Jordan Birnbaum

Host

Improv Comedy Meets Improv Tawking

Jun 7, 2013·35 visitors

Marc Adam Smith

Cohost

Stage· 150 messages

Jun 7, 2013

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:05 AM

Mr. Smith, I presume?

Marc Adam Smith · 1:05 AM

Indeed

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:05 AM

Welcome. Hello to everyone.

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!”

Marc Adam Smith · 1:05 AM

Yes Hello to all

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:06 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:06 AM

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:06 AM

YES!!! I love it

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:06 AM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

“i thought JB always broke the rules?”

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:06 AM

Lucy - I only break the ones that annoy me.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:07 AM

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:07 AM

Thanks so much

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?

Marc Adam Smith · 1:08 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:08 AM

So what does improv do to the human brain?

Marc Adam Smith · 1:09 AM

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:09 AM

i use what i learned in Improv in everyday life

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:09 AM

even if you tank?

Marc Adam Smith · 1:09 AM

sure, its more fun to tank,

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:09 AM

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:09 AM

cause you know that next week you get to try again

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 · 1:10 AM

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

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

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 · 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.”

Marc Adam Smith · 1:12 AM

Right Lucy!

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 · 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?

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 · 1:14 AM

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

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 · 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”

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 · 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 · 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!”

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 · 1:18 AM

jah, mon Blake.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:18 AM

and you didn't answer, Marc

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:19 AM

about the Alzheimer's therapy, I mean

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 · 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?

Marc Adam Smith · 1:21 AM

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:21 AM

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

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 · 1:22 AM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:22 AM

I always win at Home!

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:22 AM

don't we all.

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?

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 · 1:24 AM

ahh good point.

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 · 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 · 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 · 1:27 AM

cool

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 · 1:28 AM

Interesting answer. I'm impressed.

Marc Adam Smith · 1:28 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:28 AM

is part of it the loneliness vs. the cameraderie?

Marc Adam Smith · 1:28 AM

true Jordan, stand up is all about ME ME ME

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:28 AM

comraderie

Marc Adam Smith · 1:29 AM

Improv i need you and everyone else to make it work

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:29 AM

embarrassing typos and misspellings

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:29 AM

kind o0f like society

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:29 AM

needing everyone, I mean

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 · 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)

Marc Adam Smith · 1:31 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:32 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:32 AM

says the single guy....

Marc Adam Smith · 1:33 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:33 AM

Tru dat

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:33 AM

says the Jewish guy

Marc Adam Smith · 1:33 AM

in the tribe as well my brother

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:33 AM

Great - this latke's for you

Marc Adam Smith · 1:34 AM

YES!

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...

Marc Adam Smith · 1:35 AM

zip

Marc Adam Smith · 1:35 AM

zap

Marc Adam Smith · 1:35 AM

zop

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:35 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:35 AM

shit -I'm alkready behind

Marc Adam Smith · 1:36 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:36 AM

What is that, like warming up your voice?

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:37 AM

mee-mee-mee-meeeeeee

Marc Adam Smith · 1:37 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:37 AM

can you tell what I'm doing now?

Marc Adam Smith · 1:37 AM

Yes, Good job,

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:37 AM

wow -you are good!

Marc Adam Smith · 1:38 AM

and i will never speak of it again

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:38 AM

thank you - it was a moment of weakness

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:38 AM

and I would hate to be judged by it

Marc Adam Smith · 1:38 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:39 AM

at least it wasn't Taco Bell

Marc Adam Smith · 1:39 AM

well i do have some standards my friend

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:39 AM

What if yo quiero Wendy's?

Marc Adam Smith · 1:39 AM

no wendy in my hood

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:40 AM

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

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 · 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...

Marc Adam Smith · 1:42 AM

ok, so are you in produce

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:42 AM

First thing I do is grab a banana

Marc Adam Smith · 1:43 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:43 AM

I think grapes are hilarious

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:43 AM

★ Spotlighted from Susanne Pinedo

“I like the game "the paper chase."”

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:43 AM

★ Spotlighted from Dennis Holden

“Ah, zip, zap, zop is my favorite.”

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:43 AM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

“....and heres tom with the weather.....”

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:43 AM

and the audience explodes with commentary!

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 · 1:44 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:45 AM

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:45 AM

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:45 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:45 AM

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

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 · 1:47 AM

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:47 AM

they will sense it

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:48 AM

crap

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:48 AM

there goes the confidence3

Marc Adam Smith · 1:48 AM

like and improv show, great game, bad game

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.

