Author: Kelly Buttermore and Justin Peters

  • Spotlight On: Happy to Be Here

    Spotlight On: Happy to Be Here

    Happy to Be Here is an improv trio from Orlando featuring Billy Mehler, Marina Russell, and Marko Torres. They will make their Countdown Improv Festival debut in the 8:30 p.m. block on Thursday, August 11 in the HCC Mainstage Theatre. In this spotlight interview, the trio discusses what audiences can expect from their show, their improv origin story, and why Disney World is so damn expensive.

    We’re so excited to have Happy to Be Here making its Countdown debut this year! Tell us a little bit about your show: What can audiences expect to see when you take the stage on Thursday night?

    Happy to Be Here: We are so excited to be making our Countdown debut! Our show will be focused on character driven stories where we delve into character relationships, the dynamics between them, and the worlds they live in! Some stories may be more light-hearted, while some may be more poignant.We will be performing our signature format, Three Worlds, where we take a suggestion of one word to inspire three completely separate worlds that we explore and that may eventually collide!

    We love a good improv origin story. How did the three of you meet and start working together?

    HTBH: We graduated from the SAK Comedy Lab Conservatory together. After graduation, we wanted to try working in a small group with a focus on stories and let out our inner nerdy theater kid who wanted to do “ART” (insert dramatic hand gesture). We felt a chemistry and joy in playing together, embracing each of the other’s abilities, and after a meeting at the Orlando Public Library, it was decided. We were Happy To Be Here!

    What’s your favorite way to warm up or focus up before your show? Do you have any favorite pre-show rituals?

    HTBH: We like to start with a group check-in to catch up with each other, ground ourselves in the space, and bring up any physical, mental, and content boundaries to be aware of in order to take care of each other and stay safe while playing. We like to do vocal warm-ups, energy boosters, and word associations, including one warm-up where we pass a sound and movement around the circle, building off each other, which usually devolves into screaming like banshees by the end. After each weird thing we do, we pretend that was our set and thank the imaginary audience. We laugh hysterically every time, and that laughter is a huge part of our warm-up!

    In the spirit of being “happy to be here,” what are some places you’re always happy to be in in Orlando?

    HTBH: Some Orlando spots that we are always happy to visit include Lake Eola, Mills 50, SAK Comedy Lab, Park Avenue, Leu Gardens, Piccolo Coffee, The West Orange Trail, and DG Doughnuts, which Marko swears are the LITERAL best doughnuts on Earth! 

    We’ve been asking ourselves this question for years, and now we have to ask you: Why is Disney World so damn expensive, and is it worth it?

    HTBH: Disney is definitely very expensive! We aren’t sure why Disney keeps getting more and more expensive, and while the three of us might rather spend our time and money elsewhere, we believe that whether Disney is worth the price or not is up to the individual. As Central Florida residents, we are glad that Disney is a place where our friends, families, and many others have the opportunity to work and perform. We simply think Disney should give residents a free pass just for dealing with them and the tourists.

    Finally, who do you think will be inducted into this year’s Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame?

    HTBH: Anyone who’s doing a solo act cause… TERRIFYING!! We are super impressed with all of the talented performers taking the stage this weekend! We can’t wait to support them and we’re so happy to be a part of the festival this year!

  • Spotlight On: Anomaly

    Spotlight On: Anomaly

    Anomaly is a longstanding improv duo from Oklahoma City comprised of Shane McClure and Sue Ellen Reiman. The duo will make their Countdown Improv Festival debut in 2022, and will perform in the HCC Studio Theatre in the 7:15 p.m. block on Saturday night. In this spotlight interview, McClure and Reiman discuss their longevity as a duo, memories from Anomaly shows over the years, and the two dominant seasons in Oklahoma City.

    We’re so excited to have Anomaly performing with us at Countdown this year! Tell us a little bit about what audiences can expect from your show when you take the stage on Saturday night.

    Anomaly: We usually play three different scenes based on a line of dialogue suggested by the audience.

    The two of you have incredible longevity as a duo, having performed together for over 30 years. How has playing and building that trust together for that long informed where you are today as a duo?

    Anomaly: We have known each other and wisecracked together since before college in the ‘70s. We’ve performed Shakespeare. original plays  and children’s theatre and toured across Oklahoma. So, as far as references and allusions we use and the inferences we make, we could almost be the same person — however, Shane has definite irascible qualities that play off against Sue Ellen’s sarcastic wit.

    What are a couple of your favorite memories from Anomaly shows over the years?

    Anomaly: An early show put Shane as a frustrated son in a nearly impassable room with a hoarder mother.

    The two of you perform with OKC Improv in Oklahoma City. What makes Oklahoma City special and what would you tell a first-time visitor to check out there?

    Anomaly: Oklahoma is great, it has two seasons: The ice knife winds and the hot mouth of hell. This capitol city hosts many boneheaded politicians, but has an array of new parks, bike paths, museums, as well as performing arts thanks to a reasonable mayor and city council.

    Other than the festival (naturally!), what are you most excited to do/see in Tampa while you’re here?

    Anomaly: On Sunday we plan to go to the Dali Museum and have tickets to the Tampa Bay Rays game!

