Category: Interviews

  • Spotlight On: Michael J. Astrauskas

    Spotlight On: Michael J. Astrauskas

    Michael J. Astrauskas is an improviser based in the San Francisco Bay area. He will make his Countdown Improv Festival debut this year on Wednesday, October 20, on Twitch, alongside Geraldine Carolan and Alex Lee as the trio Leaves of Three. In this spotlight interview, Astrauskas discusses the optimal balance between headiness and silliness in an improv scene, the glories of Camp Improv Utopia, and some other famous people named “Michael J.”

    We’re overjoyed to have Leaves of Three with us this year! Can you tell us a little bit about your show? What can audiences expect to see on Wednesday night?

    Michael J. Astrauskas: Leaves of Three explores a world that’s like ours, with a single difference inspired by combining multiple suggestions from the audience. You’ll see the everyday lives and unusual days of people in this world, as we explore deeper and deeper how it would be the same and different. This format developed organically after the team already existing, from working with multiple coaches, particularly Michael Haycock and Craig Gaspian, and we’re fond of it. It honours the audience suggestions in a unique way, and leads to a lot of fun for us to play with.

    The three of you are all very intelligent players, but your shows also have this great, playful spirit to them. Is there an optimal balance to you between headiness and silliness? How do you keep your shows smart while also keeping them loose?

    MJA: In short, if we’re having fun the audience is (hopefully) having fun. I think all three of us started improv coming from a very heady place, and are constantly working on being more impulsive and tapping into our true emotions, without disconnecting from the “smart.” I don’t know if this makes sense, but the optimal balance is the crossover of top of your intelligence and impulse.

    You, Geraldine, and Alex are all veterans of Camp Improv Utopia. (We are too! Camp is great!) How has camp affected and influenced your work and your chemistry together? What keeps you coming back to camp year after year?

    MJA: Some of us met outside Camp, but we got to know each other through our love of Camp, and one day in our 3-way group chat Geraldine suggested we create a team. Camp has definitely helped our chemistry because we’ve taken some of the same classes, and love many of the same teachers, like Brian James O’Connell and Carla & Craig Cackowski. It’s a whole weekend of playing with other adults who want to have fun, as well. Camp is definitely my happy place where the truest me comes out, and I think it is for Geraldine and Alex as well. It’s nice to bring this feeling back to non-Camp life.

    What are some things that you personally like and find gratifying about online performance? Are there ways in which you’ve found it to be even more fulfilling than in-person improv?

    MJA: There’s a lot to like about online performances. I don’t need to travel and find parking in San Francisco — or cross the Bay Bridge to Oakland! — and can be ready shortly before call time. I love that my audience, or even my team, can be in different cities and countries. I’ve found that literal last-second promotion actually helps get an audience (or players for a jam). I’ve also gotten used to not hearing an audience when online, which means I’m better at trusting myself that things are going well.

    You’re based in the San Francisco area, which is one place where the two of us have never taught or performed. (Someday!) Is there a particular improv style or philosophy that predominates among Bay Area performers? How would you characterize the SF improv scene? 

    MJA: Like a lot of places, there’s an emphasis on improv being comedy, but the shows any of us remember are the ones that touch us, change us, or make us think. Some schools put more emphasis on the full spectrum of emotions than others, but I’ve noticed that characters are most believable — and therefore most engaging — as well as easiest to play, when the performance is coming from some real place, which may or may not lead to laughter.

    All theatres I’ve been to are welcoming in classes and at shows. After all, the performers and staff want you to have fun and want to have fun themselves.

    If you even want to teach here, let me know and I’ll see what I can do!

    Finally, please rank, in order of preference, the following famous “Michael Js”: Michael J. Fox, Michael J. Pollard, Michael J. Nelson (of MST3K), Michael Jai White, and Michael J. Dupey (founder of the craft store “Michaels”).

    MJA: Michael J. Fox, Michael J. Dupey, Michael J. Nelson, Michael Jai White, Michael J. Pollard.

  • Spotlight On: Solovela

    Spotlight On: Solovela

    Diane Jorge is an improviser currently based in Plantation, Fla. She will make her Countdown Improv Festival debut this year at the HCC Mainstage Theatre on Saturday, October 23 with her solo show Solovela. In this spotlight interview, Jorge discusses the genesis of her show, how it plays with some of the most common telenovela tropes, and whether there’s a rivalry between Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

    We’re really, really excited to have you in the festival this year! Can you describe your show for us? What can audiences expect?

