Madeline Evans - Part 1

In part one of this two-part episode, I sit down with Madeline Evans, someone I truly consider the queen of Atlanta improv. Madeline shares her journey from putting on plays for her grandma as a kid to selling out the most popular improv show in Atlanta!

We talk about what it was like moving to Atlanta with the goal of building something big and how Madeline's philosophy of loving your partner so deeply has shaped the way she plays and teaches. She breaks down her approach to jams, how to stay present when your mind goes blank, and why the strongest improvisers are the most supportive ones.

Madeline also opens up about the creation and growth of Road Trip, which went from small audiences to consistently selling out 200 seats at Dad's Garage. We dig into all of her projects, how she casts rotating shows, and why Atlanta needs more teams alongside more rotating casts. She shares her path to becoming a teacher, the structure behind her foundational, continuous, and expanded programs, and why she believes improv is ultimately about making people feel seen and celebrated.

We also talk about the need for more spaces and opportunities in Atlanta, how independent artists can create their own doors, and how the community keeps lifting each other up.

Stay tuned for part two.

Madeline's plugs:

Website
- https://www.madsjoy.me/

Instagrams:
- @madsimprov
- @roadtripimprov
- @noalibi_improv
- @albertonedgewood

Follow us on Instagram - @thejoyofimprovpod

Support the podcast with a small tip - https://ko-fi.com/thejoyofimprov

Email any questions or ideas to joel@thejoyofimprov.com

Host: Joel Camargo - Insta - @joelc1225
Audio Editor: Matt Issacs - Insta - @mattisaacs20

Transcript

Introduction

Joel 0:07

Welcome back everybody to the Joy of Improv Podcast. Y'all, I am so pumped to tell you who today's guest is. It's the one and only Madeline Evans, the Queen of Atlanta Improv, the angel of the stage. Madeline Evans is just such a joy to watch play, such a joy to learn from. You probably all know Madeline already if you're doing improv in Atlanta, but we're gonna get to know Madeline so much better in this episode. We have an almost three-hour episode with Madeline Evans. We're gonna split that into two episodes. It's jam-packed. We talk about how to approach improv jams and Madeline's strategies when going into jams. We talk about her success with Road Trip in producing that show, creating and growing that show over four years. We talk about Atlanta's need for more spaces and opportunities and how community members can help in achieving more spaces and opportunities for each other. We talk about Madeline's journey to teaching improv. We also talk about Madeline's overall journey to improv. And we have a ton of community questions. Y'all showed up and submitted so many. It was like 15 questions, and they were all such great questions. And Madeline gives such detailed, great answers for all of these community questions. As well as there's a little bit of a positivity shout-out section of the episode where we just kind of just love on all our friends in Atlanta that we're so happy to know and grateful to be around. This episode is so fantastic. I'm so excited for you all to hear this episode with Madeline. Let's just get into it. Here is my conversation with Madeline Evans. Uh, you ready to nerd

Meet Madeline Evans

Joel 2:03

out?

Madeline 2:03

Yeah, freaking out.

Joel 2:06

Let's just nerd out about improv. We do it all the time. Let's just let's just record this session of us nerd out about it. Uh, Madeline Evans is here in my living room, and I'm so fortunate and so lucky to get to know you a little more, talk about improv. We do it all the time, but now it's recorded.

Madeline 2:23

Woo! Woo! I'm crowd surfing! Here we go. I'm in Joel's intimate quarter. It is. It's cozy. Couch. I bought extra pillows to make the living room more cozy. I am so cozy. I'm I'm a nest gal. I like to nest when I sleep. So this is, I've got four pillows behind me. I have the best time.

Joel 2:43

I'm proud of my living room. SJ helped me a bunch in uh decorating the lighting and moving stuff around. And it definitely feels cozy AF.

Madeline 2:52

Oh, yeah. This is what like corporations when when they strive to have, when they strive to have a I just knocked my microphone over. I just bumped my head. I'm so cozy. Madeline the mic had this a face of fear. Just like, oh my god, I hit the mic. I ruined it, start over. I ruined the podcast. No, it's okay. It happens. Uh yeah, this is uh you know, like corporate corporate stuff, offices try to be cozy, and this like is what they described. I don't know if that's a compliment. Like this what a corporate office would want to be like, but it's just very cozy.

Joel 3:25

Yeah, I love that. That was my idea. I was like, how can I corporatize my living room? How can I make it look like a corporate entity intentionally made it cozy?

Madeline 3:34

These are actually fake plants, too. Actually, are they fake? Yeah, they're fake. Yeah, who has time to take care of real plants? I have my mom's plant that she had when she was in her 20s, which was a hot sec ago. And it is it's wildering.

Joel 3:47

Uh, it's been alive for so long, and I can't let it die, but I'm a terrible plant mother. Yes, I had a few plants that were thriving for a while and all of them died. Um, and they added so much to the space, even aesthetically. So I was like, let me just grab some fake ones and add to this little podcast space, little my living room space here.

Madeline 4:03

Well, I get all the like I get a lot of videos of like how plants can truly like it helps with oxygen, it helps with relaxation, it can help you a lot, a lot. So I don't know if the fake plants are really doing that.

Joel 4:13

Oh, they're they're not. I do have some plants in my bedroom and I have some plants in the kitchen still.

Madeline 4:17

Um you have so many plant babies. That's why you some got neglected. You have to do that.

Joel 4:22

Yeah, some got neglected. I had I had a lot to take care of and then I fell off. But so much. Improv's getting in the way of me taking care of my plants.

Madeline 4:31

Whoa, improv.

Joel 4:32

Yeah, improv. What's that?

Growing Up a Theater Kid and Putting on Plays for Grandma

Madeline 4:34

Whoa, improv. Whoa, spark goes off.

Joel 4:38

Speaking of, speaking of improv, uh Madeline, you've been doing improv in Atlanta for a long time. Um, you're one of the people that got me into improv when I first saw you play at Roll Call Theater in Pond City Market. Um since then, I consider you a good friend and mentor of mine. And I'd love for Atlanta and anyone listening to get to know you a little more too. I want to hear about how you got started in improv.

Madeline 5:04

Wonderful. Uh yeah, it's been so cool to be a part of your journey, Joel. Um, Journey Joel, Journey Joel. I was nervous about a podcast because podcasts are so permanent, and I always like to ask other people about themselves rather than talk about myself. So I when I was going to the restroom for the third time before we recorded, I was like, what if I'm just silly instead of like ah about talking about myself. So yeah, that's why I was like, say Journey Jewel four times. Um great. Okay, yeah, it's been so cool to watch you grow and become such a leader in the scene. Uh, not only do you teach, but now also this podcast and all the shows that you produce. So just so cool. I appreciate it. Yeah. Um, as far as me, what got me started in improv, I like a lot of people my age, grew up watching Whose Line Is It Anyway, falling asleep to it, waking up to the 700 Club, which was uh an evangelical uh sort of TV channel. I don't know if that's unique to Atlanta, but it was always it was always after Who's Line. I don't know. I I fell asleep. Um, so Who's Line Is It Anyway? Big crush on Ryan Styles. Um, oh man, I'd I'd if he'd have me, uh I'd I'd still be interested. Uh he's so funny. Uh anywho, um theater kid through and through. Growing up, my family we used to put on plays for our my our grandma and yeah, classic, classic theater kids needing all of the attention. But it was really my sister who was the culprit. Like she even would like put um, now that I think about it, she like had her cousins dress in drag and she would like gender bend movies, like never been kissed and stuff, and we would like perform all of these things. We do that, we'd do Christmas uh galas where we would just lip sync things. Uh for our grandma, we did Grease, just me and her, me as Danny, uh, she as Sandy. I have a whole joke in my solo show about me always being the boy. And um then, yeah, so just growing up doing all that stuff, and then when I followed her footsteps, she's four years older than I am, so she was in all these plays. So I had the privilege of watching a ton of plays growing up as well. And I also followed her footsteps in doing band and uh theater. And after middle school, I was able to be in the improv club. In middle school, I was the amazing roles of I was an Umpalompa in Willy Wonka. Uh, they thought it would be funny to make all the tall kids the Umpalumpas. And the drama teacher was like, we would have put you as Willy Wonka, but you're a girl. Oh which, yeah, yeah. But that guy's now the guy who got Willy Wonka, he was going through puberty, but now he is a great actor, so it really helped kickstart his career. I'm really happy for him.

Joel 7:50

Yeah, that middle school Willy Wonka role. Uh put him on the map.

Madeline 7:55

Oh man, I love Gene Wilder though. So, like, lucky dog. Uh, Gene Wilder is one of like my inspirations because he like always considered himself an actor, not a comedian, and I very much resonate with that. Um, you were like, How'd you get involved in improv? And I'm like, let me tell you about my childhood.

Actor First, Improviser Second

Joel 8:12

I love that. But uh yeah, before I want to dovetail real quick the actor versus improviser comment. Can you speak more to that?

Madeline 8:20

Yeah, I think it goes into the answer of how'd I get into improv because I've always been I was an actor first, and then improv came along the way. And I have such an affinity and a love for scripted work, and I miss it a lot, and I think I'm good at it. My mom is always like, I wish I could just see you in a play. Um, which is why, yeah. Right after you're a show, you're just like, Why can't you just do a scripted play? Stop pulling from your own mind. Yeah, she she loves it. Um I think that's why. Oh my gosh, I'm all over the place. But when I uh was an invasion Christmas Carol, which is like a scripted improvised Christmas carol that happens in town, and I was able to be in it twice. The first time I was in it, I was like, oh my gosh, this is what I've been missing for so long. Because it's all that scripted, wonderful work tied with improvising and being uh so present. And so I really thrived in that environment. Anywho, yeah, so scripted work was always my love. Uh, hence, you know, being an umpaloompa, Bert the Troll and the Hobbit. I really it all started with that Oompa Loompa role. Yeah. I actually started in Oklahoma when I was in fourth grade. Um, and I got to sing The Cowman and the Farmer Can Be Friends, which Oklahoma is such a dark musical. They're like, kill yourself, Jeff, kill yourself. And he does. What? It's terrible. Yeah, it's

Starting Improv Club in High School

Madeline 9:48

really sad.

Joel 9:48

Uh I have not seen Oklahoma.

Madeline 9:51

It's Hugh Jackman's in it in the 80s version, which they made free during COVID. I will never answer you with how I've gotten involved in Jam probably. I'm not worried about it.

Joel 10:01

I'm not worried about it. I've got my notes here. I know to get where to circle

Almost Moving to Chicago and Choosing Atlanta Instead

Joel 10:05

back to.

Madeline 10:05

Yeah. Uh just an excuse to talk about another old man I'm in love with, Hugh Jackman. Uh so that's three I've mentioned so far in three minutes. Um yeah, so uh in high school, I ended up being cast in all of like the comedic lead roles. And I was Carol Burnett's roles in Moon Over Buffalo and Noises Off, and I had no idea who Carol Burnett was. Yeah. Oh my gosh, she is one of my heroes. And I didn't know who she was, so my parents bought me all of her sketches for Christmas. So I have all of her sketches, and I would watch them all, repeatedly just falling in love with who she is. Wow. Iconic, obviously. I feel like most comedians, most women comedians, like just see her as such an idol. Um, and she, I mean, she paved the way in a lot of ways, as did many women in that time. Uh, but also how she led. Like, I've I've her book and the way she just led her show with such grace and kindness is just such a formative example. So yeah, I was in her roles in high school, and then I also started Improv Club, and we had Improv Club every week in high school, and then we would do theater sports every year to raise money for Broadway Care's Equity Fights AIDS. So I got familiarity with theater sports through that, and then um senior year, my friends wrote a play, and one of my friends is related to uh related to Scott adds hit, and he like came and saw the show and he was like, You need to move to Chicago. Wow. And then I didn't. And I Good Yeah. Good for us. That's been such a part of my journey too. Of like, is there regret there or it is there sure but there I don't think there's not. I think I've been I was meant to be in Atlanta because I think leaders like you and teachers just around the city who are building up the scene constantly, like that there's something so special here, and there's something that we're all working towards, and it's working. And so I think there's just a lot of hope in the mission and the work I'm doing. Um, so instead of moving to Chicago though, I went to UGA, and that's where like I really started taking improv seriously because I didn't have time for all of time for shows, time for scripted stuff. I was involved in mock trial, I was an RA, I was in marching band, I was in a music fraternity, so I just was all over the place. Yeah. Yeah. The busyness

Improv Athens at UGA

Madeline 12:42

has never stopped.