  • Spotlight On: Unconsciously Coupled

    Spotlight On: Unconsciously Coupled

    Unconsciously Coupled is an improv duo from Sarasota starring Joe and Kathy Rinaldi. The duo is making its second consecutive Countdown Improv Festival appearance and will perform on the HCC Studio Theatre stage on Friday night of this year’s festival. In this spotlight interview, the Rinaldis discuss how their show has evolved over the years, what it’s like being married to your improv partner, and the differences between improv in Europe and in America.

    We’re very excited to have Unconsciously Coupled back at the festival this year! Can you tell us a little bit about your show? What can viewers expect?

    Unconsciously Coupled: We really like to mine the ways in which people who have been working or living together a long time are very unconsciously coupled. We’ve changed our format a bit for this year, but it’s still a show that focuses on the humor of relationships. 

    If we’re remembering correctly, Unconsciously Coupled performed its very first show at our online Very Normal Festival in December 2020. How has the show evolved since then? Do you think about it differently now than you did when you first began?

    UC: I’m not sure we think about it differently so much as we’ve grown as improvisers, so there’s a lot more trust in silence, a lot more comfort with finding the humor in the situation, and, maybe, we’re letting our own personal humor come out more. Impromptu, our other troupe, is so much more dramatically oriented, so with UC, we get a chance to let our own personalities show. 

    The two of you are “consciously coupled,” insofar as you’re married to each other. What are the advantages (and disadvantages!) of being married to your improv partner?

    UC: The only thing conscious about marriage is the license! All the rest is made up as you go, kind of like improv! Hmm… Advantages are that we know each other. Disadvantages are that we know each other.  Seriously, though, we can trust that our partner will know where we’re going, we get each other’s references, we can see the quirky as soon as it shows its face. It’s been such a wonderful gift to find this way of connecting at this stage of our lives, and we truly love working together. Like all marriages, though, it’s more difficult to give your spouse notes than someone you’re simply partnering with in a duo/trio. ‘Nuff said about that. 

    With Teresa Linderman Bueno, the two of you also perform as the trio Impromptu, which festival audiences will be seeing on Saturday night at the festival. Does your work with Unconsciously Coupled at all affect and inform your work with Impromptu, and vice versa? 

    UC: Absolutely. We have found that it’s easier to bring organic humor into Impromptu, now that we’ve played with UC (Teresa was always fabulous with humor!). We’ve also found that we can bring the silences and pivots to something heartfelt while playing as UC. Improv is improv. If it’s good, it has all the great elements of theater, we think. 

    Impromptu is performing a bunch in Europe this year, which is amazing! To the extent that you’ve noticed any salient differences, how does the European improv scene differ from the American improv scene? What’s one good thing about the European improv scene that you wish you could transplant over here?

    UC: Europeans are so accepting of dramatic improv and narrative forms of improv. We saw much less of the wild, crazy improv that is often the format in U.S. shows. Even in the deliberately funny shows, there seemed to be a narrative through-line. Also, the European improv troupes are ridiculously inventive. We saw some shows that blew our minds, including a couple using AI technology with live players. Crazy! We were only in England and Sweden, of course, so we can’t extrapolate to all the other festivals.

    That said, when we started Impromptu, we were one of the very few doing dramatic improv in the Tampa Bay area. Now, we’re finding that some of the mainstream improv companies are doing more and more of what we like to call “unscripted theatre/genre shows” than they did before. We think it’s what audiences like, too, especially those who attend a lot of theatre. We would never have imagined, less than four years ago, that we’d get a reputation for creating improvised theatre from a simple word. It’s crazy! SPOILER ALERT! Impromptu is presenting a new genre that we learned to create during the pandemic, and will be presenting our first live show at Countdown!

    Finally, any guesses about who will be inducted into the Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame this year?

    UC: Shoot. The list is ridiculously long, and so many are absolute improv artists. How about doing three this year?! 

  • Spotlight On: Kevin Michalski

    Spotlight On: Kevin Michalski

    Kevin Michalski is an improviser based out of Riverview, Florida. He will perform three times at this year’s Countdown Improv Festival: with The Harmonica John Show on Thursday night; as “Cowboy” Kevin Michalski on Saturday night; and, most notably, as the leader of The Kevin Michalski Improv Trio on Friday night. In this spotlight interview, Michalski talks all about his eponymous trio, and why “humility” will be the key theme for their performance this year.

    We’re excited to have The Kevin Michalski Improv Trio back for this year’s festival! What can audiences expect from your show?

    Kevin Michalski: In a word? Humility. One of the things I’ve learned over the past few trying years is that the improv community is larger than just one person. I’ve been inspired by the initiative of the lesser known and up-and-coming players in the area as it pertains to putting on shows, teaching “workshops”, etc. It’s truly humbling to see the community starting to stand on its own, without hand-holding.

    You’re obviously the face of the operation, but let’s talk about your teammates for a minute. Who’ll be rounding out the rest of the trio this year?

    KM: We’ll see! Like last year, the two supporting spots in the Kevin Michalski Improv Trio will be decided by raffle. Entry tickets can be purchased at www.KM3.ru/opportunity_of_a_lifetime.htm until 11:59 PM this Friday (8/5). Beginner-level improvisors (< 15 yrs. experience) are encouraged to enter!

    In your festival show last year you sort of took a back seat and let the rest of the trio take the spotlight. What was the thinking behind that choice? And can we expect to see more of you in this year’s show?