    Diane Jorge: Thanks for accepting Solovela into the festival! I’m really, really excited too! Solovela is an improvised solo telenovela. I get quick input from the audience, and I portray all the characters in a narrative that will give the audience passion, desire, love, revenge, betrayal, twists and turns. Tone Tata will be playing along, amping up the scenes with amazing music. There’s also lots of self-inflicted slapping, and I don’t go easy on myself. If anyone can bring me a bag of ice or frozen peas after the show, that would be great! Oh, and props, I won’t say more than that, but it’s really over the top and fun. Also, great cardio, I’ve lost 5 pounds since doing this show regularly. Thanks Solovela!

    For those of us unfamiliar with the genre, can you explain what a typical telenovela looks like? What are some of the standard tropes of the format. and what are some ways that you’ve found in your show to play with and riff on those tropes?

    DJ: Oh, where do I even begin? Telenovelas are very popular in Latin America. There’s so many different types of telenovelas: traditional poor naive girl meets rich man, teen-driven telenovelas, ones that take place on a ranch, supernatural ones, mystery ones, narco novelas, etc. but no space telenovelas?! I guess slap fights would be hard to do in zero G.

    If you’ve never seen a telenovela, first of all, definitely check out the video series Telenovelas are Hell from Funny or Die. The episodes are on YouTube. This is a series of videos that dissects the most iconic of telenovelas. It’s a very funny, Cliff Notes version of a telenovela. But this is how I see it: Imagine a daytime soap and multiply the melodrama by at least 1,000. The basic elements of a telenovela are melodrama and romance. Within that, there’s so many other elements that telenovelas are known for: long lost family, love triangles, star-crossed lovers, rags to riches stories, evil-ass villains, paranormal elements (psychics, ghosts), someone in the hospital with amnesia, incredible slap fights, praying to the Virgin Mary, leaving babies at orphanages with nuns and SO MUCH MORE. Let me put it to you this way: I have a two-page list of tropes that my friend Diana put together. If I list them all, this would make for a VERY long read.

    In terms of the elements I play and riff on, I really love the over-the-top acting and the melodrama. I love playing big characters. I love to turn everyday situations into the worst thing that could ever happen.  So, yes, I will be crying over spilled milk. I also like to defy stereotypes as well. For instance, there is a lot of machismo in telenovelas I saw growing up, and that is something I definitely flip on its head.

    What do you like most about genre-based improv? What do you find challenging about it?

    DJ: What I love about genre-based improv is the ability to really play with the elements of the genre and make them my own. I have so much fun playing with the telenovela genre. I don’t find this genre restrictive at all. Almost anything goes in telenovelas and I revel in that! I am a proud Latina and daughter of Cuban immigrants. I love that I get to share this piece of Latin culture with all sorts of audiences.

    I picked the telenovela genre specifically because these shows are such a part of my life. I have fond memories of sitting down in the living room after dinner to watch novelas with my grandmother and my mom. Every time I do Solovela, it takes me back to that living room with mami y abuela. In retrospect, I probably should have not been watching these as a child, but hey, I learned a lot of important life lessons. Like, always be on the lookout for a long lost twin, and how awesome hair looks blowing in the wind. Also, I am really familiar with the format since I work for a Spanish-language TV network during the day. So novelas are [kind of] my job also.

    I have three specific challenges with this specific genre. The first one is choosing what elements I will play with. Like I mentioned, there are so many!  Another challenge with the telenovela genre is that I want to have a balance of bringing in the tropes, but also modernizing them. I don’t want to just bring in the stereotypes without considering how far we’ve come when it comes to gender roles, what modern relationships look like, etc. We’re not perfect, but I think we’ve come a long way from when I was a kid. Finally, I have to pace myself. I am changing characters, I’m running around, I’m over the top. I always want to leave it all on the stage, but I gotta make sure I’m doing that at the end, not in the beginning of the piece.

    How did you first take the plunge into solo performance? And have you found that your solo improv work has influenced your ensemble work, or vice versa?

    DJ: Short answer: It took a long time for me to take the plunge, and it took a village for me to do it.

    Long answer: When I first took improv classes at Just the Funny (JTF) in Miami almost 13 years ago, LD Madera was actually my first improv teacher. I got to see the very beginning of what later became Together/By Myself (performing Saturday night of the festival on the main stage at 6:25 pm, by the way). I was wowed by his solo performances, and it always stayed in the back of my mind. I also saw tons of excellent solo shows during the Del Close Marathon many years ago. In fact, I saw TJ Mannix do his solo piece, and I was in awe of his show and his talent. So, when there was an opportunity to take a workshop with TJ Mannix at the Palm Beach Improv Festival (PBIF), I absolutely jumped on it. He helped me develop what we know as Solovela today. So one day, I signed up for a show at JTF called The Rumble, which gives two teams 20 minutes each to win the audience over. The winner goes on to defend the title the following week. It was so special because I got to perform vs. Together/By Myself in the first Solo Showdown of The Rumble. So, thanks to JTF, LD, TJ Mannix, Anthony Francis, Marisa Cutaia, and anyone that worked on PBIF in 2019!  