Joel 12:42

Oh my goodness.

Madeline 12:44

Always, always be hustling. Um, I just love people. I like getting to know a lot of different groups of people, and I think that really energizes me. Um, yeah, I've always been involved, even as a kid. Like I was in every sport possible. So I never got good at any of the sports, but I was in them. I was there. And hey, that's what matters.

Joel 13:03

Just trying new stuff.

Madeline 13:05

Yeah, yeah, truly trying new stuff. Um, when freshman year, my two guy friends who wrote the play senior year, they were like, There's this improv club that meets every week. And so we started going to open rehearsals at Improv Athens. I auditioned freshman year alongside those guys, and they got in and I didn't, but I just was like so fueled by it. I was so excited to be there. So I I would even watch the recordings they had of the team uh all the time, and I'd like to show my mom, which watching improv when you don't really care about it is like torture. Um, but she's a good sport. And then I got in my sophomore year, and I was there during it's improv Athens still exists, it's really wonderful. Uh, from what I can tell on Instagram, they have a great presence, great chemistry, and they're keeping it alive and well. Um, but when I was there, it was something so special, and I'm sure everyone would say that about their own experience, but like it grew from us just doing a show every so often in a tiny room to us doing two to three shows a week to a lecture hall of 200 people, and 200 people would come.

Joel 14:16

Wow.

Madeline 14:16

And it's just like unbelievable that we had that weekly cadence and that support.

Joel 14:22

And this is UGA. Yeah. Weekly college students would do an improv show and then 200 people would come out every single week.

Madeline 14:29

Yeah, but more than 200 because we would have an experimental show on Thursday where we created our own formats, and then Friday we would do two shows, and that would be our standard. Like we do a ton of short form and then we do a long form. And uh Madeline makes a face every time she hits the mic. This this is gonna be this episode's bit. So just if you're counting listeners, I've hit it three times. There will be some sneak taps throughout. Uh I love to use my hands, which my current foundational class has been making fun of because I I like curl my fingers like a villain, so it looks like I'm plotting. I've never realized that until they point it out. I've also never realized that I've said saber tooth tiger instead of cybertooth tiger. No, I've said I've been saying cyber tooth, and they're like, it's saber tooth. You've been saying cyber tooth? Yeah, no one corrected me until recently. People were like, um, Madeline.

Joel 15:24

Um people love you so much to not want to correct you saying cyber tooth.

Madeline 15:28

Or maybe they're also like, maybe it is cyber tooth. Like they're like questioning the other.

Joel 15:32

That's the influence you have. You're like, oh wait, Cybertooth. I've been saying it wrong.

Madeline 15:37

Really uh changing the worst world in the space here. Um yeah, Improvidence was a really special time. We rehearsed three times a week, too. So one of those was workshops. So that's where I got like some train being able to lead workshops and training through that. Uh and we would we went to LA, we went to New York, we went to uh Florida and Chicago. So we like exposed ourselves to different types of improv too. It just and it the the beauty of it too is we had no resources beyond just having availability to a room. So we were self-led, we were self-taught, and I truly believe anyone who came from that is like bangers. And a lot of them like are still doing improv. This one of them is recently on a herald team in California. In LA. I'm sorry, I feel like it's in California. Please edit that up. No, we're not. We're gonna present. A herald team in LA. Let me sound normal. Um and a lot of a big chunk of them are in New York right now as well. And then some of us are still lingering in Atlanta.

Atlanta's Need for More Spaces and Opportunities

Joel 16:50

I I love I love something you said about the group that y'all you just had availability of a room, and that's all you had, and needed to keep practicing and getting better. And and that stood out to me just because we've talked about this countless times about just availability of space to rehearse, to practice, to produce a show is very is a struggle for performers, uh, improvisers in Atlanta right now. Yeah. So it makes me think of that.

Madeline 17:14

Yeah, I have a lot of gratitude for my upbringing because I think that's what informed my drive and my success, because you don't you don't need a title, you don't need a theater, like all those things are nice, but you can make it happen if you're driven enough and if you care, and if you have a group of people who like champion you as well. And that that was so interesting near the uh in college, uh, when we graduated, uh, we formed our own group. And near the end of our time together, there were some people who just were like, Well, we need a rehearsal space, and it's like we can use a house. And we did use a house uh for a good bit. You you don't need somewhere fancy uh if you're doing the work, though venue is the biggest challenge. I mean, I produce a lot of shows and it's like venue finding a venue that values you and that's affordable for sure is is tough.

Joel 18:07

Yeah, you're right. House to practice and rehearse, yeah, great. Yeah, that's doable. You're right.

Madeline 18:12

Yeah. So anytime I do have a space, I am so appreciative of that space because I realize that it it it is effort to to to get somewhere. But yeah, um I yeah, I think a lot of my my path has been independently led and just surrounded by people who all wanted to make it in some sort of way, just a lot of funny driven, talented people. And when I moved to Atlanta, we I graduated in 2017 and I moved here. And I was like, okay, the only improv I know of is dad's garage. Did you want me to talk about my whole path or just how I got involved in the improv?

Building Six Kids

Joel 18:51

Yeah. You can you can either, yeah. Did I just skip a ton of you don't have to skip anything? You can share. Yeah, well, because what what's coming up for me is like, I'm curious, at what point during this process right now were you like, oh man, I love improv and I have to keep doing it? Because you're about to jump from we're jumping from college to your dad's garage now. Did you already know in college, like, oh, I want to be doing this for the rest of my life yet? Or was it just continuing this hobby outside of college at this point?

Madeline 19:20

Yeah, I mean, I think it's always been a part of me. Performance has always been a part of me in college. I was lucky that again, those people I was surrounded with, we all did sketch, we all did stand up. So it was like this incubator of comedians, and it just became a part of who we were. And so I can't see a life like where I'm not doing it in some sort of capacity. Uh, but I think what always drove me to it were the people. Like I found my community and my friends through that. Of course, like marching band as well. I think there's if you meet somebody who did marching band, they're probably the best person ever. I'm biased. But there's something special about band people. But um, improv just was who I was at my core. And I I think things just like naturally unfurled. Uh, too, it wasn't like I was like, I'm gonna build a program, or actually, I am pretty intense. I did move to Atlanta with like, we're gonna be the UCB of Atlanta, like was my intention. Wow. Because I just believed in us so much and I loved the group so much that I was like, we can be something, but it wasn't we didn't that didn't happen until like we all graduated, and it was like, okay, well, I still want to do improv. And so I took a class at dad's. I took level three, I messaged them, and I was like, here's all my experience. I've been doing improv for 10 years now. And they were like, okay, I guess you can take level three. And I remember being in level three, and there were people who didn't know what yes and was, and I was like, How are you in level three? But I was miss intensity, so like people now being a teacher and working with so many people, so many people are drawn to and can benefit from improv. And so somebody who's like in level three might just be like, I'm taking this to get better at public speaking, or like I'm a corporate guy who just is looking for two hours of fun. And so, like, they're not living, breathing, being obsessed with it. And so it's totally fine that they didn't know what it was. But me at like 19 or however, or I was 22, I was like, How do you not know? Like, I want to I remember the teacher went around the class and was like, How do you what do you want to get out of this class? And I was like, I want to do this. So I guess to answer your question, I've always been like, Yeah, yeah.

The Drive to Keep Growing After College

Joel 21:29

So you were so out of college, you're like, How do I continue this? How to keep growing? How do I keep feeling challenged?

Madeline 21:34

Absolutely. And I asked the teacher at the end of the course, I was like, Hey, how do you audition? And he would just was like, you don't, you just hang around. And I was like, I don't want to just hang around, I want to do this. I'm I did this like basically every day for four years in a row. So like tip goes.

Joel 21:52

I love that the advice is hang around, but like you just gotta like hang around. It's like I'm not good at hanging out.

Madeline 21:58

I'm very awkward.

Joel 22:00

That's not my strength. My strength is on stage performing.

Madeline 22:03

I mean, when I do hang out with people, I am always like, tell me about your soul, tell me about your heart. Who do you have a crush on? And not everyone loves that when you're hanging out.

Joel 22:11

Yeah.

Madeline 22:11

Some people just like to take down Bruce Gase. And um yeah, I just ask people a lot of questions, which I think is a strength of mine.

Joel 22:20

But I think so too. I'm sure you've heard that a bunch. Uh something that stands out. Oh no. Madeline makes a face line. Um, no, I love how inquisitive you are. Yeah, you're good. Yeah. Oh my God. Madeline is so nervous to make noises around the mic. She she looked at me and with her eyes asked permission to cough.

Madeline 22:41

When I laugh a lot, I get a mucus cough. And uh, I mean it's a lot of people. Everyone wants to know. Hey, I I talk about it in my solo show, but when it happened on a date once, and I uh in order to cover it up, I did a golem impression. So you guys might your ears might be tickled by some fun impressions today. Look at me being we'll get some golem.

Joel 23:04

Okay. Um so classes, yeah. I imagine that in classes, I felt that too, I think, go just coming up in classes and being having such a mix of variety of experience levels, um, and you wanting to be a performer, wanting to be on stage, asking, how does that how do I make that a possibility? And then you hear just hang around. And so what do you do after that, after you hear that?

Atlanta Jams

Madeline 23:34

Yeah, I and there are way more places that I didn't even know existed. I remember my first jam was actually at Highwire, which uh rip rest in peace. And now I also know whole world exists, but like upon coming to Atlanta, I was like, Where? And I had been to dad's like once because of that friend who was in high school and college with me, related to Scott, who got to play a couple times at dad's and brought me on stage to play with them. Which I was like, now that I think about it, they were like, probably, who's this? Uh I was like 18. Uh, so I I love him so much. I'm so thankful for him. Um, but yeah, I messaged the people I graduated with, which there were six, there were five of us, and one person who was older than us who was still in Atlanta, and we got together because we all still wanted to do improv. And I was lucky that one of them, I mean, most of us all did stand up. Uh, so one of them had a connection with relapse, and relapse just was a place that any um any comedy, any alt comedy could exist in Atlanta, and it's come and gone so many different times, and it's coming back again. But I'm so thankful for Bob, who uh just took a chance on us. He let us rehearse there Mondays and Wednesdays, and then we also started to have our monthly show there, and because we had a following at UGA, those people followed us, and so we would pack out yeah, 60 to 100 person rooms monthly would be our our we were called six kids. And we then dropped to like once a week for rehearsals because we all had lives, but like we maintained that for several years into the pandemic, and because of that, we then started uh we won like a battle at Village, which was another theater, and we ended up having a slot regularly there. And then the artistic director at the time, Ryan Archibald, he coached us for free because he saw us and he was like, he believed in us, and so it just was really cool to find these avenues of like where the door closed somewhere else. It was like, okay, we can create our own thing. And so we continued to like with our Improv Athens foundation where we led workshops, we started leading workshops as well. And that's how I met like Joseph Lopez, who's a collaborator now in 2026 with me, which is so crazy. Um, and I also of the group, like I hit the ground running in terms of like doing jams as much as I could. And the only jam that was really available at the time was Richard Kickers. Uh, and that was like the uh it was like a watering hole for all improvisers in the scene to kind of connect. So that was a great way to meet people at Village, people at Dad's, people at Highwire, um, all in one place. And really, that was like the N D scene. And they were 20-minute jams too with any type of personality, which recently came back, and you got to experience that.

Joel 26:19

I got to witness that.

Madeline 26:21

Uh and but it made me so strong because it was like, oh, I can play with anyone and I can make them look good, and that's what

How to Approach Jams: Love Your Partner So Deeply

Madeline 26:27

matters.

