Yes But Why Podcast

This week on Yes But Why Podcast, I talk to the amazingly funny Rachael Mason.Rachael Mason is a veteran improviser and a teaching artist of the famed Chicago improv scene. She started her creative career by taking classes and performing at The Annoyance, iO, and Second City. Later, she taught improv workshops at theaters and universities all across the Chicago area. Rachael Mason has performed and taught all over the world, primarily headlining festivals with her comedy partner Susan Messing in their duo troupe, “The Boys.”Rachael was an absolute joy to talk to. I was honored that she said yes to being on the podcast! She opens the conversation by telling me she was a witch that was burned at the stake. The hilarity continues from there.In our conversation, Rachael tells me about her start in the Chicago improv scene and immersing herself in classes at 3 theaters at once. Listening to her describe her schedule, I was thinking, when did she sleep? But then I remembered being in my twenties and I did that sch

This week on Yes But Why Podcast, I chat with Improv Artist and a Social Entrepreneur, Vishok Verma. Vishok Verma is a Professional Trainer of Communication Skills (Corporate, Social Enterprises, and Non-profits). He is the Founder & CEO of “Let’s Express,” an organization that uses improvisational games and other performing arts exercises to boost the self-esteem and to improve the communication skills of young individuals from socio-economically disadvantaged areas of India. Vishok has been performing improv since 2017. He has currently been doing both long-form and short-form Improv via Zoom with artists all around the globe. He was recently featured in one of Jay Sukow’s Today Improv videos. Vishok and I met when we performed together a few months ago in the ICB Playground: Intercity Festival Edition. In our conversation, we talked about Vishok’s love of performing and writing. He shared with me the first time he found improv and that a-ha moment in his life. Comedy comes to Vishok naturally, as it d

This week on Yes But Why Podcast, I connected with Dr. Jennifer Christner, doctor, educator, and improviser. Jennifer G. Christner, MD is the Dean, School of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). Dr. Christner was practicing general pediatrics when early in her career, she was selected to become a National Faculty Development Scholar by the Academic Pediatric Association. This changed her focus from seeing patients to developing educational methods to train better doctors. This new path fascinated her, so since then, she has completed training programs in Medical Education as well as a Certification in Research. Dr. Christner works on research regarding new methods of medical education and faculty development. Most recently, Dr. Christner founded Christner Strategies, LLC to bring together all her skills and research. With this new business she is providing medical education consulting for her academic clients, and executive/life coaching for professionals in both academic and nonacademic environments

This week, Yes But Why Podcast features podcaster and Twitch streamer, Sammi Dittloff. Sammi Dittloff is an actor, writer, podcaster, Twitch streamer, and crafter who also works in marketing and social media. Sammi hosts and produces two podcasts: Pop Culture Diner is about The Bachelor and horror movies (and any other pop culture topics that comes up), and Dairy Free State, an interview podcast about food and health and what happens at that intersection. Sammi was working on a PhD in human geography with a focus on food equity across Milwaukee. (Whoa.) She is interested in a billion different things, all of which are creative in one way or another, and she seems to love working on all of them at once. Sammi is a very busy yet highly motivated person. If she says she wants to do something or learn about something, you better believe she’s going to do it. She’s a funny, gracious gal who lives life at a breakneck speed.We hit it off immediately. Sammi and I bonded about politics and how our parents’ involvemen

This week on Yes But Why, I talk to Indian improviser, Assad Khan. Assad Khan is the Founder, Producer and Artistic Director of “Creating Humour - An Improv Experience.” He is one-half of The Bromantic Duo with Rahmeen Charania. He is one-half of Creating EXTREME Humour with David Riley Pustansky. He is also one-half of The Elke and Assadie Show with Elke Reid. He is a proud member of the India Improv Ensemble with Kaivalya Plays. And he is also part of “The World Of Improv.”In our conversation, Assad tells the story of the first improv workshop he took, taught by the wildly popular Indian-South African improv artist and stand-up comedian, Kaneez Surka. He talks about being starstruck not only by his teacher by also by his fellow performer, well-established Indian stand-up comedian, Zakir Khan.Assad tells me about performing as a kid in school plays. He has always had a knack for making jokes on the spot. He loves to laugh and he loves making other people laugh.Like the rest of us, Assad grew up watching “Who

