Morning Radio, Phil Hendrie And A Sh*tload of Improvisation Talk

Today I talk with a dear friend, collaborator and writing partner from my time in L.A.  We met while studying improvisation in the early 90’s at the Groundlings Theatre and we performed in the theatre’s Sunday Company in the late 90’s.

We chat for a while about creating characters for radio which inevitably leads to a conversation about Phil Hendrie.  If you don’t know who Phil Hendrie is and you enjoy talk radio you need to look him up. I worked at the same radio station he did 97.1 KLSX Los Angeles.  This was in the late 80’s, Phil Had not started the show he does now and Howard Stern was years away from syndication in L.A. I’ll have links at the bottom of the episode description.  You should look him up because he truly creates theatre of the mind with characters and no sound effects.

We also talk about some of the lame humor I attempted when I was on the radio and how I got some mileage out of terrible writing material.  Also my guest’s various jobs during his time in hollywood and some of the great comedy clubs in L.A. that are not stand up but Improvisation like The Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade, Improv Olympic West and Second City Hollywood.  You might try any of those theatres if you’re headed there for work or play and I think you’ll find it interesting and different from the usual touristy excursions.  

We wrap up our improv conversation with a class he will be teaching and how rewarding it is to see the growth in a student who takes the plunge and is brave enough to get up in front of their piers.  

Maybe you’ve seen the show Drew Carey used to host “Whose Line Is it Anyway?”  but if you’ve never seen live improv before you really should. Theatre seems like it’s becoming one of the last shared live experiences and improv is even more so because the audience not only participates, but the show you see will never be seen again in that iteration and that makes for a truly unique experience.  This Moron highly recommends it. Even Tina Fey recommends Improv and there is a link in the description from her book “Miss Bossypants” about her rules of Improv and how it can change your life and remove belly fat.  

Click yay (is there a "yay"button?), subscribe send money all that stuff but mainly thank you for listening to The Modern Moron.

Oh, also we start off after both of us have just spent 40 exasperating minutes trying to work out the glitches with our microphones and headphones.

The World of Phil Hendrie on Apple Podcasts

https://www.philhendrieshow.com/

Phil Hendrie Wikipedia Page

First Coast Technical Community College - Introduction to Improv Comedy  in St. Augustine FL

Tina Fey’s Rules of Improvisation That Will Change Your Life and Reduce Belly Fat*