    KM: It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. My supporting teammates for that performance (Katherine Taylor and Phil Bush) started the first scene, and as I recall, got into a bit of trouble right away. I was tempted to jump in and bail them out, but I remembered that abject failure can be a great teacher, and so I elected to give them the chance to dig themselves out of the hole. I’ll leave it to that night’s audience to say how successful they were.

    This year, I plan to be much more involved from the outset. That’s all I will say at the moment.

    How would you respond to those that have claimed—

    KM: Next question.

    Fair enough. We love a good improv origin story. How did the Kevin Michalski Improv Trio come together?

    KM: It was assembled specifically for the Countdown festival! Many improv audiences in the Tampa Bay area are familiar with my solo show, Kevin-Sent. I had planned to submit that act to Countdown, but after giving it a bit of thought, it occurred to me that giving a few lucky beginners the opportunity to share the stage with me would be immensely rewarding—both for them and the audience. And so the KMIT was born.

    Do you have any pre-show rituals? How does the trio prepare for a show? And what’s your notes process like afterwards?

    KM: Before the show I like to stay loose, so nothing too crazy. I typically do 30-45 minutes of deep meditation in a dark room (when available). Following this, I will perform a series of deep breath exercises while reciting my improv mantra (which was given to me personally by Tim Meadows, and is obviously a trade secret). Then after just a quick cracking of the knuckles, it’s showtime!

    I don’t put much stock into post-show notes, for a few reasons. For one thing, since I mostly perform solo, there is generally nobody to give notes to. But aside from that, I think it’s beneficial to remain in the post-show headspace, whether positive or negative, for at least four hours after a set. Remember what I said earlier about abject failure being a great teacher? In light of that philosophy, I believe that reassuring platitudes or insincere praise given after a poor performance can only be counterproductive. Better to wallow in shame so as to truly absorb the lesson. Of course, it has been many years since I’ve learned any such lessons myself, but for a junior improvisor it is essential to growth.

    Also, my post-show cry is an integral part of my process, for which I prefer to be alone.

    Finally, who do you think will be inducted into the Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame this year?

    KM: Aw shucks, guys. For modesty’s sake, I’ll say Mike Walker or whoever.

  • Spotlight On: Greg Philippi

    Spotlight On: Greg Philippi

    Greg Philippi is an improviser and teacher based out of Boca Raton. He will perform his show, Screaming Armadillo Comedy Presents: Stories by the Campfire … To Die For on Friday night in the HCC Studio Theatre at this year’s Countdown Improv Festival. 2022 will mark his second consecutive Countdown Improv Festival appearance. In this spotlight interview, Philippi discusses how he applies stories from his own life as improv lessons, the record albums that he’s been into lately, and his favorite facts about Stephen King.

    Your show description promises “a tale of horror told in story and song.” What can audiences expect from your performance? Should they be scared?

    Greg Philippi: Simply put, picture a man with a large red balloon and an icy stare, or, worse, a smile. Scared, what do you think? Is there not song in a scream? Is there not story in silence? I’d also like to note that great modern horror uses irony and makes social statements as in Jordan Peele’s Nope. However, To Die For is not that kind of party…

    You published a book called Life Improvised: Listening Between the Lines in 2021 that looks at how your life can inform and strengthen your improv and vice versa. A lot has happened in the world over the last year since your book came out. Are there any new stories from your recent past that are informing your work these days?

    GP: Finally promoting Life Improvised properly since it came out during my lockdown period. I’m also working on two new books. One is more of a “how to” improv book, and the other otherworldly short stories. To answer your question I’ve cited four examples.

    Today I was going through my storage and I came across an outfielders’ glove and ball. I couldn’t remember why I had it since I’m not a sports guy. Then I remembered it was a remnant of my days on a softball team in Hollywood (Calif.) with a bunch of comedians. Our pitcher was former SNL cast member Kevin Nealon. To make a long story short I kept oversleeping and missing games. Finally I decided to be responsible and show up on time but I overcompensated and tried to impress the team by being the first over the fence when a field had locked us out. I ended up on crutches with a torn ligament. I could say the takeaway is don’t keep junk you’ll never use (aka the outfielders glove) but digging deeper I’d say the takeaway is the importance of showing up and playing to the reality of the situation. You’ve got to be true to yourself, otherwise how can you be true to the scene or your scene partner?

    A friend of mine, Dan Yeager, played Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D. I thought about calling him the other day. He’s in New York now and we were chatting about a visit. At one point we had big plans prepping a couple ideas to pitch to major production companies. One idea had Dan, a hulking guy at 6’5” and me, not very tall, both dressed as pirates stranded on an island while screening and discussing public domain films. For another pitch we each penned a few ghost stories and planned to use one new story in each episode. We never actually pitched either idea anywhere. The takeaway, perhaps, is don’t ever give up on your dreams. Just adjust them to the reality of the moment. I also brought up Leatherface here to remind readers this piece and the subsequent show is all about horror! And then there’s the way we treated my French teacher in junior high, which was a different type of horror. I still feel bad.

