Épisodes

  • Interview Etiquette with Suzi Barett and Ryan Rosemberg

    Interview Etiquette with Suzi Barett and Ryan Rosemberg
    Dec 8 2025
    Susie Barrett and Ryan Rosenberg (Yes, Also) join James and Mike to try and pull inspiration from a list of celebrity interview tips—the kind of advice that’s equal parts earnest, confusing, and wildly specific. Plus, on backdrop.fm they talk about the slow work of how the best improvisers treat practice like training, and the advantage of boot-camp–style reps .
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    50 min
  • Monologues with Drew DiFonzo Marks and Rachel Van Nes

    Monologues with Drew DiFonzo Marks and Rachel Van Nes
    Nov 24 2025
    Drew DiFonzo Marks and Rachel Van Nes join James and Mike for an episode inspired by monologues from none other than Will Hines. Summer jobs, strange bosses, and even stranger side hustles open the door to a world of creep-adjacent movie nights and underground magazine empires. Plus, for Backdrop.fm members, the four dig into how different improv “schools” shape performance—Chicago patterns, UCB game, acting-forward approaches—and how style, training, and team experience influence the choices you make onstage.
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    58 min
  • Pattern Game with Andrew Grace and Molly Kiernan

    Pattern Game with Andrew Grace and Molly Kiernan
    Nov 17 2025
    Molly Kiernan and Andrew Grace (of UCB’s Logan) join James and Mike for a deep dive into one of improv’s most iconic—and intimidating—openings: The Pattern Game. Together, they explore how a single word blossoms into a web of associations, characters, and ideas, and what happens when it actually clicks. Plus, for Backdrop.fm members, they deep dive into why the Pattern Game has survived generations of teams and theaters. And look at a living room/pattern game hybrid that blurs the line between personal storytelling and idea generation, and what it teaches about flow, structure, and ensemble chemistry.
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    35 min
  • YouTube with Greg Gallant and Monte Montepare

    YouTube with Greg Gallant and Monte Montepare
    Nov 10 2025
    Greg Gallant (Firsthand, Haunted Hotel, Queen George) and Monte Montepare (The Moth, Ghost) join James and Mike to pull inspiration from the world’s favorite distraction: YouTube. Plus, Backdrop.fm members get more with James, Mike, Greg, and Monte as they talk about what it’s like to perform with someone for the first time, how chemistry actually develops onstage, and the etiquette of improv mashups, when to sweep, when to support, and when to stop being polite.
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    55 min
  • Am I The A**hole with Nnamdi Ngwe and Monika Smith

    Am I The A**hole with Nnamdi Ngwe and Monika Smith
    Nov 3 2025
    Monika Smith and Nnamdi Ngwe join James and Mike for an episode inspired by Reddit’s "Am I the Asshole," where moral dilemmas and petty internet debates spark a whole world of improv. After the scenes, they break down what worked, what didn’t, and how experienced improvisers balance chaos and connection onstage. Plus, on Backdrop.fm they dig into the craft of twoprov: building trust, timing callbacks, and why sitting down can be the death of a scene.
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    48 min
  • Real Estate with Toni Charline and Ryan Meharry

    Real Estate with Toni Charline and Ryan Meharry
    Oct 27 2025
    Toni Charlene and Ryan Meharry (of Bangarang) join James and Mike to see if they can turn the driest text on the internet—real estate listings—into improv comedy. After the scenes, they break down what worked, what didn’t, and how veteran improvisers build entire worlds from a single spark. Get more at backdrop.fm
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    51 min
  • Open to Suggestion (Trailer)

    Open to Suggestion (Trailer)
    Oct 17 2025
    Join comedians James Mastraieni and Mike McLendon for Open to Suggestion, the show where they open with an idea, improvise from it, and break down how it all works. Get more at backdrop.fm
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    1 min