This week on Yes But Why, I chat with Jeff Rogers, comedian, emcee, author, keynote speaker, actor, game show host and so much more.Starting off as an award-winning stand-up comic in the late 1980’s, Jeff Rogers was spotted by Amy Sedaris who suggested he audition for The Second City Theater in Chicago. Jeff is the second youngest performer behind John Belushi to be hired at the renowned Second City theater.Jeff Rogers is currently a Professional Corporate Emcee, a best-selling Author, and an award-winning Creative Director with almost 30 years experience engaging audiences. In 2011, Jeff was the Creative Director for the inaugural Chicago Ideas Week featuring 170 speakers at 60 venues across the city of Chicago. Jeff can be seen on TV in his recurring roles on Chicago PD & Chicago Fire and in his numerous national commercials.In our conversation, Jeff talks about being an improv evangelist, meaning he tells everyone they should take an improv class. I am the same. Seriously, everyone go take an improv

This week on Yes But Why, I interviewed French improviser/musician, Bertrand Hance. Bertrand Hance is a man with many creative talents. He is a skilled improv comedian and a corporate team building coach. He is currently teaching theatrical improvisation workshops for teens and adults through The Maison des Jeunes et de la Culture des 3 Maisons as well as an improv workshop for people with disabilities through APF Nancy. Bertrand is also a certified cooking teacher, a musical composer, and an avid amateur astronomer. In our conversation, Bertrand tells me how his brother got him into improv. Bertrand talks about the vibrant improv community of his hometown, Nancy. We discuss the importance of storytelling to culture, to being human.We talk about the exhilaration of performing onstage and how much we both miss it. Bertrand and I connect on our love of teaching improv and helping people become more confident. Support Bertrand by taking a class from him! Check out his website bertrandhance.com to find out more a

This week on Yes But Why, I chat with Washington DC-based performer, Karen Lange. Karen Lange is an actor, singer, improviser, and producer. In 2008, Karen co-founded Pinky Swear Productions. Over a decade later, Karen is amazed by how many awesome shows Pinky Swear has done and how many amazing artists they have had the opportunity to work with. In addition to her work with Pinky Swear Productions, Karen acts in theatrical productions all over the DC area. She also performs in “Vox Pop,” a 3 person musical improv troupe which has been the darling of festivals across the country. In this episode, Karen and I talk about creating your own opportunities. We talk about shows we have produced and having the confidence to produce your own show if auditions at theaters don’t bear fruit for you. We talk about doing musicals. I am totally jealous of Karen because she got to do Grease for her final musical in high school. So fun! Karen tells me how that evolved into performing musical improv and the various theatrical

This week on Yes But Why, I had the pleasure of talking to Roberto Lewis.Roberto Lewis is a writer and improviser from San Jose, CA. He performs improv with ACME Theater’s “Pick-Up Game” and in Impro Theatre’s “Rom Com Improvised.” Roberto can be seen on Ripley Improv's “Heartbeats,” an improvised medical drama, available now on YouTube. Roberto also writes and performs for the sketch group, “The Bizness.”From the stories he tells, Roberto has been a voracious learner since he was a little bookish kid. In our conversation, we talk about his journey to develop the skills of improv. Roberto and I chat about how there are a thousand (probably more) different ways to look at improv.After Groupon lured him to that first improv class, Roberto was hooked. He soaked up all of the improv theory that his corner of Los Angeles offered. Roberto was performing and taking classes all over town. And then later, when he moved to Tokyo and met past YBY guests Mike Staffa and Christiane Brew, he started teaching improv as well

This week on Yes But Why, I interview Austin improviser, Kit Brooks. Kit Brooks is an Educator & Theatre Artist with a passion for inclusion. Kit has performed in many shows at Austin improv theaters, both on the stage in the before times and in the improv Zoom shows that are the norm these days. Kit teaches improv classes to neurodiverse students through The Hideout's Building Connections program. Kit is also an aerial dancer and an education researcher with a Master’s Degree in Learning Sciences.Creativity permeates Kit’s soul. We connected in an improv group on Facebook (because where else do people meet anymore) and Kit’s enthusiasm and support for the global improv community drew me to them. We had a great time chatting about our creative goals. In our conversation, we talk about Kit’s lifelong dedication to being an educator and all the research done in service of that mission. We talk about Kit’s deep study into how creativity and identity affect how we learn and how that rabbit hole led them to f

