Explore every episode of the podcast Improv Tips

Hello, everyone! Michael here. After a long and needed hiatus, I am back. I was recently listening back to season one of Improv Tips, and I thought to myself, “Oh, boy. You were so young and naive just a few years ago.”

To give some context, I was in a weird place back then, and I felt very disconnected from the improv world. I think the first season was an outlet for me to feel connected, and was a little bit of improv therapy for me. Here’s the disclaimer I always give that improv is NOT therapy.

Since the last season, my wife (I got one of those) and I have successfully opened The Bit Theater right behind the Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, Illinois. Opening a theater has been one of the most difficult challenges of my life, and I have gained more perspective on improv in the past couple of years than I had in the more than two decades before that.

One of the things I try to impart on my students is that for nearly every bit of improv advice I give them, the opposite also works a lot of the time. So, I thought it would be fun to look back at my old episodes and then break them down a little more thoroughly with a couple more years’ improv experience to provide a bit of a counterpoint. In addition, I thought it might be interesting to look at these episodes from the perspective of a new theater owner.

These episodes aren’t going to fit into the one-minute timeframe I’d set for myself in the first season, but I’m going to try to keep them brief, as the world doesn’t need another three-hour podcast featuring someone talking about improv theory. I hope you enjoy the new season, as I’m looking forward to bringing it to you.

If you’re interested, please subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews and comments really help get the word out about the podcast and are greatly appreciated. Also, if you’re feeling inspired from something you hear, please consider sharing it with someone else. That’s all for now, and I’ll see you in the new year!

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. I’m somewhat blown away that I’m up to 150 of these improv tips. It’s gotten somewhat difficult to sustain due to the fact that I’ve been unable to improvise, rehearse, or teach over these past few months. So, I’m going to call this the end of the first season and take a bit of a break. I’m not sure yet how long of a break or what the next season will look like, but I’d love to hear your input on that, so please email me with your questions or thoughts at michael@bitimprov.com. In the meantime, I have a couple of plugs. If you’d like to hear me mostly heed and occasionally ignore these tips, I’d love for you to check out my improvised comedy radio detective story currently in its second season at thebureauboys.com. I’m also in the process of launching some remote improv classes that you should be able to check out by the end of this week. Those can be found at bitimprov.com, where you can also find a link to this podcast. I appreciate all of the time you’ve given me over these past 149 episodes, and I’m looking forward to some exciting things in the future. If you’re listening to this on an Echo device, I’m not sure how Amazon will react if I modify the format of this show, so please find me on a podcast player if I get booted from their marketplace. If you’ve enjoyed this mini-podcast so far, please rate and review it wherever you’re listening, and spread the word to any fellow improvisers who might be using this time away from one another to think about the craft. I will see you soon for the next step on my improv journey. Meanwhile, stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. When you’re putting an improv team together, it may be tempting to simply cast the people you like best or are friendliest with. That’s not always the best strategy for forming an improv team. Yes, chemistry is important, but don’t let the love of your friends cloud your judgment as to what makes a good improv team. Set up a system for how you’re going to audition new members to your team, stick to it, and don’t play favorites. Just like friends aren’t always the best roommates, they’re not always the best improv teammates. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. The world is an absolutely wild place, and unbelievable stories happen every day in real life. So don’t be afraid of occasionally using outlandish plot lines onstage. People do find out that they have long-lost siblings. One twin sometimes is evil. People are in comas for twenty years. Maybe don’t make those stories the first tools you pull out of your box, but don’t let fear that it’s too unbelievable prevent you from ever using those tools. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Early on in your improv career, you may be told that you should never argue onstage. If the alternative is that you’re always arguing onstage, that’s not a bad rule of thumb. However, arguments happen in real life, so they should inevitably happen onstage. Just be careful that you’re not defaulting to arguments or that the arguments you have aren’t going on forever. If you find yourself stuck in those situations, agree with the other side and end the argument. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. I'm the first to admit that I don't love warming up. Some improvisers do insist that they need to warm up to get into the mindset of improvising. Others are like me and could take it or leave it. However, one thing that I do find useful is to physically warm up my mouth. Tongue twisters, mouth and check stretches, and buzzing my lips help me with my annunciation and help me avoid getting a case of mushmouth onstage. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. In some circles, there is a bit of a rivalry between short-form improvisers and long-form improvisers. There shouldn’t be. Both short- and long-form improv can be brilliant, both can be terrible, and both can be anywhere in between. The best improvisers I know—and the ones who are the most fun to play with—excel at both short- and long-form improv. More importantly, they don’t pass judgment on anyone for not choosing to do their preferred form. Don’t shut out a particular form of improv, especially if you’ve never tried it. