Comedic Pursuits

You can follow this podcast on:

Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Stitcher

Check out these other podcast episodes from DC comedians

* Kara Kinsey talks about starting out in stand-up in Dallas.* Veteran improviser Kate Symes talks about her journey from Oregon to DC.* Improviser Robin Doody talks about his time on WIT ensemble Commonwealth.* Comedic Pursuits founder Kelsie Anderson talks about how this whole site got started.

You can follow this podcast on:

Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Stitcher

Check out these other podcast episodes from DC comedians

* Kara Kinsey talks about starting out in stand-up in Dallas.* Veteran improviser Kate Symes talks about her journey from Oregon to DC.* Improviser Robin Doody talks about his time on WIT ensemble Commonwealth.* Comedic Pursuits founder Kelsie Anderson talks about how this whole site got started.

You can follow this podcast on:

Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Stitcher

* Kara Kinsey talks about starting out in stand-up in Dallas.* Veteran improviser Kate Symes talks about her journey from Oregon to DC.* Improviser Robin Doody talks about his time on WIT ensemble Commonwealth.* Comedic Pursuits founder Kelsie Anderson talks about how this whole site got started.

You can follow this podcast on:

Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Stitcher

* Kara Kinsey talks about starting out in stand-up in Dallas.* Veteran improviser Kate Symes talks about her journey from Oregon to DC.* Improviser Robin Doody talks about his time on WIT ensemble Commonwealth.* Comedic Pursuits founder Kelsie Anderson talks about how this whole site got started.

You can follow this podcast on:

Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Stitcher

* Kara Kinsey talks about starting out in stand-up in Dallas.* Veteran improviser Kate Symes talks about her journey from Oregon to DC.* Improviser Robin Doody talks about his time on WIT ensemble Commonwealth.* Comedic Pursuits founder Kelsie Anderson talks about how this whole site got started.

You can follow this podcast on:

Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Stitcher

* Kara Kinsey talks about starting out in stand-up in Dallas.* Veteran improviser Kate Symes talks about her journey from Oregon to DC.* Improviser Robin Doody talks about his time on WIT ensemble Commonwealth.* Comedic Pursuits founder Kelsie Anderson talks about how this whole site got started.

You can follow this podcast on:

Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Stitcher

Blog post coming soon!

* Kara Kinsey talks about starting out in stand-up in Dallas.* Veteran improviser Kate Symes talks about her journey from Oregon to DC.* Improviser Robin Doody talks about his time on WIT ensemble Commonwealth.* Comedic Pursuits founder Kelsie Anderson talks about how this whole site got started.

You can follow this podcast on:

Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Stitcher

Sweet Sixteen is over, and this is a Comedic Pursuits bonus episode: hot goss, round three. We’re here for you because round three was intense.

After the Sweet 16 matches, we all went out together, and that was great because we don’t always get to see each other just hanging out. It was really fun to just have a good time with each other. So there are good things happening in FIST besides tearing everyone apart. It’s bringing some people together.

What’s going on in FIST 2019’s Sweet 16?

This episode was a little different because we interviewed some people who are involved in different parts of FIST. We’ve got:

* Jane White, a member of last year’s winning FIST team, Double Date* Serina, an audience member also known as “The Phantom of Source”* Anuj Christian, WIT’s video operator* Elizabeth Fulton, front-of-house queen and improv doctor/psychologist* Geoff Corey, of Love Language

Jane White, former FIST champion

My FIST experience last year was a little different because that was my first year doing it. FIST was pitched to me as a fun way to get together with people I’d never performed with. Once I got into it, I realized that wasn’t what it was. The joke was on me.

I was really happy to be in the whirlwind last year, but this year I’m very happy not to be in the whirlwind because I don’t like competitions. I think they’re inherently antithetical to improv. But I appreciate the idea that people try to bring their best improv, try to play with people they’ve never played with, and try to do their best. I think competition can cause that to happen.

FIST is kind of the means to the end of having people give a shit. So I appreciate FIST’s “let’s give a shit” factor, and I’ve reshifted my focus about it because now I think more about the fact that these are improvisers who really care.

Have you seen something that you thought was different than anything you’ve seen?

I watched Blockbuster’s Ghost, and it just blew my frickin’ mind. I like the idea of people trying to play each other. I love multicasting because you get to see improvisers making fun of other improvisers or applauding them in that same way.

I think it’s a really kind thing to do for another person, to say, “I see what you were doing, and I’m doing it back as you with my full intelligence and heart. And I’m trying to take this person you created and treat them respectfully and respect the characters.

You can follow this podcast on:

Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Stitcher

Blog post coming soon!

* Kara Kinsey talks about starting out in stand-up in Dallas.* Veteran improviser Kate Symes talks about her journey from Oregon to DC.* Improviser Robin Doody talks about his time on WIT ensemble Commonwealth.* Comedic Pursuits founder Kelsie Anderson talks about how this whole site got started.

You can follow this podcast on:

Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Stitcher

We’re back! This is the Comedic Pursuits Podcast bonus episode covering FIST round 2. We hope you’ve been watching. If not, you’re missing it all.

What’s going on in FIST 2019 round 2?

There’s still a one-person show in the mix. Josh Rachford is in the Sweet 16 with his show where he pulls someone from the audience to improvise with him. A lot of FIST is getting the audience on board with you. And what better way to get the audience on board than to bring the audience into the show?

Some of the teams we interviewed last week have moved forward to the Sweet 16. Ramen Hood and Love Language are still in it. Geoff Corey did a backflip in Love Language’s show. We gave him a standing ovation because we could not handle what happened in front of us. I Don’t Know Her is still in it and going strong. If you got invested after our first interview, you’re in luck.

After round 2, we interviewed FIST team Bat on a Hot Tin Roof, 2018 FIST champion Nina Hsu, James Jelin from FIST team Members of the Audience, and Mary Lauren Hall of FIST team 1-800-555-HIYA. Mary Lauren is also a previous FIST champion.

The responses below have been edited for clarity. To hear everyone’s full interviews, listen to the podcast episode.

Nina Hsu, former FIST champion

I tell myself every year that I’m not going to do FIST. Then Joe Randazzo reached out to me last year and said he was putting together a FIST team with Chris Ulrich and Jane White, and I decided to join.

It’s funny because it’s the kind of thing where you try not to put any stakes on it. I just wanted to have a fun show. Our format was similar to a Pretty Flower. It was two couples on a double date, and then we’d cut to the waitstaff, or the history of the couples, or any follow-the-fun kind of thing. We also tossed in a multi-casting element where we could play other characters that were on the date.

Who came up with that format?

Jive Turkey, Chris and Joe’s duo, does that format. When we rehearsed, we hadn’t really introduced the multi-casting element. I think it just came up spontaneously in one of our first shows. We realized we could use it to make fun of each other, so we made it a thing going forward. The idea of a Pretty Flower in a double date context came up organically through all of our rehearsals, and it stuck.

Was there any point where you thought you might win FIST?

No.

Not even in the last show?

No,