Best Same Building Different Views Podcasts (2025)

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Believable Characters Need a Point of View... and Here's How 19:27

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20h ago19:27

19:27

In this episode, I'm really getting into what I believe is the most important element for creating a compelling character: their point of view. I’ve found that the most interesting thing about a character isn't what they do, but why they do it. A strong, consistent POV is the lens through which your character sees the world, and it’s what separates…

1
The Power of Silence: 3 Exercises to Improve Your Acting 20:12

8d ago20:12

20:12

Alt title: Get to Skin Suit Town: 3 Exercises to Improve Your Acting In this episode, I'm diving into one of the best acting exercises you can give yourself: practicing scene work with little dialogue, or even none at all. I’ve found that learning to use physicality, emotional reactions, and environment is what changes a performance from "just sayi…

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3-Step System & Exercise to Manage Self-Criticism in Improv 18:11

15d ago18:11

18:11

Your inner critic might be a key reason you feel stuck, anxious, or in your head during an improv scene. But trying to fight it or ignore it doesn't work. This episode reveals a completely different approach: give that critical energy to your character. I break down the science of why your brain creates that critical voice and how it’s connected to…

1
An Improv Workout: 6 Exercises to Build Your "Failure Muscle" 21:48

22d ago21:48

21:48

We know that failure is the engine of learning, but how do you actually practice it in a safe and productive way? In this episode, I provide a full workout plan with SIX specific exercises designed to put you in challenging situations. Learn practical drills for your practice groups or classes that train you to handle wild scenes, distracting envir…

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How Forgetting Can Help to Get Out of Your Head in Improv 19:51

29d ago19:51

19:51

We are often taught that forgetting is a weakness, especially in improv where details seem really important. It's what we practice all the time! However, forgetting can be a skill to practice. In this episode, I explore the science behind why our brains are designed to forget, and how we can use this adaptive process to our advantage in our scenes …

1
Fail More to Learn More (Plus Seven Hacks to Help!) 18:48

1M ago18:48

18:48

What if the key to becoming a great improviser is the number of failures you accumulate? That moment when you feel like you have failed in a scene, or a scene is falling flat, can feel awful. But it is also one of the most valuable data points for your growth. In this episode, I help you reframe failure as a solvable technical problem. You will lea…

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Improving Communication Skills So You Can Improvise With Anyone 18:57

1M ago18:57

18:57

To be a successful improviser, you have to communicate effectively with everyone on your team. But what happens when people think, communicate, and experience the world differently? In this episode, I break down the common causes of communication breakdown between improvisers, and why assuming everyone is on the same page can lead to invisible stru…

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Mind Blank on Stage? A 3-Step Reboot for Your Brain 19:18

2M ago19:18

19:18

That feeling of your mind going completely blank on stage is a top fear for any performer. But what if it's not a personal failure? This week, I explain how this is often a biological response to being overwhelmed, not a lack of ideas. In this episode, you'll learn a simple, three-step system to effectively reboot your brain when it crashes. This p…

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The Pain of Learning Improv: What to Assess, How to Respond 11:21

2M ago11:21

11:21

Feeling frustrated, stuck, or even like you're getting worse at improv? This episode reframes the struggle. Discover the difference between productive learning pain and the unnecessary pain that you can walk away from. Learn a clear framework to assess your comedy practice, connect with your "why," and decide if your creative struggle is worth it. …

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A Source of Great Improv Ideas (bonus: Get Out of Your Head) 11:33

2M ago11:33

11:33

If you struggle to come up with specific or original ideas in your improv scenes, there's something you can do between scenes to help with that struggle. This episode of Your Improv Brain reframes the problem of trying to get ideas into a scene. Discover why the key to better creative output isn't forced thinking, but quality input and curiosity to…

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Improv Burnout? Prioritize Yourself for Better Improv Performances 15:55

2M ago15:55

15:55

Are you sacrificing your well-being for your improv team? This episode of Your Improv Brain challenges the myth that good improvisers must be comedy doormats. Always saying yes outside the scene doesn't help your scene partner in the end. Discover why putting yourself last leads to burnout and how "doing comedy for you first" actually creates more …

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Beyond "React Like Yourself" - Level Up Your Grounded Improv Characters 18:21

3M ago18:21

18:21

Tired of being told to "just react like you would in real life" to ground an improv scene? This episode of Your Improv Brain explores advanced techniques for playing the voice of reason or grounded characters in a scene or sustaining them long-term. Discover how shifting from simply "acting normal" to dynamically balancing the scene can make you a …

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Is an inner monologue useful for improv comedy? (ft. NYC improviser Sabrina Banes) 25:04

3M ago25:04

25:04

Tired of being told to "get out of your head"? This episode of Your Improv Brain explores a different approach. Discover how your active inner voice, often seen as a distraction, can actually become a powerful tool for your improv. Host Jen deHaan and guest Sabrina Banes discuss practical ways to understand and even harness your mental chatter for …