    Recently I was in Santa Fe, Taos, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. While in Albuquerque my wife and I stopped at a downtown farmers market. There was a local artist selling hats and shirts he designed with local slogans. I bought a few items including a T-shirt that said “Sana Sana,” which is short for “Sana Sana Colita De Rana.” The literal translation from Spanish to English is heal, heal, little frog’s tail. It’s a saying used to comfort children when they fall, like a twist on the saying “kiss it and make it better.” While at the artist’s booth, he tried in vein to explain the concept to me. I didn’t get it. I guess I had jet lag. I bought the shirt anyhow. The takeaway is that as improvisers there are many ways to say the same thing. Del Close once said a gift hasn’t been given until it has been received. If your scene partner doesn’t connect with you, either change your tactic and reach out from another direction or throw it all out the window and focus on the emotional connection to what they just said. It’s evident to me that this is why the victims in a horror film always end up tied up in the basement. Now where did I put that rope? In improv there are many viewpoints from which to approach the scene and/or your scene partner and each may take the scene in a different direction. None are wrong. Choose one. Don’t end up in the basement.

    Lastly, I work at a friend’s used bookstore a couple days a week. I was helping a woman out to her car with a bag of books. When she popped the trunk I looked down and maybe 50 cockroaches scattered. They were all over in her trunk. I said: Are you sure you want me to put the books in here? She was staring into the trunk as well. I knew she wasn’t blind cause she was buying books. The woman said “Yes, put my books in here,” with no mention of the creatures running amok. The takeaway here is that some people just see what they want to see. Someone like that in an improv scene probably won’t see that curve in the road that happens when the scene takes a right turn. That same improviser will also miss a lot of gifts, but the scene can still work if you’re in the moment and not in your head.

    Which shows are you most excited to see at Countdown this year?

    GP: Wow! I can’t pin it down to one. Many of shows in this years festival look great, though I don’t know much about them. Based on what I’ve read or heard I’m looking forward to: Dancing with Disaster featuring Joe Bill and Jennifer Lavenhar; the Countdown Festival Ensemble led by Anthony Francis; the show &Anthony featuring Anthony Francis and Dallas Wait; PREACH!, which just sounds like an awesome concept and also reminds me I need to finish working on my written piece, a conversation with Satan’s brother Bob. It may soon make an appearance on the site Medium. And last but not least Hot Mess! The Musical. They were great last year. Of course you guys, Kelly & Justin, are always fun to watch! I’m hoping to just stumble into other shows that grab my attention.

    What’s your favorite fact, real or made up, about Stephen King?

    GP: Three facts: 1) Stephen King’s scariness is due to a childhood event he can’t remember.

    2) When Stephen King’s mom couldn’t afford a babysitter she gave Stephen and his brother each a book and they were told to read to each other while she was out. When mom came home, to be sure they did the assignment, she’d test them on what the books were about.

    3) Last but not least, Stephen King’s book The Shining, is about a shoe shine boy. I’d share details but you’ll learn more about that later…

    In addition to being a comedian and actor you’re also a big music fan and collector. What’s your favorite record that you’ve picked up in the past six months?

    GP: Lately I’ve been collecting deep groove bop jazz, hard bop jazz and free jazz as well as still buying modern rock. As a baseline for the question I like other genres as well from classical to psych, surf, Haitian, soundtracks, blues, rap etc. My favorite recent purchase is THE SMILE, a new band featuring Thom Yorke (vocalist) and Jonny Greenwood (guitarist) of Radiohead. The sound is Radiohead flavored with a sprinkle of Muse.

    A couple runner up purchases include the UK band Wet Leg — their singles Chaise Longue and Wet Dream both have great videos — and two jazz records. The bop jazz Curtain Call by Hank Mobley (tenor sax) and The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra, a special 60th anniversary release of his 1962 album.

    Sun Ra (Herman Poole Blount), experimental jazz keyboard player, was born in Birmingham, Alabama during segregation. To escape his past and discover a brighter future he reinvented himself as Sun Ra, a being from another planet and he dressed the part, in essence becoming the character he portrayed. Sounds like improv, right?!

    And, finally, who do you think will be inducted this year into the Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame?

    GP: I’ve really given this some thought and frankly I don’t have a clue. I love the category, though, and am all for it. I await the day the media as a whole celebrates with Countdown. Now if you were asking who I would induct into the Countdown Hall of Fame rather than who I do I think you will induct, I still couldn’t answer your question. Not till the end of the festival. As Yoda might say, choose wisely, but I already know you’ve got this.

  • Spotlight On: Steve Wyeth

    Spotlight On: Steve Wyeth

    Steve Wyeth is an improviser based in Madison, Wis. With Amanda Rogers, a fellow company member at Atlas Improv Co., he performs as the duo Crossed Wires. Wyeth and Rogers perform the “ABC Title” format, in which they devise a title for a movie that does not exist and then improvise that made-up movie on the spot. 2022 will mark Crossed Wires’ third Countdown Improv Festival appearance. In this spotlight interview, Wyeth discusses his favorite movie genre to perform, the sitcom he’d pitch if he had the chance, and why Grain Belt is the best Midwestern beer.

    We’re so excited to have Crossed Wires back with us in Tampa this year! Tell us a little bit about what audiences can expect from your show at Countdown.

    Steve Wyeth: A lot of physical humor and a good bit of silliness. We bring action, and we bring fun. You’re going to see two fun people having peak fun.

    What’s your favorite type of movie genre to perform and why?

    SW: I like horror, for a bunch of reasons; it allows me to have moments of earnest emotion, plenty of action, and a lot of physicality. Plus I’m drawn in my real life to ghosts and the supernatural.

    We happen to believe that all improv duos have great bonding moments. Other than a love of improv, what’s something you and Amanda have bonded over? (For us, it’s bad food decisions and needing to use the bathroom at inconvenient times — which, now that we think about it, could be related.)