This week, Yes But Why speaks with globally acclaimed improviser, Gael Doorneweerd-Perry. Gael is a French improv performer/teacher who is currently running The Flock Theatre in Amsterdam alongside his wife, Laura Doorneweerd-Perry. Gael started his improv journey in Strasbourg where co-founded Anananas & Pampamplemousse (formerly La Carpe Haute). He’s also co-founder of the SIN, an international network of improvisers in Europe.Gael and Laura travel all over the globe, performing and teaching improv. Most recently in 2019-2020, they toured the world to teach and perform their romantic comedy narrative improv show, “Object of Affection.” In our conversation, Gael talks to me about his love for storytelling and for cats. Gael tells me about his start in improv with La Lolita Association in Strasbourg. We talk about the Flock Theater, the improv theater in Amsterdam that Gael runs with his wife Laura Doorneweerd-Perry.I talk about being a control freak. Gael says he prefers to perform unstructured, freeform

Episode Link: https://wp.me/p7HtP1-1gO Episode description:This week on Yes But Why, I interviewed Frankie Frain, a writer, director, and producer based out of my home state, Massachusetts. Frankie Frain is an award-winning filmmaker (Sexually Frank, Having Fun Up There), YouTube content creator, and head of Red Cow Entertainment. From narrative and documentary feature films to macaroni and cheese reviews, Frankie has told hundreds of stories, and you can expect a lot more. I had a great time talking to Frankie. He’s been making films since he was 12 years old. He’s got a great drive to get projects done and because of that, he’s amassed so many shows and podcasts and films. And you can tell he loves it. Frankie tells me about being inspired by Trey Parker & Matt Stone’s movie, “Cannibal! the Musical” (a must see for South Park fans). We talk about technology, François Dompierre, and Lord of the Rings. Frankie talks about his production company, Red Cow Entertainment, as his family and not just because hi

This week on Yes But Why, I had a wonderful chat with television director, Julie LoRusso. Julie LoRusso is a multi-camera live and live-to-tape director with over 30 years-experience in television production. Julie has worked with clients such as MTV, PBS, and Comedy Central. Some of the highlights of her work have been with Sesame Street (2020), Tidal X – Lil’ Wayne (2018), CrossFit Games (2014-Present), and Times Square New Year’s Eve (2016-2018). Julie is also a triathlete who currently does health and fitness coaching through Team Beachbody.In this episode, Julie regales me with great stories, from her first kiss onstage to the start of her TV career at MTV. In our conversation, we talk about the ups and downs of the freelance lifestyle. Julie talks about the benefits of doing internships to get your foot in the door. We chat about puppets, Team Beachbody fitness coaching, and heavy metal music. Support Julie LoRusso now by connecting with her about health and fitness coaching! As well as directing televi

This week on Yes But Why, I have a great talk with Irish improviser, Neil Curran. Neil Curran is one of leading influencers of the improv scene in Ireland. He has been teaching and performing improv both in Ireland and internationally for many years. He has toured with his signature show, “Neil + 1,” at festivals and theatres around the world. By day, Neil is an applied improv trainer with corporate clients around the world. Neil Curran is the founder and director of Improv Fest Ireland and the assistant camp director of Improv Utopia Ireland. He founded and runs the "Love! Improv Irish Community" group, and he is a co-founder of No Drama Theatre. Aside from his own shows, Neil has guested in numerous others including Orange Tuxedo, Upstairs Downton, Comedysportz San Jose and the improvised musical, When X Meets Y.In our conversation, Neil and I talk about improv from every angle. Neil tells me how performing improv feels like channeling energy from other people. He blows my mind when he compares improv

This week on Yes But Why, I spoke with Sheri Flanders, a Chicago-based actor, comedian, writer, and visual artist. Sheri Flanders is an instructor at the Second City Training Center in Chicago, and her performance background ranges from improv, stand up, musical theater, commercials, Shakespeare, corporate training and voice over work. Sheri is half of the interracial married sketch comedy duo, Flanders. Sheri is a writer of sketch comedy, musicals, screenplays, satire, film reviews, and artist interview features. As a freelance journalist, her work has been featured in several publications including the Chicago Sun-Times, The Chicago Reader, Rescripted The Chicago Defender and McSweeney's. In both 2020 and 2021, she was invited to cover the Sundance Film Festival as part of their Press Inclusion Initiative. In this episode, we discuss all the ways in which Sheri has made art a priority in her life. She started out with a passion for fashion design that gave her an outlet for her creativity while also satisfy

