CONTINUE THE JOY & Ease OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
- Happier Valley Comedy page
- HVC School Community page, where you can go to connect with your class and other students (This is a private group, but if you are a student and you request to join, we will approve you.)
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tHE TJ & Dave (and Pam) bOOKThe Joy & Ease of Improv program is partially inspired by what Pam learned over the course of writing "Improvisation at the Speed of Life: The TJ & Dave Book" with legendary improvisers TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi. The book is recommended (but not at all required) reading. You can buy it at online retailers, like ThriftBooks or Amazon, or order it through your local independent bookstore.
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mORE bOOKS
check out some of these in our lending library
- Truth in Comedy - by Charna Halpern and Del Close and Kim "Howard" Johnson
- Improvise: Scene from the Inside Out - by Mick Napier
- Art by Committee: A Guide to Advanced Improvisation – by Charna Halpern
- Behind the Scenes: Improvising Longform – by Mick Napier
- The Improviser's Way: A Longform Workbook - by Katy Schutte
- Improvising Better: A Guide for the Working Improviser – by Jimmy Carrane & Liz Allen
- Jill Bernard’s Small Cute Book of Improv – by Jill Bernard
- Improvisation for the Theater - by Viola Spolin
- Theater Games for the Classroom - by Viola Spolin
- Impro - by Keith Johnston
- 101 Improv Games for Children and Adults - by Bob Beldore
- How to Be the Greatest Improviser on Earth - Will Hines (ebook only)
- The Playbook Improv Games for Performers - William Hall
vIDEOS
Pro Tip: It's hard to record live improvisation. If the audio is challenging, plug in your earphones.
- Trust Us, This is All Made Up (The TJ & Dave documentary) - Immortalized in the world of improv comedy, Second City veterans TJ Jagodowksi and David Pasquesi explore the unique partnership and transcendental forces that govern their legendary performances. Great behind-the-scenes insights and one of the best improv shows you'll ever see.
- TJ & Dave (Vimeo): TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi are true improv legends. Their show, TJ and Dave, is an international award-winning show that has inspired improvisers all over the world. If you've never seen long form improvisation, this is an excellent place to start! ($4.99 per episode or $30 for all episodes to stream live)
- The Armando Diaz Experience and Hootenany at iO Theater: An interesting example of the Armando form performed in the theater where it was created.
- Another Armando show called ASSSCAT performed by the Upright Citizen Brigade founders and their famous friends.
- Beer Shark Mice who perform a structure called "Tag Out." Another lovely example of their work can be found on the DVD in Charna Halpern's book "Art By Committee." Speaking of which...
- Everything on the DVD that comes with Charna's book "Art By Committee."
- Improv Playhouse of San Francisco: “Psych Unit” - A truly beautiful display of improvisation in a three act play performed by masters of the craft.
- Dummy at the San Diego Improv Festival (2015) and at the Phoenix Improv Festival (2016) - Colleen Doylen and Jason Shotts perform absolutely delicious improvisation.
- Whether the Weather - A stellar series of interviews about improvisation with some of the greats.
- Keegan-Michael Key of "Key and Peele" - Some brilliant insights about agreement and being a good scene partner in this interview and about a beautiful way of taking the next little step while stepping backwards in this video here. (The whole interview is here.)
- Messing with a Friend (Susan Messing's show) with Kevin Dorff at the Detroit Improv Festival
- William Hall's Play Improv Games website has videos where terrific teachers explain a bunch of great games
improv, near and far
traveling? there's probably an improv theater nearby
not sure which show to see? theaters usually put their hottest show on saturday evenings
- Happier Valley Comedy shows (of course!)
- "The Majesters" at the Majestic Theater (West Springfield)
- ImprovBoston (Cambridge, MA)
- Improv Asylum (Boston)
- Union Comedy (Somerville, MA)
- Sea Tea Improv (Hartford)
- UMASS Comedy League (Amherst)
- Mopco Improv Theatre (Schenectady, NY)
- iO Theater (Chicago)
- Annoyance Theater (Chicago)
- Magnet Theater (NYC)
- People's Improv Theater (NYC)
- Second City (Chicago, Toronto)
- Improv Acadia (Bar Harbor, Maine)
- BATS Improv (San Francisco)
- Improv Playhouse (San Francisco)
- Florida Studio Theater Improv (Sarasota, FL)
- The Improv Cruise by ImprovU
- The Improv Retreat
got another RECOMMENDATIONS you adore?
send them to us and we'll add them to thIS list!
Happier Valley Comedy Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit.
