Jordan Birnbaum

Improv Comedy Meets Improv Tawking

Jun 7, 2013

MS
Stage· 150 messages
Jun 7, 2013
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:05 AM

Mr. Smith, I presume?
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:05 AM

Indeed
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:05 AM

Welcome. Hello to everyone.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:05 AM

★ Spotlighted from Blake Ian

This should be the least prepared Tawk JB's ever had...otherwise he is breaking the rules!

MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:05 AM

Yes Hello to all
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:06 AM

Blake - this is true. Marc, you should know that I usually write an outline efore a Tawk
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:06 AM

but in the spirit of what you do, I have foregone that exercise tonight
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:06 AM

YES!!! I love it
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:06 AM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

i thought JB always broke the rules?

Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:06 AM

Lucy - I only break the ones that annoy me.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:07 AM

So Marc -I should that I have seen you in action and quite enjoyed it.
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:07 AM

Thanks so much
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:07 AM

So I guess my first question for you is how did you discover you were good at this? And what did it feel like?
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:08 AM

It was way back in 1992, and it felt like i was reborn
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:08 AM

So what does improv do to the human brain?
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:09 AM

I feel it keeps you sharp, and takes a way a lot of fear
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:09 AM

i use what i learned in Improv in everyday life
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:09 AM

even if you tank?
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:09 AM

sure, its more fun to tank,
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:09 AM

does that require a special kind of personality, or true for all?
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:09 AM

cause you know that next week you get to try again
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:10 AM

★ Spotlighted from Rachael Workman

there is actually nothing that sounds more terrifying to me than improv comedy

Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:10 AM

but not everyone is good at dusting themselves off and getting back on stage.
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:10 AM

Not for all, some get worked up about it, i try to tell them, no matter how long you have done this, you are gonna screw up
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:11 AM

just dive in and learn from it, in improv you never stop learning, no matter how old you are or how long you have done it
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:11 AM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

hey rachael,he does have a point about using improv in everyday life.....like when you meet someone for the first time.

MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:12 AM

Right Lucy!
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:12 AM

Of course, improv is making stuff up, so perhaps not the best way to meet a new person
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:13 AM

LOL. Could go off on dating. So I feel like I've been seeing improv used more and more in corporate training. Why is that happening, and why is it effective?
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:14 AM

they need to think on there feet, be able to go with new ideas and stop saying NO to other ideas, all basics in improv
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:14 AM

Stop saying no - that interests me -expand a bit, please.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:15 AM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

its effective cos its get the old brain cells going AND it gets you thinking for yourself....i think

Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:15 AM

★ Spotlighted from Blake Ian

This is pretty uplifting! http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-07-13/health/ct-x-0713-alzheimers-improv-therapy-20110713_1_researchers-study-cognitive-neurology-memory-loss

MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:15 AM

when you say NO! all you are doing is pushing the work to your partner or partners, Improv uses the credo YES AND! I get what your are saying i accept it and i will add to it
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:16 AM

1st question - did you know about the Alzheimer's treatment already, or did you just learn about it now? 2 -why are we so wired to say no?
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:18 AM

★ Spotlighted from Blake Ian

Jordan just took an article posted DURING the tawk and asked a question about it... Total IMPROV Tawking!

MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:18 AM

No is easy and safe, Yes is going to a new place and it can be scary, and sometimes we just want to live with out risk, what i do is all about risk, walk out on stage in from of 20-25 people and just talk and make stuff up...
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:18 AM

jah, mon Blake.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:18 AM

and you didn't answer, Marc
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:19 AM

about the Alzheimer's therapy, I mean
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:19 AM

and yes i work with a charity group that does a lot of work with older folks and they love it and it keep them sharp, like doing crosswords '
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:20 AM

So, was your life harder or easier when Drew Carey hosted "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" Is it a coincidence that you kind of look like Drew Carey? Are you actually the host of The Price Is Right?
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:21 AM

I wish! i did a gig once in the 90's as a Drew Look a like
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:21 AM

I loved that show and the British one that came before it
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:22 AM

How good were you at bidding? How often did you bid $1, or $1 over the highest bid?
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:22 AM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

i LOVE whos line...well i used to till they stopped showing it over here

MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:22 AM

I always win at Home!
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:22 AM

don't we all.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:23 AM

All right - so why does it seem like evryone on SNL comes from improv, even tho they don't improv on SNL? Should they? Are you going to call Lorne?
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:24 AM

Well they have a hard job there, and thats why they make the big bucks, Improv on Live TV, if it fails then all the critics will blast it
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:24 AM

ahh good point.
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:25 AM

They hire improvers cause they know the drill and have no fear to try stuff out and can create and write in meetings
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:26 AM

So can people be good at both stand-up and improv, or are they mutually exclusive? And which draws a better crowd?
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:27 AM

★ Spotlighted from Susanne Pinedo

I'm brand new to Tawkers and find this very compelling! As a Publicist, I think this is an excellent resource.

Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:27 AM

cool
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:27 AM

yes they can, i think the improv crowd is one that is more forgiving, a good house will take risks with you, Stand Up crowds are more MAKE ME LAUGH!
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:28 AM

Interesting answer. I'm impressed.
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:28 AM

I have done both, but i just do not have the love for stand up
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:28 AM

is part of it the loneliness vs. the cameraderie?
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:28 AM

true Jordan, stand up is all about ME ME ME
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:28 AM

comraderie
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:29 AM

Improv i need you and everyone else to make it work
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:29 AM

embarrassing typos and misspellings
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:29 AM

kind o0f like society
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:29 AM

needing everyone, I mean
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:30 AM

i think so, we are better off when we go out, hang out, meet folks, talk, then being a hermit, but its hard man
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:31 AM

Yeah - people can only be happy by connecting with other people - the only real currency (Paraphrasing Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Almost Famous)
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:31 AM

Love that flick! And yes i have found that to be true
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:32 AM

Although, sometimes a hermit weekend can be REALLY gtood...
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:32 AM

says the single guy....
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:33 AM

Well you need some alone time, but, i speak from experience, it can bring you down...
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:33 AM

Tru dat
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:33 AM

says the Jewish guy
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:33 AM

in the tribe as well my brother
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:33 AM

Great - this latke's for you
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:34 AM

YES!
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:34 AM

OK - so give us some examples of an improv exercise. Maybe the audience can throw out suggestions and you can teach me how to improv Tawk...
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:35 AM

zip
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:35 AM

zap
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:35 AM

zop
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:35 AM

and maybe monkeys will fly out of my butt (paraphrasing Wayne Campbell)
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:35 AM

shit -I'm alkready behind
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:36 AM

thats an improvers joke as it is the standard improv warm-up
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:36 AM

What is that, like warming up your voice?
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:37 AM

mee-mee-mee-meeeeeee
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:37 AM

yes, and doing a sound and a physical move as well
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:37 AM

can you tell what I'm doing now?
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:37 AM

Yes, Good job,
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:37 AM

wow -you are good!
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:38 AM

and i will never speak of it again
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:38 AM

thank you - it was a moment of weakness
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:38 AM

and I would hate to be judged by it
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:38 AM

thats what i said last night when i stopped at white castle
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:39 AM

at least it wasn't Taco Bell
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:39 AM

well i do have some standards my friend
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:39 AM

What if yo quiero Wendy's?
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:39 AM

no wendy in my hood
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:40 AM

So obviously healthy living is important to us both...
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:40 AM

I am better at it then i was, but sometimes i fall, only human, flesh, blood, bone, and i look good in hats
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:41 AM

Hats, shmats. let's do an improv exercise. I want to write as if I'm working at Whole Fioods with a deaf/mute or something...
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:42 AM

ok, so are you in produce
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:42 AM

First thing I do is grab a banana
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:43 AM

Great a funny fruit, like a melon, stay aways from grapes and apples not funny
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:43 AM

I think grapes are hilarious
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:43 AM

★ Spotlighted from Susanne Pinedo

I like the game "the paper chase."

Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:43 AM

★ Spotlighted from Dennis Holden

Ah, zip, zap, zop is my favorite.

Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:43 AM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

....and heres tom with the weather.....

Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:43 AM

and the audience explodes with commentary!
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:44 AM

so you need to tell your mute co-wroker to get more fruit from the back go
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:44 AM

deaf /mute was probably a poor choice for a writing exercise. See -I'm not very good at this.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:45 AM

I'm the shmuck who yelled out "juxtaposition" at your live improv show (true story)
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:45 AM

nah go with your gut, never self doubt yourself and that was a great word man
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:45 AM

they had fun with it, the guy from Russia as well
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:45 AM

look at that - my confidence is growing. you weren't kidding about this whole improv thing...
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:46 AM

see, if that is your idea then we go with it, you come out on stage and say that i am a deaf mute then i am, and we work to make it funny and not piss off any deaf mutes
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:47 AM

well, fortunately they won't have an easy time understanding that we're making fun of them. (Too far?)
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:47 AM

they will sense it
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:48 AM

crap
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:48 AM

there goes the confidence3
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:48 AM

like and improv show, great game, bad game
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:49 AM

I seriously do think there is incredible value in finding a comfort level with a flop. It must be very liberating.
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:50 AM

you have no idea, when you sit and talk about past shows its always about the stuff you messed up, gallows humor
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:50 AM

i still can remember times when i made HUGE mistakes in games
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:50 AM

true. hangings ARE hilarious.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:51 AM

that's really cool, man. I really like that whole mindset.
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:51 AM

they where in the 1800s
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:51 AM

lol
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:51 AM

but they did not have cable
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:51 AM

the 1800's sucked like that
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:52 AM

right get home from farming and you just sit there
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:52 AM

So listen Marc, I'm having a really good time, but I have to start winding down. I have some human connecting to do in the form of a friend's goodbye party.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:52 AM

he's not dying - just leaving the country
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:53 AM

word up. i had a blast
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:53 AM

what country is he going to
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:53 AM

Asia. That's a country, right?
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:54 AM

It is on Risk
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:54 AM

But we should start an improv Tawking movement.
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:54 AM

yes
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:54 AM

In the meantime, though, give a good plug for Gotham City Improv, web site, twitter, etc.
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:55 AM

www.gothamcityimprov.com
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:55 AM

If you're in NY, go check it out - it was really fun
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:55 AM

shows all Friday and Saturday nights for the summer
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:55 AM

i am always here so you get to meet me
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:55 AM

I'll bring some of the Tawkers crew with me
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:55 AM

All right audience - I love you big time
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:56 AM

great, we would love to have you
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:56 AM

cheers
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:56 AM

hasta la vista, baby.
MS

Marc Adam Smith · 1:56 AM

Peace Out
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:56 AM

last word.