Improv Interviews Margot Escott

Meet the very funny and prolific writer, Matt Fotis. Matt is an Associate Professor of Theatre at Albright College, where he teaches improvisation, comedy studies, and writing for performance. He is the author of Satire & The State: Sketch Comedy and the Presidency (Routledge 2020), Long Form Improvisation and American Comedy: The Harold (Palgrave Macmillan 2014), and co-author of The Comedy Improv Handbook (Routledge 2016). His latest book, Fifty Key Improv Performers will be released September 2024. He has published or presented on various topics, including improvisational theatre, new play development, political theatre, solo-performance, comedy studies, folklore studies, popular culture and more. His work has appeared in Theatre Journal, Theatre Topics, Theatre/Practice, The Journal of American Drama & Theatre, Academic Minute, The Encyclopedia of Humor Studies, The Encyclopedia of American Studies, McSweeney's, and MLB.com, among others. He is an award-winning playwright and the co-founder and co-executive director of The First Thursday Comedy Series in Reading, PA.
Be sure to check out his very funny videos at:
PSA corona virus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7SV20XJBpU
Late (Date) night with Matt Fotis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FoUYYjzJ9U
Matt Fotis Teaches Online
https://www.youtube.com/@mattteachesonline7350
Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/

Meet the amazing Troels Andersen Kjar.
Troels was born, raised, and based in Copenhagen, Denmark. His love of storytelling was kindled as a teenager when he was introduced to Dungeons and Dragons, which he has been playing ever since. 7 years ago he discovered improv by chance, and, like many others, fell in love with the artform. As a performer his main focus is narrative longform.
Mental health disorders effect one out of three people today globally.With honest and vulnerability Troels shares his personal journey with mental illness, specifically Bi-polar disorder. He self-admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Denmark where he received the bi-polar, and other, diagnosis. A voluntary admission to a psych unit is an unusual thing and I salute his courage. However, he was quick to point out that all too often when people think of a psychiatrist in-patient unit, stereotypical images of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" or "Snake Pit" come to mind.
I hope you learn something today that might help you or someone you love.

Gillian Bellinger is a beloved improviser, teacher and actor. She founded the now thriving Misfit Improv and Acting School in Asheville, N.C. which just celebrated its one year anniversary.
I had met Gillian during the pandemic with our mutual friend, Jay Sukow. We reconnected recently at the Sketch School with Marc Warzecha in Sketch 101 and I knew I wanted to know more about this very funny lady.
We talk about growing up in Texas and how the improv bug got her.
Gillian’s resume is amazing. She has performed as an improviser and taught at Second City Chicago, Second City Hollywood, Westside Comedy Theater in Mission IMPROVable, Comedy Sportz.
She is a SAG voiceover actor and has appeared in numerous commercials, TV and film.
When asked why she named her new theater “Mifit” she told us.
“A bit of a misfit lies in each of us. That unique part of our spirit that delights in play. We strive at Misfit to create that same kind of place, a place to belong, to connect, to create and be a misfit.”
Gillian is a generous and brilliant person and I for one am looking forward to visiting her in Asheville!
https://www.misfitavl.com

Jane Morris is the queen of improv comedy! Her story is as unique as she is!. Co-founder at Second City ETC, she has done more to advance the art of Improv than anyone else in the universe - and that's not hyperbole!
She has performed and taught all over the world and currently teaches at The Fanatic Salon Theater in Culver City, California. The Fanatic has hosted many comic legends such as Conan O'Brien and Wayne Brady.
Jane is a writer, director and a beloved member of the Improv community.
Jane has so many movie and TV credits as an actor I can't possibly list them all. Her first film was "Nothing in Common" with Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason. And in 2019 she was in "The Laundromat" with Meryl Streep and her husband, Jeff Michalski, who made a guest appearance on this show. She had a recurring role on "The Drew Carey Show".
I was so fortunate to meet Jane in person this year and she is a warm and generous person. I know you'll enjoy getting to know here in this podcast.
Websites and social links
http://heavenhelpus.etsy.com/
http://ohmababy.etsy.com/
http://asksistermarymartha.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/janefmorris?lang=en

Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/

Dr. Jeanne Leep – Improv Nerd
Meet the brilliant author and professor, Dr. Jeanne Leep. Jeanne played improv in Grand Rapids, Michigan and went on to pursue a Ph.D. in Theatre.
I had the good fortune to play with Jeanne recently and was awed by her spontaneity and joy.
She went to high school with our mutual friend Jay Sukow and then went on to the University Of Michigan and Wayne State College. Her best-selling book, “Theatrical Improvisation: Short Form, Long Form, and Sketch-Based Improv” is a classic book on the history of improv and sketch comedy that gives a clear definition on this often ambiguous topic. The forward was written by Jeanne’s friend, Keegan Michael Key.
Her research is extensive and this is certainly a book to add to your Improv Library.
Brimming with original interviews from leaders in the field such as Ron West, Charna Halpern, John Sweeny and Margaret Edwartowski, Theatrical Improvisation presents straightforward improvisational theory, history, and trends.
She is a Professor of Theatre Arts at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin and her students are really fortunate to have her wisdom and humor.

Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/

The Marvelous Michelle J. Gilliam
Michelle Gilliam is a beautiful person-inside and out! We have been friends for several years and I was delighted to have her as a guest.
Michelle grew up in Milwaukee in a loving and supportive family. During one family gathering, at age 4, she got her first big laugh and knew what her path would be!
She saw a Comedy Sportz show when she was 14 and was hooked! She was inspired to learn this art form and she did! She met Dick Chudnow, founder of Comedy Sportz Milwaukee, the first CS theatre in this country, he let her volunteer until she was old enough to work there! She did tasks like writing 300 name tags, with the benefit of watching lots of shows. A great way to learn and eventually teach!
She was so inspired by Comedy Sportz, she created an improv team in high school, held auditions and created a team she loved to play with.
We talked about her experience being a black woman in the improv world and how that affected her growth as a person and coach.
Today her improv career takes her all over the country and the world.
Michelle is now based in Los Angeles, CA and works as an improviser, actor, host, voice actor, and the Owner and Artistic Director of Improv MKE, an improv comedy school and theater based online, currently serving the world.
She also teaches at The World’s Greatest Improv School, with Will Hines, and guest teaches at various theaters online and in person around the country and world.
Michelle headlined the Festivus Festival in Richmond, the 2022 Edinburgh Scotland Improv Festival and taught two-weekend intensives in Chester and Nottingham in the UK in March of 2022.
Enjoy getting to know the marvelous Miss Michelle!
You can connect with Michelle at:
https://www.improvmke.com
linkedin.com/in/michelle-gilliam-b9ab87193
twitter @missyglilqt