This week I sit down with the amazing Aaren Lasky — actress, singer, experienced improviser, and one of my dearest friends in the Atlanta scene. Aaren has a love of imagination and storytelling that goes all the way back to childhood, and we trace how that spark carried her through theater, voice training, and eventually improv.

We get into the limits that show business tries to put on women and how improv became a tool to circumvent the gatekeepers and decide for herself who she gets to be on stage. 

Aaren also breaks down the differences between doing improv in New York versus Atlanta, why she thrives on structure, and what "grounded" really means to her, including the underrated generosity of saying no in a scene.

From there we talk about her winding road home to Atlanta by way of a concussion and law school, her return to performing, and the projects lighting her up now — Heightened Improv (improvised Shakespeare and beyond), Poultry In Motion, musical improv, and more. 

We close on some of the deeper stuff: perfectionism, mental health, safety and accountability in comedy spaces, and why kindness is the true foundation of good art.

Oh, and we burst into random songs a few times along the way. You've been warned. Enjoy this delightful conversation with the lovely Aaren Laskey.

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

This week I'm joined by Malik Whitfield, a staple of the Atlanta improv and comedy community, and one of my favorite people to watch grow on stage. Malik moved to Atlanta chasing stand-up and ended up falling headfirst into improv along the way — and I loved getting to trace that whole journey with him.

We talk about what pulled him toward the collaboration of improv over the loneliness of writing stand-up, and how the community welcomed him in a way that made him want to stay. He gets honest about the drives home in silence, the moment he realized he was actually good at this, and how much a few kind words from mentors like Madeline meant early on. We dig into setting goals, that magic Black Star set at IO Fest in Chicago, the real value of conservatory reps, and the grind of producing shows when everyone's already stretched thin.

We also get into something I think about a lot: how you give and receive feedback in a subjective art form, why every team should just get a coach, and what a healthier coaching culture could look like here in Atlanta. And Malik closes out the Hot Seat with some genuinely great advice for new improvisers about thinking past the joke.

It's a warm, funny, wide-ranging conversation with someone I deeply admire. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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

In this episode, I sit down with Drew Turner, one of Atlanta's most prolific independent improv producers. Drew's journey to improv starts in an unexpected place — he wanted to be a video game designer, took a drama class as an easy elective, and got bitten by the theater bug surrounded by peers who are now working off-Broadway and on major TV shows.

Drew takes us through his six years with the Knitwits at Noonan Theater Company, where he was doing two-act Who's Line-style shows every month and eventually pushed for long form narrative. He shares how the Improv Experiment format became his first taste of improvised storytelling, and how a solo monologue about rehearsing a breakup in front of a mirror became one of his favorite things he's ever performed.

We get deep into the business and philosophy of producing indie improv shows in Atlanta. Drew breaks down how he became the city's go-to freelance producer, why he fronts rental costs for other people's shows, and how he produced 96 shows in a single year while tracking it all in a custom analytics dashboard. He drops his hottest take — that Atlanta institutions have largely abdicated their responsibility to cultivate and platform local talent — and we talk about why $5 tickets can actually hurt your show, why the show starts when the doors open, and why if you're asking someone for five hours of their Friday night, you owe them something exceptional.

Drew also shares the three notes that leveled him up as a performer. You don't want to miss this episode with so many production goodies and gems!

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

In part two, Cole and I pick up right where we left off and go even deeper into the craft, the personal, and the philosophical sides of improv. Cole opens up about Two Worms, the duo format he does with Meg that he calls his favorite thing to perform in the entire world. He shares the story of a quarter falling out of his pocket during their very first set and how it became one of the most beautiful moments of his improv life, because both he and Meg chose to let the real world bleed into the story.

This episode also takes an emotional turn when Cole talks about Rengar, his dog who passed away from kidney disease after a year-long fight to keep him alive. Cole shares what it was like to lose the thing that defined him, how it pulled him off stage for a long time, and what it looks like to slowly rebuild your creative fire after grief. He talks about being more specific now about what he wants to perform and why he's drawn to projects that let his uninhibited creativity fly.

We get into the hot seat questions past midnight, and Cole gives deeply thoughtful answers about his favorite characters to play, including monkeys that are always smarter than the humans, tiny things, Satan, and kaijus. He breaks down his approach to space work, why he believes improvisers should complete their object work instead of dropping it, and why when someone endows you with a different object than you think you're holding, you should never change your physicality.

Cole closes with one of the most beautiful pieces of advice I've heard on this podcast: all he's doing is making stuff up and immediately believing it. We also have a passionate conversation about what grounded really means, why it has nothing to do with realism, and why a clown who wants to be a cop but can't take off his nose is one of the most grounded scenes you could ever do.

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

In part one of this two-part episode, I sit down with Cole Wadsworth, one of the most unique and physical improvisers in Atlanta. Cole's energy is unlike anything you've ever seen on stage, and this conversation is just as unpredictable and joyful as his performances.

Cole shares how iIt started with a poetry slam where he was too nervous to read his own poem, and spiraled into auditioning for a college improv troupe as a gag, falling in love with it, and then taking acting classes just to become a better improviser. We talk about how his background as a football player shaped his approach to the stage, from the punt returner mentality of catching the ball and going forward to his belief that every performer should give a hundred percent every single time they step on stage.

We get into Cole's early days in Atlanta, meeting his best friend Hannah at a Dad's Garage class, going to jams four times a week during the first jam explosion, and years of losing cage matches that forged him into the improviser he is today. Cole opens up about Tommy Futch's impact on his confidence, why he believes knowledge raises your floor but not your ceiling, and his philosophy that improvisers should stop trying to be funny and start trying to be interesting.