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. When you do improv, you’re necessarily going to end up spending quite a bit of time watching improv. When I’m in the audience, I try not to give suggestions, if possible, so as to avoid the appearance of cheating. However, you might have to give a suggestion every once in a while. When you’re in the audience, remember it's not your job to be funny. The improvisers onstage would much prefer a suggestion they've never heard before than hear the same jokey suggestions they always get. Do them a favor and give them a suggestion you’ve never heard before. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Find some characters you're comfortable with and confident playing that you can pull out at any time during a set. Not only will you have a safe space of characters you can use when you’re feeling lost or a set is spinning out of control, but also you can grow these characters over time. In addition, your teammates will learn to recognize these characters, and they'll know what they're getting when you break them out. That’s not cheating any more than it is when you act like yourself, which is really just a character. At least, I don’t think so. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. There will be times in your improv career when you have to play a doctor, lawyer, scientist, or astronaut. Unless you are or have been in one of those professions, you probably aren't going to know what the heck you’re talking about. It doesn't matter. There are many ways you can still play the scene. One way is to go in with bold confidence and make up your own professional lingo and style. Remember, you're creating this world, so the way a certain job is done is entirely your creation. Another way is to play a bumbling, incompetent professional who has no idea what they're doing. Just make a choice instead of playing it in the middle. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Remember when you’re playing a character that even though you’re showing only a moment of that character’s life, they existed prior to your scene, and they’ll exist after your scene. This means that they had a backstory before the scene started, and the actions they take in the scene will have consequences for them, even if we don’t see those consequences. If you keep in mind that the characters you create exist, you’ll have a much easier time remembering to give them a backstory and to make them believable, since their life has consequences. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. There's one in every class. The person who finds their way to improv because they've always been told that they're so funny. And that’s great, and they should be giving improv a shot. But they approach improv by trying to be the funniest person in the room filled with funny people. And often they try to be very jokey. But improv is not jokey, and everyone else is funny, too, so it can be exhausting when someone is trying to prove how funny they are all the time. So don't be that person in the group. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. One of the most precious commodities your audience gives you is their trust that you’re making everything up. I feel like I shouldn’t have to say this, but don't destroy that trust by planting suggestions in the audience. It can be tempting, because that certainly puts your set on easy mode, but it's not worth the loss of credibility you’ll suffer for taking the improvisation out of improv. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Five seconds of silence onstage can feel like a lifetime. But a mistake that is easy to make is to feel obligated to immediately respond to a scene partner’s offer with whatever comes to mind. It's better to take a second to think about your response than it is to blurt out anything just to fill space. If you find yourself doing the latter too often, try discarding the first line you think of and say the second line instead. Not only will it slow you down, but you'll be surprised how often your second line is better than your first. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. One of the things I love most about improv is how collaborative an art form it is. It’s worth remembering that when you’re talking about your sets and shows. If I’m an improviser who is constantly referring to “my” show that “I’m” in instead of “our” show that “we’re” in, I might be rubbing my teammates the wrong way. It might seem like in inconsequential nitpick, but it’s something that people notice, and it’s never a good look to appear selfish. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Once you get comfortable identifying as an improviser, it can be tempting to be “on” one hundred percent of the time, both onstage and offstage. You don’t need to always be on. Some of the most exhausting parties I’ve ever attended were filled with improvisers doing bits. As much fun as bits can be, it’s okay to have fun without doing bits and constantly being on. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. It's always a good idea to watch other people improvising. It's a great way to learn new techniques, forms, and skills. But don't allow yourself to sit and critique, nitpick, or second guess every decision that's made onstage. Not only will you not fully enjoy the show yourself, but you'll be completely insufferable to be around. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Don’t feel obligated to pay off an audience’s suggestion within the first thirty seconds of your set. There are few things more satisfying than spending twenty minutes improvising your set only to call back the suggestion as your blackout line of the set. You have time. Don’t rush to the immediate gratification. The delayed payoff is almost always worth the time invested. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Stop wasting time agonizing over your improv team’s name. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Just as it's important to know your weaknesses as an improviser, it’s equally important to know your strengths. Know what you’re great at. That way, if you ever find yourself in a bit of a slump, you can fall back on your strengths to improvise your way out of it. Falling back on your strengths is like eating your favorite comfort food after a breakup or going to your safe space in times of turmoil. Whether it be playing a silly character, breaking into a song, or getting lost in a big physical activity, find your safe space where you’re confident that everything you’re doing is brilliant. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. As someone who doesn’t dive into playing characters as well as many other improvisers do, I’ve learned a bit of a cheat. You don’t have to come out with a massive character decision like playing a mustache-twirling Southern gentleman or a cackling, evil witch (though, by all means, go for that). You can make a tiny change to yourself and be a new character. Change your face from your normal smile to a scowl. If you usually have a booming voice that comes from your diaphragm, come out speaking with your voice just behind your teeth. If you normally stand up very straight, come out hunched over. Trust me. Little changes like those will inform your character choices for the rest of the scene. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. As an improviser, you are almost definitely going to have a larger public persona than most people do. Be aware that as part of that public persona comes a certain amount of public scrutiny. Now, I'm not suggesting to lecture people during your improv set, but as a public personality, there are opportunities to get involved with groups or causes, particularly if there are issues you strongly believe in. Groups serving the public interest need strong voices, and there are plenty of ways to bring your skill for entertaining to assist those groups, especially on a voluntary basis. Don't hesitate to get involved. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Just like great movies and television shows have great pacing, so do great improv sets. If your set has been filled with high-energy, frenetic fast scenes, it might be in your best interest to slow down for a scene or two to give the audience a chance to regroup. Similarly, if you're following a series of slow sets, it might be wise to play with a lot of fast energy. If you’re organizing your own improv or sketch show, it’s also worth considering the order of the teams or forms to pace your higher- and lower-energy moments evenly. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. A common mistake that fresh improvisers make is going blue early and often. It's not a good idea, especially early in your career. It's easy to get laughs with blue humor, but they're cheap laughs, and blue humor can more often than not derail your scene. If you get accustomed to leaning on blue humor for laughs early in your career, you may not evolve and learn how to get the “earned” laughs. Plus, certain theater owners might forbid you from doing blue humor, and if you are used to relying on it, you might not be able to find success in those theaters, since your biggest tool will be taken away. Shy away from blue humor and get used to working harder for your laughs. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. When I teach improv, I try to create improvisers who are perfect scene partners and teammates. My vision of the Ultimate ImproviserTM is one who can improvise with anyone, anywhere, regardless of their scene partner’s skill level, and regardless of the situation. That improviser cannot be shaken, cannot be discouraged, and can create gold in even the most difficult of situations. If for some misguided reason you ever want to impress me, be that improviser. Take on any challenge, say yes with enthusiasm, and snatch success from the jaws of any potential failure. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Musical improv is almost always a joy to watch and to perform. Consider adding song into your non-musical improv set, though, particularly if you have musical accompaniment. You get an extra layer of forgiveness from the audience when you’re singing, and they’re even more prone to laugh than they otherwise might have been. In addition, as we’ve learned from musicals, anything that’s sung onstage instantly seems much more important. Since improv is best when it examines the most important moments in people’s lives, the occasional song is an amazing way to punctuate it. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. I recently watched a reality show called Last one Laughing in which a group of Australian comedians are locked in a room together for six hours, and the last one to break wins $100,000. It’s hosted by the always-delightful Rebel Wilson, and it’s worth watching. I was struck by the amazing variety of the comedians in the room. There were absurdists, deadpan comics, shouters, and even one improviser. Not only that, but I was delighted by the different tactics the comedians employed to break one another. It reminded me to always be exploring different ways to make folks laugh. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Don’t be embarrassed about promoting your shows and appearances. Some improvisers seem to think that self-promotion is tacky or braggadocious, but if you’ve created something that you’re proud of, you’re the best advocate for getting it noticed. It might surprise you how many people who you assume know about your hidden talent don’t actually know about it. So go tell them. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. One of my favorite film series is Indiana Jones. In The Last Crusade, Indy has to take a leap of faith over a seemingly-bottomless chasm. Only after he succumbs to not knowing where he’ll land is he able to continue his adventure. Improvisers also need to take that leap of faith. Only by having the bravery to take that first step into the abyss will you know whether that support system will hold you up. So take the leap. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. A running joke in the improv community is how many times we've all heard the following from our friends and family members: “Let me know when you have your comedy show! I'll come see it!” I'm sure most folks are well-intentioned, but they rarely show up. I've learned that a simpler way to handle this question is to set up a website to post all of your shows. Registering and hosting a domain isn’t terribly expensive, and it’s probably a good idea to claim your name on a website before someone else does, anyhow. If you don’t want to pay for your own page, a Facebook page, a Twitter feed, a mailing list, or some other free form of social media is a simple way to let people know about your shows. If people want to come see you, direct them to those places, and they can choose to come see you on their own time. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Most improvisers have performed after having a drink or two. I’ve done it. Almost every performer I know has done it. Some improvisers think they’re better performers onstage after having a few drinks. Almost one hundred percent of them are wrong and just don’t realize it, because they’re tipsy. Improv scenes move quickly and require concentration. Alcohol doesn’t help either one of those skills. The only reason I could even fathom that alcohol would help an improviser perform better would be to lower their inhibitions, so they’re not afraid to do the things their character needs to do onstage. But you can practice having the courage to do those things, and the sacrifice of dulling your wit is almost definitely not worth it. It is fun, though. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. During this patriotic time of year in America, I’m thankful that I’m lucky to live in the birthplace of improv comedy and a massive hub for the craft. But you don’t need to be in Chicago, L.A., or New York to do improv. There seem to be more and more improv communities popping up all over the country. And if you’re in a place that doesn’t have a community, there are still opportunities to take online classes and create your own community. How fresh would it be to build a community in a place where improv had never existed? That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. There’s an unfortunately vast imbalance in the number of white male improvisers versus all other represented groups. Whether you’re a part of that group or outside of it, it’s always a good idea to seek out and audition teammates who don’t look and act like you. Not only does diversity strengthen the improv community and craft as a whole, but it will also help your team immensely if you add a completely new, fresh perspective to your team. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. If you’re having a difficult time investing in the emotion of a scene, pull from your own personal life. If your character is sad and you’re not into it, think about the times in your life you've been sad. If you can't get angry at your scene partner, get mad at an old enemy, and use that anger on the stage. It's certainly better to find the emotion from the scene itself, but cheat if you have to. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. In improv, the only props you have onstage are chairs. They're great for sitting on, but that's not all. They're car seats, couches, hospital beds, giant-creators, staircases, and whatever else the outer limits of your mind can make them into. Those chairs are your only props. Use the heck out of them. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Since improv requires some element of audience participation, you might find that the house occasionally has a hard time distinguishing when they should be talking and when they shouldn’t. There are plenty of great ways to deal with hecklers or disruptive audience members. My favorite, however, is to make them part of the show. With the permission of your fellow cast members, invite them up on stage. They’ll likely either zip it, or you’ll have a great time proving to them that improv isn’t as easy as it appears. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. It’s likely unavoidable that at some point you’re going to have to play in a scene about a sensitive subject or to play a character that you might find difficult to portray in a sensitive, respectful fashion due to your own limited experiences. Instead of advising you to avoid those situations entirely—which is a perfectly valid option—an alternative is to play the situation as though everyone in the room is currently going through the sensitive situation or is of the same race, nationality, or gender of the character you might otherwise avoid playing. If you have that in the back of your mind, you’ll naturally play with the respect toward the subject or the character that you should. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. You’re bound to get tongue-tied at some point during your improv career. If you do ever mispronounce a word or misspeak an entire sentence, instead of correcting it, consider using it. This entire world you’re creating onstage is invented, so why can’t the language be, as well? What may start as a simple verbal miscue could become a hilarious running joke throughout your entire set. Embrace it, and see where it takes you. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. The improv equivalent of Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule is that it takes about 100 sets just to get competently bad at improv. Once you have 100 sets under your belt, you’ll likely either have figured out—or people will tell you—what you’re good at and what you’re bad at. Don’t get discouraged if you’re not knocking it out of the park, 10, 20, or even 50 sets into your improv career. You probably don’t even know what you don’t know yet. