The SoCap Improv Comedy Podcast
Hosted by Ralph MacLeod, owner and artistic director of SoCap Comedy Theatre in Toronto, this bite-sized show explores how improv comedy can improve every aspect of your life, not just performance. Each episode runs 5-20 minutes, offering practical insights and humor.
Episodes
Elephant in the Room
We're told not to address the elephant in the room but I say 'nay'!
Vulnerability
Why Vulnerability WorksSaying “yes” to uncomfortable or self‑deprecating offers is playful.It shows others that they can let their guard downAudiences love vulnerability — low status is non‑threatening and endearingIt opens the door to bigger comedic payoffs. If that’s true, what else is trueNot everyone is comfortable with this level of exposure, and that’s okay
Be Specific
Being Specific in your offers, leads to three main benefits...1 - audiences find it relatable2 - roots you in the present momentand3 - suggests character
Smile When You Say It
The Power of the SmileA smile transforms villainy into comedy“I cheated, and I can’t wait to do it again.”“I stole your car and wrecked it — wow, that was a nice ride.”Smiling signals: we’re playing, not hurtingAudiences love watching someone enjoy being bad
Reframing
Flexibility, the ability to pivot, is a terrific skill to have on stage and off. Today, we look at reframing as a way to that.
Doubt
If your audience - be that your scene partner(s), the people watching, or the chap at the dinner partner - is in doubt as to your intentions, the way forward will often be more difficult for you.
Why You Need Status
Status is great in comedy and in real life. You likely use it all the time and don't even know it.It's one of those things that once you see, you see everywhere. Once you understand it, it'll make your life much better.
My Character Wouldn't Do That
Remaining open to 'who' your character is, what they stand for, what they love, what they hate, and more, keeps you open and alive to your audience (on stage and in the real world). You can be flexible, surprise yourself, and learn about points of view different from your own.
Say Less, Seymour
Listening as a gateway to presence and reduced self-consciousness.
Mistakes? We Don't Need No Stupid Mistakes
Mistakes scare the crap out of us, but they're usually only as bad as you think they are! They have wonderful upsides.
In The Beginning
Starting a scene is one of, if not the most, difficult and critical things in improv. I discuss two of the ways to begin scenes and reveal my favourite!
Letting Go of Self-Consciousness
Falling in love. Hanging with good friends. Being in a moment. These are all times when we tend to lose ourselves, get over our self-consciousness, and forget about our selfish needs and serve an experience.
Avoid Gaslighting Others
Whether on stage or in life real, try not to gaslights others. In improv, it often leads into the argument trap. In life, it escalates tension, shows others you're not listening, and more. Instead, treat the opinions of others as legitimately theirs and deal with it except in one situation.
Playing Strangers
Scenes in which the characters are strangers to each other come with an extra added level of difficulty. For that reason, I encourage improvisers to stay away from them. But, when they do happen to try and figure out what's at stake.
The Process Scene
Having a process in a scene will help in a multitude of ways, however, there are also a couple major pitfalls with which to be aware.
I Am A....
A discussion of the third exercise I use when starting almost every class I teach. I Am A... is a game of patterns in which three people are elements within a certain pattern, category, etc. The more recognizable the pattern and elements, the better it is received.
Improv Rule For Life #4 - Be Process Oriented
Being process oriented, or systems based, allows one to make modifications if their goals aren't being realized. Conversely, relying on magical thinking to achieve a desired outcome can leave one at the mercy of a stochastic, unfeeling universe.
Is Mocking Some People Okay or Not Okay - REPEAT Episode 8
Improv has changed a lot in the 35 years since I started. One thing is that we are much more sensitive to people different than us and no longer mock people based on generalities about them. However, two areas have escaped that scrutiny and I have no idea why.
Dissonance in Comedy
Dissonance is a powerful tool that can grab your audiences attention and make them laugh whether that's on stage or at a dinner party.
The Actor/Character Duality
When in scenes, there is the actor and the character the actor/improviser is portraying. Sometimes, their goals are aligned but often they are not.
Why Is This So Boring?
There are many reasons a scene, or interaction, may be boring. Here are the top two reasons why scenes can be boring and make you want to gouge out your eyes.
Don't Stop The Action
Stopping the action, or business of the scene, is generally destructive for a number of reasons. Even if your character doesn't like what they're doing or being asked to do, finding a justification to let it happen, will usually serve you well.
Try the Opposite
If 'A' is true, the opposite is also, likely, true. Improv allows one an opportunity to role play different options to stimuli thus giving you a chance to 'try the opposite'. Maybe you'll like it better.
