Monoscene - Pretty Flower
(Improv) PodCLASS with Billy Merritt
Join Billy Merritt and his global gang of improvisers as he continues his delightfully chaotic journey through the many flavors of longform improv. Today’s focus: PRETTY FLOWER — also known as Spokane, or “that thing that’s kind of like Lost meets Marty meets at a haunted pie shop.” Billy starts by tracing the roots of this character-driven form, developed with the group Sentimental Lady and inspired by layered storytelling (think Lost, but with fewer smoke monsters and more apple jam). The Pretty Flower starts with a single scenic mono scene—then “blooms” into supporting...
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Monoscene - ROAD TRIP!!
(Improv) PodCLASS with Billy Merritt
Join Billy Merritt and his international bench of students as he expertly (and hilariously) guides them through specific iterations of long form improv. Today's class is ROAD TRIP - a character-based monoscene. Our players will be stuck inside a car* heading to a specific and important destination. Think "graduating members of the University of Fairfield, Connecticut's a cappella choir heading to Regionals in New York City." To make things fun, characters are developed over the set by being given GIFTS and answering QUESTIONS from their fellow travelers. Billy leads the "amorphous...
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Monoscene - Scenic Paint Opening
(Improv) PodCLASS with Billy Merritt
Join Billy Merritt and his international bench of students as he expertly - and hilariously - guides them through specific iterations of long form improv. Of the 5000+ known varieties of Long Form Improvisation, Billy Merritt starts the class off with the MONOSCENE with a Scenic Paint Opening. Today's students (in order of "appearance"): Hill Kane - San Antonio, Texas Tyler Drew - Seattle, Washington Luke Bovard - Berlin, Germany Murphy McKew - Washington, D.C. Adam S. - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Konrad Andrew* - Northern Mariana Islands, U.S.A. Nicole Beggiani - Providence,...
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PodCLASS Explained (the Trailer)
(Improv) PodCLASS with Billy Merritt
Billy explains what PodCLASS is and what his objectives are in producing it. It's only a minute long. Give it a listen! Thank you, ~The Management~
info_outlineJoin Billy Merritt and his global gang of improvisers as he continues his delightfully chaotic journey through the many flavors of longform improv.
Today’s focus: PRETTY FLOWER — also known as Spokane, or “that thing that’s kind of like Lost meets Marty meets at a haunted pie shop.”
Billy starts by tracing the roots of this character-driven form, developed with the group Sentimental Lady and inspired by layered storytelling (think Lost, but with fewer smoke monsters and more apple jam).
The Pretty Flower starts with a single scenic mono scene—then “blooms” into supporting cutaways that explore character backstory, heighten stakes, or, sometimes, just celebrate a 74-pie menu.
🎭 In class, the students explore:
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🧺 A struggling family-run apple orchard turned fall tourist trap
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🥁 A post-championship hangover in a high school band room (with questionable closet storage decisions)
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🥧 A pristine retro diner trying to re-create a 1950s vibe for a mysterious couple who might actually be… ghosts?
Cut tos, cut backs, musical montages, and a possible mob-connected cleaner all show up in this episode full of bold initiations and gentle chaos.
As always, Billy keeps it structured just enough to find the funny—and the heart.
Today's students:
- Hill Kane – San Antonio, Texas
- Konrad Andrew - Saigon, Vietnam (today)
- Amber Bellsdale – Washington, D.C.
- Jason Luna - San Diego, CA (today)
- Adam S. - Philadelphia, PA (King of Prussia)
- Murphy McKew – Washington, D.C.
- Luke Bovard – Berlin, Germany