Joel 26:27

Yeah, and for those listening, Richard Kickers was um uh was a jam that has been told to me as the Wild West. Yeah, it has been told to me that it's just a wild anything goes type of jam in the past, um, and that has just recently come back. Um, but so talk about improvising in that type of a jam and how it made you stronger. You mentioned how it made you stronger. How can you elaborate on that?

Madeline 26:54

Yeah, of course, of course. I love jams. The one thing about like teaching all the time is that I don't have time for jams anymore, and they're my favorite thing. Um yeah, oh my gosh. I think it comes down to love your partner so deeply. No matter if you're with your team or at a jam or in a rotating cast, if you love your partner so deeply, you can do anything. And you'll find that too. Like, I remember like these were the weekly reps, like my introduction into the Atlanta improv community, and people would be so complimentary afterwards, they're like, Oh, you made that person look so good. And it's like, that's what resonates with people. Not trying to shine, not trying to like be the funniest person on stage. It's like, okay, this is the thing that's happening now. How do I like support the hell out of it to make them feel like a rock star? Because in turn, you will feel and look like a rock star. Uh, this last week when kickers did come back, uh, there was an improviser who had never done improv before, and they asked me as we were on stage, they're like, so how does this work? And these are 20-minute sets, so like you kind of get tired after it. Uh, 20-minute sets, like, our group was a group of 10. Uh, and I just was like, Oh, you swipe and tap. And then we like got up pulled off to the side to start. And I was put in that group intentionally by the person in charge because they knew that I'd take care of the person and that the person was new, which was really kind of them that the leader is so considerate. Um and this person actually was fantastic. Uh, just they talked a lot throughout the sets, but like they were so naturally funny. Like, I was like, they don't even need me. But I think the way that I did help them is that sometimes when people see that coming, they panic and they like some some of the people like mocked this person, or some people talked over them, and it's like, don't talk over them, don't like don't resist it. Let it happen and like find a fun way to spin it and highlight it because resisting it is a block.

Joel 28:56

And yeah, yeah. Because a lot of people are seeing this person as a disruptor, as like someone who's gonna ruin every scene, but you're coming from the protect perspective of like, oh, this person still adding can add stuff. It's adding stuff, and you can still you're still finding things to support with this person.

Madeline 29:13

Yeah, let's have fun instead of getting in your head about it. I think an exercise that helped is like, why is this the best initiation ever? Uh, why is this the best thing that could possibly happen on stage? And like, granted, I certainly have days where like judgment does enter and I'm like, why is my partner doing that? But I found the best sets that I can do, the ones that I have the most fun are where I'm like loving, I'm I'm finding the joy in every single moment. Uh, another example was at the bibliothek jam, uh, where a woman started to sing tomorrow from Annie for no reason. And instead of again trying to correct her or trying to force my idea, it's like, all right, that's happening now. And the audience loved it because we weren't making her look bad, we weren't trying to talk over her because they're gonna do their thing if if if they don't know what they're doing, or if they're coming from a place of fear, uh, or if they're just like, yeah, most of the time people making those decisions that can be seen as steamrolling is because they're coming from a place of fear, um or they're like yeah, or they're unfamiliar in some sort of way. And so how do we nurture nurture that?

Joel 30:23

Yeah, that's something I try to communicate in classes also when I'm like plugging jams, is to I I like to communicate that it can feel challenging, and that's part of why it's important to go is to feel that discomfort, the challenges of working with all the different people that you don't know and adapting scene by scene and like building that muscle.

Madeline 30:45

Yeah, and I love encouraging people to go to jams because uh very first day of class, I'm like, leave your ego at the door because my classes are built for anyone at any point of their journey. You're gonna resonate with something. And I'm just like, if you've been doing this forever, leave your ego at the door. If you're brand new, leave that fear at the door. Go to jams because you will learn to, if there are people who are more experienced, you'll rise to the occasion. If there are people who are brand new, you'll lift them up, you'll learn how to play with anybody. And I think the strongest improvisers are the most supportive improvisers who can just like make anyone feel like a rock star.

Encouraging Students to Go to Jams

Joel 31:21

100%. I agree. Um, and that's something I've had to um navigate also. Jams can be tough. Dams can um jams can be tough, and I know I'm so familiar with that feeling after jams be like, oh, that was so tough. Yeah, nothing felt like it worked. Um and I remember early trying to force jokes or trying to like force things that I think would have made the scene better, instead of just supporting what was already there, or um, and I just see I just see now how much simpler it is if I go in with the mindset of of just letting ego go, letting ego at the door, like leave it and just support whoever's there, what idea whatever ideas are there, just support it, and then everything goes smoother.

The Pressure of Performing as a Teacher and Leader

Madeline 32:09

Yeah, I think it's okay to have those feelings though, too, because pressure definitely exists. There's the pressure that people want to do well if they're in a certain room and there's a like a booker there, or like certain theaters have reputations where people are like, but I want to get on their ensemble. Uh, there's also like the pressure of like this is their one chance to play out of the whole week, and like eight minutes certainly is not enough. Uh, and then there's also pressure sometimes, I don't know if you feel as like a leader in the scene to like, oh, my students are watching me. I better like be on my best behavior. Or there's potential students here that it's like this is I tell people if they want to take a class, go and see stuff, and then whoever you want to be more like, learn from them. Uh, so there's also that aspect too, if like, oh, they see your bomb. But hopefully there's like enough grace in the space. Uh yeah, uh yeah, which helps to have like that mindset or that goal of like, okay, I'm just here to let loose, have fun, make other people look good. And if I achieve that goal, then I've achieved it. And if people see that, like maybe it's not your best set and they judge you on that, well, that's fine.

Joel 33:18

Yeah, it is it is what it is. I I've I felt that too as a teacher and leader in the community, um, feeling like oh, I I have to have a good set every time I'm on stage. But I've I've slowly let that go. It's just like the it's a part of improv. It you know, 50-50, even if that, if you know when when things are clicking or not, and that's just a part of the game. That's just like a part of the the reality of improv. Um, I think all the all the the rules and the tools that we use to build a scene, the platform, emotions, relationships, all that stuff helps to make a scene, like increases the probability of a successful scene. But I've seen scenes that have all those boxes checked and did not and were not like great scenes. So I feel like it doesn't guarantee a good scene for me, but whenever I'm um, but I'm doing my best just to like go with the flow and just know that not every set's gonna be great and just be accept

Not Every Set Will Be Great, and That's Okay

Joel 34:13

it.

Madeline 34:13

Yeah, not putting all the weight on one instance. Yeah, yeah, because there's I forget who this quote comes from, but I I'm quoting Amy, I think it's Amy Polar every time I say it, and I do say this is Amy Polar. If you're gonna quote somebody to get guess at it, it's good to just throw Amy Polar out there. But you're gonna perform a lot, and not all of them are gonna be quality, and that's okay. But uh, what can ease people's stress in that is if you have one goal every time you play, every time you jam, just like having that one goal, you're not gonna check all the boxes, but just that one thing, then you can walk away being like, I did my job, and that's great. And like a way to that a lot of people I think around town also view jams is like it's a gym, it's a rep, it's uh just stretching. Uh, let's stretch ourselves here, let's not try to be perfect. Uh, and that can also alleviate a lot of the stress, which is also what I try to like emphasize in my classroom too. Like, I tell everyone, I'm like, I'm not Lauren Michaels. And I'm sure they're like, what? You look five. Uh I'm like, I don't have, I have like, I don't have, oh my gosh. That was the fourth time I hit the mic. Number four. Um, yeah, okay, I'm not Lauren Michaels. Oh no. Let me be clear, listeners. Madeline's arms are crossed now, actually, too. She stopped talking with her hands. I'm gonna be sitting on my hands by the end of this. Uh but I have very limited powers, so why not just stretch yourself and grow in class at jams wherever? Like, take the risks, because that's the only time that that's the only way that you'll be able to grow.

Joel 35:51

Yeah, I agree. I love jams. Uh, last night's jam at dad's garage. Um, there was someone in my group who was like, just so in the check-ins that are like, I just I want everyone to know my goal today is like to work on scene painting. And I was like, and I'm like, go for it.

Madeline 36:06

Because then you, as their partner, can be like, how can I create a situation where they can scene paint? Or like bring them on so that they can do that or do it with them on the channel. She did great.

Joel 36:16

She did great. Somebody came in with like a cooking something, like throwing spices into a bowl, and she came out and made it into a cauldron with adding like, oh, it's bubbling out over the edge of it. Is this bubbling smoke coming down the cauldron? And then it became this witch scene, and it was just so cool. That's awesome. And she and she did amazing scene painting throughout the set.

Madeline 36:36

Oh my gosh, incredible.

Joel 36:38

Glad she achieved her goal.

Madeline 36:39

She's done now.

Joel 36:40

Yeah, regardless of how the whole set went as a whole, she could be like, Oh, I worked on that skill today and check. And I love that mentality. Going into jams like that is super helpful. Yeah, jams. Love it. Love it. Um, what would you say to someone who's new at improvising and is it feels intimidated by jams or is like or is having trouble um focusing on stage, staying present.

Advice for New Improvisers: Staying Present on Stage

Madeline 37:07

Uh, if you're new and you're going to jams and are nervous about getting on stage, just join a group because then you have the choice to get up. Uh, you have the choice to say yes or no rather than watching and being like, oh man, I wish I did it. So always join a group. You don't have to get on stage. Um ask the question again.

Joel 37:26

Uh how to stay present in in the in a scene when you're up there and you're like deer in headlights and you your mind goes blank.

Madeline 37:32

Yeah. Uh take comfort in that we're all learning. There's people who have been doing this forever and they still have moments where they're in their head or have a block or whatever. So take comfort that you're not alone in this. Um also take comfort. There was a phrase said to me early on in my career. I'm a marketer during the day, and it's don't compare your chapter one to someone's chapter 11. So despite like maybe thinking that everyone in the room has more experience than you, like there they might be further along in their journey, and that's okay. Like this environment, you're meant to be here to learn and to grow. And if you're on stage and you're like, oh shoot, I don't know what to say, just emotionally react. Emotions can guide you through most anything. Emotionally react, repeat what the partner just said with an emotion, go to your environment when in doubt, go to your environment, or just react to something. Because if you ever feel seen going stale, or if you ever don't know what to say, just have a strong reaction and that can help guide or propel you forward. Um yeah, um, and you can also just like say what you would authentically say in that moment, too. You don't have to be like quirky or funny, the funny will come. And if you're just honestly replying and not inventing new things, but just pulling from your own experience, your own emotion feeling. Um, pulling from your own experience, it'll come a lot easier to you, your own point of view, because you know that feeling. Uh, and you don't have to create new things. Um, listening is just or listening, improv is just listening and reacting.

Joel 39:12

I love that. Wow, that that's a very juicy response. The community has so much to pull from. Um, okay, so we got to dad's. You finished dad's, and now you're like, what I want to keep doing

The Path to Road Trip

Joel 39:23

this.

Madeline 39:23

I only did level three at dad's, and then that's six kids was born from there. And then yeah, we started our regular shows, we got involved with village, we were doing it all, and we even went to DCM. I went to DCM as Improv Athens, but also uh as as Six Kids, the Dell Closed Marathon, which is coming back this year, which is really wonderful. Um, celebrating 22 years, I believe, or 20, yeah, I think 22, which is crazy. Um, we also went to like a couple other festivals around the nation.

Joel 39:57

And um yeah, just so just so uh did did the the middle school, high school, college, level three at dads, and besides level three at dads, was there any other improv besides workshops and stuff?

Madeline 40:11

I ended up doing the conservatory at dads too.

Joel 40:13

Yeah, audition, which is um, for those who don't know, is um an auditioned intensive class over the almost a year, or maybe like seven, eight months or something like that.

Madeline 40:23

Yeah, but as far as formal training, there wasn't really a ton, but it was a lot of like we read a lot of books. We I mean I've listened to a lot of podcasts. Uh and in college, we were fortunate enough to work with Mick Napier at one point, and he was phenomenal. He's the uh founder of The Annoyance, he was a director at Second City, he worked with Scott Adsid and Tina Fay. Uh, and he in 10 minutes can tell you in five minutes can tell you what you do wrong. Uh just working with him was unbelievable. And we also got to work with Scott a few times. He played with us, he did workshops kind of with us. Um, so oh that's incredible. On and off some places and and people, and more recently I've done uh the I.O. intensive, just the week intensive, worked with Stacey Halal from Port Portland.