There are also some deeply personal moments in this episode. Cole and I both share stories about our character arcs growing up, from jock culture and bullying to finding our way to kindness and creativity. Cole talks about his moral convictions as a vegan, and I make a commitment on the spot to consume less meat. We also both open up about past mistakes we carry shame about and how improv has helped us become better people.

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

Email any questions or ideas to [email protected]

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

I sit down with Alice Garriga, a performer in the Atlanta improv scene and a member of the indie team French Improv. Alice takes us through her journey from comedy classes at the Alliance Theater in third grade, to a professional play in eighth grade, to performing arts high school, to joining the improv troupe KISS at Kennesaw State University, where she jumped straight into long form narrative under the coaching of Andy Cohen.

Alice opens up about graduating into the pandemic and losing improv for three years, and how taking a level one class at Dad's Garage pulled her out of a dark place and reconnected her with community and creativity. We talk about why every person needs a creative outlet and community to feel whole, and how improv is essential to our humanity.

We get into the full story of how French Improv was born, from KSU alumni rehearsing in living rooms and sunrooms to landing a free weekly show in the hallway of a coffee shop bar in Little Five Points. Alice shares what it takes to run a sustainable team, from Google calendars to the tough conversations that keep friendships and improv groups alive.

Alice and I also have an important and honest conversation about keeping women safe in improv spaces. She shares a personal experience of being called a slur on stage at a jam and what it felt like, and we talk about whose responsibility it is to step in, how to check in without speaking on someone's behalf, and why setting the tone at the top of every jam and class matters more than most people realize.

Links:

@frenchimprov

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Support the show

Follow us on Instagram - @thejoyofimprovpod

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

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

In part two, Madeline and I dive into a packed round of community questions from friends and students across Atlanta. Madeline shares what she'd change about improv in Atlanta, the biggest mistake she sees new improvisers make, how she creates and casts her shows, and what's going on in her mind in the first ten seconds of stepping on stage.

We also get into what separates a decent improviser from a truly magnetic one, how to support a scene partner when you have no idea what's happening, and why intentionality is the secret ingredient to a great scene. Madeline talks about wanting to explore clowning, how diversifying your interests outside of improv makes you better on stage, and why she swears by The Artist Way for building creative confidence.

There's a whole section of the episode dedicated to positively shouting out members of the Atlanta improv community. We talk about Malik, Kim Richardson, Joseph Lopez, Cecil Walker, Forrest, Lauren Staten, Brad Lasky, Jessica Gansky, and so many more. Madeline also opens up about the unexpected journey that led to her solo show Always the Goat, from writing it after a breakup to selling out five shows at Dad's Garage.

She closes by reading her full list of 2025 accomplishments out loud as a reminder to all of us to track our wins, practice gratitude, and celebrate ourselves. And yes, we did eventually get to the Gollum impression.

Madeline's plugs:

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

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

Send us a message, question, or topic!

Support the show

Follow us on Instagram - @thejoyofimprovpod

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

Email any questions or ideas to [email protected]

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

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

Send us a message, question, or topic!

Support the show

Follow us on Instagram - @thejoyofimprovpod

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

Email any questions or ideas to [email protected]

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

In part two, Abel and I pick up right where we left off and go even deeper into the craft and philosophy of improv. We talk about why improvisers should stop serving the tools and start letting the tools serve them, and why space work is one of the most powerful and underused skills in the art form.

Abel shares the grilled cheese philosophy from the movie Chef and how it captures everything he believes about staying present on stage — nothing else matters but the thing right in front of you. We get into how curiosity and acceptance form the constant cycle of good scene work, and how those same principles show up in everyday life, from road rage to parenting.

We also dig into community questions about the differences between the LA and Atlanta improv scenes, what LA has that Atlanta doesn't, and tips for staying present without overthinking. Abel closes with a beautiful reminder for new improvisors.

Abel's Plugs:

Abel Brainz Digest (Newsletter/Blog) -
You can email Abel at [email protected] or subscribe via Substack, username is @abelarias

Your Favorite Improv Gym -
Come and get your reps while finding your process. The gym offers different membership for all levels. Whether you want notes or just out to get some reps, Your Favorite Improv Gym is the spot! Email Abel with any questions. 

Send us a message, question, or topic!

Support the show

Follow us on Instagram - @thejoyofimprovpod

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

Email any questions or ideas to [email protected]

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

In part one of this two-part episode, I sit down with Abel Arias, an experienced veteran improviser in Atlanta, teacher at Dad's Garage Theatre. Abel takes us through his journey from watching Whose Line Is It Anyway as a kid, to children's theater, to training at UCB, Groundlings, and Comedy Sports in LA, to eventually finding his home in Atlanta's improv community.

We get into the differences between character-based and game-based improv, and why acting and improv are really the same thing. Abel shares what it's been like to navigate life as a working artist in a capitalistic world, from holding down multiple jobs to performing at Universal Studios Hollywood, where he met his wife and landed his first agent.

We also have an honest conversation about what success really looks like in improv and in art. Abel breaks down why success is subjective, why comfort matters more than being "better," and why the tools we teach in class are just that — tools, not rules. We talk about the importance of being present, the Michael Jordan quote that changed how Abel thinks about performing, and why the only real rule on stage is keeping each other safe.

Stay tuned for part two.

Abel's Plugs:

Abel Brainz Digest (Newsletter/Blog) -
You can email Abel at [email protected] or subscribe via Substack

Your Favorite Improv Gym -
Come and get your reps while finding your process. The gym offers different membership for all levels. Whether you want notes or just out to get some reps, Your Favorite Improv Gym is the spot! Email Abel with any questions. 

Send us a message, question, or topic!

Support the show

Follow us on Instagram - @thejoyofimprovpod

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

Email any questions or ideas to [email protected]

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