    SW: I think for us, performing on this team together definitely accelerated our friendship. We have both had some of our funnest moments in stage. And we have done some of the dumbest s*it we have ever done. 

    Of all the places we tour, we go back to Wisconsin and Florida most often. You live in Wisconsin and you’ve now been to Florida at least twice that we know of. Aside from weather, what sets them apart from each other in your view?

    SW: Man, the seafood in Florida, my god! 

    We’ve got a great Atlas contingent at Countdown this year! You’ll be rooming with Griffin Lowmaster. If you and Griffin had a sitcom, what would it be called?

    SW: “My Two Sad, Sad Uncles.”

    What’s the best Midwest beer and why is it Grain Belt?

    SW: My mom used to make this homemade white bread, it was perfect on its own, with jam, honey, lunch meat, whatever. That’s Grain Belt! Just have one on its own, with pizza, steak, seafood, anything. It’s so refreshing and accessible. It’s great as a hipster-type of beer, but unlike PBR, it’s also just this unpretentious, blue-collar beer. It’s manna from heaven. My longest answer so far is this one, and that should tell you something!

    Finally, who do you think will be inducted into the Countdown Improv Hall of Fame this year?

    SW: Are you guys in the Hall yet? Obviously it should be you… or Obama?

  • Spotlight On: Lauren Ross

    Spotlight On: Lauren Ross

    Lauren Ross is an improviser based in Tampa, Fla. A multi-year Countdown performer, Ross will perform three separate shows during the festival weekend. In this spotlight interview, Ross discusses the state of improv comedy in Tampa/St. Pete, Countdown merch wish-list items, and why Ursula really deserves a win.

    We’re so excited to have you back at the festival again, Lauren! Can you tell us a little bit about each of the shows in which you’ll be performing this year?

    Lauren Ross: I am so excited and honored to be back this year with my Countdown family!! I am performing 3 times during the festival and maybe some more fun silly stuff along the way. 

    CYA Improv is back for our second year with our own choose your adventure format. We can’t wait for the audience to help us create a brand new adventure on the spot!

    I’m also performing with Honk & Wave, who is back for their second year at Countdown as well! Honk & Wave offers up a high-energy show with vibrant characters and quick scene changes that will have you wondering…”how did we even get here?” 

    IFTL is making our debut appearance at this year’s festival and we’re honored to have been selected!

    Tell us a little bit more about IFTL, which stands for Intense for Too Long. How did IFTL come about? What are your goals for your Wednesday night show this year?

    LR: Intense for Too Long is a short form/long form hybrid show that opens with a short form game. Then we use anything created in that game to fuel the rest of the show and explore the deeper themes…some would say for too long. But you can be the judge of that when you attend our set. 😉

    This show format was inspired by an auto-correct mistake between my creative partners Tori Baird, AJ Trinci, and myself. Tori had been using the voice-to-text function on their phone earlier in the day. That night, when we were all hanging out and chatting away. Tori was multitasking and sending an email while we talked but must’ve hit the button for the voice-to-text function and their phone interpreted something said aloud as “intense for too long.” It transcribed the sentence into a completely new email (somehow) and when we finally stopped giggling at it we explored the bit of “what things are intense for too long?” Several days later, AJ came up with the perfect way to turn it into a show and in true “Yes and…” spirit, Tori and I jumped on board right away and fell in love with the format.

    I consider myself really fortunate to have such incredible and hilarious creative partners! <3 IFTL is performing Wednesday for the first night of shows at this year’s festival! My main goal with this show is to help kick off the festival with an INTENSE but hilarious set that will hopefully make at least 1 person say…”oh dear, I really need to upgrade my ticket to the weekend pass to see more silly stuff like this show.” 

    Do you have any pre-show routines? How do you like to warm up before a show? Conversely, what are you looking for when evaluating a show immediately after a performance?

    LR: I find that I am at my best when I follow a specific pre-show routine with my team. However, that routine changes from group-to-group. My favorite pre-show routine is what I do with CYA Improv. Tori and I start with a 5-minute meditation that focuses on grounding and breath work to soothe any nerves. We also check in with each other emotionally before every show, this helps keep us on the same wavelength and often provides some fuel for the set we’re about to do.

    I want to be a “good artist” and tell you that I have an evaluation process where I review my wins, mistakes and list what I want to work on in the future…but I don’t. I do, however, ask myself two questions after every show: “Did I create or help to create joy for others?” and “Did I create or help to create joy for myself?” For me, these are the most important questions I can ask myself as an artist. It’s all too easy for me to get lost in self-criticism and not see the good in my performance, so addressing the issue of “joy” is my way of panning-out and seeing the big picture for my audience and myself. If I know I brought joy, then my mistakes (and there are always mistakes I make, lol) don’t seem so bad. 

    Let’s talk about the state of improv in Tampa/St. Pete. How’s the community doing? What have you seen recently that makes you hopeful for the future of the art form in the region? And what else needs to happen in order for it to continue to grow?

    LR: Tampa & St. Pete improvisers are hanging in there from what I’ve seen! The last few years have certainly brought challenges that are still affecting us directly, but we’re building back! Some of our leaders have really stepped up their game in being show-runners and creating spaces for improvisers to hit the stage (major kudos go to Matt Walker and John Lasavath for all they do)! 

