Uncategorized The Thing About Birthdays
September 27, 2019 admin

Birthdays are always so interesting. We get this time each year to take stock and think about what’s working and maybe beat ourselves up over what’s not. And think all the things like what am I doing, how did I get here, why haven’t I gone further by now, I should’ve cleaned the house before today, my clutter pile is growing, what is that noise in my car, will I ever get my kitchen outlets or that bathroom leak fixed, what would my child have been like if I had one, why do I have so many plastic bags, how did…

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Camp Improv Camp
September 9, 2019 admin

For six years Camp Improv Utopia has been filling my life with all kinds of joy. And it is a fantastic thing to see how many lives are constantly changed along the way. This year I taught a vulnerability workshop which was wonderful and terrifying and life goal reaching. I couldn’t have asked for a better group to join me on the journey to authenticity and vulnerability. So thankful. Camp reminds me to embrace the delicious moments and to be present with others. To think outside of myself and appreciate all the many perspectives and outlooks. To be quiet and…

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Chicago Lessons from Chicago
June 7, 2019 admin

Last week I returned to Chicago for an intensive at one of my favorite theatres, The Annoyance. I was pretty excited to get back there for the advanced version, and to catch up with great people. There’s something about that city and theatre that feels like home. It felt amazing to be back. I haven’t been a student this intensely in a while and have been teaching and traveling and going through a lot of transition in my own community. I didn’t get to many touristy things this visit. It was more about the theatre and the people. Spending time catching up….

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Blog An Ode to England
March 23, 2019 admin 1Comment

Oh England, how I love your cold and gray March days. Some may wonder why I’d travel for dreary days during the last days of winter. But why not go to the sun and surf? A tropical island adventure! Nope. I’ll take a rainy cool England adventure instead! Sure maybe it’s not the most fun walking a mile in the chilly rain to the train station. But I much prefer this to sweaty soiled travel clothes and sunburns. As long as I have my favorite jacket and my waterproof Merrell boots, I’m the happiest kid in town. And even happier…

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Blog 2018 The Year I Fell In Love
December 23, 2018 admin 7Comment

This is the title I wanted to use for every Christmas card I never sent. For too many years I wanted to alert the masses that I found someone to write home about. If only a love interest could validate my existence, because I was incapable of doing this for myself. Over the years I’d be in and out of finding those someones. I spent my life trying to perfect the best relationship scenario. Each one was finally it! Spoiler alert: none of them were ever “it”. This year I finally grew exhausted by this pattern. Every new potential someone…

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Improv The Hinges
December 5, 2018 admin

December is really here. And I’m doing that thing where I retreat and get in my head over the events of the year. There have been a lot of incredible moments. I’ve done things artistically that I only ever thought about. It’s been really cool. And I realize that I may have not gone down this path if I had never met a quirky group of silly people eight years ago. There was a time when my entire improv world revolved around a team called The Hinges. I auditioned and joined the group a year after a divorce. They were…

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Blog You’re Never Really Doing It Alone
October 2, 2018 admin 1Comment

For years I thought about doing a solo show. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I also had this pull to share the ridiculousness of my journey. The many times that I have tried hard for “fairytale endings”. How I’ve failed at so many attempts to have the life I thought I should have. Making something of the mistakes felt important to me. So I took classes and workshops. I had long conversations and asked so many questions. I was inspired by the witty and ever so amazing Carla Cackowski. I took her workshops series…

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Uncategorized The Trouble With Vulnerability
August 29, 2018 admin

Okay, I’m kind of obsessed with vulnerability. I’m all about it. I can’t get enough honesty and realness. But at times I’m so busy talking about how great it is, that I forget the utterly terrifying feeling of putting yourself out there. Maybe I have gotten a little bit comfortable, I’m not sure. But lately I’m reaching out of my comfort zone, and I’m really feeling it. I remember the feeling I had when I taught my first level 1 class at Finest City Improv. I had already taught improv classes, but somehow I was still frozen in fear. There…

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Blog Getting quiet (especially when your brain wants anything but)
July 7, 2018 admin 2Comment

Photo: Christina Perry As I type this there is an improv festival happening in my community and I’m not there playing, supporting and socializing with so many wonderful people, because I feel this epic pull to retreat for a bit. It is hard to let go of the feeling of missing out. And the feeling of not being there to support friends and new friends I could be making. It’s hard to sit here and tell myself that I need this time. It’s even harder to believe it. Sometimes I need extra time because it seriously takes a day (or…

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Blog Vulnerable Night Vol 3
June 17, 2018 admin

I was anxious about getting the third vulnerable night planned already six months since the last! So I was pretty excited to set a date with my favorite coffee shop. It meant a lot to have a special space to gather. A couple nights before the event, my contact at the shop let me know that he’d resigned and that they were currently closed. I saw this message at midnight and went into a spiral of cry fits and social media holes. I was sad about the event and I was sad about my favorite place that had felt like…

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