    Solo improv work has definitely made me appreciate the ensemble work so much more. Since I’ve been doing solo work, I always have to remind myself that there’s going to be someone who will be building the scene with me. To paraphrase something I’ve heard from Tara DeFrancisco and Rance Rizzutto, I have to remember to bring a brick and not a cathedral. When it comes to improv, I’m definitely a pirate (based on Billy Merritt’s classification of improvisers as Pirates, Robots, or Ninjas). Argh matey, me don’t ‘ave t’ be a pirate all the time. Then again, solo work has challenged me when it comes to staying in character, which has helped me so much when I do ensemble shows now.

    In turn, the ensemble work reminds me of the importance of relationships between characters and how they feel about each other. When I do solo work, I want to make sure that the characters are grounded in emotion, even when I’m going over the top.

    You’re from the Fort Lauderdale area. Not being South Floridians ourselves, we’ve always wondered: Is there a rivalry between Fort Lauderdale and Miami? If not, how do we start one?

    DJ: I don’t know if there’s a rivalry per se. I am so conflicted because I was actually born and raised in Miami, but now live close to Ft. Lauderdale. In fact, I still go to Miami all the time to visit family and friends. I also perform down there a lot. Miami is sexy, sultry, and mentioned in rap and reggaeton songs. I’m sorry, but I haven’t heard Fort Lauderdale in a rap song.   

    A lot of people in Miami act like Ft. Lauderdale, and Broward county in general, is this far away land. Don’t start beef with Miami people, I just want them to come visit me in Broward once in a while. We have beaches and humidity too! 

    Finally, as you mentioned above, you work with our friend Tone Tata, whose father was inducted into the Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame in 2019 for some reason. (He won a raffle.) Do you have any guesses as to who will be inducted into the Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame this year?

    DJ: I love Tone Tata!! I know I call this a solo show, but he’s really another player in Solovela. He is a masterful musical director!  So I’m sure that his dad is totally Hall of Fame material. While I’m at it, attention everyone, I am in the running for the Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame 2021. I don’t know how this works, like who I’m supposed to bribe, but vote for me! 

  • Spotlight On: Cheeze&Crackerz

    Spotlight On: Cheeze&Crackerz

    Cheeze&Crackerz is an improv duo from Sarasota, Fla., featuring Suzanne Beaulieu and Valeria Sloan. The two will make their Countdown Improv Festival debut in the 8:20 PM show block on Thursday, October 21 at the HCC Mainstage Theatre. In this spotlight interview, Beaulieu and Sloan discuss the genesis of their duo, the mechanics of their format, and their preferred cheese-and-cracker pairings.

    We’re very excited to have Cheeze&Crackerz performing at this year’s festival! Can you tell us a little bit about your show and your format? What can audiences expect to see on Thursday night?

    Cheeze&Crackerz: Our live show is a modified Armando. We get a word suggestion from the audience and one of us does a short monolog inspired by the word. Then the first scene. Then we do a “Bergman”, a riff on an inspiration in the style of Ingmar Bergman; moody, pithy and sometimes surreal. A second monolog, a second scene. Topping the set off with a blistering critique our own set (in character, of course).

    Your show is really fun, and you both do a great job weaving big character choices in with resonant emotional moments. Can you talk a little bit about the strategies you’ve found to strike a balance between the two? What’s the secret to going big while also keeping it real?

    CC: Emotional instability comes naturally. Let’s just say neither of us is currently in therapy so we both have a lot of material to work with. We are both drawn to strong characters with a definite point of view. We pay attention to each other, the whole person, words, postures and expressions. We can keep it real because we know each other so well and underneath, it’s all grounded in a real relationship. It’s us together, having a good time!

    We love a good duo origin story. How did the two of you first start performing together? And how has your chemistry evolved since you’ve been working together?

    CC: We met in an improv class many years ago. The class was called “Act your Way into Being.” For some people it was a class to release emotional repression. For us, it was about having fun, playing games, flying our freak flags, not performance at all. We became good friends and, low and behold, so did our husbands. During Covid, we were both bored out of our minds and needed a creative outlet. So, Cheeze&Crackerz was born. We made a lot of videos and were jonesing to bring our energy to the live stage. Now, we can! Our chemistry has always been there and it’s really nothing we have to work on or think too hard about. 