1
Son's are raised different than daughters: We need a shift 13:24

10M ago13:24

13:24

Raising sons and daughters often involves different challenges, approaches, and emphases, reflecting both individual personality and social influences. While there are distinctions in social conditioning, the goal is to raise both sons and daughters as individuals with strong self-awareness, empathy, resilience, and the ability to thrive in a diver…

1
Suggestions for Protecting Your Mind While Doing Comedy 42:58

10M ago42:58

42:58

This episode provides general suggestions to comedians, especially neurodivergent ones like us autistic and ADHD actors in comedy and improv, to protect our minds while engaging in comedy and with others in the community. Find the video for this episode (has my face, not just captions): YouTube video (you can leave your input here!) Find the writte…

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New Podcast Name for One Year Anniversary 9:15

10M ago9:15

9:15

This marks one year of making podcast episodes! There are some changes happening next week, and here's what those changes are. And the things not changing (most of it isn't change). Yeah, STUFF IS HAPPENING! This kinda-but-not-really-an-episode talks about how this series started, and what I have planned with the name change for the podcast project…

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Inclusive and beneficial icebreaker exercises for performers 20:41

11M ago20:41

20:41

Icebreakers. They're common in an improv class, at the top of a jam, or maybe when a team is just getting to know each other. Some people love them. Some people hate them. Some of us have a love/hate relationship depending on the day or the icebreaker in question. Many of the people who really dislike icebreakers are neurodivergent people, which is…

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Emotional Processing, Acting, and Improv (Alexithymia) - Part 2 30:47

11M ago30:47

30:47

In part one of this episode series on emotions in improv, we looked at what alexithymia is, who experiences it and the variety of expression, and how it affects improv performers and the shared improv practice. This episode, part two, now explores some ideas of what students can do if they approach exercises with assigned emotions, and what teacher…

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Emotional Processing, Acting, and Improv (Alexithymia) - Part 1 28:52

11M ago28:52

28:52

Alexithymia involves how a person identifies and experiences emotions, so it has a lot to do with an improv practice. Part one of this two part episode series explores what alexithymia is, how it affects improv, and suggests some ways to practice improv if you experience it. Part two covers some ideas of what students can do if they approach exerci…

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Giving Notes and Feedback to Comedy Students - Part 3 30:15

12M ago30:15

30:15

Notes (feedback) can be confusing for some student performers because of communication differences. This episode discusses what teachers can do to help improve and resolve some of the typical communication issues around questions and notes. Why can’t a student just ask for clarification? That can be loaded in some improv cultures (for now), and as …

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Getting Notes and Feedback You Don’t Understand - Part 2 29:31

1y ago29:31

29:31

Welcome to part two of this three-part series of episodes about receiving notes as neurodivergent improvisers. (Note: This episode is offered as an early release to supporters, and opens up to everyone on August 27! ) Getting notes can be hard for students, particularly when there is a communication gap between neurotype. This episode lists five re…

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Getting Feedback & Giving Notes in Comedy Classes - Part 1 30:37

1y ago30:37

30:37

This three-part series of episodes is about receiving notes as a neurodivergent improviser. This episode covers WHY getting notes is hard in improv, particularly when there is a communication gap between neurotypes (such as between an autistic and allistic humans, or when verbal processing disorder exists, and so on). There’s sometimes a communicat…

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Introduction to Season 2 of the Show 3:31

1y ago3:31

3:31

Welcome back, improvisers! Season 2 of the Neurodiversity and Improv podcast is coming your way. Every two weeks you can expect a new episode about the intersection of neurotypes and learning/performing improv. We’ll be starting with a three part series on getting notes and giving notes in comedy classes. This is a very common request from improvis…

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Visual Imagery and Improv: How it Affects Memory and Recall 31:38

1+ y ago31:38

31:38

Most humans have some amount of mental imagery, or visual imagery. You might find that you use the visuals to help you build and remember improv scenes. The extreme ends are considered to be neurodivergence (they are called hyperphantasia and aphantasia), but regardless of what or how much you have you can do great improv. For more information see …

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How Neurodiversity Affects Improv And Comedy: Being Misunderstood 32:36

1+ y ago32:36

32:36

Neurodivergent humans might communicate in a different way, a way that is difficult for neurotypical humans to understand. Different social communication styles not necessarily a deficit, and it’s not a pathology - it’s a difference. However, having difficulty communicating in a way other people understand it can be frustrating and isolating. Becau…

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Communication in Improv Scenes: Finding the unusual thing 40:46

1+ y ago40:46

40:46

Last week I promised an episode about finding the unusual thing: how you find what’s weird at the top of a scene when you’re setting up the base reality that leads to the game. And here is that episode. Communication is a challenge in improv, especially when we have different neurotypes playing together (which is probably… always). Our cognitive wi…

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Neurodiversity and Observation: How it can improve your scenes 38:17

1+ y ago38:17

38:17

You’re getting an episode that gets real. So this week I experienced something related to last week’s episode (ep 10). I wrote all of the notes for an episode about finding the unusual thing as a neurodivergent improviser. But you’re getting that one next week, friend, because I’ve been thinking about this stuff instead. And you know what happens w…