Call People Out on Their ^&$%
If someone, or another character, says or does something that doesn't make sense to you - ask them to clarify it.
Why Do We Laugh?
Laughter, especially laughter in your gut, is much more about bonding than appreciating the humour, or cleverness, of a line or situation.
Yes, And...: A Deeper Dive
What does it mean to 'Yes, and...'? It goes with what we're trying to actually DO when we improvise on stage and in real life.
Be a Benevolent God
As improvisers/storytellers, we get to create tertiary characters - people, animals, etc - and you will be judged based on how you treat your creations.
Improv Rule for Life #3 - Serve the Relationship
Playing with other human beings requires us to get out of our heads - give up our selfish needs - and serve the interaction/moment/relationship developing between and among us.
Creative Process - Part One
There are two general ways to create content whether in the format of the improv scene or 'out in the world'. There is a more solo act of invention or writing and the collaborative act of discovery or 'uncovery'. While both have their place, the latter usually leads to richer, more satisfying creations.
Initiation - How to Begin
It's a good practice to start scenes - or interactions - with something already going on. One way, is to think up a line of dialogue or part of a context however these practices have certain pitfalls. A better choice is to pick something you can play and maintain independent of the situation in which you, or your character, find themselves.
The Association Game
The Association Game is a great warm up game for groups of 2 to 20. It helps people listen, say yes, get out of their heads, and build community. Not bad.
The Big Yes
The Big Yes, the overaccepting of your scene partner(s) offer, can have so many benefits especially at the start of scenes or interactions with friends and people in the real world.
The Argument Trap
Falling into the argument trap (aka denial of reality, gaslighting, refusing to engage) is detrimental to improv and the act of playing and discovery with other players. What it is, why it is, and how to avoid it are the subjects of today's episode.
The Three Types of Conflict
In stories, there are generally three types of conflict. Person vs person, US vs the world/environment, and internal conflict. All are useful but sometimes it benefits us to flip between them.
Improv Builds Empathy
A great reason to take improv even if you never intend to perform is that it helps build empathy for your fellow human beings. Helps us to understand the journey of people completely unlike us with vastly different experiences.
The Three Act Structure for Improv
There are many types of Duo Scenes. The most common is the Hero's Journey, Story Circle w. a Single Main Character, aka the Three Act Structure. What is it? How to recognize it?
The Two Most Misunderstood Improv Concepts
What exactly do we mean by 'Yes, And' and what is 'positivity' in the improv sense of that word?
The Second Improv Rule for Life: Love What You Get
In life, as in improv, we can't control what happens to us only how we react to it. In improv, with it's emphasis on low stakes, we can choose to love all the things our scene partners and our environments throw at us. Opening us up to find new experiences and grow through embracing them.
Is Mocking Some People Okay or Not Okay?
Improv has changed a lot in the 35 years since I started. One thing is that we are much more sensitive to people different than us and no longer mock people based on generalities about them. However, two areas have escaped that scrutiny and I have no idea why.
Learning to Love Your Fear
Do you struggle with fear? Do you try to beat it into submission? Are you great at thinking of all the things that can go wrong? In this episode, Ralph suggest that we make friends with our fear. Afterall, we're all on the same team.
Using Humour and "Yes, And" to Dispel Conflict
Would you do anything to avoid conflict? Do you let other people push your buttons or get under your skin? In this week's episode, Ralph discusses how using humour and 'yes, and' can help handle some tricky situations.
The Power of Play
In this week's episode, Ralph discusses the power of play. Play is something our bodies crave and it helps us overcome our self consciousness and raise our self confidence. It helps us get into a state of presence which can be mentally healing.
The First Improv Rule for Life - Control What You Can Control
In this week's episode Ralph talks about one reason everyone should take improv even if they never plan to get on a stage. In improv, you can roleplay different scenarios from your real/imagined life but also practice techniques that will make you a more effective communicator. One of those is ceasing to try to control what you can't control.
Clap Focus
In this week's episode Ralph discusses the improv exercise, Clap Focus. What is it? Why is it? What's the point? He talks about expanding our minds, putting limits on ourselves we don't even know we're doing, and how vulnerability makes people like us.
Three Best Practices
In this episode Ralph discusses his three best practices to make your improv fly!
What even is Improv?
In this inaugural episode, Ralph MacLeod, Owner and Artistic Director of SoCap Comedy Theatre discusses who he is, what is SoCap, what is improv, and why should anyone care?
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