Best Alex Copeland Podcasts (2026)

1
Yes, Also - Jeff Whitaker 52:34

Play Pause

4h ago52:34

52:34

Jeff Whitaker (F*ck This Month) talks about starting out in Austin, the value of interning, producing successful shows, ticket prices, audience psychology, end-of-show connections, theatrical devices, finding your voice, succeeding without Harold night, interview techniques, navigating darkness, getting on the same page, simplifying game, the anato…

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Yes, Also - Caroline Cotter 43:29

7d ago43:29

43:29

Caroline Cotter (ASSSSCAT, Conan) talks about fear, perseverance, replaying good moves, being "the woman", impulsive moves, grabbing tiny gifts, silly play, good and bad pattern games, experimental Harolds, thoughts on openings, organic/premise blends, warmups, lessening competition, buying time in scenes, and more! Access to double the content and…

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Yes, Also - Lamar Woods 47:27

15d ago47:27

47:27

Lamar Woods (The Big Team, New Girl) talks about authenticity, the intersection of his careers as a rapper and comedian, being malleable, believable acting, patience, using improv in writers' rooms, building your toolbox, varying approaches to comedy, alter egos, playing with status, honest responses in scenes, and more! Access to double the conten…

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Yes, Also - TJ Jagodowski 53:12

22d ago53:12

53:12

TJ Jagodowski (The Second City, TJ and Dave) talks about Chicago, his improv origin story, pushing the envelope, impeccable listening, starting without a suggesetion, discovery vs. invention, emotional subtext, maintaining a reality, how to remove pressure, his thoughts on premise, fear and trust, JTS Brown, his most memorable TJ and Dave show, his…

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Yes, Also - Sean Conroy 54:11

29d ago54:11

54:11

Sean Conroy (The Swarm, Key and Peele) talks about his first gigs, the real meaning of “yes and” and “play to the top of your intelligence”, different approaches to game, The Swarm, building audiences, the good and bad of object work, 3 person shows, tips for doing the Tracers form, how improv informs sitcom writing, writers room pet peeves, AI vs.…

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Yes, Also - Alex Fox and Rachel Lewis 49:31

1M ago49:31

49:31

Alex Fox and Rachel Lewis (Electric Bloom, iO) talk about improv as grad school, playing hard, transitioning from improv to a writing career, treating yourself like a business, if this / then what, the power of "why?", using lived experiences, playing the hero, character games, pitching like an improviser, Franken-drafting, comedic hooks, script st…

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Yes, Also - Tara Copeland 55:23

2M ago55:23

55:23

Tara Copeland (Mother, Magic To Do) talks about Chicago City Limits, the PIT / Magnet / UCB divorce, the pillars of musical improv, narrative mapping, her hot take on notes, lessening stakes, game + musical improv, at-home exercises, the back line, pouncing on mistakes, Mother, The Sleepover form, and more! Access to double the content and other pe…

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Yes, Also - Arnie Neikamp 57:48

2M ago57:48

57:48

Arnie Niekamp (Hello from the Magic Tavern) talks about a writer's approach to improv, elevating blue suggestions, the power of a gimmick, the reluctant "yes", being a polite voice of reason, creating a canonical universe, a narrative cheat, how to keep a monoscene moving, gifting emotions, creating a passionate fanbase, funny live recording moment…

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Yes, Also - Connor Ratliff (LIVE from Burlington, VT) 41:21

2M ago41:21

41:21

Connor Ratliff (Dead Eyes, The Stepfathers) talks about the realities of an acting career, Dead Eyes, the shadow side of getting paid for shows, the importance of beginnings, mid-scene check-ins, his reluctance to edit, the art of pulling lights, opening for Guster, tactics for saving a scene you don't like, thoughts on curriculums, the difference …

1
Making Math Videos in Ukraine - with Sashko Olenchenko 50:49

2M ago50:49

50:49

Sashko Olenchenko is doing a masters in mathematical physics with a sideline making videos on YouTube - occasionally interrupted by drone attacks from Russia. Here is his YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@aremathukr And you can support his work on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Aremath The YouTube version of this podcast has captions av…