    How do the two of you like to get ready for shows? Do you have any pre-show rituals?

    CC: We enjoy a good breath mint before each show, for the benefit of our partner. Some interpretive dance followed by primal screaming and we’re good to go.

    You’re both based in the Sarasota area and have both been there for a while. What is special about the improv scene in Sarasota?

    CC: Florida Studio Theatre is a huge asset. Having a venue with high-quality classes really is invaluable. Add to that a town filled with talented, creative people who have taken advantage of all FST has to offer and you have a strong, vibrant improv community in Sarasota.

    Finally, could each of you give us your preferred real-life cheese and cracker pairing?

    CC: Suzanne makes a lovely Hawaiian Cheeze Ball with pineapple, which pairs wonderfully with Triscuits and the highball of your choice. Valeria seeks a robust, assertive Manchego, unafraid to sit atop a buttery club cracker with a thin slice of cherry fruit paste.

  • Spotlight on: Steve Horton

    Spotlight on: Steve Horton

    Steve Horton is an improviser and comedian from Chicago, Ill. He will make his Countdown Improv Festival debut on the Commodore Stage on Saturday, Oct. 23 with his show Improvised Phone Calls with Steve Horton. In this spotlight interview, Horton talks about the genesis of his show, the differences between standup and improv, and exactly how much it would take to rig Atlas Improv Co.’s competition show “The Cut.”

    We’re super excited to have you with us this year, Steve! Can you tell us about your show? How did you come up with the concept, and what can audiences expect?

    Steve Horton: Oh hey, yeah, thanks. I’m excited too. Well, I’ve been exploring solo improv more lately. It’s fun to not have to listen to anyone else go on and on about what they think is funny. It’s like, hey! We get it! Ostriches are funny or whatever! I don’t know, I just feel like if my scene partner wants to keep doing scene about ostriches, I mean, after a while it gets old. I guess I just want to do improv that’s not about ostriches for once. Did I answer your question?

    The show seems to rely on people actually picking up their phones, right? Do you have contingency plans if no one picks up, or if the calls all go to voicemail?

    SH: Do you think that’s the case because it’s called “Improvised Phone Calls?” Because up til this point, it hadn’t occurred to me that I could actually call people with real phones. I guess that could work though. I’ll consider it.

    Your show sort of feels a little bit like it straddles the border of improv and standup, which is fitting, since you’ve got lots of experience doing both. How does your improv influence your standup, and vice versa? What do you find fulfilling about each?

    SH: Well, when I do stand up, I get frustrated that I can’t do emotional character work. And when I do improv, I get frustrated that I can’t do my witty observations about all the different books and DVDs on minimalism. Why are there all these books and DVDs on it? Seems kinda ironic, huh? (Pause for laughs.) Anyway, I guess the two art forms influence each other. To be honest, I’m also influenced by my ventures in screenwriting and even some clown work I’ve done. Heck, one time I was booked to walk around in a giant taco costume and hand out coupons for a taco shop. My point is my show is truly one of a kind. Did I answer your question?

    Do you have any pre-show rituals? How do you like to prepare for a show?

    SH: I really want this show to be good, so I think I’ll isolate myself pre-show and write out every line of dialogue and pantomime I plan on doing. This is my pre-show ritual for shows I want to do well at.

    You performed with Atlas Improv Co. in Madison, Wisconsin for a long time. Be honest with us: How much money would it take to rig The Cut? $50 per judge? $100? Everything has its price, Steve.

    SH: Are you suggesting I only won The Cut in 2014 because I bribed the judges? Because that’s actually the truth. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you’ve hired a private detective to dig up dirt on every judge. And this dirt? It was dirty. Now the more astute among us might think I’m an idiot for confusing bribery with extortion. But, well, whatever.

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

    SH: I just hope both teams have fun.

  • Spotlight On: Sharon & Karen

    Spotlight On: Sharon & Karen

    Sharon & Karen is an improv duo from Washington, D.C., featuring Stacey Axler and Heather Marie Vitale. The two will make their Countdown Improv Festival debut in the 6:35 PM show block on Sunday night of the 2020 festival. In this spotlight interview, Axler and Vitale discuss their performance style, the characters they most often play, and why D.C. is an incredible place to do improv.

    We’re really excited that you’re making your festival debut this year! Can you tell our readers a bit about your show format, and what they can expect to see on Sunday night? 