This week on Yes But Why, I chatted with UK based improviser, Llaura H_Improviser.Llaura H_Improviser has been performing long form (mostly narrative) improv since 2016. In the before times (and hopefully soon again), Llaura has been performing with the amateur improv community, Unscripted Players, a group linked to The Bristol Improv Theatre (where she also worked as company director from 2018-2019).With the daily mantra of "life is improv", Llaura didn’t let the pandemic stop her from performing. Since the lockdown, Llaura has connected with improv theaters all over the world to perform Zoom improv. Llaura is a member and regular performer with Improv Chattanooga in Tennessee. Through the World of Improv, an international online improv collective, Llaura performs with an all female/non-binary group called Don't Mess Comedy. She is also a founding member of the Say What You Mean show run through Zmack out of Shanghai!Llaura H_Improviser is an internationally connected improviser and I had a great time chatt

This week on Yes But Why, I connected with Austin improviser, Shannon Dale StottShannon Dale Stott has been performing and teaching Improv for over 20 years. Her professional start in improv began in Richmond Virginia with ComedySportz and she has continued to teach workshops and classes for the Hideout Theater in Austin and through her own company, Improv On and Off the Stage. Shannon exudes confidence and kindness and that is reflected in the success of her students. Shannon speaks, teaches, and performs at improv conservatories and festivals all over the US and the world.Shannon Dale Stott is someone that I’ve seen in the Austin improv community but never had the guts to talk to. She has an aura of celebrity. I overcame my fear and contacted Shannon to be on the show when I saw her video, “Names You Know” featured in an article, “Using your culture’s names” written by past guest, Aree Witoelar, teacher/founder of Impro Neuf International in Oslo, Norway. I messaged to tell her that her videos were reachin

This week on Yes But Why, I chat with Austin improviser, Lahari Dunn. Lahari Dunn is an improviser based in Austin, TX. She has performed in mainstage shows at various theaters in Austin. She has also co-directed shows at The Institution Theater (Immigrants, The Musical! (Parts One and Two), The Hideout Theatre (Hideout Kids: 'How I Saved the World Over Summer Vacation' and Hideout Student: 'Love on Deck'), and Coldtowne (Capstone one night show: 'Bands'). She can be seen performing online with troupes Minority Report and Harlequin, and she looks forward to the days when she can perform onstage again with her lovely troupemates. During the daytime she works as an engineer in the tech industry!In our conversation, Lahari and I talk about imaginary friends, TikTok, and musical improv. Lahari tells me how she loves dancing and she grew up learning traditional Indian dances from her mother. We talk about the difference between creating standup on your own and performing improv and creating as a team. We talk

This week on Yes But Why, I had the pleasure of chatting with Velvet Duke, Toronto-based entertainer and improv instructor.Velvet Duke is a world-beloved Black, autistic, queer, velvet voiced, multi-faceted creator, facilitator, and community leader. As an entertainer, Velvet engages with audiences as a musical improviser, a storyteller, a stand-up, and a host. Velvet studied at and graduated from The Improv Place (Masterclass in Teaching) as well as Second City Toronto Training Centre (Musical Improvisation Conservatory). He has also taken master classes in improvisation with Jill Bernard, Stephen Davison, John Gebretatose, Natasha Boomer, Ken Hall, Mick Napier, Katy Schutte and Chris Mead.Velvet is also an improv workshop facilitator. Based in Canada with a strong internet connection, Velvet is available to lead workshops virtually to groups around the world. Velvet facilitates virtual classes through international improvisational theatres such as Edinburgh International Improv Festival, The Nursery Theatre

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to Nick Byrne, one of Australia’s most prominent improvisational trainers and producers.Nick Byrne is Artistic Director of the Impro ACT theatre in Canberra, Australia. Starting in 2005, Impro ACT has been providing improv classes at all levels, performances of comedic, dramatic, musical, physical, and experimental unscripted theatre, as well as the Canberra International Festival of Improvisation (aka “Improvention”). Nick is also the Artistic Director of “Improvention,” Australia’s international festival of Improvisation. Since 2009, “Improvention” has hosted hundreds of improvisers from every continent to participate in half-day workshops and perform every night in shows, over the course of eight days. In Nick’s career in entertainment, he has played the role of trainer, director, producer, actor, musician, and comic. He has worked in political satire, musical theatre, corporate comedy, theatre in education, theatre restaurant, street theatre, film, advertising, and radio