004 - Sam Turich - Short form, acting, and relaxing on stage

Explicit content warning

07/18/13 • 60 min

Talking Shop: An Improv Podcast with Brian Gray

Sam Turich

Sam Turich has been a professional improviser for over fifteen years. He has directed at Gotham City Improv in NYC where he created the long-running weekly main stage show Off the Top of Our Heads. Sam has acted on stage and screen and is currently in post-production on Progression, a full-length feature about a progressive dinner in Lawrenceville.

I chat with Sam about short form improv -- its virtues, how he did it well, and why more people should perform it -- acting, and his zen approach to improvisation. Then we do a short form set together (hosted by the fantastic Gab Cody), before a very lively Q&A.

Watch our set -- we play a couple short form games (Ding! and Scorsese).

Thanks to Omar Ornelas for audio production, Aaron Tarnow for live tech and the Steel City Improv 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 August 17 (at 7pm!) with Michael Capristo!

Sam Turich

Watch our set -- we play a couple short form games (Ding! and Scorsese).

Thanks to Omar Ornelas for audio production, Aaron Tarnow for live tech and the Steel City Improv 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 August 17 (at 7pm!) with Michael Capristo!

Previous Episode

003 - Woody Drennan

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!

Next Episode

005 - Michael Capristo - Game without thinking too hard and the LA improv scene

Michael Capristo

Michael Capristo has been doing longform improv since 2007. He has studied at the UCB Theater in New York before moving to Pittsburgh where he taught and performed in such memorable SCIT shows as Post-Crisis; Gillotti, Capristo, and Beck; and Delighting Myself with Michael Capristo. He now lives in LA where he performs with his team Old Vegas at the iO West and several indie theaters in town.

I talk to Mike about writing vs improv, his definition of game and how he uses finds it without struggling, and the differences among New York, Pittsburgh and LA improv. We then do a monoscene -- which in 10 mins we learned is just a long scene.

Watch the set online or listen to the whole interview here.

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

Music in the podcast: