Comedy and Improvisation

This section contains essays and videos about writing and performing comedy and improvisation. A great introduction to the topic is Matthew McMahan’s essay “Laughing Matters: How Comedy Tells Us Who We Are.”

The Latest

Learning About the History—and Future—of Stand-up Comedy

Podcast

Learning About the History—and Future—of Stand-up Comedy

With Rachel Blackburn

by Michael Lueger

29 September 2021

A Discussion on Peace by Piece by Nabil Sawalha

Video

A Discussion on Peace by Piece by Nabil Sawalha

Part of BÉZNĂ Theatre's GLOD: Political Theatre as a Civil Right series

Monday 17 August 2020

International

Writing Killer Short Plays with Steve Yockey

Video

Writing Killer Short Plays with Steve Yockey

with playwright Lauren Gunderson

Wednesday 6 May 2020

United States

Learning About the History—and Future—of Stand-up Comedy

Michael

Lueger

Podcast

Learning About the History—and Future—of Stand-up Comedy

With Rachel Blackburn

29 September 2021

Michael Lueger is joined by director, performer, and educator Dr. Rachel Blackburn to discuss diversity and intersectionality within the stand-up comedy world and how comics are engaging with social issues and movements.

Glod in red, a silhouette of a person with their arm raised.

A Discussion on Peace by Piece by Nabil Sawalha

BÉZNĂ Theatre

Video

A Discussion on Peace by Piece by Nabil Sawalha

Part of BÉZNĂ Theatre's GLOD: Political Theatre as a Civil Right series

Monday 17 August 2020

International

Glod: Political Theatre as a Civil Right presented Peace by Piece by Nabil Sawalha livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 17 August 2020 at 10 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 6 p.m. BST (London, UTC +1) / 8 p.m. EEST (Cluj, UTC +3).

Writing Killer Short Plays with Steve Yockey

Lauren

Gunderson

Video

Writing Killer Short Plays with Steve Yockey

with playwright Lauren Gunderson

Wednesday 6 May 2020

United States

Playwright Lauren Gunderson presented Writing Killer Short Plays with Steve Yockey livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 6 May 2020 at 1 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 3 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 4 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4) / 21:00 BST (London, UTC+1) / 22:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC+2).

Headshots of Tori Sampson, Leah Nanako Winkler, Larissa FastHorse, and Jonathan Spector.

 Comedy + Playwrighting Class!

Lauren

Gunderson

Video

Comedy + Playwrighting Class!

with playwright Lauren Gunderson

Tuesday 5 May 2020

United States

Playwright Lauren Gunderson presented Comedy + Playwrighting livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 5 May 2020 at 12 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 2 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 3 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4) / 20:00 BST (London, UTC+1) / 21:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC+2).

Writing Comedy and Wielding Power

Essay

Writing Comedy and Wielding Power

27 January 2020

Madeleine George and Mike Lew talk about writing comedy for theatre, vulnerability as playwrights, working with different aesthetics, and more.

three actors onstage, one jumping in the air.

On Bicultural Comedy

Essay

On Bicultural Comedy

An Interview with Herbert Sigüenza

5 January 2020

Matthew McMahan talks to playwright Herbert Siguenza about branching out as a solo writer after years as a member of Culture Clash, writing bilingual comedy, and more.

pink flyer for the hemispheric institute 2019

Encuentro 2019 hosted by the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics

Hemispheric Institute

Video

Encuentro 2019 hosted by the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics

The World Inside Out: Humor, Noise, and Performance

Sunday 9 June to Thursday 13 June 2019

Mexico City

The Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics at New York University presented events from their Encuentro 2019 livestreaming from Mexico City on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv from Sunday 9 June to Thursday 13 June 2019.

Laughing Matters

Matthew

McMahan

Essay

Laughing Matters

How Comedy Tells Us Who We Are

14 February 2019

Professor Matthew McMahan talks about the importance of understanding comedy’s theatrical history: how it has evolved, what it says about a society, and why the genre shouldn’t be forgotten in the American theatre.

We Had a Convening About Comedy in Theatre and People Couldn’t Stop Farting

Peter Sinn

Nachtrieb

Essay

We Had a Convening About Comedy in Theatre and People Couldn’t Stop Farting

27 November 2018

Playwright Peter Nachtrieb gives his reflections on the Comedy Convening co-hosted by HowlRound in Boston, MA on 17 and 18 October 2018.