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Yes, Also - Sasheer Zamata 48:56

2M ago48:56

48:56

Sasheer Zamata (SNL, Agatha All Along) talks about using details, consensual attention, learning from festivals, setting up scene partners, Doppelganger, organic transitions, her journey to SNL, a pivotal change in her approach, calming nerves before auditions, not being precious, the fun of figuring out how to stay in a scene, and more! Access to …

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Yes, Also - Tony DeRosa (LIVE from Ann Arbor, MI) 1:05:45

2M ago1:05:45

1:05:45

Tony DeRosa (Owner of hear.say brewing + theater in Ann Arbor, MI) talks about his journey from improv to the tech world and back again, adjacent spaces, the creation of hear.say, how to get small business loans, tips for selling classes, creative programming, the Ann Arbor improv landscape, polarities training, playing with irony, taking your scen…

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Yes, Also - Patrick McDonald 55:25

3M ago55:25

55:25

Patrick McDonald (Smosh, Artists On Artists On Artists On Artists) talks about being a fish out of water, the comedy landscape of Emerson College, the superpower of brand new improvisers, a hot take on jokes, how he uses genre as a tool, the necessity of improv, becoming a comedy builder, AOAOAOA, site-specific improv, a great writing trick, advice…

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Yes, Also - Ify Nwadiwe 46:51

3M ago46:51

46:51

Ify Nwadiwe (Dimension 20; Um, Actually) talks about how short form prepped him for long form, establishing base realities, the subjectivity of game, onstage nudity, Dimension 20, his reaction to Dropout fans, a clever way to book tour shows, radical authenticity, meta-prov, a new level of if /then play, workout tips for improvisers, connection thr…

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Yes, Also - Lennon Parham 52:39

3M ago52:39

52:39

Lennon Parham (Playing House, Veep) talks about high school short form, communal spaces, integrating her improv style with UCB, rooting yourself in a scene, kernels vs. premises, support tactics, working at Hooters, launching a TV career, playing anger in a likable way, her unique writing process, using comedy to explore deeper themes, building a o…

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Yes, Also - Ryan Gaul 47:08

3M ago47:08

47:08

Ryan Gaul (Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Comedy Bang Bang) talks about Improv Asylum, office scenes, restaurant specifics, learning to be a teammate, non-judgmental support, pushing through panic, Groundlings, applying game to character, being the wild card, hopping on mistakes, his legendary CBB bits, fun duo forms, improvising TV from an outline, …

1
Yes, Also - Cipha Sounds 50:12

4M ago50:12

50:12

Cipha Sounds (Chappelle's Show, Take it Personal) talks about his journey from DJ to improvisor, DJ / improv overlaps, guidance from Gethard, playing scenes with references you don't know, leaning into yourself, the most unique opening, improv + therapy, his improv cheat codes, attracting new audiences, "the fixer", the best move he's ever seen, ex…

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Yes, Also - Joe Fahey 44:40

4M ago44:40

44:40

Joe Fahey (Lohan, One Big Jam) talks about running a jam, navigating chaos, initiation techniques, personal POV, types of stakes, redefining confidence, genre minutia, creating movie blueprints, the joke of your scene, tagging for movement, re-investing, favorite coaching exercises, and more! Access to double the content and other perks at ⁠yesalso…

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Yes, Also - Angela Giarratana 52:38

4M ago52:38

52:38

Angela Giarratana (Smosh, Dropout, UCB) talks about playing your strengths, helping the audience, evolving sketch styles, curing shame, her comedic voice, messing with scene partners, a hot take on improv, the shadow side of live-streaming, YouTube / Smosh / Dropout, comedy algorithms, applying improv to other genres, and more! Access to double the…

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Yes, Also - Lloyd Ahlquist (aka Epic Lloyd) 50:20

4M ago50:20

50:20

Lloyd Ahlquist (Epic Rap Battles of History, Mission Improvable) talks about dropping out of college to do improv, learning to flock, setting up improv tour shows, the origin of West Side Comedy Theater, making a great jam, Epic Rap Battles of History, savvy show biz lessons, disaster corporate shows, cracking a room, mind-blowing improv memories, …