Joel 41:17

Oh, love I love Stacy's show when she when she came here.

Madeline 41:20

I know. Ah, the fact that I got to play with her.

Joel 41:22

Incredible.

Madeline 41:23

Yeah, we did workshops with her in Nashville, and then uh I did some with her when she was in Atlanta, and then she had me on her show, Ruby Rocket, which if you have a chance to see it, go see it. She's incredible show. Phenomenal and such a kind person. I've hopped into a couple Patty Styles workshops, and um trying to think of everyone I've ever. Yeah, also legend, like and intimidatingly so. And it's just like, oh my gosh.

Joel 41:49

Yeah, I I'm signing up for the the workshops coming up, the blot six-week block with with um Patty Styles on Wednesdays.

Madeline 41:56

Wonderful. Yeah, she's absolutely very excited.

Joel 41:58

Very excited.

Madeline 41:59

And some of those, even though they're virtual sessions, I've incorporated some of them into my teachings as well. And she's very Johnstonian, which is what Dad's Garage is. And so I I teach now at Dad's, and with that, like there have been workshops with Tim Stoltenberg. Uh so I teach level one and level four at dad's, and then I also teach my own program. Um, so yeah, it's just been a lot of conglomerate of like learning as much as I can from anyone who's around me. Yes. Uh, and anything around me.

Joel 42:28

I feel like that that path is so beautiful too, because it sounds mostly like jams, reps, anything you can grab, podcasts, books. It's just like this mishmash of all these different resources and tools and workshops. Um and I feel like a lot of people take just take classes and there's so much uh education left on the table. I love I love the my shelf of improv books that I've literally just made like a quarter through. And they're just like they're waiting for me to dive into them.

Madeline 43:04

Uh but though I I feel because I have the same, I have like a shelf of books, and like I started off with my program using like improvised by Mick Napier, uh Will Heinz books, uh TJ and Dave's book, um, oh man, and a couple other, but like it wasn't every book ever. And like as I've continued to grow as a teacher and I'm constantly learning, we're never done learning, I'm buying more and more. I'm seeing what people need, and I'm trying to absorb all of those sorts of exercises, adapt them to the need, and then like push them out, or like through the understanding of how I teach and my philosophy and what's worked best for me. So you'll get through them. Yeah.

Joel 43:46

I and I I love I love an improv book. Um, the podcasts have been super useful and insightful for me, also. Um, I subscribe to a few improv newsletters that always have a few great gems in them. Um oh yeah. Um there's just so many. I guess just for the listeners always like feeling like you don't always have to take a class to learn. You can listen to other stuff, you can buy a book.

Madeline 44:09

Both of us are teachers, and it's like, yes. Yeah, you don't have to take a class. Well, take our classes.

Joel 44:15

Take our classes.

Madeline 44:17

Yeah, but like there it is kind of beautiful how many resources there are out there. And I was listening to the yes also QA, and one of the questions was like, How do you oh man, I'm blanking right now.

Joel 44:31

But who was the guest?

Madeline 44:34

No, it was just a QA. I think it was my question too. Oh, cool. Uh but uh they just were like, there's you don't there's so many things accessible to you, like even with podcasts and how I've thought, even with how Instagram, like I've messaged some people for advice and resources, and things are a lot more accessible than they used to be. And so you don't always have to move. You can stay where you are, you can get good at good at it. But it is great to have exposure too. I mean, both of us, like it was really cool to be in Chicago around all of those day-driven people.

Joel 45:10

100%.

Madeline 45:11

Um, and I know you're going very soon. So it's always valuable. Like, I I take as many workshops as I can when I can because I want to be in that environment. I I'm at a point where I'm like, I'm searching for feedback too. And I'm always just like, well, I know there's so much that I don't know, and I just want to be sure that I'm always giving back to my students. So, yes, you don't always have to take a class because I do know financially, like that is a I think that's the biggest hurdle for folks, is just like constantly paying for classes over and over and over. Yeah. So, and there's like your teachers probably, your past teachers, if you've taken classes, are probably always willing to give you notes or like talk to you, or if you see them at a jam, you can always ask them for notes. Uh, you can also get coaches which are cheaper alternatives.

Joel 45:59

Yeah, cheaper alternative. It's like, oh, I love a coaching. I I know New York, LA, and Chicago have way bigger coaching scenes than Atlanta does, but that's something that I think Atlanta could use also as a larger coaching scene.

Madeline 46:12

Yeah, it just comes to time, right? Like I would coach way more. It's just time. Oh, yeah. Because you're teaching classes.

Joel 46:18

Yeah, a bunch of classes too.

Madeline 46:19

Yeah, so uh it's yeah.

Joel 46:22

Yeah, that's the the the biggest limitation that we have is time. I feel like. Yeah, because coaching, coaching essentially is like, yeah, you're just paying a teacher to come to wherever it is your living room with a with some friends and just paying them directly.

Madeline 46:38

And then that also can ease the stress of one person managing things, which can tend to happen with independent groups. And a coach doesn't have to come every week. I have some students who have their coach come every week, but I've worked with some groups where I just come like scattered and I check, I give them stuff to work on, and then I'll see them again, the same thing, or I'll see their show in between and then have feedback for them another time. So anything can work, it doesn't have to be like this massive commitment. And I think people think that sometimes too with like a group that it has to be a massive commitment.

Joel 47:12

Yeah, that's the cool thing about coaching too, the flexibility of it. It's whatever fits the the group's needs. Yeah, it's really cool.

Madeline 47:19

Absolutely, yeah.

Joel 47:20

Um, I love that. Lots of ways to educate yourself, reps. Um, so you're so you you've had this education and you're in Atlanta and you're figuring out what to do next. And I'm curious about the story of road trip. We talked about six kids a bunch, but you're I we have so many projects to talk about. Road trips, uh, six kids, camp crush, edge would have, two nice you're you No alibi. No alibi.

How New Projects Are Born

Madeline 47:47

Mads Mixer.

Joel 47:48

Yeah, there's so much Madeline. You do so many incredible shows. Like, so as you're like progressing and and figuring out what's next, how do you figure out what what new project is coming up?

Madeline 48:01

Oh man, they all come from me wanting to play as much as possible. People are like, you're such a good producer, and I'm like, I want to play. Yeah, and that's the thing. Like, if we are talking about Atlanta as a whole, like the reason I teach is because I saw a gap in the scene, and I was like, there's so much talent here, and there needs to be more people to harness it. And so, like, I had enough experience, and like I was I've always been a teacher. I you you didn't even ask about the teaching stuff, but I've always been a teacher in some way, and I I can expand on this later. So then I was like, I'm gonna form classes. Uh, and so like also alongside that is like Atlanta is very much Atlanta is very much an entrepreneurial city. I was talking to some stand-ups about that. Like, there's no clear path in Atlanta of like the theater to go to or like how to get picked up in some sort of way. You kind of just have to create your own opportunities. And so, like I was saying, I was with my college experience, I have a lot of gratitude for that grit and drive that we established that like it kind of bled in when uh um Road Trip was created. Road Trip was created in 2022. Um so six kids had like existed. We started in like 2017, 2018, and we even did online improv during the pandemic. And then after the pandemic, people's lives just priority shifted. And I again, my goal was to be the UCB of Atlanta, like for the team. And I always thought that I needed the team to do that. I was like, everyone's so talented, that's the only way like to do it and to teach, to do shows, but people like you know, we're all living our lives, and so a good group of the members, like some people had moved away, some people were getting pregnant, some people bought a house and just were like, this isn't my main priority anymore. And it took a little bit to like realize that, but I started shifting my energy to teaching and then also to road trip, which was like, well, I want to play as much as possible, and there's so many people in the scene I haven't played with. And and I also had done stand-up for a long time as well, and so it was a way to combine those worlds and bridge that gap and bridge the community too, because there were people post-pandemic, like there were highwire people that existed that people didn't even know what highwire was because it was closed at that point. Relapse had closed at that point, Village had closed at that point, so there were so many places that were closed, and there were so many of these past improvisers, but then this new scene that was sprouting up, and so the frequency of playing, the ability to play with different people and to learn by connect playing and connecting with different people, kind of like a jam setting, but not really, and then the bridging of the gap of stand-up and improv. And so the first show I it was gonna be at Dynamic, and then at the time I was teaching at Roll Call and they had somebody something drop. So I was like, Well, I can put together this new show I'm working on. And so three road trips existed before I even made the Instagram because I was like, oh no, yeah, and now it's grown to like, oh man, I think 70. I was I I meant to look at the stats before, but we're about to hit 160 improvisers featured, 70, I think, shows probably, which also means more than that of storytellers. And last year I had um over 2,000 audience members attend, which was really cool. Um it's gonna be in Atlanta Fringe. Um, I I just I'm really excited to see where it's going uh because it's just constantly surprised me. It's kind of been my baby in a lot of ways. It also helped me because Road Trip is an Armando, which is improv based on stories, um, it's helped me tap into the game element and get better at game. And so I'm one of my school, it uh also emphasizes game and pattern uh alongside relationships and emotions. Because relationships, emotions, storytelling, because I come from that acting background is like my strength. But through getting to do this show, I've been able to work on other aspects and other strengths. Yeah, so uh, and like, oh my gosh, the people who have been on it, like it's

Road Trip: Atlanta's Biggest Improv Show

Madeline 52:27

so cool.

Joel 52:27

Yeah, it's like uh the road trip, and just for those listening who have maybe there's a new improviser listening to this podcast in Atlanta, Road Trip is like the biggest improv show in Atlanta. It is the the most consistently awesome improv show you can see, and it is so fun every single time. Uh, it's a rotating cast show, and Madeline has such a gift of putting together these perfect casts, both of like inexperienced improvisers with veterans, that put together this beautiful, beautiful display on stage that is just like so cool. Each and every show. Highly recommend checking out Road Trip if you have not yet.

Madeline 53:13

Oh, I've got like tears in my eyes. And there's like there's tissues here too. I think, yeah, also the convenience. I I wrote I know rotating casts has have always existed in some sort of way, but road trip was like the resurgence of like now everyone does a rotating cast to the point where I'm like, okay, Atlanta, we gotta have more teams. Yeah, we do need more teams, yeah. We need more strong teams, but it's nice and convenient to be able to do that, like because then you're not waiting on like rehearsals and stuff.

The Rise of Rotating Casts and Why Atlanta Needs More Teams

Joel 53:42

I think that's the part that that's why rotating casts are easier.

Madeline 53:44

Yeah, and everyone brings their own audience, which is always so the show is always exposed to newer people, which is cool. Uh, I do think like something I've kept from the beginning is I always have like the staple, like some staples, people who can cushion it, and then people that I take a chance on. I slowly add like one to three new performers every show, uh, just so that like I am still uplifting the community, getting, giving someone a chance. I love to see someone who has so much talent and then open that door for them. Like a lot of the work that I do too is because the door was not open for me when I came into town. And it was like I had to like create it. Uh, and so when I see somebody who like has so much skill and potential and deserves a stage, I'm so excited to be able to give them that opportunity. Um, and I'm I'm very fortunate for the venues it it has existed on. Um, most recently I've had Red Light, SCAD Show, and Dad's Garage. Dad's Garage is where it exists monthly, uh, sometimes Bibliotech as well, which is where I teach. And um it just feels so special for someone to get to perform at a venue that ha has such prestige. So that's really cool too. And yeah, I mean, my goal, just like the UCV goal, is like for it to be the biggest and best show in the city, that like even beyond Atlanta, people seek out road trip. People who are in town, who are famous, want to be on it. And I'm hopeful, I have a little bit of insanity in my intensity, uh, that it will be that. And in the last year, sorry, I feel like I'm like Bragg, Bragg, I was like at the beginning, I don't want to talk about myself. Um, but yeah, in the last year, I've had I had Jim O'Hare on it, who saw Edgewood Avenue at Fringe and liked us so much that he took a chance to do road trip and he was such a delight. Jim O'Hare was Jerry on Parks and Rec, and he just was so talented, so fun. And like being able to have him, I've had Baron Vaughn, who was recently on Dropout, Michael Rowland, who's on Animal Control, uh Dedrick Flynn, who's on Kill Tony, Mandel, who's been opening for John Mullaney and literally just recorded his special, uh Lace Larrabee, who uh America's Got Talent, Blair Erskine, who uh Jimmy Kimmel. Like, it's just like all these, a lot of those people I knew through stand-up. So like I'm very fortunate that they took a chance on me. Um and oh man, I could keep naming, I I keep thinking of like all these people I love. Oh, Sean Patton from English teacher, just like really incredible people that like are doing the show. And I I'm gonna, for the anniversary, have a surviv the Survivor 49 winner, which is gonna be so cool. And Susie Barrett. Susie Barrett. Ah, just like so many cool things are happening, and uh I think it's because I didn't just let it

From 11 People to Sold-Out Shows at Dad's Garage

Madeline 56:38

die.