Neal Brennan, Mike Birbiglia, and the Rise of Personal Comedy Theatre

Brett

Aresco

Essay

Neal Brennan, Mike Birbiglia, and the Rise of Personal Comedy Theatre

30 June 2017

Brett Aresco looks at personal comedy theatre and recent shows by Neal Brennan and Mike Birbiglia.

The I Told You Show

Essay

The I Told You Show

Anthony Atamanuik’s Take on Trump, The Election, and Where It All Went Wrong

31 March 2017

Allison Raynor interviews Anthony Atamanuik, a Donald Trump impersonator who critiques both the president and audiences in his latest solo piece.

One Man, Two Guvnors

Anđela

Vidović

Essay

One Man, Two Guvnors

When farce meets satire

28 February 2017

Anđela Vidović critiques the relevance of a Croatian adaptation of Richard Bean's One Man, Two Guvnors.

Sexism and Spunk Duel Masterfully on Stage at DC’s Keegan Theatre

Patricia

Davis

Essay

Sexism and Spunk Duel Masterfully on Stage at DC’s Keegan Theatre

3 November 2016

Patricia Davis on Keegan Theatre’s production of What We’re Up Against by Theresa Rebeck, directed by Susan Marie Rhea.

Neil Simon’s Legacy has Spoiled his Best Plays for Millennials

Ricky

Young-Howze

Essay

Neil Simon’s Legacy has Spoiled his Best Plays for Millennials

29 September 2016

Ricky Young-Howze writes about Neil Simon’s influence on pop culture comedic tropes.

Reconstructing and Reimagining

David

Levy

Essay

Reconstructing and Reimagining

Noah Diamond and the First Marx Brothers Musical

9 July 2016

David Levy discusses Noah Diamond’s adaptation and revival of I’ll Say She Is, the musical debut of the Marx Brothers.

The Goodman Theatre revives Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker

David

Dudley

Essay

The Goodman Theatre revives Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker

6 May 2016

David Dudley interviews members of the creative team behind the Goodman Theatre’s recent production of Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker.

The Dangerous Old Ladies of David Lindsay-Abaire’s Ripcord

Ellen

Mareneck

Essay

The Dangerous Old Ladies of David Lindsay-Abaire’s Ripcord

19 April 2016

Ellen Mareneck on David Lindsay-Abaire’s Ripcord, directed by David Hyde Pierce at Manhattan Theatre Club in New York.

The Gainesville - Chicago Improv Connection

Andrew

Bailes

Essay

The Gainesville - Chicago Improv Connection

6 February 2016

Andrew Bailes describes the unlikely link between the Gainesville, Florida and Chicago, Illinois improv communities.

Joe Toplyn on Comedy Writing for Late Night TV

Dramatists Guild

Video

Joe Toplyn on Comedy Writing for Late Night TV

Thursday 13 November 2014

New York City, NY, United States

The Dramatists Guild of America in association with Harvardwood presented Joe Toplyn on Comedy Writing for Late Night TV, moderated by Jane Condon, livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 13 November at 3:30 p.m. PST (Los Angeles) / 5:30 p.m. CST (Chicago) / 6:30 p.m. EST (New York) / 23:30 GMT (London).

"Improvised Book Club" & Asking Your Audience to Do Homework

Alice

Stanley Jr.

Essay

"Improvised Book Club" & Asking Your Audience to Do Homework

25 July 2013

Alice Stanley Jr. describes her experince at The Toch Theatre's "Improvised Book Club" and writes about how an audiences' preparation affects their involvement.

A Craft Workshop: Improvising Your Play with Jeffrey Sweet at The Dramatists Guild

Dramatists Guild

Video

A Craft Workshop: Improvising Your Play with Jeffrey Sweet at The Dramatists Guild

Tuesday 23 October 2012

New York, NY, United States

Dramatist Guild of America presented a workshop on improv techniques with Jeffrey Sweet livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 23 October at 2:30 p.m. PDT (San Francisco)/ 4:30 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 5:30 p.m. EDT (New York) / 21:30 GMT / 10:30 p.m. BST (London).