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Everything You Wanted To Know About Numberphile - with Brady Haran 59:49

4M ago59:49

59:49

Brady answers all manner of viewer questions about Numberphile - and a few unrelated topics too. Learn more about Jane Street’s Internships at - https://jane-st.co/internship-numberphile-pod-25 A YouTube version of this episode - https://youtu.be/prT2YRwKc9w Breakfast Sound Checks - https://youtu.be/IMItxzSZs0E A list of Brady’s channels - https://…

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Yes, Also - Jon Mackey 51:15

5M ago51:15

51:15

Jon Mackey (Big Grande, The Brett DeMott Show with Buddy) talks about curing sadness with improv, naming teams, helping others be funny, moving and framing, adding fuel to a scene, how improv informs his directing, following your scene partner, his improv mantra, the Rolodex technique, lessons learned from creating an improv podcast, improvising bi…

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Yes, Also - Christina Anthony 50:02

5M ago50:02

50:02

Christina Anthony (Mixed-ish, Second City) talks about her journey through Second City, taking character field trips, changing default assumptions, being an acomplice, her improv pet peeve, adding elements of improv to scripted work, rotating mediums, using music to develop characters, breaking forms, where improv overlaps with TV, Mixed-ish, and m…

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Yes, Also - Asher Perlman 50:15

5M ago50:15

50:15

Asher Perlman (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Improvised Shakespeare) talks about performing for non-comedians, embracing intros, balancing art and comedy, noticing when a scene shifts, learning to not plan, funny touring stories, improvised Shakespeare, using prologues, tips for narrative improv, selling cartoons to The New Yorker, finding in…

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Yes, Also - Jason Mantzoukas 1:17:36

5M ago1:17:36

1:17:36

Jason Mantzoukas (How Did This Get Made, Taskmaster) talks about early inspirations and mind-blowing moves, his POV as a jazz drummer, how to play helpful chaotic characters, moving a show forward, Taskmaster, playing a persona, more satisfying end-of-show connections, losing and winning an audience, stacking patterns, meaty responses, sustaining m…

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Yes, Also - Alex Song-Xia 48:53

6M ago48:53

48:53

Alex Song-Xia (Dimension 20, Rick and Morty) talks about self-sabotage, how improv and stand-up help each other, facing fears, saying mean things, Dropout / Dimension 20, playing complex morality, showing up in your characters, tools for subversive comedy, Asian AF, moving beyond the house team paradigm, and more! Access to double the content and o…

1
Yes, Also - Ryan Archibald 53:59

6M ago53:59

53:59

Ryan Archibald (Second City, CMSimprov) talks about an athlete's approach, smallprov, applying short form skills to longform, Boom Chicago, audition and jam survival techniques, Atlanta, his teaching approach, uniting a room, the hardest he's ever broken, the Tulsa improv scene, process vs. results, and more! Access to double the content and other …

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The Indecisive Statistics Professor - with Chris Oates 47:56

6M ago47:56

47:56

Chris Oates is a professor of statistics at Newcastle University - he got there despite being somewhat indecisive about his career. This episode was made possible by the Leverhulme Trust, a UK-based organisation which funds ambitious blue skies research across various disciplines - https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk Professor Oates was the recipient of p…

1
Yes, Also - Paul Scheer 58:51

6M ago58:51

58:51

Paul Scheer (The League, How Did This Get Made?) talks about strong first lines, honoring an opening, early UCB shows, safety nets, hooks, playing with Mike Myers, logic guys, his improvised sitcom, bringing back niche, audience interview pointers, his favorite bad movie, marketing tricks, interesting ways to use a space, memorable shows, and more!…

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Yes, Also - Jaime Moyer 49:13

6M ago49:13

49:13

Jaime Moyer (Second City Detroit) talks about her start in Detroit, imposter syndrome, killing your internal editor, gift listening, discovering over prescribing, 10,000 hours, honoring impulses, caretaking an audience, highlighting your scene partner, celebrating weird, Planet Ant, handling your lack of references, making characters likable, and m…

