EPISODE DESCRIPTION: People (meaning like tourists visiting a major city, network television sitcom comedy writers living in a major city, or people watching network television sitcoms anywhere in the US) associate improv with "whacky" "games" that are treated as something like "comedy sports." But to us, and especially to our guest, improv is long-form theatre, a way of thinking, and if it's not too pretentious to say so... a philosophy of thought: does your mind expand or contract the ideas it's presented with, and do you support your fellow humans along the way or not? The film "Don't Think Twice," is ostensibly about improv, but our conversation would argue that it's about much more, such as, jealousy, capitalism, and whether or not life is fair. Our guest is Sophie Long, who is from Sydney, Australia but has lived in and studied in Chicago (the "birthplace" of "comedy") and spent extensive time in New York so, yes, this conversation does at times talk about improv, but overall, it's more about philosophy and how the characters in this film treat their "friends." The premise of the film is extremely true to life and everyone who was a part of this conversation has lived through something similar: there's an improv troupe who has two members audition for (basically) Saturday Night Live, and when one of them actually makes it on the show, the entire dynamics of the group change– drastically. As always, you do NOT have to have watched this film/story/show to enjoy the conversation, but we bet that five minutes into the episode, you'll at least want to give it a shot. CREATIVES: Director & Screenwriter: Mike Birbiglia (also known for Sleepwalk with Me) Producers: Mike Birbiglia, Miranda Bailey, Amanda Marshall, Ira Glass (creator of NPR's This American Life) Cinematographer: Joe Anderson CAST: Keegan-Michael Key as Jack (Known for Key & Peele) Gillian Jacobs as Samantha (Known for Community, Love) Mike Birbiglia as Miles (Known for his stand-up and storytelling) Kate Micucci as Allison (Known for Garfunkel and Oates, The Big Bang Theory) Chris Gethard as Bill (Known for The Chris Gethard Show) Tami Sagher as Lindsay (Known for writing on 30 Rock and Inside Amy Schumer) Cameos: Lena Dunham, Ben Stiller, Pete Holmes Awards Nominated For: Critics' Choice Award for Best Comedy (a significant nod for an independent film) Accolades: Universal critical praise (100% on Rotten Tomatoes during initial release). The Film’s Legacy: Don't Think Twice is a defining piece of 21st-century independent cinema, celebrated not just as a comedy, but as a painful meditation on friendship, capitalism, and the human desire for validation. While ostensibly about improv, its true legacy is its raw, unblinking look at what happens to a tight-knit family unit when the brutal, zero-sum logic of the entertainment industry (personified by the "Weekend Live" audition) enters their lives. It is noted by artists for authentically exploring jealousy among friends, forcing characters and viewers alike to confront whether one can truly support a friend's success when it highlights one's own failure. The film's philosophical core should have been backed by the belief that improv's "Say Yes" philosophy must extend off-stage to navigating an often-unfair life, but instead it explores a capitalist reality that that philosophy may not extend to real life.
