Go Through The Door - Fearless Improv

Welcome back! It's the last episode of our first season, and to mark the occasion, Diz is chatting with the very funny Cortney Warner of "Murder She Joked!" from Nashville TN.

As usual, it's a wide-ranging conversation, covering topics including:

• Improv as a tool for writing
• The difficulties of Zoom-prov and performing when there's no audience. (Solution? Teddy Bears!)
• The "Pure Magic" of Improv
• Improv in Prison (not that she's done that, but, why isn't that a thing?)
• The otherworldly beauty of every single person to come out of Australia

So, settle in, slap on your headphones and join us as we Go Through The Door with Cortney Warner!

We've got a real treat for you this week as Diz sits down to talk with Sarah Davies of the Improv Gym! 

Sarah is a playwright, theater teacher, actor and improvisor from Kent in the UK. (Honestly, Sarah's CV is so long, we'd run out of space in this description if we tried to include it all!)

Over the course of these 45 minutes, Sarah and Diz talk about a LOT of stuff, including:

• "The Henry"
• Putting your audience through a "Turing Test"
• Toddlers Running Downhill
• Having a scene partner combust
• "Bassoon Prov"

Seriously, there's just SO MUCH in here, we're gonna need TWO lists! And that second list is:

• Working with an AI as a scene partner in Improbotics
• Why her students call her "The Taskmaster"
• On stage physicality
• Her obsession with the "Punch Drunk" show
• Twinprov!

Whew! How about a THIRD list? No... wait. Instead, just listen to the show. It'll be faster, and way more fun! 

So, put the kettle on, pop in the pods and join us as we Go Through The Door with Sarah Davies!

This week, Diz speaks with Chattanooga's own Malachi Nimmons Jr., live from New York City!

A graduate of Chattanooga State's Professional Actor Training Program, Malachi left our fair city a few years back and has had quite the awesome career. From performing with Chicago City Limits in NYC, a run on Tru TV, and being a ([very] small) part of the MCU, Malachi has done quite a lot in the last few years.

But, it's not all showbiz talk. The discussion this week ranges over a wide range of Improv- and performance-related topics, including:

• Getting comfortable on stage
• Letting go of ideas (instead of imposing them on others)
• Following the character
• Selling EVERYTHING you own, just to get to an audition
• Why Hasidic Jews Love him

So, grab your quarantine Manischewitz, slap in those AirPods you purchased as a reward for staying inside for 8 weeks, kick back and relax as we Go Through The Door! 

Welcome back! This week Diz sits down with Improv Chattanooga's very own Felicia Whitaker! 

It's a far-ranging conversation covering such things as:

• How Improv can improve your D&D game
• How bringing your teenager to your shows can lead to some awkward parenting moments
• The Jacksons vs The Osmonds (and the truth about the 1970s)
• The dangers of "Normalizing" a scene
• How people entertain themselves at Cracker Barrel

So, ask your waitress for the Breakfast menu, pop in your ear pods, and join us once again as we Go Through The Door!

In this episode, Diz talks with Improv Knoxville Founder, Luke Bechtel! Luke is an Improv Chattanooga alumni who struck out on his own in 2019 and created his own troupe in Knoxville TN. They talk about "Truth" vs "Game" styles of improv, why cats would make great lawyers, the experience of starting a new troupe in a new town and the importance of having a regular Open House.

So slap in those ear pods, pull up a chair and join us once again as we Go Through The Door!

This week, Diz sits down with Beth Long at the fabulous Fountainhead Taproom right here in Chattanooga Tennessee. Beth is a long-time performer with a background in dance, singing and performance art! (Just like Diz, except for the singing and dancing.)

They talk about their days in performance art, the difference between an Improv "Gift" and a "Trojan Horse," the joys of slowly changing into an inch-worm, and why kindness is one of the most important qualities to have on stage.

So, pour yourself a cup of whatever our sponsor is selling, find your favorite blanket, take a seat and Go Through The Door with us!

This week, Diz sits down with Improv Chattanooga's Casting Director, David Sarton! 

In this wide-ranging conversation, they talk about David's early days improvising in Mississippi as well as the Do's and Do Not's of kissing on stage, and just how much it sucks to get punched by another actor. (Accidentally, of course.)

They'll also talk about today's lack of "Shared" Cultural Experiences, David's love of Stand-Up and the most powerful scene he was ever involved in. (Of course, it happened during a practice.)

So, dust off your head phones, pour yourself a tall glass of "Swamp Water," sit back and enjoy the latest episode of Go Through The Door!

Welcome back! This week, Diz speaks with main troupe player, Shawn Stewart. (Shawn's a relatively new member of the troupe, with those big shiny eyes that newbies have. Kind of like an improvising Marmoset. What we're saying is, he's cute.) 

The conversation is wide-ranging, starting with Shawn's tendency towards air-borne improv, and winding up at dead puppies and why he might not be all that great with kids. There's also a discussion of pig wrestling on stage, this year's ConNooga, and why it's the innocent looking people that you don't want to play against in "Cards Against Humanity."

So, pull up a seat, pop in your pods and cast this audio entree towards them as we Go Through The Door...

First Episode!

This week, Improv Chattanooga co-founder Steven "Diz" Disbrow sits down with Mac Dyer to talk about her improv (and stand-up) comedy journey. A journey that started in Murfreesboro TN, with the troupe "MProv," and led her to us here at Improv Chattanooga. Along the way, we'll hear some dogs bark (First Episode, remember?), compare and contrast Improv vs Stand-Up comedy and find out why Dollie Parton is the best music to pump yourself up with before a show.