    Heather Marie Vitale: We are so excited to be part of this festival! Our format tends to vary by show as we will let the fun guide us, but you can always expect a Sharon & Karen show to be very silly, very honest, and I will probably get really weird.

    Stacey Axler: Our format is very fluid, but I hope what they see is a show which goes in some unexpected places!

    We’re fascinated by the ways in which improv duos evaluate their own shows. What, to you, constitutes a “good” Sharon & Karen show? What are you ideally looking to achieve on stage? 

    HMV: We love the feeling of walking off stage and knowing in our guts that everything clicked, that we gave it our all, that we listened hard and supported one another, and that we loved the hell out of each other for every single second.

    SA: I think we love our shows the most in which we feel like we really listened to and supported each other. When we let ourselves get and feel impacted by our words and actions. Nothing we say is wasted or thrown away. We achieve a realness in our dialogue and actions, no matter how wacky the topic may seem.

    You’ve got great chemistry on stage. How would you say that your individual styles of play complement each other? In what ways are the two of you very different improvisers?

    HMV: I think that Stacey and I get one another on and off stage; she’s my improv soulmate. We know how to balance our characters’ quirks and dynamics and really make the other person look amazing. I think that when we play on other teams, I tend to be the more grounded one and Stacey tends to have wild characters. On Sharon & Karen, I think that gets switched (at least for part of the show). I love that about us because it means that we’re constantly challenging each other to explore new characters and push our own artistic boundaries.

    SA: Working with Heather Marie is such a joy.  She is very patient on stage, I think that is integral to the improv we do because we don’t rush to find the funny thing, we wait and see what happens. I feel like I tend to take us “off the rails.” Heather Marie has never, not once, said “no” to anything I have said to her onstage, even with some ideas being rather nonsensical. I feel like when I see Heather Marie making larger improv moves in Sharon and Karen, I tend to dial back and focus on her contributions to each scene. When we talk on stage in character, the root of the conversation feels a lot like we are having a conversation, just us, on a normal day. I think we both try to root our characters into some normalcy. 

    You’re both great at character work. What sorts of characters do each of you often find yourselves playing, and why do you think you gravitate to those characters?

    HMV: My go to characters always seem to be kids or teenagers (somehow prom is involved?), bro-y dudes, women who have been jilted, and gremlins. When I do a Sharon & Karen show, I will have at least one insane character who starts at an 8 and will have burned down the entire scene by the end of it.   

    SA: I think I play a lot of characters close to myself and my own personality, but people who have a big decision to make. I feel gravitated to do that on stage because in real life I am very indecisive. It is nice to make a decision on stage.

    DC is a stealthily great improv town. How would you characterize the dominant Washington, DC improv style? How has the scene there grown and changed in the time that you’ve been performing there?

    HMV: DC is an incredible place to do improv because it’s all about the love of the art form and the performance. So many of us have serious day jobs, so comedy is an incredible outlet. The scene is overall really supportive and focused on being as inclusive as possible. I’ve been involved with improv in DC for about 5.5 years, and in that time it’s exploded. I don’t think DC really has a style, per se, because people come here from all around the world with their own ways of playing, but I’d say we’re generally focused on relationships and building out characters and game from there.

    SA: There are a lot of different improv styles in DC. DC is a very creative place and I think the community at large is ready and willing to try new things and new formats and to experiment. The scene has grown tremendously over the years with more teams and projects being formed every day. It is a joy to see and to be a part of such a vibrant community. I learn so much from peers and teammates. 

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

    HMV: Dr. Anthony Fauci or Henry Winkler (two personal heroes).

    SA: I really don’t know, too indecisive!

  • Spotlight On: Cuzzins

    Spotlight On: Cuzzins

    Cuzzins is an improv duo featuring David H. Hepburn and Alex Taylor. In their show, the two real-life cousins “therapize” audience members and help them solve their problems. Based out of Miami, Fla., Cuzzins will perform in the 9:05 PM show block on Friday, August 14 at the 2020 Countdown Improv Festival. In this spotlight interview, Hepburn and Taylor discuss their format, their work with the Black Improv Alliance, and their own chances for induction this year into the Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame.

    We’re so happy to have Cuzzins back for 2020! For the benefit of those who aren’t familiar with your work, please tell us a little bit about your show, and what audiences can expect to see at this year’s festival. 

    Alex Taylor: Cuzzins provides a therapeutic way to solving personal problems that everyone faces throughout the world. The caveat of our set is we are not going to tell you what to do, we will show you what we would do in your situation depicted through improv with a twist and at the end justify what you saw by applying it to your life  

    David H. Hepburn: Expect little to nothing except and including the collapse of all things known unfolding into an origami-esque fractal of the conspicuous subconscious streaming tickle tendrils tangentially fringing mellifluously upon the cortex keys of existential sublimity. Aka, expect to have fun. 