    What really gives me hope for the future of improv in the Tampa Bay area is our current efforts to double-down on community growth. We are making a concerted effort to provide spaces for improvisers to not just perform, but socialize, learn and grow together. For me, the most important thing and what I believe will be the key to our success, is that these spaces are safe. This has, historically, been a bit of a struggle for our community and I’m hoping to be a small part of that growth in this area. 

    You’re an avowed fan of Countdown’s merch items, which makes us super happy! Looking forward to the next few years, what are some merch items that you’d like to see us produce? The sky’s the limit here, so feel free to think big!

    LR: I will never disavow Countdown merch! I cannot get enough of the t-shirts!! They’re not only comfy & cute (the designs are always stunning), but they make appearances in most of my improv performances!

    I think a great addition to the merch line would be Countdown engraved pocket watches and compasses. Mmhmm, yep, you read that correctly. Watches and compasses, because let’s face it we all lose track of time and direction in the middle of an improv show! 

    For real though, I’m a big fan of FANS! Picture this…you’re about to go on stage and start sweating because you’re nervous and high electric costs have prevented the venue owner from using their AC. The PANIC sets in! What will you do? You’ll reach for your strategically placed Countdown fan to cool yourself a bit before your performance and all will be well. You won’t have to worry if the audience’s laughter is due to your funny line or your pit stains. (Oh is that just me? Cool, cool, cool…) 

    Finally, on a scale of 1 to 10, how excited will you be to see Ursula inducted into the Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame this year?

    LR: 10: This war with Dead Bob has been brutal! Ursula could use a perfectly tailored, fitted and hemmed win. 

  • Spotlight On: Matt Walker

    Spotlight On: Matt Walker

    Matt Walker is an improviser based in St. Petersburg, Fla. A longtime festival staple, Walker will be performing four separate times over the course of the festival weekend, and will also be appearing in various interstitial bits. In this spotlight interview, Walker discusses his new group Wallares, his bizarre obsession with coffee, and why Kelly and Justin are not to be trusted.

    We’re excited to have you back at Countdown — and, once again, you’ll be performing a lot! Take us through the shows you’ll be doing this year. What can audiences expect to see?

    Matt Walker: I’m always very honored to be able to do so much with you and the greater Countdown community! On Wednesday at 8:55 I’m performing with The Third Thought in the live-streamed portion of the festival (twitch.tv/countdownimprov). Thursday at 7 on the main stage, I am performing with the Yuck-Yuck Gooftown Pioneers (with a new member) as I try to stay away from any bad news that might ruin my set. Then Friday at 8:45 on the main stage, Geoff Fella, Christian Torres, and I are doing our Wallares set. Finally, Saturday at 10:25 on the HCCsStudio stage, John Lasavath and I will be joined by the inimitable Joe Bill (and more?) for our Magnificent 7 monoscene set to close out the stage! I’m also helping out some folks in their own interstitial hosting gags, so if anyone wants to see me at the festival, just keep your eyes open. I’m tired just thinking about it!

    Wallares is a relatively new group; you guys first got together earlier this year. How did the team come about?

    MW: Wallares was born out of our desire to engage with the concept of improv itself beyond what was available to us. Our shows tend to embody the qualities of improv we find personally valuable, which are bit-centered, significantly meta, and a departure from form. We love interacting with audiences as well, I mean; we also just really jive with one another. We are also very academic about our improv philosophies and styles, which makes for fun post-show conversations. It has breathed new life into a previously stagnant man (me).

    The three of you are all great performers, but you also each have slightly different performance styles. How do your energies complement each other on stage?

    MW: Geoff and I have known each other for about 12 or 13 years, and we came up learning together at Eckerd College. He is a literal genius when it comes to game, but please don’t tell him I said that — this is confidential, right? Christian is the mover of the team and we’ve known each other for like 6 or 7 years. His initiation, reference, and context changing moves, come from his encyclopedic mind. It’s pretty amazing (always surprises me) and leads to some great 4th wall moments that I personally love to capitalize on. They genuinely make me laugh. I am lucky to perform with both of them and have to cut myself off here lest I sound like what the kids call a “simp.”

    Last year’s Magnificent 7 set was legitimately epic: You and John Lasavath strapped an iPad to Gavin Hawk, covered his face in a mask, and had him serve as the “body” of Joe Bill, who FaceTimed in from Chicago on the iPad. How are you guys planning to top that for this year? And will this year’s set also find ways to squander Gavin Hawk’s talents?

    MW: We always love coming up with some new overly complicated dumb-dumb way to include Joe Bill- I learned to button press for that iPad gag! Other than our first show ever, we have never not performed with Joe (somehow). This year will be no different, and we may surprise everyone with a Gavin drop, and possibly more! Don’t want to ruin any surprises! You’ll have to come and see it!

    So, what is it with you and coffee? Why can’t you just drink RC Cola like the rest of us?

    MW: I will be bringing my Keurig with me. You can have your RC.

    Finally, on a scale of 1-10, how excited will you be to see Ursula get inducted into the Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame this year?

    MW: I know more about Ursula that could blow this year’s Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame induction out of the water. A tale of intrigue, greed, corruption… it will blow your minds. Not yours, Justin and Kelly- but those of you reading this. (Thanks for letting me say this, Justin and Kelly, means a lot.) Justin and Kelly must be stopped at all costs. The future of Dead Bob’s could depend on it. Anyway, I give it a 7.