Joel 56:38

Yeah, yeah, and like you said that at one point you were looking for opportunities, the door was closed, you built your own door and walked through it. And I'm lucky.

Madeline 56:51

I'm lucky that other people helped the door get built, right? So like I had a team and relapse existed, so like that was able to put me on a platform, and then like the uh the beginning of Road Trip, very thankful role for roll call and dynamic to help build that consistency. I had it twice a month at Dynamic, uh, and then moved it for the year anniversary to dad's and it then was at dad's for a year and then it moved to the main stage at dad's, and it's been there now for four years, well, three years, uh, but four-year anniversary coming up. So it's it's finding people who champion you and advocate for you, and like yeah, being, I mean, I'm very persistent. I don't and not taking no for an answer. Like, uh, okay, if this won't exist here, then like where else can it exist? Yeah. And yeah, certainly venues are are tough, but finding people who value you and want you there are certainly important.

Joel 57:53

Yeah, just making it work. Like you found I remember watching a road trip at Dynamic with I remember the size of the crowd, but it wasn't, you know, 200 at Dad's Garage. Um, and then how persistent you stayed in this vision that you had for the show and producing the show, and then seeing a road trip with a sold-out 200 seats at Dad's Garage in in amazing, amazing to witness.

Madeline 58:19

Oh, yeah. The first show had 11 people at it, and I remember day of there were only two tickets sold, and I was at a work event and I was scrambling, messaging anybody, and I was like, hey, please, this is gonna be a great cast, and it was a great cast, but just like begging people to come. Oh, I'd had Tamar Rubin who now has blown up. She opened for Chris Fleming recently for uh Chris Fleming's tour. Yeah, Tamar, incredible. I love being able to shout out all these awesome people. Um, it's also only grown because of the talent on it, people who want to take a chance on it, and the audience who keeps coming back. Like it's the community that has been built around it that I'm just so fortunate. Because yeah, it wouldn't exist with this amazing scene that we have and these people who are just again championing, championing it. Uh, I'm just really lucky to the audience every time I'm like, who's been a road trip? And like half the group claughs, and then I'm like, Who's never been? And then they all the other half laughs, and it's just so cool. The people who continue to come. Austin Combs, he wears his road trip shirt and takes pictures whenever he goes somewhere. He'll like be like, he'll send it to me, which is so sweet.

Joel 59:23

So sweet. Yeah, there's a following, there's a following for road trip now. Love the stickers, love seeing the stickers around the city on people's bottles.

Madeline 59:32

Yes, I it's like the ass cat of Atlanta, and like I'm not trying to copyright it or anything in that way, but that's what I'm trying to build here, and it's working. Knock on wood. Knock on wood that it continues to do so. And I want to tour with it, um, with it getting infringed this year. Hopefully that'll create some opportunities for the future. Hopefully, anyone listening, if you're famous. Not even famous.

Joel 59:59

If you're famous or listening to my podcast, can you please let me know? Can you reach out to me and be like, hey, I'm famous?

Madeline 1:00:07

I hope everyone DMs you I'm famous because we're all famous and success even. Yeah, we're all famous. But if you're really famous, I did just do a set recently where we asked an audience member if they were an artist, and they were like, Well, everyone's an artist. And I was like, Yes, yes, we are. So we're all famous. Yeah. Hey, look, Ma, I'm married. Well, you get it fined for me singing that.

Joel 1:00:32

Yeah, we're gonna get fined. Yeah, but it's gonna come out of um I'll do a yard sale and we'll pay the fine.

Madeline 1:00:38

Oh, a yard sale.

All of Madeline's Projects: No Alibi, Camp Crush, Prom Prov, and More

Joel 1:00:39

Um, we uh so we talk about road trip. You have so many other projects. Camp Crush, Edge Would Ave, Two Nice Ladies, Um, No Alibi. And there are you're and uh going back to what you said before, they're all just opportunities for you to keep playing.

Madeline 1:00:54

Oh, I just want to play.

Joel 1:00:55

Yeah.

Madeline 1:00:56

No alibi is something I've been wanting to bring back forever. I did it when I was a part of the village theater. Oh, I guess when you'd like to talk about training, I was on the village, one of the casts there. Um, and we did this, we did a format that's very much like it, and it's taps into it's a murder mystery, and it taps into emotions and relationships and like narrative work, which narrative is my bread and butter. That is like mainly what I did in college. It's where I thrive. I love storytelling, and that's also a lot of the groups I'm into. Like Camp Crush does like a spokane almost, but like more narrative-based. Um Two Nice Ladies is a mono scene. Something musical is like a deconstructed herald. Um, and Mad Bro is like a um I forgot about yeah, Mad Bro. It's uh it's new. Uh, and I won't make an Instagram because it's with my partner, and that's risky. That's risky. But I love playing with him. I think we read each other really well. But yeah, we've been doing a lot of narrative as well. So yeah, I I had been doing road trips so much, which is very gamey and very like montagey. There are callbacks for sure.

Joel 1:02:09

You were craving that storytelling.

Madeline 1:02:10

Yes, because it's like I that I'm good at this. Yeah, let me play. Uh so I brought back Noelba, and it was something that I had been wanting to bring back forever, and I just like never I just bit the bullet and last year got like seven shows out before the theater got bought and is now being renovated. So it will come back soon, but it's just so satisfying. And I wanted it to be like a core cast. Oh, yeah, because so satisfying. I love to make the audience like care about these characters and then go.

Joel 1:02:38

The gasps, the gasps in that show. Oh my god, so good. And I love the way you coach the cast beforehand, the information you send and like the things to emphasize is super helpful because it helps to create those intimate moments that get the audience invested to to find those gasp moments.

Madeline 1:02:59

Yeah, and that one we can take our time. Like sometimes with Road Trip, I'm like, hey, let's like get these tag runs going. But with like Noaliba, I'm like, let's take our time, let's really invest in these relationships. Because when this character dies, or when this character gets revealed as a murderer, the audience will be so distraught by it. And I love that.

Joel 1:03:17

Yes, it's such a fun show. And even the little bit of the production value, too, I love.

Madeline 1:03:22

Yeah, which is really just turning the lights off and on. It just has a lot of blackouts.

Joel 1:03:28

Turns red also. That's nice.

Madeline 1:03:30

Yeah, and that was like a big thing for because I would keep doing it, but it's just that it comes back to that conversation about venue. Yeah, it needed a space where a blackout could happen to really have the effect because when somebody dies, the lights turn off and then they turn back on. Um that's how lights work.

Joel 1:03:50

Yeah, but I'm glad we got it, you know, deep to the nitty. We get on the nitty-gritty on this podcast.

Madeline 1:03:56

Oh my gosh.

Joel 1:03:58

I'm like, wow.

Madeline 1:04:00

Uh yeah, the light, there's a lot of blackouts involved, but it the blackouts help create suspense and the audience is involved in creating the characters and who dies too. So we don't even know until we get on the stage, which is really cool.

Joel 1:04:12

It's very, very fun. I'll link it. I'll link all the stuff in the description, all the projects, all the all the teams.

Madeline 1:04:18

And Mad's Mixer was fun and is coming back.

Joel 1:04:21

Oh, I hope so. I love well, something I love about Mads Mixer's road trip also is that these are two shows where you incorporate um inexperienced improvisers or students of yours in your show in your show sometimes. Well, Mads Mixer is a is a bucket, right?

Madeline 1:04:37

Yeah. Well, I yeah, that actually makes me think No Alibi wanted it to be a core cast, but then I kept being like, oh, this person deserves a chance.

Joel 1:04:44

Yeah.

Madeline 1:04:45

Uh but what I'm finding too as I'm teaching is like different people have different strengths. And so, like, yeah, I might not pull you for a road trip, but maybe you're a really good narrative player, and I want to give you that chance on No Alibi. Uh, so continuing to find opportunities where yes, I get to play, but other people get to as well. And then from that, I mean, people have often formed even formed teams from meeting on these shows too, which is really cool. That's beautiful, yeah. Edgewood Avenue. Like a lot of Edgewood Avenue existed, but like Steven, Nate, myself, and Kim all were on a road trip with Joseph. Isn't that crazy? Um, and then uh, but Mads Mixer, yes, it's a bucket. It's where I I pull four instructors in the scene who all have different types of skill sets, and then improvisers uh get pulled from the bucket and they do a 10-minute scene with the instructor of whatever they want to do, and the instructor will support them no matter what. It's someone who will take care of them, which you don't often get that experience in a jam setting. So it's a little bit more of an advanced jam. Uh, and then the instructors all do a weird ass uh for the second half. And so we all also get to play with each other. And I am adding, once I'm able to bring it back, uh it's all about Tom and Energy, baby. Uh, I'm adding a Q. QA portion too because people have a lot of questions about producing, or how do you how do you form a team, or just what are the steps between classes and performing? And so being able to hear those insights from different teachers and leaders in the scene too. So I love that. Yeah, you're supposed to be on the one that comes the first one that comes back. Oh I know it'll happen again.

Joel 1:06:19

I love that too. I love that. Is it but is it between July and August?

Madeline 1:06:25

Oh, I don't know when it'll happen. Okay, cool. Oh, it's just like on the radar. It's on the radar. I've been promising it. Okay, cool, cool. But I I've had so much going on that like yeah. Oh yeah.

Joel 1:06:37

I mean again, venue.

Madeline 1:06:38

It's tough to juggle.

Joel 1:06:39

Yeah, exactly. When when relapse finally opens up, whenever that is, it'll hopefully that helps a little bit.

Madeline 1:06:45

Mans mixer will be at bibliothek. Cool. So because it'll be something that serves my students and like the venue as well. Bibliothek is a bookstore in Atlanta that's absolutely fantastic. And he has been such a wonderful partner to coordinate with when it comes to classes. I've worked in a lot of different places with a lot of different venues, and it's just again, I can't emphasize enough having somebody who values you and wants you there is wow, the load that has been lifted. Just working with him. Is that a last name, Hunt? Yeah. Oh no, I don't know if I should say that. People might stop him. He's really cute.

Joel 1:07:24

Hey, hey everyone. We're letting that one slip.

Madeline 1:07:29

Matt, leave that one in. Let's see what happens. Oh no. Okay. Follow bibliothek. Bibliotech H E L. Uh, and then um, oh, I'm I want I've been teasing it and I've been wanting to uh launch it since November, but I was like, I have to prioritize my solo show first. Promprov. Uh it's gonna be a new show. Promprov. Yeah, yeah. I know. It's like, well, the thing about all of these shows that exist too, it's they've been built over time. So sometimes people, when they're creating shows, they create, they're like, oh, I'm excited, and I create everything at once. Make one thing good, invest in that for a while, then build your next thing. So that's kind of No Alibi has a firm foundation, Road Trip does. Yep. Um, Mads Mixer is just something that'll benefit the community and is great. Uh, and then Prom Prov will also access something that it's like this is a kind of stylistically a little different, so I can tap into some more physical improvisers um and give them a stage. And also, it's just a format that I love. I just want to play.

Joel 1:08:35

Yeah. Does it have to do with the prom?