    In your show, you “therapize” audience members by offering humorous solutions to their personal problems. How did you hit upon this format? Have you ever had an audience member tell you something that made you go “Wow, I have no idea how to solve that one”? 

    AT: We kept workshopping ideas with Stephanie Rae (Black Improv Alliance) on what would be unique to our personalities. David and I have a unique view on the world and giving advice based on your viewpoint was and is exciting. Funny thing, is most of the problems that arise typically can be solved through murder and mayhem (just kidding). We’ve never had that issue of not knowing how to solve it because we are improvisers. The problem that has occurred is how to justify it based on the scene we did. 

    DH: The concept is the brainchild of the ingenious Stephanie Rae, founder and leader of the Black Improv Alliance. She has a facility for conceiving of innovations to improv forms. Coming up with fresh new spins is one of her signature gifts. Recognizing our palpable chemistry, she designed a form tailored to suit our sometimes-unorthodox brand of play. Part of what’s cool about our form is that it’s literally impossible to not have something for any and everything, and while we are certainly not professionals, not certified or accredited psychotherapists, we are gifted: we have been kissed by divinity. 

    The two of you are real-life cousins! How does that fact influence your on-stage dynamic? Did the two of you always know that you wanted to work together someday? 

    AT: Us being cousins in real-life helped us click faster. It made improv more enjoyable to me because I can be myself around him. It is/was a great place for us to reconnect because we did not know each other liked improv. Only when we found out that we were both into improv is where we decided we need to work together on this. That was 2-3 years ago. 

    DH: Being real life cousins gives me a freedom and a trust that was almost uniquely immediate and very specific to our performance DNA. There’s a dimension of fun, ease, and security linked to a prideful satisfaction of playing with family that would be hard to manufacture. I had no idea Alex was the least bit interested in performance at all in any way, shape, or form until he walked into an improv session and we were like, what up cuz!!! Haven’t seen you in years. 

    You’re both part of the Black Improv Alliance, which is doing great work both on and off the stage. In fact, your team photo on the website was taken during “Operation Black Joy,” in which you and the rest of the BIA delivered ice cream to families all over Miami. Can you tell us a little bit about how the BIA has grown and evolved since last year’s festival, and where you see it going in the months to come? 

    AT: The BIA has grown into an adult two-year old.  BIA started in 2018, just four of us. Since last year’s festival, we have participated in 3 improv festivals, we launched a website this year (blackimprovalliance.com). We have received more visibility through not just Miami, but the world. We are committed to increasing diversity in teaching and cast members in improv theaters across the world. The BIA is in the process of starting an improv academy dedicated to teaching improv to everyone and ensuring that improv is a safe space for anyone that wants to do it. I see BIA maintaining its footprint in Miami and the world for a unique look at improv from the unapologetically black perspective. Also, ensuring Miami is widely known as a great place to do improv for BIPOC improvisers. 

    DH: Yeah, I’ll cosign everything that my cousin said. To be clear this is Stephanie ‘s vision many years in the making coming to fruition, and it’s a privilege and an honor to be on board as her dreams are manifesting. What she’s been able to do with a small group in a short period of time is gob-smacking. The breadth and scope of her vision knows no bounds. BIA is the direct result of her ceaseless efforts, infinite imagination, and incomparable creativity, and her meteoric rise is merely in its nascent stages. It is humbling and all-inspiring to be along for the ride. 

    What are you most looking forward to about this year’s festival? What, if anything, are you not looking forward to? 

    AT: I am looking forward to seeing all the shows I missed last year, the box of goodies, and performing. I wish we were able to meet in person; the electricity of performing in front of that audience was amazing. My silver lining is, if the world was status quo, I probably would not have made it to Countdown this year. 

    DH: Honestly, I am looking forward to Justin & Kelly.  The way they greeted us last year left an indelible mark. They genuinely made me feel special. There was an earnestness to their expression of appreciation that elevated my contribution as a participating performer in my own eyes. Justin & Kelly are beguilingly humble and affably tangible titans. Unforgettable…and what more can anyone say about these hallelujah, inducing chinchilla soft T-Shirts! Glory to The God of Plush Luxuriousness. 

    I’m not looking forward to nervousness or the absence of physical presence. 

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

    Us or Key and Peele. 