  • Spotlight On: I’m With Her

    Spotlight On: I’m With Her

    Bill Binder and Merrie Greenfield perform together as the Phoenix-based duo I’m With Her. They will make their Countdown Improv Festival debut online on Wednesday, October 20 during the first night of this year’s festival. In this spotlight interview, Binder and Greenfield discuss their most memorable shows together, how an online I’m With Her show differs from an in-person one, and why festival producers are uniformly gluttons for punishment.

    We’re so happy to have both of you performing with us this year! Can you say a little bit about your format? What can audiences expect to see on Wednesday night?

    Bill Binder: I love our format. Before we start scenes we share directly to the audience from our character’s points of view

    Merrie Greenfield: Often divergent. Like we often are offstage. We interrupt each other. Again, like offstage, 

    BB: sometimes in the middle of a thought. By the end, we’ve both told the story.  

    MG: WeirDass’ format is definitely an inspiration. It usually winds up being about discovering something about another person you know well.

    BB: Or sometimes, about ourselves.

    MG: Aw, that sounds so very special episode-y. I’ll add if there isn’t a fake moustache at some point, I’ve wasted everyone’s time.

    Of all the shows that I’m With Her has performed, what’s been the most memorable one for you?

    MG: We did a show at a church converted into a gym, then converted into a performance space for the night.  There were so many weird, large signs with rules & misspelled, handwritten inspirational quotes posted, secret entrances and whatnot.  We didn’t really discuss it, but we knew the space itself was so absurd, we had to use it as is.  So we leaned into it.  Reading the signs out loud (typos and all) and justifying them, using the back passages to come running out of the audience or a totally different location. Since we’d both come from traditional theater, an entrance through the audience wasn’t mindblowing.  But a comic we know had a mini-meltdown when that happened. He hilariously said he almost walked out because of it, before his curtain call  There was also a different show with a (pre-approved) stage kiss that ended with Bill crawling up a wall to avoid it.  I landed nowhere near his lips, I remember that.  

    BB: I also loved our very first show over at ImprovMania in Chandler because it was a spontaneous replacement show and we were playing by the figurative seat of our pants, but we knew each other’s playstyle well enough to have a ball.

    MG: I don’t always remember our shows afterwards, but I’ve always enjoyed them, which is fortunate.  

    The two of you have done enough online improv shows together at this point to have gathered some data. How does an online I’m With Her show differ from an in-person one? Are there any interesting trends that you’ve noticed?

    BB: Oh, I’m LOVING some of the freedom of online shows. One thing that was great onstage (as Merrie mentioned) was really playing with the physical space, but our show is really centered on learning about each other, and giving the audience up close access to our faces when we’re affected by each other feels super-intimate with audiences.

    MG: I think they’re more intimate online, but we really try to translate some of the same energy in terms of using the space. And I LOVE how easy it is to incorporate props and costumes, because I love lo-fi dumb stuff. We wound up randomly being chosen for a long Ghostfest lottery slot. And it was one of my most favorite IWH shows, maybe ever. Bill went uber-grounded, a Wendy’s employee trying to take my order, and somehow I became Wendy herself, only I was basically recruiting souls for my demonic ends. Like ya do. We were able to use the medium to our benefit, control our own lighting and costumes/camera angles. And I’ve noticed sometimes being in your own home has led to some more relaxed and creative moments, as well as removing commute issues from some of our folx. No offense to those who miss it, but I sorta love creating independent of whether or not you’re getting laughs. I’ve been grateful we’ve had an option that not only keeps everyone safe, but makes it possible for us to work with folx/watch shows from prohibitively far away places. We had an amazing student attend our classes on her lunch breaks in England. What an incredible bonus from a terrible circumstance.

    Keeping on the topic of online improv a little longer: Any Zoom improv horror stories you’d like to share with us? Everybody’s got one, and some of us have many of them…

    MG: I’ve been really lucky! Aside from freezing because “my internet connection is unstable” once or twice, the only snafu was a very, very sweet group of seniors who made accidental cameos in a festival performance slot. (This was with another team.) We incorporated it, but it was a repeat cameo, and trying to let them know they were in our show was a bit of a challenge, considering our scene’s location had fuckall to do with Zoom. Oh, and because I do costume changes, someone once called my character back. When I didn’t appear, they said “I have the feeling they might be doing something elaborate right now and aren’t ready to come back in yet.” I died. Because *accurate.*  My fake moustache was falling off during a show and a random Twitch user who’d stumbled upon us wrote in the chat, “Bruh, lol.” He called me “bruh!” BEST REVIEW EVAR.

    BB: I think most of my horror stories come behind the scenes rather than in front of the camera. We’ve been doing this for about a year and a half and we’re just beginning to scrape the surface. I know the audience has a different relationship with us watching this way. They see us onscreen and they expect a bit more of a television visual vocabulary than a stage vocabulary, so I freak out when I’m not putting the spit and polish on the shows to make them fun for the audience. But on camera, I still lose myself in the character. The Alt+Vs and Alt+As and all the other little shortcuts are starting to become second nature. 

    Bill, you’re teaching an online workshop for us on Saturday, October 23, called “The Math of Improv.” Can you tell us a little bit about it and where you came up with the concept? How can embracing the math of improv benefit the right-brained improviser? 