1
Yes, Also - Miles Stroth 51:46

6M ago51:46

51:46

Miles Stroth (The Family, founder of The Pack Theater), talks about his early days at Second City and iO, the paradox of “don’t think”, breaking the Harold, 3 Mad Rituals, playing to the top of your intelligence, how he accesses characters, The Pack, empowering yourself in scenes, position play, evolving "yes and", developing the movie form, his sc…

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Yes, Also - Monique Moses 47:19

7M ago47:19

47:19

Monique Moses (Black Lady Sketch Show, Astronomy Club) talks about playable premises, filtering a monologue, internet paralysis, the evolution of happiness, callbacks and connections, the PIT, Astronomy Club and Black Lady Sketch Show, favorite exercises, sketch/improv hybrids, magical realism, using genre tropes to highlight absurdity, and more! A…

1
Yes, Also - Dave Theune 58:22

7M ago58:22

58:22

Dave Theune (Bangarang, St. Dennis Medical) talks about Comedy Sportz Milwaukee, the importance of seeing shows, giving scenic gifts, how to take the pressure off, abstract group games, knowing your audience, corporate shows, starting organically, silent soundtrack scenes, Groundlings, using object work to find analogies, restaurant technique, why …

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Yes, Also - Zach Reino 51:37

7M ago51:37

51:37

Zach Reino (Dropout, Off Book: The Improvised Musical) talks about his musical and comedy DNA, how to get better at musical improv, narrative payoffs, keeping things fresh, livestream hang-ups, back line support, the benefit of Harolds, universal games, scary hallways, sustaining scenes, getting on the same page, twoprov, Dropout shows, upcoming pr…

1
Yes, Also - Ali Ghandour 56:03

7M ago56:03

56:03

Ali Ghandour (former AD of UCB LA) talks about Ultimate Improv, internet sketch, lessons in collaboration, subverting expectations, personal specifics, leading a show from within, improvising with audience members, being a UCB AD, the inside of the audition process, speaking a shared language, weathering rejection, advice for AD's, playing smart du…

1
Yes, Also - Stephnie Weir 51:27

8M ago51:27

51:27

Stephnie Weir (MadTV, Second City) talks about her colorful upbringing, playing a character's passion, finding levels, JANE, iconic characters, big lessons from Mick Napier, the nuance of status, auditioning for SNL, Mad TV, the origins of WeirDass, The Lifeboat form, playing broken people, and more! Access to double the content and other perks at …

1
Mini Bonus Episode: Chris Gethard + Will Gallagher 5:11

8M ago5:11

5:11

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re featuring a segment from All Hands on Deck, a campaign from Wellness Together. It spotlights the people and places meeting mental health needs in creative, community-rooted ways. Learn more at wellnesstogether.org/allhandsondeck.

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Cyrus Tidwell | Average to Savage EP212 24:18

8M ago24:18

24:18

This is episode 212 of the Average to Savage podcast featuring boxing promoter Cyrus Tidwell . Paul Guarino talked with Cyrus Tidwell about how he got into boxing, his promotion company Victory Boxing League, and what's in store for the future. Follow Cyrus Tidwellhttps://www.instagram.com/victoryboxingleague…

1
Yes, Also - Joel Spence 58:03

8M ago58:03

58:03

Joel Spence (Sentimental Lady, Big Little Lies) talks about resting the game, trusting Yes And, formative theater experiences, the post-show blues, finding comedy in tragic plays, The Groundlings, favorite teaching exercises, serving the whole, agency vs. bulldozing, avoiding conflict, map-overs, improv slumps, warm-ups, improvising with Robin Will…

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Yes, Also - Lyndsey Frank 55:36

8M ago55:36

55:36

Lyndsey Frank (Lohan, Planet Weird) talks about being a physical player, finding personal beacons, how cancer changed their improv, going from short form to long form, becoming fearless, using real people to inform characters, give and take with unusual POV’s, ways to get unstuck in monoscenes, discovery vs. scenic math, pulling premise from sound …

