Improv Yak

In Episode 19, Carla wraps up her Portland series by sitting down for a yak with Brody Theater's Artistic Director, Domeka Parker.  They discuss Sound Improv and briefly touch upon the importance of a good cup of Portland coffee.

In Episode 18 of Improv Yak, Carla yaks with Nicholas Kessler, one of The Liberator’s, Portland’s longest running improv group.

In episode number seventeen of Improv Yak, Carla yaks with the Artistic Director of Curious Comedy Theater, Stacey Hallal. They discuss the Portland improv scene, CORE (characterization, objective, relationship, environment), and improvise a scene as father and son.

In Episode 16 of Improv Yak, Carla yaks with Marc Warzecha about the different approaches he takes to teaching improv, coaching improv, and directing sketch shows through improvisation. They also speak about Marc’s love of political satire, his improv group with his buddies from Detroit (313), and challenging himself to be okay with failing. OH, and Viola Spolin!

In Episode 15 of Improv Yak, Carla yaks with Paul F. Tompkins about his heightened listening skills, his comedic influences, and his desire to stay present and live in the moment both onstage and off.

In Episode 14 of Improv Yak, Carla yaks with Ithamar Enriquez, an improviser and solo performer in Los Angeles.  They talk about playing the silence of a scene and then improvise a scene about two teens on a date in the backseat of a car.  Also, Muppets are discussed.  MUPPETS.

In Episode #13, Carla yaks with four different students at the beginning of their improv studies. 

In Episode 12 of Improv Yak, Carla talks improv with co-director of OTRimprov in Cincinnati, Kat Smith.

In Episode #11 of Improv Yak, Carla sits down with her friend Dwayne Colbert for a conversation about directing improvisers.  They also discuss auditioning for a Nerdist House Team, diversity in the Los Angeles comedy scene, and then Carla goes blue in their improv scene (these things happen sometimes).

In Episode 10 of Improv Yak, Janet Varney discusses vulnerability in improv and the ins and outs of producing the San Francisco Sketchfest.  

When Carla was recently in New York City, she sat down to yak with the Artistic Director of Magnet Theater, Megan Gray.  They yak'd about the importance of having fun in improvisation and improvised a scene featuring a couple of film geeks.

Carla sits down with her buddy Mark Gagliardi to discuss how he applies his training as an actor to improvisation.

In Episode 7, Carla speaks to LA comedian and actress Amy Phillips about using improv to create characters and generate content for the web.

Carla discusses specificity in improvisation with improviser and improv teacher, Craig Cackowski.  

Carla speaks to Todd Cooper, a newer improviser in the Los Angeles scene, about the blocks he has been feeling as he navigates the techniques he has learned over the last year.

In the fourth episode of Improv Yak, Carla chats with improviser James Mastraieni about his philosophy on the role of “straight man” in a comedic scene.

In the third episode of Improv Yak, Carla chats with Jean Villepique about her use of emotion when performing improv comedy.

In the second episode of Improv Yak, Carla chats with Drew Droege about commitment in improvisation and how he applies it in his work as a performer.

In the first episode of Improv Yak, Carla chats with Amanda Blake Davis about character point of view and how she applies it when improvising.