The Backline The Sonar Network
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- Education
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Canadian Comedy Award winners Rob Norman and Adam Cawley discuss weekly improv-based topics based on a theme.
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Between the Schools
Years ago, if you grew up in an "improv town" you would train at a local improv school and and learn from local instructors. Unless you moved cities or frequented comedy festivals, you didn’t have a chance to learn a different style or technique.
Brought to you By: The Sonar Network https://thesonarnetwork.com/ -
Your Partner is Cooking
What do you do when your parnter is COOKING, and you are clearly not? In this episode, Adam and Rob discuss how deal with a partner who seems to be dominating a scene and you feel stuck.
Brought to you By: The Sonar Network https://thesonarnetwork.com/ -
Five Sweet Spots
In this episode, Rob and Adam discuss DEAFO - a new system for creating more dynamic, intersting stage pictures. Also on this episode, heightening through proximity, and intentionally throwing your scene off-kilter, and five sweet spots.
Brought to you By: The Sonar Network https://thesonarnetwork.com/ -
Crazytown
Amongst the many terms improvisers have invented to describe a bad scene, "Crazytown" might be the most evocative. This week Rob and Adam discuss scenes that try to do too much, too soon - and how to prevent your scenes from going off the rails.
Brought to you By: The Sonar Network https://thesonarnetwork.com/ -
SOS (Save Our Scene)
Rob and Adam discuss what to do when a scene fails, how to fail gracefully, and how to get a struggling scene back on track. Also on the episode: recent travels across the US, Rob's artistic residency in Sweden, the best pizza and an adult love of trains.
Brought to you By: The Sonar Network https://thesonarnetwork.com/ -
Inventing the Who What Where
In this epsiode, Rob and Adam discuss what to do if you are obligated to create the who, what, where in the first 30 seconds of your scene. How much information should you add? How much room should you leave for you partner to contribute?
Brought to you By: The Sonar Network https://thesonarnetwork.com/
Customer Reviews
So helpful!
Learned of this podcast after having Adam & Rob as teachers for improv classes. Loved them both as instructors and wanted more access to their brains, so checked out the show. Damn! What a treat! I’ve learned so much from each episode, and am recommending it to everyone else in my class. A must-listen for anyone who wants to get better at the craft of improv, while also a great intro for anyone who is curious to learn more about the art form from two greats who really, really know their stuff - (yes) and know how to communicate that knowledge. So good!!!
Hilarious. Informative.
This has helped me enormously with my improv, and had entertained endlessly!
Love the backline
Everyone in my improv classes listen to this podcast cause it’s the best. Fun and informative👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