Jim Karwisch has been improvising for over 16 years. He was trained by Charna Halpern, T.J. Jagodowski, Bob Dassi, and Miles Stroth at IO in Chicago (Formerly the Improv Olympic). Before getting into Improvisation, Jim toured the US as an actor and director at Valdosta State University he earned his bachelors degree in Theatre with an emphasis in Playwrighting and Directing. He performs most Saturday Nights at the Relapse Theatre in Midtown and coaches the touring team Einstein meets Elvis and house team Babies mit Bearden. Jim is one half of the original JaCKPie Duo and the Artistic Director for the JaCKPie Theatre Workshop. Jim recently completed an e-mail interview with me.

Dan Triandiflou is the Director of Improvisation at Dad’s Garage Theatre and an actor throughout the Southeast. He is a union actor who has performed in over thirty professional plays and nearly a dozen independent and studio films. He plays Joe Chess in the soon to be released Who Do You Love?, directed by Jerry Zaks and distributed by Lion’s Gate. Dan recently let me conduct an e-mail interview with him.

Matthew: How did you first discover improv and how did you first get involved with Dad’s Garage?

Tommy Futch is the President of Laughing Matters, an interactive entertainment company. In addition to improvisational comedy, Laughing Matters’ repertoire includes team-building, murder mysteries, game shows, scavenger hunts and school performances. Tommy’s life changed dramatically in 1971 when he was injured in a car collision near Adel, Georgia. Futch was paralyzed from the waist down. Everything he knew about life was altered or no longer applied. For the next 10 years, he dabbled in school, work and self-fulfillment. In 1985, Futch took a comedy course and discovered his passion — improv comedy. He and a dozen partners soon formed Laughing Matters, an improv comedy troupe. As years passed and partners moved on, Futch became President and expanded the company’s mission. I recently had the pleasure of doing an e-mail interview with Tommy.

Robert Lowe is the author of Improvisation, Inc.: Harnessing Spontaneity to Engage People and Groups, (Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer, 2000). This book is the pioneering work in the use of Improvisational Theatre techniques for organizational development and business and professional communication. Robert is known as the Godfather of Improvisational Comedy in Atlanta. He founded “The Lightside City Players” in 1983, “Comedy Atlanta” in 1985, and “The Next City Comedy Theatre” in 1988. In 1989 Robert had a significant influence in the founding of Georgia Tech’s “Let’s Try This” Improv Comedy movement. For nearly 20 years he has brought Improv technique, fun, and exploration to business and organizations of every size and form. His work is known in more than 20 countries, and it has been noted that either Robert, or his students, and now students of his students, have had an influence on almost every venue of Improv comedy in the Atlanta region. I recently had the pleasure of doing an interview with Robert.