If This Is True with Chris Hall

Chris Hall
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  • IMPROV

The podcast that asks all entertainers from writers to actors to musicians what's true about them and the passions that drive them. What's true about you? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Amy Kahn--Mistress of Short Form Improv and Taker of Risks!!

    A native Rhode Islander, Amy is a mild-mannered health data analyst by day, shamelessly bold improviser by night Her educational background includes a bachelor's degree in Mathematics, a Master of Library and Information Science, and a multitude of classes and workshops with Groundlings School, Impro Theatre, Freestyle Love Supreme Academy, and numerous other instructors from London to Los Angeles. Currently, she can be found coaching and performing at Kismet Improv in Pawtucket, playing on stage in the fast-paced high energy games of The Bit Players in Newport, and taking tarot-inspired improv to various festival stages with Whatever Fate Decides. You can follow her work and performance dates here:  kismetimprov.com and bitplayers.net She also has a couple of special shows coming up in NYC at The PIT LAB -- October 19, 6pm NYC Sketchfest'25 "Tell Me More" and November 8, 8pm "Shotgun Improv." Enjoy this one! This episode, like all episodes of If This Is True, brings forth what drives creatives to do what they do. For more of this content and interaction, you can also go to my substack, coolmite25.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min

  2. 1 OCT

    George Zavershinskiy--From Nuclear Scientist to Orthodox Priest to Author!!

    For the past 15 years, George has served as the Dean of the Orthodox Church in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Earlier in his career he was senior engineer at the National Research Nuclear University and a manager in the research laboratory for Russia Research Institute of Information Technologies, in Moscow.   How does a scientist become a man of the cloth? You can find out through this episode!  Atomic Shepherd is his newest book, his 20th. He has had nine novels and 11 books on theology published. He is a member of the Writer’s Union of Russia, and has had over 100 journal or newspaper articles published. Atomic Shepherd was shortlisted by the Dostoyevskiy Literary Award. He has been interviewed by Russian TV’s First Channel, Spas, and Culture, as well as numerous Moscow radio shows.   Zavershinskiy resides in Spain but holds dual citizenship in Ireland and Russia. He is fluent in Russian, Spanish, French, English, and Ancient Greek. For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557319811295  Give this a listen! This episode, like all episodes of If This Is True, brings forth what drives creatives to do what they do. For more of this content and interaction, you can also go to my substack, coolmite25.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min

  3. 22 SEPT

    Jim Wilbur and Laura King from Superchunk--Driving Indie Legends from Chapel Hill!!

    Superchunk is an American indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, consisting of singer-guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance, and drummer Laura King. Formed in 1989, they were one of the bands that helped define the Chapel Hill music scene of the 1990s.[1] The band is known for its energetic, high-velocity style and strong do-it-yourself ethic. McCaughan and Ballance founded the successful independent record label Merge Records in 1989 as a way to release music from Superchunk and music created by friends, which has expanded to include artists from around the world and records reaching the top of the Billboard music charts. Superchunk released a string of full-length albums and compilations throughout the 1990s. After releasing their eighth studio album in 2001, the band went into a period of reduced activity. In 2010, the band released a new studio album, Majesty Shredding, and followed it up in 2013 with their tenth studio album, I Hate Music. Their 13th album, Songs in the Key of Yikes, comes out this year. Superchunk's music has been described as punk rock[and indie rock. Superchunk's early influences included Buzzcocks, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., and Hüsker Dü. The band would eventually incorporate elements from such bands as Rocket from the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, and Polvo. Jim Wilbur and Laura King met with me to discuss success, what's good in music and much more. Give it a listen! This episode, like all episodes of If This Is True, brings forth what drives creatives to do what they do. For more of this content and interaction, you can also go to my substack, coolmite25.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min

  4. 15 SEPT

    Whatever--Fiery Punk Band from Cleveland Reformed for this Moment!!

    Whatever stormed through the ‘90s and early 2000s with a relentless barrage of punk rock anthems fueled by disillusionment, isolation, and raw fury. Now, nearly 25 years later, original members Ben Wrecked (vocals/guitar)and Matt Fish (drums) are back, louder and sharper than ever, joined by Brett Moore (guitar) and Peter Woodward (bass/vocals) to resurrect one of the Midwest’s most fierce punk acts.   Their latest album, Into Darker Days, marks the band’s first full-length release since 1997’s Youngsters (DSR 69), delivering 12 new tracks that hit with the same melodic urgency and unapologetic edge fans have always loved. Leaning into the existential unrest of today’s world, Whatever channels decades of frustration into a sound that’s both familiar and freshly ferocious. This isn’t a reunion. It’s a reckoning. Check this one out, and don't miss them on tour! September 18, 2025 Marky Ramone plays the Ramones and Whatever... Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, OH https://app.opendate.io/e/marky-ramone-plays-the-ramones-september-19-2025-598040 October 18, 2025 Whatever... and The Gluttons Five O'Clock Lounge Lakewood, OH October 22, 2025 Decry, Whatever.., The Situations, and Future Confusion The Redwood Los Angeles, CA October 23, 2025 Rhythm Collision, Whatever..., For Closure, and The Heart Race The Sardine San Pedro, CA October 24, 2025 Dr. Strange Records Freaky Friday The Radolescents, The Bollweevils, Whatever..., Rhythm Collision, and The Maxies The Glasshouse Pomona, CA https://dice.fm/event/nvbgq9-dr-strange-37th-with-radolescents-the-bollweevils-24th-oct-the-glass-house-pomona-tickets?pid=a1331df1&_branch_match_id=1475983283770168345&utm_medium=partners_api&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1a9ITTI1TE02MTZLMbUvyEyxTTQ0NjZMSTNUqytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsg1OTEssygQAK4FHYkgAAAA%3D Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    35 min

  5. 1 SEPT

    Katherine Davis-Gibbon--Epic Author, Publisher, and Pilates Expert!!