Madeline 1:08:37

Yeah, so well, I guess, yeah, I'm gonna just say um You don't have to if you want to keep it a surprise. No, uh, so the format that Atlanta might know of, uh Rokola, that dads does, but I first learned it as Freddie Andrew Sarah have a dance party. Uh that was a core group of three. I had played with them a few times when pre-pandemic. Uh, but uh yeah, it's also known as Rocola here. Uh, but it is where there's music is influences the edits. So the improviser doesn't know when the edit will happen, so they have to keep making the scene interesting. So music inspiring the edits uh also reminds me of prom. And so just encouraging people, the improvisers will dress up as well as the audience. I'd love for people to ask each other to prom. Uh, and then like it'll be two casts, uh, so first half one cast, second half the other, and then um we'll crown an audience member, prom royalty. So yeah, this is hasn't happened yet, but by the time you all listen to this, maybe it has not happened yet.

Joel 1:09:43

This this this this is probably Aaron May.

Madeline 1:09:45

Okay, you know, I'm out of town. A lot of a lot of the summer, so but it's coming this year because I've been wanting it to. I made the Instagram already, so we're even committing before it's happening. Love that, but it just it got me so excited because there's something that music can do for people. You

The Power of Music in Improv

Madeline 1:10:02

know this.

Joel 1:10:02

Oh, come on, yeah.

Madeline 1:10:03

Oh, I'm talking to come on now. I know music.

Joel 1:10:07

Music, yeah, yes, could continue that thought. Music, yeah. There's something about music.

Madeline 1:10:11

There's something that it can inspire in people, and just in general, beyond improv, music can help us articulate things uh or embody things that words cannot. And so I teach some of like I call it jukebox in class, where we are led by music, and like you see, people open up in ways just like in musical improv with singing, tap into emotions, tap into physicalities that they normally wouldn't. And so I'm just excited to bring not only a form that I just love, I'm a physical player too. So just be able to access that.

Joel 1:10:46

Um, combining music, well, music itself, but like you said, outside of improv is such a beautiful emotional medium to communicate strong feelings. And now we combine that with um improv to get oh, it's so it's so powerful. It's power, and and I would even go as far as say, like sometimes it's healing, yeah. Oh, absolutely. Cathartic, like to sing like like the way we sing when we're alone in the kitchen cooking or in the shower, uh, and where and then we do some musical improv and like you just let out whatever's on your heart and mind and song connecting to the music is so beautiful and so powerful.

Madeline 1:11:29

Absolutely. Oh my gosh, I still think about in that the retreat. Uh, Justin played like a solo that I did, and I reached notes that I don't even know. I wish I like recorded it because I I like felt like it was so empowering to do that solo. I don't know if you remember it, but I do I do.

Joel 1:11:45

I do. It was very beautiful. I always think about recording, but it's such a vulnerable thing.

Madeline 1:11:50

It is, yeah.

Joel 1:11:50

Such a vulnerable thing. Sometimes I thought about sometimes some bangers come out in class. Yeah. I'm like, man, I wish that was recorded.

Madeline 1:11:57

Oh my gosh, I wish I recorded my grad shows because they're always so good. They're always so good. But like, yeah, it's just like, oh, I would wish I'd preserve

You Don't Always Have to Take a Class to Learn

Madeline 1:12:06

that.

Joel 1:12:06

Shows could probably be recorded now that I'm thinking about it. But classes and more intimate in work in workshops is intimate.

Madeline 1:12:12

Yeah.

Joel 1:12:13

Um I love musical improv. Talking to the king of it.

Madeline 1:12:18

But that's why, like, I mean, something musical. I'm like, I've I've been we did one musical set as six kids, like in 2019, 2018. And then, like, since I've just been always wanting to do it, biggest regret is not telling Fiona that I could come to the rehearsals for measurements. Oh, I remember, I remember, yeah.

Joel 1:12:36

Yeah, I mean, oh man.

Madeline 1:12:39

But yeah, luckily I'm I'm buddies with like a guy who does a lot of music. Oh yeah.

Joel 1:12:44

Hey, hey, we're gonna be doing musical improv. Um, I mean, your schedule is rough. I tried to get you on like three shows, keychain shows.

Madeline 1:12:54

Oh yeah.

Joel 1:12:55

Um I'm gonna keep get I'm gonna get you on there.

Madeline 1:12:57

Thanks, yeah. I think that is some people's fear if like they say no to something that you'll never ask again.

Joel 1:13:04

But um that's on my mind too. I like um somebody actually said that exact thing to me um whether when they were like, Oh, I'm not available for this key change, but please keep me in mind in the future. Like, I I want to do it, I'm just not. And I'm just like, Yeah, okay, cool.

Madeline 1:13:19

Yeah, I got it. And you do so many.

Joel 1:13:21

I try to, I want to do more. I wish it was a weekly show.

Madeline 1:13:25

Uh, it's just a matter of yeah.

Joel 1:13:27

I I'd love at some point, I'm gonna talk to um Bob at some point and be like, because I th I'm hoping they're looking for recurring shows at some point. Um I have some later in the year recurring shows with red lights after I come back from Chicago. Um, but those are monthly. I mean, I'm just so jealous of New York, LA, and Chicago that have weekly musical improv shows, multiple jams a week for musical improv. And I'm like, oh, I

The Growth of Atlanta's Scene

Joel 1:13:56

wish.

Madeline 1:13:56

But we have to start somewhere too. Like if you even think about like Kickers was the weekly jam. And there were, like every so often, Whole World had jams, dads had their weekly, but it was only for students, and now there's a jam every day of the week.

Joel 1:14:10

Yeah.

Madeline 1:14:10

To the point where some jams ended because they were like, Well, you're all going to that. There were two jams on one day, and everyone was going to one, but not the other. So it's just like there was a surplus of jams. There's a surplus of there will be like there's a rise in interest, and so I think in such a positive way, the scene has changed. Uh, and there's just a hunger and there's a drive here, and with relapse coming back, I I have been joking that I've been like referring to it as if it's like the messiah, like it's gonna come back, it's gonna change the world, which I think is funny. But no one's laughed every time I've

Relapse Theater Is Coming Back

Madeline 1:14:46

said it.

Joel 1:14:46

Well, um I think it it's gonna be significant. I think it's gonna shake up the scene. I'm I'm actually hoping that it's gonna it's as big as I think it's gonna be in my head.

Madeline 1:14:56

Yeah, because Bob is someone who believes in people uh and he supports the artist. Yeah, and they're building four stages apparently, and it'll be great for everyone. Rising tide raises all ships. Like our mission in all of these theaters and spaces is to put improv even more on the map, to put Atlanta on the map. Like, that's why I'm so excited about some of the work I'm doing because I'm like, I'm trying, I'm going to these other cities, trying to form connections, to build bridges with these people so that when they come to the city, they do these shows, but also like highlight Atlanta. Like, there's so much talent here, and it just deserves to be spotlit. And with us all getting reps in other places, like it won't make anyone frustrated at any sort of place, it'll just amplify all of our talent and our scene as a whole. So that's what's really exciting about it, too.

Joel 1:15:47

It is so exciting, and I love something that I want to go back to is because I love how you highlight some of your students in your road trip. And um, that's uh your your road trip, your uh inspired me to do key change at Rotating Cash Show just with my students. It's just fully, fully graduates of my classes, and makes me think of like we've always talked about this bottleneck of like students finish classes and then have nowhere to go. They do whatever someone else's classes and other theater's classes, and then they still hit a wall at the end, like, all right, what's next? I want to keep doing this. And so key change improv is my way of like trying to get students on stage and keep playing.

Bridging the Gap: Getting Students on Stage

Madeline 1:16:31

I think people also see um what we're doing as independent leaders and teachers, and see that it's attainable. That when they see that like a a class happening in a bookstore or in one of your classes' cases, an apartment at one point. Um with that gate code and a security guard who did not believe that we were in the class.

Joel 1:16:59

Yeah.

Madeline 1:17:00

Um but like when they see that, they're like, oh, there doesn't need to be a ton of barriers for this to happen. I think something that I'm so proud of is that most people who leave my class end up forming their own teams, their own jams, their own classes, like their own shows. Like it's just so cool to see. And it's because you're setting that example of like, yeah, you can you can do this. And you don't again, like, yeah, you do need a venue, but you don't need like a fancy title for it to exist. You just need to have that passion and that drive, and then again, a group who who believes in you to do so. Um, I don't know what got me on that rant. Yeah, there's a beauty. Oh, putting students in shows. And like, I I'd love to be able to give them that space. And it's even beyond my students. It's truly one per time I was at a jam and I saw somebody be such a supportive player that I was like, oh, I want them on road trip. I love how they support. The first time I ever saw Nia was at I think the chickens show.

Joel 1:17:56

Yeah.

Madeline 1:17:57

Uh, which that's a Poultry and Motion does a um a hatchling show where they feature newer players, so that's a way that they're bridging the gap as well.

Joel 1:18:04

I love Nia. Uh Nia is is who I recommended to be that hatchling from my level two class.

Madeline 1:18:09

Yes, you recommend Mia and Max.

Joel 1:18:11

And Nia, yeah, and Max too. I love both of them. Nia was someone in my level two, oh, fantastic, just from the first week to like the growth from week one to week eight, which is like so cool.

Madeline 1:18:21

I yeah, I got to work with her for my level four as well as my foundational. But I remember watching that show and leaning over to Nate Nate, my partner, and being like, I want her on your trip. I love having that feeling, just like when I'm out and about and I'm like, anyone has like just having scouting or just kind of just being like, Yeah, you if you're just doing the work and you're supporting people and you're a great listener on stage, like I want to try to get get you that chance. But of course, like you can't oh man, to have the bur like oh the burden of it too.

Joel 1:18:56

Well, just the burden, but no, I'll I'll say it, it's hard. It's hard

Casting a Rotating Show

Joel 1:19:03

to cast shows.

Madeline 1:19:03

You can't give everyone the opportunity, and like you just gotta be patient. Like, sometimes I I tell people who ask, I'm just like, I get 12 shows a year, and sometimes a few more if there's pop-ups. And at the same time, like remember, this is like my chance to play too. Like, who are people that I want to play with, but also not that I don't want to play with everyone, but who are people that like are like stretching me? Who are people that will support the show stylistically? You have to think about who all complements each other, exactly diversity is really important, representing different types of voices and different skill sets as well. 100%, and then also preserving the quality, like so. That's why like I'm really only rotating one to three new people each time, which is not a lot of people.

Joel 1:19:46

It's not, and I imagine what you're doing is way harder to cast because I thought about that for key change. I thought about doing a mix of students and other veteran improvisers, and I was like, damn, that's gonna be I'm considering everyone, yeah.

Madeline 1:20:01

Right. So then I was like 100 plus people that or even more because I've only had 300, or I've had 300 over students, so there's like probably 500 plus people where a thousand. I don't know.

Joel 1:20:10

There's a lot of there's a lot, and and so I thought about that and I was like, damn, I'd want to make it easier on myself, so I'm just gonna cast students. And I thought it was it um makes it easier for me casting, and also it gives me a reason to be like, yeah, and now there's a path, there's a path to get on keychain. Take learn, go through the classes, learn how we do in musical improv, and I'll get you in a show.

Madeline 1:20:36

And then you're also like you know what they know, like because sometimes it is taking that chance. Sometimes I've taken referrals, like uh, a few people, and they've been awesome, uh, have been in other people's classes, and they're like, This person does really well. And I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna take a chance. Uh the most recent one was Vic uh Witten, I think is his last name. He recently moved to New York, which is such a shame because he was so funny. I had him on a road trip recently for Aaron Murray, which was a new GA football player. Go to Oaks. Uh, but yeah, he was he was such a great listener. He was so present. He never tried to upstage anybody. I just was like, oh my gosh, I wish you were staying because I'd want to be on a team with you. Yeah. Which, like I weirdly fangirl for people.

Joel 1:21:20

Yeah, it's I mean, there's so many beautiful, talented people out there. Um, I mean, I'm sure both we'd want to give everyone opportunity if we could. And yeah. Uh, and that's why I think it goes back to everyone who's listening. Like, you can make your own opportunities, make that show, make that team, rehearse in a living room, and get it.