    BB: Oh, so much! All art is filled with beautiful patterns and symmetries that make them beautiful. The part of our brain that thinks in that way is also the super-judgy parts of our brain and it keeps us from having fun when we first dip our toes into improv. It’s a great idea for teachers to ask that part of the brain to sit down for a while so our creativity can blossom. But when we’re confident in our art, and we don’t let our analytical side come out to play, we’re only half there. I love seeing the shapes and parallels in our show from the inside. It gives us such a huge playground to make something bigger than the sum of its parts.

    Finally, you’re both involved with the absolutely wonderful Phoenix Improv Festival. We gotta ask: Why is producing an improv festival so hard, and why do all of us keep doing it?

    BB: Because improv is the most beautiful thing in the world, and most of the world doesn’t know it yet. We can do our weekly shows at our venues and we’ll build a great fun audience, but a lot of people would never think to enter our doors and see the joy. But a festival? People want to see something magic and we can share that with them, and we get to do it with people all over the world who we love being with. It wears my body to dust, but I always get to see one person see the best improv for the first time. Worth it.

    MG: Glutton. For. Punishment. There is a palpable warm and fuzzy feeling during it, though. And we’re so grateful for the festivals you two put on.

  • Spotlight On: The Haiku Lady

    Spotlight On: The Haiku Lady

    Victoria Dym is an improviser based in Tampa, Fla. She will debut her solo improv show, The Haiku Lady, on Thursday, October 21 at the 2021 Countdown Improv Festival. In this spotlight interview, Dym discusses the genesis of the Haiku Lady character, the process of workshopping her first solo show, and her hopes for the future of improv comedy in Tampa

    The Haiku Lady made her debut at last year’s Very Normal Festival as a series of hilarious interstitial bits. What inspired you to expand it into a full-length solo show? What can audiences expect to see when you take the stage on Thursday night?

    Victoria Dym: The short answer: I love the Haiku Lady, and so did many that saw her bits during the Festival came to love her, as well. She is a champion of the absurd and the small-syllabled. The Haiku Lady lives moment to moment, observation by observation, truly an improvisational existence. She is the artist in all of us trying to make it in a capitalistic society, during a pandemic. She deserves to be heard!  And Thursday night she will be heard. There will be at least five characters, at least seven on-the-spot Haikus, and hopefully, at least five big laughs from the audience. If you know anything about haiku, you know the significance of 5-7-5, and structure.

    This is your first solo improv show! What has the process of putting it together been like?

    VD: It’s been Hell. The rehearsal schedule is unbearable. Honestly, it was terrifying at first. I do not know where I acquired this adage about improv that I use when I teach, but something like “All you have in improv is the floor and your scene partner.” And now, in solo improv, all I have is the floor! But at the same time it is terrifying, it is freeing. Solo improv is the penultimate creative form, much like writing but without the editing. I also took online classes from Anthony Francis, the master at solo musical improv, and Jessica Lynn Johnson at Soaring Solo, out of L.A.; I also watched solo theater and one-woman shows online, specifically The Hollywood Fringe Festival.

    Last year, the Haiku Lady was in the running for a plum sponsorship by none other than Subaru. Are you courting any other major car manufacturers this time around?

    VD: Without giving too much away, the word “courting” is relevant. Since The Haiku Lady loves cliffhangers, suffice it to say, her journey on the Countdown stage continues almost immediately after her Very Normal appearance, so we will see. And this is real, The Haiku Lady’s show falls in the middle of The Annual October Haiku Challenge this year. Coincidence? I think not.

    We produce this festival in Tampa (a city in which we do not live!) year after year because of our love for the improv community here. It’s been a challenging year for the Tampa improv community with the closure of The Box. As the pandemic begins to wane (we hope!), what do you hope for its future, both in the near and long term?

    VD: Dear Aunt Gertrude’s last performance was on March 7th 2020 at the Box. Subsequently, the theatrical community darkened as a whole during the pandemic. The Box did not survive, however, nor did most of the teams. Many players have moved on to Chicago and other cities where improv theaters are being reborn. In the near term, Erica Maity, an import from the Portland improv scene, has started a jam, Synchronized Swim, twice a month, at a new space, the MAR, in St Pete. What really is needed in Tampa to bring back and sustain an improv scene here for the long term is a venue that offers, classes and drop-ins and the chance to showcase improv as an art form.

    You co-founded the Metanoia Retreat for Writers, Well-Being and Right Whales. What is it? What other projects are you working on?

    VD: The Metanoia Retreat for Writers is a moment to reset, to celebrate our ever-changing interior landscapes and our relationship to the Earth. Metanoia is the journey of changing one’s mind, heart, self or way of life. Participants in this retreat will find community, awareness, conversation, the ocean, amazing cuisine, laughter and inspiration for their writing. For current submission guidelines email metanoiaretreat@gmail.com or visit: https://www.facebook.com/MetanoiaRetreat.

    In terms of other projects, I have been cast as the Park Ranger, in Wordier Than Thou’s Read No More, a literary scare, 10/29 & 10/30. For tickets: https://www.wordierthanthou.com/shop/readnomore2021
    In November, watch online as I read with other Tampa notables  for The Writers Harvest to benefit those who are food insecure via the Metropolitan Ministries.To donate and watch: https://hillsborougharts.org/events/the-tampa-writers-harvest/

    Finally, who does the Haiku Lady think should be inducted into the Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame?

    VD: First year, it was someone’s father, and last year it was another someone’s daughter. Maybe, this year, a mother? Don’t know is my answer. That is why you must attend Saturday’s performances to find out, silly!!!