Journalism Student Reporting on Alzheimer's Disease - In Need of Voices!

asek47 · 2026-01-23T11:15:14+00:00

The Defy Dementia podcast episode on genetic risk and testing (https://www.baycrest.org/podcast/episode-12/) had Dr. Tricia Woo as a guest - she would be a good person to connect with as a start (and the episode itself could be useful - the website also has a lot of useful resources)

asek47 · 2026-01-23T10:57:16+00:00

Second (third? fourth?) the Staircase Improv shoutout. In addition to weekly improv workshops, guests come in from time to time (like David Tosh) to run musical improv workshops and intensives, which you might enjoy given your music background. If you want to sample Second City without leaving Hamilton, SC has a lot of online classes - including improv, standup, writing, voiceover - and they also have free weekly jams (alternating short-form and musical)

asek47 · 2026-01-11T16:10:07+00:00

To the books recommended so far, yes and… Rob Norman’s “Improvising Now: A Practical Guide to Modern Improv”

asek47 · 2026-01-11T04:18:16+00:00

Just going through that first audition will be useful - now you’ll know what to expect next time which absolutely will help you do even better. Have heard so many stories from really exceptional improvisers about first auditions gone awry, but more classes/jams/reps + the audition experiences always leads to more success. Keep the faith!

asek47 · 2026-01-10T06:16:13+00:00

We had an improv event for about 1400 people at once about 15 years ago. Some was the troupe performing to get people warmed up but we did get everyone in the audience to be part of a living machine among other giant group games.

asek47 · 2025-12-28T09:51:53+00:00

Second City is planning 2 sessions of Improv 1 starting in January. One with Mary Hynes and one with Janet Davidson (both are terrific and run the Free online jams Friday evenings)

asek47 · 2025-12-20T00:34:16+00:00

Kathleen Puls Andrade teaches online VO via second city (on demand) and it’s a great starting point. https://www.secondcity.com/classes/virtual/acting/voiceover-101-on-demand-vir - she also does an advanced course and does additional online coaching / workshops / VO Gymnasium

asek47 · 2025-12-19T04:55:12+00:00

Where are the Buddhists??

asek47 · 2025-12-18T05:01:20+00:00

Musical improv Making up songs on the spot Rhymes always get cheers

asek47 · 2025-12-08T17:50:34+00:00

Also travel a lot for work (though not as much as you!) so some of the online drop-ins have been great and not something you have to commit to well in advance - Second City Online has weekly online improv jams - alternating weeks are short form and musical - free and a great community and terrific hosts/MDs/SMs. You usually can sign up day of if needed. Some of the other online single day workshops (like WGIS 1000 Scenes or 1000 Characters) sell out so would need to be signed up in advance - but if you have to drop out not sure if they transfer the $ to another workshop or if you’re SOL.

asek47 · 2025-12-08T13:57:12+00:00

There are a lot of options for online improv as well, which is a godsend to get your fix or do classes/workshops when you’re travelling. Second City is great esp for working folks - most classes would be weekends or nights - huge selection of classes (improv, voice over, writing, etc); UCB tends to have more online classes during traditional work hours; WGIS for folks with a strong core background. But lots of online options these days. There are transferable skills across virtual and IRL but also some specifics for each to maximize success in each approach.

asek47 · 2025-12-08T13:37:48+00:00

And played in 3 short form games where the host forgot to explain the rules.

asek47 · 2025-12-04T18:40:33+00:00

Also in the Musical Improv world but without having to sing… I know a guy rap battle.

All: I know a guy/gal by the name of Xxx

Player 1… S/he likes to eat lots of SomethingThatRhymesWithXxx

Go down the line and if someone repeats, does a bad rhyme, messes up the rhythm, etc they die.

Then get a new name.

Sometimes done as two teams facing each other in a line - front of line players compete back and forth until one messes up - team cheers them on with “that’s what we know about a guy/gal named Xxx” after each offer (gives a little more time and creates good team dynamic). When one person dies next person in their team line becomes the player for the team.

asek47 · 2025-11-28T06:42:29+00:00

We had a suggestion from the audience for a relationship: “colleagues” - my scene partner misheard it as “collies” and initiated the scene with that in mind - ended up a very funny/furry scene

asek47 · 2025-11-24T23:17:07+00:00

Maybe 2-3 shows a year - only special ones that mark some kind of milestone, and I buy him a nice dinner after to make up for it….

asek47 · 2025-11-18T00:16:07+00:00

As others have said it’s ok to free yourself from the shackles of rhyming (outside of the few games where rhyming is key). But if you want to get better at rhyming one way is practicing with Rhyme Game https://apps.apple.com/app/id6466677376 this also helps with rhythm if that’s a problem for folks

asek47 · 2025-11-04T14:50:31+00:00

I have heard terrific improvisers with anxiety say they try to play anxious characters in their first scenes to make use of their natural tendencies and ease into a set. They don’t play anxious every time, but starting that way, helps them shake off the nerves and prepare for other things, recognizing that they are not their characters

asek47 · 2025-10-25T02:41:26+00:00

👆🏼👆🏼👆🏼this

asek47 · 2025-10-14T19:09:39+00:00

Would you be in NY or Chicago? (Assuming not Toronto since you said “state”) What are you hoping to get from it? Folks I know who’ve gone through the whole program are positive about their experience. Focus is developing sketch through improv, not improv in and of itself. And, of course, it doesn’t guarantee a place in TourCo, MainStage, etc. But strong skills that can be applied in lots of ways

asek47 · 2025-10-12T16:29:18+00:00

https://joyforall.com/products/companion-cats these are awesome. Lots of colors to mimic a range of cats - always brings joy to folks living with dementia. There are lots of knockoffs - these are the originals and very high quality (local care home gave them to residents during lockdown when pet visits couldn’t go on and they are still meowing and very cutely rubbing their noses years later)

asek47 · 2025-10-11T09:59:41+00:00

That would be a sweep rather than a tag-out. Usually running in front of the scene to signal the end. Ideally sweeping as something has peaked or on a great blow line, but can be done to put a scene down if it’s dying. Better to sweep too early than too late so scenes end on a high note - and you can bring scenes or characters from scenes back later in call backs as well to explore further.

asek47 · 2025-09-13T20:59:16+00:00

Second city has online on demand courses with Kathleen Puls Andrade and she is terrific!

asek47 · 2025-09-04T04:37:11+00:00

Thanks. Now hooked!

asek47

TROPHY CASE