Resources
Key reads, podcasts and places worth knowing.
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Key reads
Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre
THE foundational text: status, spontaneity, narrative skills, masks. Every improv teacher's bible — read it twice.
View on Amazon ↗Impro for Storytellers
Johnstone's follow-up: Theatresports, gorilla theatre, and hundreds of practical games with coaching notes.
View on Amazon ↗Truth in Comedy
The Harold manual. Where longform philosophy was written down: agreement, group mind, finding the game.
View on Amazon ↗The UCB Comedy Improvisation Manual
The most systematic longform method in print: game of the scene, premise, second beats. Dense and practical.
View on Amazon ↗Improvise: Scene from the Inside Out
The antidote to rule-obsession: take care of yourself first, make active choices. Great for stuck intermediate players.
View on Amazon ↗How to Be the Greatest Improviser on Earth
Modern, funny, honest — being present, being changed, surviving your own head on stage.
View on Amazon ↗The Improv Handbook
Encyclopedic and readable: history, formats, teaching advice, and a full curriculum. Great trainer's companion.
View on Amazon ↗Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art
Not about theatre — about improvisation as a way of being. For when you want the philosophy behind the craft.
View on Amazon ↗Podcasts
Improv Nerd with Jimmy Carrane
Long-running interview show — legends of Chicago improv talk craft, fear and career.
Listen ↗Off Book: The Improvised Musical
Zach Reino & Jess McKenna improvise a full musical every episode. Masterclass in commitment.
Listen ↗Hey Riddle Riddle
Riddles and puzzles as improv fuel — hear top improvisers riff in real time.
Listen ↗