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:50 AM

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

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:50 AM

true. hangings ARE hilarious.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:51 AM

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:51 AM

they where in the 1800s

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:51 AM

lol

Marc Adam Smith · 1:51 AM

but they did not have cable

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:51 AM

the 1800's sucked like that

Marc Adam Smith · 1:52 AM

right get home from farming and you just sit there

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 · 1:52 AM

he's not dying - just leaving the country

Marc Adam Smith · 1:53 AM

word up. i had a blast

Marc Adam Smith · 1:53 AM

what country is he going to

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:53 AM

Asia. That's a country, right?

Marc Adam Smith · 1:54 AM

It is on Risk

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:54 AM

But we should start an improv Tawking movement.

Marc Adam Smith · 1:54 AM

yes

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:54 AM

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:55 AM

www.gothamcityimprov.com

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:55 AM

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

Marc Adam Smith · 1:55 AM

shows all Friday and Saturday nights for the summer

Marc Adam Smith · 1:55 AM

i am always here so you get to meet me

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:55 AM

I'll bring some of the Tawkers crew with me

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:55 AM

All right audience - I love you big time

Marc Adam Smith · 1:56 AM

great, we would love to have you

Marc Adam Smith · 1:56 AM

cheers

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:56 AM

hasta la vista, baby.

Marc Adam Smith · 1:56 AM

Peace Out

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:56 AM

last word.

Forum · 42

Forum· 42 comments

35 visitors

Blake IanJun 6, 2013, 5:11 PM

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Blake IanJun 6, 2013, 5:12 PM

Welcome to the Forum, everyone! If you want to get involved, click “Who is Here” and then “Listen” to the people whose comments you want to see.

Rodrigo A. BartelsJun 7, 2013, 12:53 AM

Hello!

Blake IanJun 7, 2013, 1:01 AM★ Spotlighted

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

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:01 AM★ Spotlighted

i thought JB always broke the rules?

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:05 AM

holy cow!! its working!! :-O

Rachael WorkmanJun 7, 2013, 1:08 AM★ Spotlighted

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

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:10 AM★ Spotlighted

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

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:13 AM★ Spotlighted

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

Blake IanJun 7, 2013, 1:14 AM★ Spotlighted

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

Rachael WorkmanJun 7, 2013, 1:14 AM

haha that'll be first on the itinerary at the inaugural tawkers company retreat

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:15 AM

i was told that if you are laughing at something or someone,then you aint really paying that much attention to what the person is saying.

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:16 AM

JB,everyone knows,people hate YES people or as they are in the US - Congress....

Blake IanJun 7, 2013, 1:17 AM★ Spotlighted

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

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:17 AM

no = safety and Yes = going off into the unknown....

Rachael WorkmanJun 7, 2013, 1:21 AM

Who's Line is coming back!

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:21 AM★ Spotlighted

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

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:22 AM

can you tell JB SO wants to go on The Price Is Right?

Blake IanJun 7, 2013, 1:23 AM

I used to watch the British Who's line every day after school!

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:23 AM

blake,its was on really late at night over here. it was awesome.

Susanne PinedoJun 7, 2013, 1:26 AM★ Spotlighted

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

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:28 AM

i would love to see some improv stuff. its just not that easy

Susanne PinedoJun 7, 2013, 1:31 AM

Lucy, if you're in NYC, join Gotham for a performance. http://www.gothamcityimprov.com/

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:31 AM

susanne,i'm in the UK :-)

Susanne PinedoJun 7, 2013, 1:31 AM

You have an invitation, whenever you're in NYC:)

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:32 AM

wow thanks susanne,i may just take you up on that sometime next year :-)

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:33 AM

oh stop it JB,,am up dude!! have a plum...

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:34 AM

dam it i cant spell or string a sentence together lol

Dennis HoldenJun 7, 2013, 1:35 AM★ Spotlighted

Ah, zip, zap, zop is my favorite.

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:36 AM★ Spotlighted

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

Susanne PinedoJun 7, 2013, 1:36 AM

My pleasure, Lucy :)

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:38 AM

its like watching yoda and luke skywalker....

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:39 AM

or laurel and hardy....

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:40 AM

no wendys in your hood? was it her night off?

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:42 AM

JB is on the meat counter

Susanne PinedoJun 7, 2013, 1:42 AM★ Spotlighted

I like the game "the paper chase."

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:43 AM

is it a bendy banananananana? and how many A's are in the word banananana?

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:44 AM

watch out for the plums JB.....and dont wash them for too long as they can get wrinkly

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:49 AM

JB,like everything in life,you have to try it out to see if you like it

Lucy DyerJun 7, 2013, 1:50 AM

i'm gonna shut up now and let others talk....

Susanne PinedoJun 7, 2013, 1:58 AM

Thank you to all who attended the Tawk!

Sam sJul 27, 2014, 7:31 PM