  • Spotlight On: The Project

    Spotlight On: The Project

    The Project is an improv duo featuring Chuy Zárate and Antonio Zárate. The father-son duo, based out of Austin, Texas, will perform in the 9:05 PM show block on Friday, August 14 at the 2020 Countdown Improv Festival. In this special video spotlight interview, the Zárates talk about the genesis of their duo, what’s great about the Austin improv scene, and their picks for the 2020 Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame.

    ***Click here to sign up for Chuy Zárate’s Countdown Improv Festival workshop, “Forget What You Know,” at 12:30 PM Eastern time on Saturday, August 15.***

  • Spotlight On: Sweaty Dee

    Spotlight On: Sweaty Dee

    Sweaty Dee is a solo, character-based improv show featuring Randy Wood. In it, Wood portrays the character Jeremiah “Sweaty” Dee, a “clumsy, disheveled” attorney who is “a self-described ‘expert on most things.’” Based out of Seattle, Washington, Wood will perform in the 10:00 PM block on Saturday, August 15 at the 2020 Countdown Improv Festival. In this spotlight interview, Wood talks about solo improv, TikTok, and who Sweaty Dee will be voting for this November.

    Your real name is Randy Wood, but improv audiences know you best as the character Sweaty Dee — and soon, our audience will, too! How did Sweaty Dee come to be and what should people know about him?

    Randy Wood: I used to produce a monthly variety show called “Spectacular” at the now-closed Pocket Theater in Seattle. I would host the shows as various characters, and in between other acts, I’d do a short sketch. One of the characters I played was a super villain named “Skull Laytor.” In one one sketch, he finds that his castle is being repossessed by the bank so he hires the service of the worst lawyer of all time–Sweaty Dee. Sweaty evolved from that show into the character he is now: a clumsy, disheveled, and self described “expert on most things.”

    What do you love most about solo improv? What would you tell someone looking to try it for the very first time?

    RW: I got my start in performing by doing stand up comedy, so I got very used to performing solo. One thing I really love about stand up, and solo improv, is that you have total control of what’s going on in the act. If a bit is going south, it’s up to you to cut it short or take a new direction. It also forces you to be very in-tune with the audience because they are your scene partner. As for someone trying it for the first time — it can be very scary, but the wonderful thing is your voice, and your voice alone, is going to shine the whole set. If it seems daunting, but you want to try it, start with a super short set, like 3-5 min. And there’s lots of opportunities to explore this online right now, like FB or Instagram live. Go for it!

    You’re doing a lot of videos on TikTok. For those unfamiliar with the medium — like, for example, your festival producers — what is it, how does it work, and what do you like about performing on it?

    RW: TikTok is like a cross between Instagram and Youtube with an emphasis on trends. For instance, if a dance or piece of audio is trending, everyone finds a way to interpret it in their own way. There is an algorithm that helps connect users to your content (and you to other users). Also, I get feedback instantly (kind of like an open mic where people are constantly yelling out what they like or don’t about the act) from users in the comment sections of videos — which has really helped me hone my act. 

    Who is Sweaty Dee voting for this November? He seems like a guy who would never vote for a major party candidate. 

    RW: Sweaty Dee has been his own write-in candidate for every Presidential election since 88. 

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

    RW: Joe Exotic.

  • Spotlight On: C.Y.A.

    Spotlight On: C.Y.A.

    C.Y.A. is an improv duo from St. Petersburg, Florida, featuring Tori Baird and Lauren Ross. Their show is a riff on the “choose your own adventure format,” and you can see it in the 7:00 PM block on Thursday, August 13 at the 2020 Countdown Improv Festival. In this spotlight interview, Baird and Ross discuss the genesis of their format, their performing dynamic, and their own most memorable adventures.

    C.Y.A. stands, primarily, for Choose Your Own Adventure, which is the format that you two improvise together. It’s super fun, and we can’t wait for everyone to see it. What can audiences expect from your show when they tune in on Thursday, August 13?

    This format is something we created on our own with inspiration being drawn, of course, from the Choose Your Own Adventure books that were wildly popular when we were kids. We like to describe our show as an emotional dramedy. Our audience can expect a heartfelt comedic journey where they not only get to be a part of the adventure, but get to actively participate through our entire show by helping us to make decisions that will determine where our journey will lead.

    Tell us about how the two of you met and started working together. What do you love most about improvising together?

    We met while trying to form a short form team for a Ladies Jam in Orlando with our wonderful friend Claire. From the beginning we had such a strong connection both on stage and off. We are both very physical actors and love to play with that concept in our shows, it will be interesting to see how this idea will play out in an online environment. Our favorite part about improvising together is that when we are truly connected, it doesn’t feel like work. Tori describes us as “our very own odd-couple,” meaning that our dynamic is very eccentric (Lauren) and grounded (Tori) in how we approach our characters and story lines and there is a very natural and beautiful balance between the two of us that allows a true emotional connection on stage.