Madeline 1:21:43

And you can even do your shows anywhere too. Like Bibliotech was a venue. Two Bears played there every week. Cam Crush has played there, I've had road trips there, but also like uh joystick. I've done Cam Crush shows there.

Joel 1:21:54

That's Harbor Cafe.

Madeline 1:21:55

Harbor Coffee. Yeah, that's great. And literally what French is doing of like they're just taking the bar area of seven stages, and they're like, Well, we're hoping that one day, like, we'll they'll want us to do their stage, but like they love this indie feel. I'm gonna show there with them tomorrow.

Shows Can Happen Anywhere!

Joel 1:22:13

Um, yeah, that that space is is wild. It's just like half seven stages, half bar coffee shop in the middle of this walkway where sometimes patrons of the show walk through the improv set.

Madeline 1:22:26

I don't know. Were you there when I did a 20-minute stand-up set and it basically was people walking by me the whole time? So fun. I it was so no mic, so just me yelling at a crowd, and then every single time someone walked by, I brought them into the set. It was so funny. And so I I feel they were like, Yeah, you have 20 minutes. I think they only gave me 15 because they were like, This is yeah, so hard to watch. Yeah, we got, but not hard. It was fun. I had the best time, and that's where, like, oh man, just being present and just like letting go of your plan, like how beautiful that can be and why improv could benefit stand-ups. I got a lot of stand-ups in my class right now. Love it. Oh, so fun.

Joel 1:23:05

Oh, talk about that.

Madeline 1:23:07

Talk about stand-ups in class, yeah.

Joel 1:23:08

Talk in improv or in general.

Madeline 1:23:11

Uh it stand-ups do an improv? Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, when I did stand-up uh and when I was like obsessed with getting my set like word for word, I found that I was so much more rigid on stage and I wasn't present. Whereas when I let go, like you know the beats, like just when we're about to do like a grad show, and I'm like, we've worked so hard to have these things on our tool belt, we know what we're doing, just have fun tonight. Like, same thing with stand-up, you know what you want to talk about, just be present because you might find a new bit or surprise in the moment.

Joel 1:23:44

Um I've had stand-up students come in with uh usually a specific reason of wanting to get better at um what's that thing when they talk to the audience? Crowdwork.

Madeline 1:23:59

Riffing. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Joel 1:24:00

Yeah, crowd work riffing, yeah.

Madeline 1:24:02

Because the audience is your scene partner, yeah. Just like in clowning, just like sometimes in improv, like they're your scene partner. They're telling you what's working. And like with crowd work, it's just asking questions and listening and making what they say.

Joel 1:24:15

Reacting, listening and reacting. Yeah, that's it. It's all anything is it's all anything, and that's just a uh witty banter, friendly banter with the cashier at Publix. That's just talking to a uh a neighboring person at a coffee shop reading a book. Yeah, it's just like human interaction is listening and reacting.

Madeline 1:24:36

Yeah, which can be anxiety inducing because people are like, I want to say the most whether it's in a conversation, they want to say the most interesting thing. If it's stand-up, they want to say the clever, the most clever thing. And it's like, if you just you're authentically reacting, you'll find that funny thing. You'll find the thing that like surprises you and that you have something to either talk about or to riff off of. Um, and that's the thing, like people are just so they just want to get the stuff out or just they're so focused about what they're gonna say that they're not present. Yeah. And so, like a lot of the exercises in my class are like, let's just be present. Um, let's just listen and not listen to respond, but lit truly listen.

Madeline's Journey to Teaching Improv

Joel 1:25:20

I love that. You as a teacher, I have when did you know you wanted to start teaching? And teaching, I'm uh like I've taken Madeline's classes four or five times at this point. Uh Madeline's classes is my go-to when I need a refresher on the fundamentals to like stay sharp on my own improv skills and and and listening and staying present and stuff. And I can't recommend this class enough. It is my favorite improv class in the city. In my opinion, Madeline's the best improv teacher in Atlanta. If you're listening to this, go to MadjJoy.me and like it's so incredible. Um, and you're you're so fantastic at it. You are so fantastic at it. And how I describe it to people is that you I feel like you give such intentional support to each person in a different um caring way. It's like you're so self-aware of each student's needs. And so and this is this is hard for a teacher to do is to like be self-aware of communicating a type of note to this person. And if you were to communicate that same note to a different student, it you can communicate it differently. And I feel like that takes so much more energy and time and care. And I feel like you do that every time. You do that every time, and you care so much about your students, and it shows. It shows in your curriculum, it shows in your notes, it shows in in in everything that you do in teaching. It's so beautiful. And my question is, how did you get started in teaching?

Madeline 1:26:58

Then you can just keep going. I think this is the first I think you've tried to compliment me multiple times earlier in the podcast, and I've cut you off, and that was just really nice to hear. I was like, damn, I guess I love myself.

Joel 1:27:14

Yeah, you should.

Madeline 1:27:15

Wow, that was so sweet. I yeah, I just I love, I love teaching. Yeah, I love it. I I feel I mean, we were talking before this, just like all of this stuff that makes uh organization just a little bit more grueling, like just running your own business and thing, it's it's very hard. My students often make fun of me. They're like always selling, because when someone tries to enter the bookstore and I'm like, oh, class is happening. By the way, follow Mads Improv. They're all like, Oh, you're always and I'm like, you kind of have to when you're independent and doing it on your own. Because there were days where days, times where I was like, I don't even know if anyone's gonna sign up for this class, or like there's only six people in this class, but you were in that sixth-person class. Now it sells out every time, which is like insane. Insane, but I also know not permanent. So just having that appreciation for it. Um, yeah, as you were talking, I just was yeah, feeling that love for my students. It just is such a core and drive in everything I do. I love them all so deeply. I wish I could support them all the time and go to all their things all the time too, because they're they all go out and do impressive stuff. Like they're just all impressive people. It makes it easy when just you love people so much, and then you get to like work with people and just watch them shine and watch them bring their own. Oh man, watch them just believe in themselves, watch them learn to trust themselves, watch them tap into themselves, just watching people grow, watching people access that play in themselves is just so rewarding. It really is the best thing in the world. I um as far as like when did I know I wanted to be a teacher, I've always been drawn to teaching in some sort of way. Like even in sixth grade, I was a leader for a vacation Bible school for like six-year-olds. Like I was a 12-year-old leading six-year-olds. But yeah, like I that I was at like class council, uh, and I would was in charge of the hallway decorating, like intense about it. I care so much about wherever I'm at. And I was a sports coach, like I was a swimming coach for six years and a basketball coach for three for kids, like not like anything serious, third graders uh in particular. Um, so I've always just been drawn to teaching. And then when co uh we would lead workshops for improv Athens around town, but also our open rehearsal, and then six kids led workshops, and the pandemic really like put things into perspective for me where I was like, do I want to be a teacher? Do I want to change my whole career to teaching? And I had looked into that and uh um you don't get paid a lot. Uh, I don't have a degree in education, so I would be accepting even less, and only private schools would really accept me. And it was like, oh my gosh, the salary of this teaching position is less than the tuition for the school. So I was like, maybe this isn't for me. But then um, post-pandemic, as like the improv scene kind of died. And so bringing it back, like I decided that would what would help me decide whether or not I wanted to pursue teaching teaching is I applied to work at this camp with my friend for eight weeks teaching theater and improv. And through that eight weeks, I like developed this curriculum mainly for kids, but it was it like bled into this belief of like, oh my gosh, I can do this. And right before I left, uh Steven at Roll Call uh was like, I heard that you're gonna go teach. Do you want to chat when you get back? And then we chatted, and so I'm really fortunate for Steven and Roll Call for that beginning because I I didn't think I could do it without my team. Yeah and they were all we like, we love you, we care for you, but like we don't want to do that. We like you go do that, and like that's awesome. And so yeah, it was like just taking that leap of faith. And so, like, I gathered all the resources I had ever worked, like done for with improv. I read a ton of books, I listened to a ton of podcasts, and I just like developed this cricket curriculum of like I saw gaps in the Atlanta scene and like this so much talent, but people who need to harness it. And so I like wrote down like all these things of where I saw gaps and created the foundational course, which was like this is open to anyone who's been doing improv, whether you're new or not, but it helps us pull off a successful scene. Cause also what I noticed is that so many people were like, format, format, format, but then like their improv scenes weren't good. So it doesn't matter what format you do if your scenes are not good. The audience does not care that you're doing a herald or that you're doing whatever you're doing. Um, if they're not having a good time, they're gonna hate it. Uh so let's work on your scene work and make it great. Uh, and then that very first class, um, they wanted to keep working with me. So I was like, well, there's more to work on. So I developed the continuous class. And then from there, it's now it's been five years later. And I just added the expanded version. So foundational is week by week the elements that help you pull off a successful scene. Continuous is a little bit more fluid. I've with any class I teach, I always ask the students what their goals are so that I can have my notes catered to that, so that I can add exercises if needed to meet those needs. Uh, because I'm always like, I want this to be worth your time, energy, and money. And if you're not getting what you need, have a conversation with me so that we can make it that way. Uh, the continuous, um, we tap, I introduce them to a couple formats, and then we dive into the one mainly the ones that you see me do on stage, which is road trip and the popcorn opening, which is what no no alibi is, or a la ronde. Um, so we really focus on character work and relationships and the continuous. And because if you can do characters and relationships, you can hop into any format, I believe. End game. Uh, end game as well, not end game, like the Avengers movie. Uh, and then expanded is 12 weeks and it's three-hour classes as of now. I I might change and be more fluid as I grow as an instructor, as I see what's working, uh the the classes change. But the first expanded is 12 weeks, three hours each, and then three shows throughout those 12 weeks. Wow. Yeah, and it's cool because we'll be able to work on something, work on something, drill it, drill it, drill it, see how it performs, drill it, drill it, drill it. And then also uh I want to empower them more. A lot of with what the formats that I'm teaching to is empowering the improvisers because I remember moving to Atlanta and seeing some shows at some places, and it's like they they had like a director on the side telling, cueing a lot of scenes, queuing, um, cueing who was playing, sometimes cueing what would be happening. And I lot I thought that was really cool, but I also think it it structure does provide uh structure helps creativity for sure, but I also what would happen if we took those that away and let the the improviser have the power to to be the director, to be the editor, to to be the player as well, the performer. So uh a lot of my program is also like focused on like let's empower the improviser in that way. How do we work all those different muscles? Um so yeah, it's really cool because expanded also I get to like tap into some of the storytelling elements as well. So like I guess I shouldn't tell you all of my curriculum, all my secrets. Oh, you don't know, you don't have to.

Joel 1:34:44

I mean, I sound you're I feel like you're sharing what you're you're what you're excited to share. Yeah, what you want people to know about. Yeah, that's awesome.

Madeline 1:34:51

Yeah, and I want them to host their own shows too, because us the benefit, like I I think I've had a lot of fortunately a lot of experience hosting. So like I I really try to take care of my students when they're having their grad shows. Uh so how do I pass that on so that they can host their own stuff?

Joel 1:35:10

So it's that's essential. Is that in expanded?

Madeline 1:35:13

Yeah.

Joel 1:35:14

That is so essential. You're so right. Because that is a missing element because hosting is a skill in and in and of itself.

Madeline 1:35:20

Yeah. Um at this point, I've hosted like 40 plus grad shows, or no, I was doing the math. I've had a lot of a lot of grad shows. Yeah, but I did the math.

Joel 1:35:34

You did the math. Uh Madeline's pulling out a notebook. Her notebook.

Madeline 1:35:40

How is that? It's either 38. Oh, I think, yeah, about 50. I've hosted like 50 grad shows at this point. Uh, because I've done that math. Yeah, because I've done 38 of my own classes and I've done 12 with dads. Yeah.

Joel 1:35:56

So wow, and that's all and that's a lot of hosting experience. Yeah, and it's vital. I mean, the hosting role is so essential to like the the the the vibe of a show. And just like it sets the tone. The host sets the tone, keeps the energy up. Um, it's important.

