Hello, everyone! Michael here. After a long and needed hiatus, I am back. I was recently listening back to season one of Improv Tips, and I thought to myself, “Oh, boy. You were so young and naive just a few years ago.”

To give some context, I was in a weird place back then, and I felt very disconnected from the improv world. I think the first season was an outlet for me to feel connected, and was a little bit of improv therapy for me. Here’s the disclaimer I always give that improv is NOT therapy.

Since the last season, my wife (I got one of those) and I have successfully opened The Bit Theater right behind the Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, Illinois. Opening a theater has been one of the most difficult challenges of my life, and I have gained more perspective on improv in the past couple of years than I had in the more than two decades before that.

One of the things I try to impart on my students is that for nearly every bit of improv advice I give them, the opposite also works a lot of the time. So, I thought it would be fun to look back at my old episodes and then break them down a little more thoroughly with a couple more years’ improv experience to provide a bit of a counterpoint. In addition, I thought it might be interesting to look at these episodes from the perspective of a new theater owner.

These episodes aren’t going to fit into the one-minute timeframe I’d set for myself in the first season, but I’m going to try to keep them brief, as the world doesn’t need another three-hour podcast featuring someone talking about improv theory. I hope you enjoy the new season, as I’m looking forward to bringing it to you.

If you’re interested, please subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews and comments really help get the word out about the podcast and are greatly appreciated. Also, if you’re feeling inspired from something you hear, please consider sharing it with someone else. That’s all for now, and I’ll see you in the new year!

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. I’m somewhat blown away that I’m up to 150 of these improv tips. It’s gotten somewhat difficult to sustain due to the fact that I’ve been unable to improvise, rehearse, or teach over these past few months. So, I’m going to call this the end of the first season and take a bit of a break. I’m not sure yet how long of a break or what the next season will look like, but I’d love to hear your input on that, so please email me with your questions or thoughts at michael@bitimprov.com. In the meantime, I have a couple of plugs. If you’d like to hear me mostly heed and occasionally ignore these tips, I’d love for you to check out my improvised comedy radio detective story currently in its second season at thebureauboys.com. I’m also in the process of launching some remote improv classes that you should be able to check out by the end of this week. Those can be found at bitimprov.com, where you can also find a link to this podcast. I appreciate all of the time you’ve given me over these past 149 episodes, and I’m looking forward to some exciting things in the future. If you’re listening to this on an Echo device, I’m not sure how Amazon will react if I modify the format of this show, so please find me on a podcast player if I get booted from their marketplace. If you’ve enjoyed this mini-podcast so far, please rate and review it wherever you’re listening, and spread the word to any fellow improvisers who might be using this time away from one another to think about the craft. I will see you soon for the next step on my improv journey. Meanwhile, stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. When you’re putting an improv team together, it may be tempting to simply cast the people you like best or are friendliest with. That’s not always the best strategy for forming an improv team. Yes, chemistry is important, but don’t let the love of your friends cloud your judgment as to what makes a good improv team. Set up a system for how you’re going to audition new members to your team, stick to it, and don’t play favorites. Just like friends aren’t always the best roommates, they’re not always the best improv teammates. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. The world is an absolutely wild place, and unbelievable stories happen every day in real life. So don’t be afraid of occasionally using outlandish plot lines onstage. People do find out that they have long-lost siblings. One twin sometimes is evil. People are in comas for twenty years. Maybe don’t make those stories the first tools you pull out of your box, but don’t let fear that it’s too unbelievable prevent you from ever using those tools. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Early on in your improv career, you may be told that you should never argue onstage. If the alternative is that you’re always arguing onstage, that’s not a bad rule of thumb. However, arguments happen in real life, so they should inevitably happen onstage. Just be careful that you’re not defaulting to arguments or that the arguments you have aren’t going on forever. If you find yourself stuck in those situations, agree with the other side and end the argument. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. I'm the first to admit that I don't love warming up. Some improvisers do insist that they need to warm up to get into the mindset of improvising. Others are like me and could take it or leave it. However, one thing that I do find useful is to physically warm up my mouth. Tongue twisters, mouth and check stretches, and buzzing my lips help me with my annunciation and help me avoid getting a case of mushmouth onstage. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. In some circles, there is a bit of a rivalry between short-form improvisers and long-form improvisers. There shouldn’t be. Both short- and long-form improv can be brilliant, both can be terrible, and both can be anywhere in between. The best improvisers I know—and the ones who are the most fun to play with—excel at both short- and long-form improv. More importantly, they don’t pass judgment on anyone for not choosing to do their preferred form. Don’t shut out a particular form of improv, especially if you’ve never tried it. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. When you do improv, you’re necessarily going to end up spending quite a bit of time watching improv. When I’m in the audience, I try not to give suggestions, if possible, so as to avoid the appearance of cheating. However, you might have to give a suggestion every once in a while. When you’re in the audience, remember it's not your job to be funny. The improvisers onstage would much prefer a suggestion they've never heard before than hear the same jokey suggestions they always get. Do them a favor and give them a suggestion you’ve never heard before. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.