    Katherine Davis-Gibbon is an award-winning children’s book author, publisher, certified yoga and Pilates teacher, and mother of two Generation Alpha kids. She founded Riverlet Press in 2021, as a platform for books that illuminate and enrich the child’s inner life. Her debut book, My Old Friend, Then, received praise from critics, teachers, therapists, and parents, as well as the following awards recognition: Distinguished Favorite in the 2022 New York City Big Book Awards; Finalist in the 2022 American Book Fest’s Best Book Awards; and Distinguished Favorite in the 2023 Independent Press Awards.  Her forthcoming book, Words, is already receiving high praise from multiple outlets, including being selected as an Editor’s Pick by Publishers Weekly BookLife Reviews. Prior to becoming a children’s book author, Davis-Gibbon was a contemporary dancer and choreographer for many years, performing in New York City, St. Louis, Albuquerque, and throughout California. By day, she taught Pilates and yoga—initially at Performing Arts Physical Therapy, in Los Angeles, where she worked with a diverse clientele ranging from seriously injured people to Olympic athletes and Hollywood stars—and ultimately opening her own studio. She has a B.A. in Dance from Scripps College, a Pilates Teaching Certificate from Joseph Pilates’ lifelong protégé, Romana Kryzanowska, and more yoga certifications than she can count. You can find her books at her imprint, Riverlet Press, https://riverletpress.com. Don't miss this episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min

  6. 15 AUG

    Electric Blue Yonder--Prog/Americana/Southern Rock Band for the Whole Family!!!

    "Real American Space Folk" band Electric Blue Yonder was praised by longtime Boston Gobe senior rock critic, the late Steve Morse, for its “meditative mashup of trippy folk-rock psychedelia, cut with a raw Alabama flavor befitting their roots.” Slant Magazine called EBY “a diamond-bright exploration of rock’s past, present, and hopeful future.”   Electric Blue Yonder has released three critically-praised albums, drawing inspiration from the psychedelic folk, surf, and cosmic country rock of the ‘60s and the Space Age prog/art rock explorations of David Bowie and Pink Floyd, all while shifting time to the early roots and parlour style guitar of the 20th century.   Now EBY is spreading its wings, inviting the young and young at heart to step into a world of color, wonder, and nature's magic with the band’s first album for kids and families, MicroPARTY, set for release on April 25. Beth Hataway and Johnny Veres are at the heart of Electric Blue Yonder. You can learn more about their music and touring at https://electricblueyonder.com. Don't miss this one! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min

  7. 1 AUG

    Paul Vaillancourt--Improviser, Teacher and co-Founder of iO West!

    Paul Vaillancourt is a writer, actor, director, producer but most of all an improvisor who has been teaching and performing improv across the country for more than 30 years. He is a graduate of the Comedy Sportz Training Program in Virginia, the Second City Training Center in Chicago as well as the legendary Improv Olympic in Chicago where he had the rare opportunity to study under the legendary Del Close. After his group, Bitter Noah, was selected to perform their signature piece, the Improvised Movie, at the US Comedy Arts festival in Aspen, Paul moved to Los Angeles and co-founded the iO West where he has been teaching, directing and performing (both written and improvised shows) ever since. During his time in Hollywood, Paul has become a sought after improv coach, producer and consultant working with many TV networks including CMT, Fox, MTV, VH1, Oxygen and Bravo to name a few. He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Lindsey and their two children Isabelle and Paul junior (or Bro as his friends call him). You can find Paul's teachings on Instagram at @whatsupwithpv, on TikTok at Paul Vaillancourt. You can also buy his book, The Triangle of the Scene at https://www.amazon.com/Triangle-Scene-practical-approaching-improvisation/dp/1539733718/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2SEMV48BEEJN1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pA6gDbth8dKGjlppk9t73A.qcyrQBHeTwr9rlM1ijnLEGk5sscDB_RexfjXovWO8y4&dib_tag=se&keywords=paul+vaillancourt+book+triangle&qid=1746289681&sprefix=paul+vaillancourt+book+triangle%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min

  8. 15 JUL

    Gillian Bellinger--SAG Actor, Improviser, and Artistic Director of Misfit Improv!!

    Gillian Bellinger is an SAG character actor. To watch her character bits, follow her on Instagram @gillianbellinger. She has played roles on Hulu's "How I Met Your Father", "Disney's "Just Roll with It" as well as being a principal in commercials for Harris Bank, Time Warner, NorthShore Healthcare, and Unitrin Auto Insurance. She's also rocked out a bunch of short films, industrials, and starred in Red Letter Media's Feeding Frenzy, a comedic horror flick. So if you're watching TV late at night and think, "Was that...?" Probably.  Gillian studied improv in Chicago at The Second City, I.O. Theater, The Annoyance Theater, and The Groundlings. Gillian is very fancy and attended The London Academy of Theatre, The National Theater Institute, and Hamline University. She was an ensemble member on Second City House teams in LA and Chicago, ComedySportz Chicago and Minneapolis, the Del Tones at I.O. West, Laugh Out Loud Theater in Chicago, Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica, and Improv Acadia in Bar Harbor, Maine. She has taught improv & acting at The Second City Hollywood, Intentional Acting Studio, Improv Utopia, AMDA, and Westside Comedy Theater. She has been a guest teacher at Finest City Improv, All Out Comedy Theater, Alchemy Comedy Theater, Think Fast Theater, Asheville Improv Collective, and Curious Comedy Theater. She is now the Artistic Director of Misfit Improv in Asheville, NC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min
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The podcast that asks all entertainers from writers to actors to musicians what's true about them and the passions that drive them. What's true about you? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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