How to run a successful improv comedy theater with Front Porch Improv

Valerie, Kaci, Roy and Kareem have been improvising together as P-Graph for 18 years. They share their history and process with host Kevin Scott.

BrianneHalveson and John Brennan, Artist directors of Front Porch Improv discuss their strategy and systems for running a commercially and artistically successful improv/comedy theater.

Katie Caussin chats with host Kevin Scott about her years being funny with The Second City, The Annoyance Theater and future as Co-Artistic Director of I.O. Theater in Chicago.

Jonathan Pitts talks with kevin Scott about his 20 years as a festival producer and what he's learned traveling the world as an improv teacher. Jonathan Pitts is a improv theatre artist from Chicago with over 30 years’ experience. He’s a creator, director, improviser, producer, and teacher, and he’s also the Founder and Executive Director of Chicago Improv Productions. He co-founded the Chicago Improv Festival and produced it for 20 years. He Has taught and performed internationally in 12 countries, as well as all over America.  He is also the creator of shows including “The Make ‘Em Ups”, "The Oracle", "The Silent Movie", “Solo Plus One”, “Stopwatch”, and "Storybox Unscripted Theatre". Jonathan taught at The Second City for 16 years and he’s a contributing writer to their book on improvisation. He taught story-based improv at Piven Theatre Workshop. 

Pat from Centralia chats with Brian Stack about his years writing for Conan O'Brien on Late Night and the Tonight Show and his current job writing for Stephen Colbert on The Late Show. They also discuss Briens years doing improv and sketch and how that led to his writing comedy for TV.

Patrick McCartney chats what it was like writing for SNL, staying sober and her time with Second City. Cindy Caponera is Second City veteran, TV and movie writer, and producer her credits include Saturday Night Live, Shameless, I'm Dying Up Here, Nurse Jackie and At Home with Amy Sedaris.

Patrick McCartney and Jodi Lennon discuss starting scenes in the middle, coming up with characters and her time studying with Del Close and Mick Napier. Jodi Lennon is an Emmy-nominated writer, producer and a director. She is an alumnae of Chicago's Second City, IO and The Annoyance Theater.  Shes worked on many TV shows including It's Personal with Amy Hoggart, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Difficult People and Exit 57

Patrick McCartney goes one on one with comedy writer Brian McCann.  They discuss Brian's career path from advertising copywriter through classes with Del Close to his 17 years writing for Conan O'Brien. From 1995 to 2012 McCann wrote and made appearances on Late Night, The Tonight Show and Conan.  McCann is a stand up comedian and actor having appeared on 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation among other shows. He was also the head writer for "The Who Was? Show" an educational sketch show for Netflix and wrote for Nikki & Sara Live and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell.

Centralia's Kevin Scott chats with fellow Bang Bang alum Bob Fisher to discuss Bob's days with The Second City, Annoyance Theater, Cardiff Giant and of course, Bang Bang. They also discuss how Improv has changed for them and the improv community at large since discovering improv in Chicago in the '90's. Bob Fisher is a teacher and performer at The Annoyance Theater, Chicago.  

Centralia's Patrick McCartney chats with Actor, Michael Shannon about his days a a young actor in Chicago, and his journey since then. Michael Shannon has been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his roles in the Sam Mendes period drama Revolutionary Road and the Tom Ford psychological thriller Nocturnal Animals. He has worked on the stage the stage with such companies as Steppenwolf, The Next Lab and the Red Orchid Theatre. He has appeared on Broadway in Grace, Frankie and Johnny in the Claie De Lune and A long Days Journey Into Night and London's West End in such productions as Woyzeck, Killer Joe and Bug. His many film and TV credits include Knives Out, The Shape of Water, Pearl Harbor, 8 Mile, Vanilla Sky, High Crimes, Cecil B. Demented Tigerland.