1
Yes, Also - Bob Dassie 1:02:23

8M ago1:02:23

1:02:23

Bob Dassie (Dasariski, Weirdass) talks about how he approaches the top of a scene, active patience, his first class with Stephnie Weir, performing without a ceiling, an argument for openings, playing tension, the Evente form, truth over comedy, the origins of The Pretty Flower, meltdowns vs. conflict, outside-the-box object work, choosing to care, …

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Yes, Also - Laci Mosley 43:30

9M ago43:30

43:30

Laci Mosley (Scam Goddess, Going Dutch) talks about finding balance, her journey from Texas to Hollywood, four clear paths to an acting career, choosing improv over standup, letting go of the rules, embracing voice of reason, the diversity scholarship, funny Hollywood stories, her most memorable Harold, the first dates opening, meaty interview ques…

1
Yes, Also - Santina Muha 45:21

9M ago45:21

45:21

Santina Muha (UCB, One Day at a Time) talks about the overlap of improv and game-playing, status in scenes, giving disability a comedic voice, the specific challenges of improvising in a wheelchair, why she loves sitcoms, her near death experience, making theaters accessible, adaptability in improv, the crucible of Harold night, using the Harold as…

1
Yes, Also - Brian Stack 52:42

9M ago52:42

52:42

Brian Stack (Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) talks about the Chicago scene in the early 90’s, Jazz Freddy, the dawn of tags and sweep edits, two back / one forward, turning mistakes into gold, heightening a scene with back line support, group physicality, his years on the Conan O’Brien staff, Gravid Water, the gif…

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Teofimo Lopez | Average to Savage EP211 43:27

9M ago43:27

43:27

This is episode 211 of the Average to Savage podcast featuring former 2x Division Undisputed World Champion Teofimo Lopez. Paul Guarino talked with Teofimo Lopez about fighting in the Olympics for Honduras, winning multiple world championships, and his up coming fight May 2nd in Time Square, New York City.Follow Teofimo Lopezhttps://www.instagram.c…

1
Yes, Also - Suzi Barrett 1:04:47

9M ago1:04:47

1:04:47

It's our very special One Year Anniversary episode, and we flipped the script by having Ryan interview Suzi! Suzi Barrett (Sentimental Lady, Comedy Bang Bang) talks about treating your brain like a scene partner, evolving games, unlocking creative play, Sentimental Lady, the space between the laughs, her early days in Chicago, improv as a metaphysi…

1
Yes, Also - Colton Dunn 1:03:14

9M ago1:03:14

1:03:14

Colton Dunn (Superstore, Key and Peele) talks about his short form roots, taking big leaps, seeing UCB before they had a theatre, wild memories from Boom Chicago, why he loves straight-manning, finding a scene’s tempo, his approach to teaching, Superstore, Key and Peele, how genre informs his play, performing at Radio City, favorite scenes, strange…

1
Yes, Also - Rachel Bloom 40:33

10M ago40:33

40:33

Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) talks about how improv informs her writing, her Netflix special, surprising an audience, finding a show’s tone, coaxing your confidence, balancing cerebral comedy with emotion, contact improv, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the role of a song’s bridge, her love of villains, the perception of leading ladies, imposter syndrom…

1
BREAKING NEWS! UCB Buys ColdTowne Theatre in Austin! 31:30

10M ago31:30

31:30

Hot off the presses... UCB just bought ColdTowne Theater from Dave Buckman and Rachel Madorsky, and Austin will now have a UCB theatre. Dave and Rachel are here to give you the skinny, and talk about the exciting future of ColdTowne and what's next for improv in Austin. Subscribe on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@YesAlsoPodcast Support the show and g…

1
Yes, Also - Dave Buckman 1:00:07

10M ago1:00:07

1:00:07

Dave Buckman (Executive Producer of ColdTowne Theater in Austin) talks about climbing the ranks at Second City, major takeaways from The Annoyance / Second City / iO, impactful play, the back pocket, fulfilling your promise to an audience, constructing a killer running order, directing at Boom Chicago and Second City, the unlikely origins of ColdTo…