    In life, we don’t always get to choose our own adventure. (Take right now, for instance.) What’s the biggest adventure each of you has been on?

    Tori Baird: My biggest adventure was going to Germany when I was younger. I really tried to immerse myself in the culture. My best friend and I both drove on the autobahn for the first time, which for those that don’t know is a popular stretch of road in Germany where there is (for the most part), absolutely no speed limit (yes, my life flashed before my eyes)! I also tried to learn as much of the language as I could soak in. We went to a restaurant one day and I needed to find the bathroom, I asked the waiter for directions, listened to his reply, followed the instructions and found my way to that bathroom and the whole conversation was in German! **Bows graciously for applause** In all seriousness though, it was my biggest adventure to date and full of moments I will never forget.

    Lauren Ross:My most memorable adventure was moving from Tucson, Ariz. to Florida. I rented a small U-Haul trailer and filled it with everything I could and drove myself across the country heading towards a new start in life. My dog kept me company, we jammed out to music and sang showtunes exceedingly loud, okay I did most of the singing. I got to see such beauty in so many different states along the way, New Mexico was a personal favorite. I accidentally gave myself a tour of New Orleans (pay attention to the highway signs by the Super Dome, take my advice). It was a really stressful and really fun trip but the best part was when I walked into my new home for the first time and realized I had done it — moved myself across country with no help and no one else — I was so empowered and felt like I could tackle the world in that moment.

    What excites you most about performing online this year?

    Neither of us has performed in a festival before and we are just so excited and honored to be a part of Countdown Improv Festival this year! We’ll be honest, neither of us has really explored online improv in a serious way before, so we’re excited to present our show in this unique format. Of course, it will have its challenges, but we’re thrilled to be able to tackle them together!

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

    Amy Schumer is definitely our pick for the Hall of Fame this year! 

  • Spotlight On: I Win Improv

    Spotlight On: I Win Improv

    I Win Improv is a solo improvised game show featuring Jermaine Trice. Based out of Bethesda, Maryland, I Win Improv will perform in the 6:30 PM block on Friday, August 14 at the 2020 Countdown Improv Festival. In this spotlight interview, Trice talks about his format, the pleasures of running a virtual improv theater, and his favorite and least favorite game show hosts.

    I Win Improv is a super fun improvised game show, and we can’t wait for people to see it on Friday, August 14. How did you come up with the idea for the show?

    Jermaine Trice: I came up with the idea for I Win Improv in January of 2019. At the time, I was seeking a way to express myself creatively in a solo act while being interactive with the audience. Originally, I thought the show would be a cheesy, lounge singer bit that would not last longer than one or two shows. I likely would have continued down that path too. But, as fate would have it, I randomly saw a prize wheel while purchasing something completely different on Amazon. I knew immediately that this show had to be a game show. I purchased a small prize wheel and performed the 1st show a few weeks later.

    Was there a particular show or moment in a show when it all came together and the form just clicked for you? Or has it always worked from day one?

    JT: This format clicked for me when I watched some video clips from the first show. Everyone was so excited to come up and spin the wheel. I knew then that this was a show that I had to keep performing. So I bought a larger prize wheel and started giving out branded prizes.

    You’re a mainstay of the improv scene in Maryland and DC, having served on the board of the District Improv Festival, among other things. You recently founded your own space, The Improv Place, in Bethesda, Maryland. Tell us what makes improv audiences in your home region special, and how The Improv Place came to be.

    JT: I love to entertain people. I don’t feel comfortable in a large group unless I am on stage. My art is my voice. There are so many talented performers out there who go unseen and unheard. Their voices are silenced in the background and they never get a chance to perform and to be themselves. I was one of those people. I started The Improv Place as a stage for performers to express themselves creatively, without the need to pay for classes. The original concept was to have pop-up shows in different cities/countries with a “home” theater in DC. The virus obviously changed that. But honestly, having a virtual theater, I am reaching performers and audiences that I never would have reached in a physical space.  

    Do you have a favorite game show host? Alternatively, do you have a least favorite game show host?

    JT: Favorite: Bob Barker. I loved watching The Price is Right as a child. Least Favorite: Richard Dawson. How can you like a creepy guy who randomly kissed female contestants without consent? I mean, really? 

    Finally, I Win Improv is what all entrants in the Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame are looking to achieve. Who do you think will be entered into the Countdown Improv Festival Hall of Fame this year?

    JT: Cuzzins.