB LA, Second City LA and the Groundlings. Since moving to Pittsburgh, he has become an invaluable member of the SCIT family with his work on shows like Midseason Replacements and LawProv, groups such as Well Known Strangers, and his general enthusiasm.

We discuss what Woody likes to watch on stage and perform on stage, then he and I sit and improvise around a table (watch the full set).

Note: for more with Woody, check him out on Haters for Hire!

Thanks to Omar Ornelas for production support, Aaron Tarnow and Jadon Baker for tech and the Steel City Improv Theater for hosting the live show.

Music in the podcast:

• Talking Shop Theme by Michelle Horsley
• Kick Shock by Kevin MacLeod
• Last Days of Disco by Fhernando

Don't miss Talking Shop next month on July 13 with Sam Turich!

Aaron Kleiber (http://www.aaronkleiber.com)

March features an interview with Aaron Kleiber. Aaron recently made his national television debut on “Gotham Comedy Live” with host Jim Bruer and has been a requested feature performer across the country for Bob Saget, Jim Breuer and Steve-O (to name a few). He has appeared on TV, film, numerous national commercials and produced, wrote and performed in the award-winning independent films Captain Blasto and A Great Disturbance. Aaron studied and performed at the Second City in Chicago and improvises with the Arcade.

Brian and Aaron discuss Aaron's sense of humor developing into his stage persona, his process of developing a premise into an onstage story or joke, and his many performance modes: acting, improvisation, stand-up, writing.

Brian and Aaron improvise two short scenes.

Thanks to Zach Simons for audio production and tech, Arcade Comedy Theater for hosting the show, Scott Peters for providing Aaron's clip from Escape from St. Quentin's and Randy Kovitz for providing Aaron's clip from Lightweight.

Music in the podcast:

• Talking Shop Theme by Michelle Horsley
• Kick Shock by Kevin MacLeod
• Last Days of Disco by Fhernando

In October's episode, Brian sits down with Arcade Comedy co-founder and twenty year improv veteran Jethro Nolen. Jethro has studied and performed at iO and Annoyance in Chicago with teachers such as Charna Halpern, Mick Napier, Susan Messing, Joe Bill, Craig Cackowski, Rich Talarico. He has performed with Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, at iO West in LA and studied with The Groundlings. Jethro is now a Creative Director at Arcade Comedy Theater where he performs regularly with Nolen & Nolen, Dinner with the Nolens, and a variety of other shows.

I talk with Jethro about his experience with The Lindbergh Babies, a team directed by Del Close and who performed the last improv form Del ever created. We talked about Del's process and its influences on Jethro's own work, specifically about getting rid of preconceptions about the form and the scene and allowing anything that happens to be a part of the work.

DISCLAIMER: During the set, Jethro spoils the ending to Breaking Bad.

We then did a pretty outlandish 10 minute montage, which you can watch here:
https://vimeo.com/78526238

Thanks to Zach Simons for audio production and live tech and our new home at Arcade Comedy Theater for hosting the show.

Music in the podcast:

• Talking Shop Theme by Michelle Horsley
• Kick Shock by Kevin MacLeod
• Last Days of Disco by Fhernando

Don't miss Talking Shop next month on November 17 at 8pm with actor, improviser and teacher Ric Walker!

The return of Talking Shop features an interview with a founding member of The New Movement theaters in Austin and New Orleans, improv performer and teacher, co-author of Improv Wins, stand-up comic, the creator of the Air Sex World Championship, a pro wrestling manager, a sports columnist and podcaster, and rapper, Chris Trew. The Austin Chronicle has said “Chris Trew is out of his fucking mind.”

Brian and Chris talk about how all of his varied pursuits are filtered for him through a lens of comedy and specifically the supportive and collaborative nature of improvisation, how he has brought and maintains a positive and nurturing atmosphere to both of his theaters (on stage and off), how he and his staff build their own language of improv through metaphor and nomenclature, and much much more.

Then we play 3 scenes focusing on like characters at the top and "heighten or die."

Thanks to The New Movement for letting us record in their classroom!

Music in the podcast:

• Talking Shop Theme by Michelle Horsley
• Kick Shock by Kevin MacLeod
• Last Days of Disco by Fhernando

An interview on the craft of comedy with the Artistic Director of the Magnet Theater in New York City, member of the Magnet resident team Junior Varsity, producer of the monthly all-female improv show “We Might Just Kiss” and level one teacher Megan Gray. The Magnet is an open and welcoming community where they teach anyone to improvise, and Megan embodies that philosophy.

Megan and I discuss her journey to become more confident on stage, the differences between mixed-gender teams and teams with only women, how she gives positive and supportive notes, and so much more! Also the debut of rapid-fire questions!

Note: you can overhear lively Magnet classes throughout much of the episode–apologies if this is bothersome.

Recorded at the Magnet Training Center in New York City. For past episodes, visit http://brianmgray.com/podcast.

More info on the Magnet Theater at http://www.magnettheater.com.

Music in the podcast:

• Talking Shop Theme by Michelle Horsley
• Kick Shock by Kevin MacLeod
• Last Days of Disco by Fhernando