Lesly Kahn Intensive
I just completed Lesly Kahn's December Intensive and it was...intense-ive. For those of you that don't know Lesly's method, it's "a simplified...way of breaking your scene down by focusing mostly on identifying subtext or what Lesly calls 'thoughts' behind what you’re...
DubTopia! with Drake & Lasley
Last week, I caught DubTopia! with Drake & Lasley at The Holding Company. It's a monthly sketch show put on by DeDe Drake and Sherra Lasley. I know DeDe from improv class at the Annoyance and Sherra from slinging me beers at iO Chicago. What a treat. This month's...
The Art of Falling
Take a risk. Fall in love. Let yourself go… Oh. This show. THIS SHOW! Poignant, moving, thoughtful, engaging, lovely, funny, hopeful, inspiring. Here's the description: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and The Second City bring their ingenious collaboration, The Art of...
Baseball and Acting
As I walked to the Space Station Casting Studio, a tall, lean squared jawed man in full baseball regalia walked out. "Do I need a bat?" I asked. "Yep. You take four couple swings. Two to camera and two in profile," he responded. "Damn." I said. "Yeah, just ask someone...
Two Years in Hollywood
It's been two years since I pulled into Brian and Rachel's driveway in Thousand Oaks and officially arrived in California. My high school friend, his wife and their two kiddos graciously housed Uncle Rob for three weeks while I searched for accommodations in LA....
60 Seconds With…UCB LA’s Jake Regal
UCB LA Harold Audition
Improv auditions are interesting. I've now auditioned for house/Harold teams at iO Chicago, iO West, The Annoyance, The Playground and for Rogue. Two nights ago, I added UCB LA to the list. 512 people auditioning. Less than 5 percent get in. Seems about right. A...
UCB LA’s Jake Regal Part 2
Here's the second part of my interview with UCB LA's Jake Regal. How has improv changed? When I was first taking classes, the philosophy was a very much a writer’s philosophy. It seemed solely about the game – finding the unusual thing, playing the move. It was very...
UCB LA’s Jake Regal Part 1
If you’ve ever caught a Harold show at UCB, you’ve likely seen Cardinal Redbird. And if you’ve ever had a practice group, you’ve likely heard the name Jake Regal suggested as a coach. Jake plays with Cardinal Redbird. And he’s one of the best improv coaches I’ve had...
Baking Bread & Acting
For my birthday (June), my mother gave me a Lodge 7 quart cast iron dutch oven so I could make No Knead Bread popularized by the New York Times. It's a simple recipe: flour, salt, yeast, water. That's it. All the ingredients you need. But here's the catch. I've made...