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. What sometimes gets lost in the woods for some improvisers—myself included—is that improv is supposed to be fun. I’d rather improvise poorly with my friends than create the perfect set with someone I don’t get along with. Don’t get so caught up in the grind and the stress of progressing and learning and judging and winning that you forget to enjoy the time spent playing. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. If you ever receive an actual gift onstage as a character, not a great offering as an actor, don’t open it. Come up with distractions, excuses, and stall tactics so that you never actually open the gift. You don’t need to. The gift to the scene is the gift, and it doesn’t really matter what’s inside it. The act of giving a gift immediately tells you something about the relationship between the characters, which is way more interesting to explore than what’s in the box. Focus on that. Besides, isn’t being mysterious fun? That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. My father can and has told me the same stories over and over in my life. I’m interested in hearing them every time because he can flat-out tell a story. Remember that as an improviser you’re also a storyteller. The more enthusiasm and heart you pour into the story you’re telling onstage, the more engaging it will be, and the less likely it will be that I roll my eyes when you tell it. Plus, you won’t forget the details because you’re making them up, anyhow. Love you, Dad. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, happy belated Fathers’ Day to you dads out there, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. A very long time ago, when I was in college, my improv and sketch comedy group operated under the assumption that louder equaled funnier. We were wrong. No matter how hilarious the things you’re saying on stage are, saying them louder doesn’t necessarily make them funnier. There’s no need to always be the screaming character in a scene drowning out your scene partners and demanding all the attention. The role of the silent assassin who speaks softly and carries a hilarious blackout line can be just as satisfying. Pay attention to your volume, and try turning it up or down for a change of pace. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. The more direct you are onstage, the easier you’re going to make your improv life. Dancing around an issue onstage both delays the inevitable and prevents you from progressing the scene. And watching people uncomfortably avoid a topic is for family gatherings, not improv scenes. Address the elephants in the room sooner rather than later so you can move your scene to the next logical step. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Though it’s not a common occurrence, there’s a chance every time you start a scene that you might be all alone onstage for a while. Don’t look offstage for help. Rather, keep the idea you had in mind, and act as your character would in the context of that idea. Do object work, move around the space, hum, whistle, talk to yourself about the idea. Until someone joins you onstage, you have free rein to make any of the scene choices you want to. Go ahead and start making the choices you can without a scene partner. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. I’ve stressed time and again that improv is not a competition, and it isn’t. But if you’re one of those people who can’t help but compete, I would challenge you to compete with yourself. Each day, try to be a better improviser than you were the day before. If you make a mistake today, focus on not repeating that mistake tomorrow. Only by getting better every day will you ever be the best, you competitive nut. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. One of the big mistakes new improv students make is to always try to be funny and to say funny things. I get it. You’re trying to impress your teacher and your classmates by being the funniest person in the room. But don’t do that. At best, you’re not impressing anyone. At worst, you’re a distraction to the class. Focus on playing real when you’re first learning improv. If you focus on learning how to improvise from a real place, the funny will eventually come. I’d much rather teach a student who plays real to be funny than teach a funny person how to be real. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Ultimately, most of the decisions you’ll have to make onstage are binary. If someone accuses you of stealing their wallet, you did or you didn’t. If someone confesses their love for you, you’re either happy or unhappy about it. If you’re doing your job, you’re either good at it or bad at it. If you break down your scenes into a series of binary choices, you might find it easier to free up your brain to focus on reacting to those choices. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Of course the things that are said onstage are important to you as an improviser. You need to hear and be aware of all those things. In addition, if everything that happens in a scene is important to your character, that will invariably make for a more interesting scene. In and of itself, your character’s car breaking down could be interesting, but if your character needed the car to drive across the country in a race against an eccentric millionaire, that’s instantly more interesting. Everything should be important. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. One of my favorite improv teams I’ve played with is called Bad Improv Gun. It’s named after the way some rookie improvisers form a gun, by pointing their index finger in front of them and their thumb up in the air. Bad Improv Phone would be sticking your thumb in your ear and talking into your pinky finger. When you’re manipulating an improvised object, it should look just like you’re manipulating a real object, but you can’t see the object. Don’t use bad improv guns. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.