Madeline 1:36:15

In stand up, if a show fails, it's probably because of the host. Like it's their job to keep the show rolling. So, yeah, how do we train people to be great at hosting? Because also, like when it comes to short form, the host, like calling the scenes, editing the scenes, like you're in charge of that energy. So, yeah, we're working on

Why Hosting Matters

Madeline 1:36:36

that as well.

Joel 1:36:36

Cool, that's awesome.

Madeline 1:36:39

So cool, it's so cool. I love teaching, I love my students. I've been able, and most of them continue, which is so cool.

Joel 1:36:47

That's awesome. Well, I feel like your classes are unique in that I feel like you always instill the love and joy of improv that you have into your students too, which I feel like isn't always the case with every teacher. Um, I think I think some teachers just in the industry, not just Atlanta, I feel like just you just c check in, check out. They go in, do the two hours of class, cool, get the you know, the paycheck, whatever.

Instilling the Love and Joy of Improv in Students

Madeline 1:37:16

Yeah, yeah. I think you kind of hear that from some people who talk about their class experience in other cities that sometimes people who don't make it often become teachers and then they're a little jaded because of that. Yeah. I think we're fortunate we're surrounded by a lot of people who care about it, which is really cool. Um, yeah, I love it so much. I think it's magic. I think it changes lives. I think it's more than just skills on stage, it helps us in our everyday life. Oh, yeah. And something that's a big priority for me too is that like we form a community from our class that we actually know each other's names, because I've taken classes where we didn't know each other's names at the end of it, and it's like that's a shame. Uh, because there's so much opportunity for people to I mean, you're doing the most vulnerable thing in the world.

Joel 1:37:59

Yeah, because at the core of it, it's it's connection, it's connection with your scene partner in character and not. It's like you're you're trying you're human beings connecting and also getting your characters to connect.

Madeline 1:38:12

Yeah. Yeah, you're seeing each other. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Well, yeah, that's my that's my whole like thing, is like it didn't occur to me until recently, but like recently, the last like five years, great musical. Um, I was like, why do I love improv so much? And then I was talking to someone and they were like, Yeah, people get like people don't get this in their everyday. And I'm like, no wonder. I love this celebration. Yeah, I love making people feel seen. We were talking about how I asked questions earlier, like, um, and this is also a huge part of my solo show, is just like I know what it's like to not feel seen and celebrated. And so I go out of my way to ask people questions to make hopefully make someone feel seen, to make someone feel understood. And that's all what improv is, is celebrating people for whatever they bring to the table, lifting them up, loving the loving them. And so I think that's what like despite not really being able to articulate that in the last like few years, especially as I've become more and more of a teacher, like that is like the core of it. And I think also what when you asked me like what why did I like improv or like what drew to me, drew me to it, uh, I I said like the people, like I just found a lot of community in it. And I think that's why like I love my students so much, like because I I love the people. I love I love them. Like I I truly yeah, I just I I really love people accessing their inner child too and their inner artist and seeking play because so often in the world we're told that we're wrong, that we don't belong, that like there's just all of that stuff and that weight that has affected like our our the voice in our head. And so in this in an environment like improv, like we can just play and we can just have fun, we can chase the joy, we can be that child that had no restrictions and just celebrate and love, and it's just so so beautiful to watch. And like all of my students are so interesting. I'm like, dang, sometimes they're like, You're interesting. I'm like, not you are interesting. Like, I'm like, you guys are the coolest,

Watching Students Form Relationships and Build Their Own Things

Madeline 1:40:21

actually.

Joel 1:40:21

Yeah, but and that but that also speaks to you as a teacher. You take the the time and care to like learn about each of your students to find them interesting, and that's so beautiful, and there's so much more to learn, too.

Madeline 1:40:32

And that's what's so cool too. Like when we say like pull from your authentic self, like there's so much, there's a well of information that you have that you can just access on stage because you've lived such a rich experience. Each ever each person in the room has such a unique perspective to offer, and there's more and more and more and more that you're gonna uncover because you have an opinion on everything, and so like that's so cool as well. Um, and what's so special too, sorry, it's just like the fact that I do get them for eight weeks and then they continue to do the other eight weeks. So I get 16 weeks with people, and then I get to watch them form relationships with each other, and even when people pop in, because after you do foundational, you can pop into continuous at any time, which you just recently did. Even if you weren't in that foundational eight weeks, just by doing continuous with those people, like you meld in such a way that it's so so beautiful, and everyone genuinely loves each other. I had oh, I had people boast uh each other up in one class uh because they were all nervous about an audition. So I was like, okay, everyone gets to compliment each other, and it just was like the most beautiful.

Joel 1:41:39

Oh, I love a compliment circle. I love to make them do compliment circles.

Madeline 1:41:44

I make them happen even so good, not an imbra.

Joel 1:41:48

Oh yeah, even at birthday parties.

Madeline 1:41:50

At birthday parties, I'm like, because it's so nice. We say such nice things behind each other's backs, like let's say it to each other's faces.

Joel 1:41:57

I love that. That's so true.

Madeline 1:41:59

Yeah, uh it makes it sad when the 16 weeks end because then I'm like, oh, I'm gonna miss you. But then I get to watch them do their own thing, and I'm like, you're killing it. Oh my gosh, there's so many people doing cool shows like Shrink, Eric, Shrink, uh, and and Club Tarot, and Nobody's Mad at You, and Pulching Motion, and it's just like all these guys, Big Dog, all of them are my previous students, and they're all freaking killing it. I'm sure there's so many more. Oh my gosh, who else have we not mentioned?

You Belong in the Room!

Joel 1:42:27

Let's let's move on so we don't feel bad. Um is there something on your mind that you want that's you want to chat about about improv? I have a few bullet points that we can hit, but I want to know if there's anything on your mind or heart that you want to get to and share and share about with the community.

Madeline 1:42:43

Yeah, um, I guess yeah, we've kind of hit on things. I'm sure things will come to mind. Um But you belong in the room. Don't let someone don't let someone's opinion of you make you not believe that. Um always say yes to yourself. I guess these are like final thoughts.

Joel 1:43:05

Like uh You could you can you could do final thoughts for the episode. We also do you have community questions that were submitted.

Madeline 1:43:12

Oh really?

Joel 1:43:13

Yeah.

Madeline 1:43:13

Wait, are these the are the is this the end of the conversation?

Joel 1:43:16

It doesn't have to be. No.

Madeline 1:43:17

I'm like I'm ready. Are we ready for an ecstatic?

Joel 1:43:21

I'm ready to do part one, two, and three. I'm ready to chop this episode up.

Madeline 1:43:28

Well, uh, midway as I was talking about stuff, I was like, oh man, I'm curious what other people said, and that's probably gonna spark something else I want to say, and then I'll forget.

Joel 1:43:35

I mean, that's what the goal is. I'm not here. If if we're feeling it, I'm ready to keep going. I'm not I'm not in a rush. Um I've got more bullet point stuff. That's why I want to ask you first if there's anything on your mind and heart that you want to share improv wise for the community. Ooh. Ooh, you thought of something.

Madeline 1:43:54

Well, no, it's like a boast on myself. So do it if ever you want to ask at some point. Oh my god, please, Madeline. What's something cool I've heard?

Joel 1:44:01

What's something cool you've heard?

Madeline 1:44:03

What's something nice someone has said.

Joel 1:44:05

Yo, you want me to ask that to you?

Madeline 1:44:07

So that I don't just bring it up.

Joel 1:44:09

No, Matt, keep all this in. This is great stuff. She really wanted to brag about herself. You should just you get used to bragging about yourself.

Madeline 1:44:17

You're so kind when you lift me up in that way. Uh, and it's literally what I tell people. Like, I tell students, like, um, yeah, boast about yourself. Boast about yourself. But also, like, oh my gosh, my my mind just blanked. But um, yeah, you belong in the room, you belong in the room, but then it's like things that I it's always to ourselves. Yeah, it's that's always the case. We teach the things that we need to work on.

Celebrating Yourself and Giving Back to the Community

Joel 1:44:40

And I mean, you especially, man, boast. You're the you're the queen, you're the for me and a lot of in a lot of the community, you're the queen of Atlanta Improv. You inspire so many people, you inspire so many students in the community. You of all people should be celebrating. So just celebrate yourself. Take a pause, take a moment, celebrate.

Madeline 1:44:59

That's good advice. Celebrate yourself, everyone.

Joel 1:45:02

Joel, what would you like to celebrate?

Madeline 1:45:04

Malin redirecting my advice, redirecting my advice to the community is hysterical. What would you like to celebrate?

Joel 1:45:13

What would I like to celebrate? Um, let's see. I think there's a lot. Man, this the last two years of like musical improv has been wild, has been a dream, has been uh a dream come true of uh also similar, like what's the city lacking? What are we lacking? And something that I love and what can I what can I bring? What can I add? And then fighting the also imposter, like, am I I'm not even that experienced? Like, who am I to start a class? Who's gonna trust me? Who's gonna maybe I should wait, I should let somebody else do it? And then just fighting those thoughts, and then you know, starting musical improv classes, having the first one sell out with a bunch on the wait list, and like, oh okay, cool. Bibliothèque also, super supportive. Matt, um really cute, really, really cute, really cute guy. Um good attendance. The show changes, the show sharply shifts to just talking about Matt and trying to every guest you have just talks about Matt.

Madeline 1:46:25

Oh my gosh, he'd probably hate me. Honestly, we have we have a good relationship. I think I can talk about how great he is.

Joel 1:46:33

Um, but then just and then just keeping that going for a year and a half, going on two years now, you know, doing the whole the full business thing now of like LLC and like business taxes and figuring it all that crap out, um, has been a wild ride. And how there's still people wanting to do it and signing up, and I'm hoping to build a musical improv scene specifically that's uh an Atlanta scene that's full of music and jams and shows every week is part of my vision, and I'm just like trying to add skills to the community, and hopefully they start creating teams and do musical. But we just need more space too. Um but excited about that still, like still excited and chipping away at that vision and at that dream, and I feel like it's going great. I love it. I just got like flyers printed, like physical flyers. Oh fun. So like post on the city, smart, very smart.

Madeline 1:47:32

Yeah, yeah, you gotta be doing all the things, like it's not as easy as uh just posting on Instagram.

Joel 1:47:38

It's not like word of mouth is huge. Your relationships, networking, word of mouth has been the huge the biggest one. I couldn't even be doing this if it wasn't for the community, yeah. Uplifting me and supporting me.

Madeline 1:47:49

Our community is incredible, is incredible. It's incredible. It's like, give how do we give back to them? And like that's what's on my mind too. Yeah.

Joel 1:47:57

Constantly is like, how do we the community so supports me so much, and I'm always thinking, like, how can I give back? What else does the community need? This podcast is a form of that actually. This podcast is actually a form of that thinking process of like, what else could be beneficial for my friends and my students in the Atlanta improv community? Oh, it could be beneficial to hear about other colleagues' experiences. How what what does everyone else struggle with? How did everyone else get to improv? What are some beautiful, you know, it's just yeah. I just love the community so much. Yeah.

Madeline 1:48:36

Yeah, I do too. I yeah, they've given me so much, and it's really cool to see like the fruits of the labor, too, of just like how much you like the trickle effect of like the impact. Like, okay, this person that I had in class, now they're impacting all these people, and like so on and so forth. So it's so so so beautiful. Yeah.

Joel 1:49:00

Turntape over. I want to say thank you to Matt Isaacs. Thank you so much, Matt, for editing these episodes. Matt is a talented and kind member of the Atlanta Improv community. If anyone out there has any audio editing or song mixing needs, please reach out to me at Joel at the joyoffimprov.com. I'll connect you with Matt and get you on your way to getting some clean, fresh audio. If you're enjoying the podcast and you want to support and keep this podcast going, you can support in one of two ways. You can leave a five-star review. And if you do, please leave an improv topic that you want us to discuss or perhaps a question for a future guest. Another way to support the podcast is to give a monetary contribution on our Ko Fi page. Anything helps, a dollar, five dollars does not matter. Anything helps in keeping the podcast. going you can find the link to contribute in our Instagram or in the link in the episode description. Thank you so so much for listening. It means so much that you're here. See you next time and scene.