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Your visual Imagination & how it affects improv scenes 43:59

1+ y ago43:59

43:59

So in this episode you learn about the spectrum of visual imagination, from lots to none, and explore how you imagine visual details in improv. I cover what the spectrum of phantasia is, from hyperphantasia to aphantasia, then go into how it affects improv. How you visually process details in a scene are not just important for exploring the environ…

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Masking and Improv Comedy: Being the voice of reason 40:43

1+ y ago40:43

40:43

Masking is a common behaviour for autistic and/or ADHD people. It’s a trait that can be subconscious or conscious, and one we take on to suppress natural reactions, responses, physicality or expressions. This, of course, can affect how we position ourselves in scenes if we are trying to be the voice of reason and respond naturally and honestly. Tha…

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How to Commit: Honouring YOUR unique brain in improv 27:40

1+ y ago27:40

27:40

We’ve all heard those sayings like “do not compare your chapter 1 to their chapter 6.” But that can be pretty hard to do. Especially when we get notes that relate to our brain wiring! Maybe we’re reading from, or writing, a completely different book. It can be hard when our brains are so different in a word that’s constructed for a different (neuro…

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Fast and Slow Edit Moves in Long Form Improv Comedy 35:41

1+ y ago35:41

35:41

This episode was inspired by a discussion I had with another improviser about fast and slow edit moves. They were told by a teammate to edit faster. The answer I gave them was a bit of an opinionated monologue infodump, and I was told I should turn that monologue into a podcast. So here we are. What we're talking about today is edit moves, with foc…

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Masking and Improv: Character Matching (Peas in a Pod) Scenes 29:37

1+ y ago29:37

29:37

Masking is a common behaviour for autistic and/or ADHD people (or those of us who are both). It's sometimes referred to as camouflaging, mimicking, or being a social chameleon. You might mask subconsciously - you might not even realize you do it! But it's essentially suppressing your natural reactions, responses, physicality or expressions in order…

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The Intersection of Misophonia & Improv with Sabrina Banes 51:39

1+ y ago51:39

51:39

Very excited about this ep! This week I am joined by Sabrina Banes, an improviser who has a condition called misophonia. Sabrina Banes is an improviser and Tarot reader who lives in Brooklyn with her two cats, Shumai and Althea. She currently performs with her longform indie teams, Jace Spam and Dolly Lana, and with her Improv College narrative hou…

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Top-down thinking in improv (for bottom-up thinkers) 25:46

1+ y ago25:46

25:46

If you are a bottom-up thinker, there are certain techniques in long-form improv that might work better if you try to do top-down thinking instead. Why would you do such a thing? And When? Game and second beats might be challenging to a bottom-up thinker. You need to get used to wrapping up a bunch of details into a single idea, gist, or synopsis r…

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How Bottom Up Thinking can Affect Dealing with Plots in Improv 25:53

2y ago25:53

25:53

Bottom-up thinking or bottom-up processing is common way for autistics to process information. It’s wired into our brains and affects EVERYTHING. How does this type of thinking affect doing improv scenes, especially when it comes to plots? In particular… when you weren’t expecting a plot, and suddenly things get plotty? Bottom-up thinking affects h…

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Thoughts On Being Perceived (on the Improv Stage & In Class) 42:00

2y ago42:00

42:00

The sense of being perceived is all about the activity you are doing when you are being looked at by other people. Having strong feelings about this kind of perception is common particularly with the autistic neurotype. And it can sure seem illogical or contradictory at times, too. And… people look at you in improv… a lot! Learn about what being pe…

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What is Neurodivergence and How it's Relevant to Improv Comedy 15:08

2y ago15:08

15:08

This episode details what neurodivergence is, and why it’s relevant to improv. I include a couple of examples in there. Check out the transcript to see the text version of this episode. Downloadable content Download the Free Post-Show Reflection Guide: Sent to your inbox when you subscribe to either newsletter (and added to the footer to each messa…

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Hello, Neurodivergent Improvisers 4:14

2y ago4:14

4:14

Introduction by Jen to the new FlatImprov podcast. We're starting with the intersection of neurodivergence and improv. Note from 2025: This episode was done on a whim to test the podcasting features at Substack, where this used to be hosted before I moved it to a much better platform. But hey, I kept going! And renamed it a couple times, too. This …

1
The Humanities Building 2:18

2y ago2:18

2:18

You’re now standing in the middle of the Humanities Building. Contrary to popular myth, the building was not designed to protect against antiwar student riots. The architectural style is aptly called “Concrete Brutalism.” It looks more like a Soviet-era bunker than a place where history is taught and music recitals are held. The building was part o…

1
Alumni Park 3:48

2y ago3:48

3:48

Alumni Park, finished in 2018, sits on the historic site of UW’s YMCA building. Founded in 1881, the YMCA became the center of student social life for decades. It foreshadowed the Memorial Union, which would open in 1928, as a gathering place for students, a hosting site for extracurricular activities, and the social hub of campus. The YMCA itself …

1
Helen C. White Building 2:25

2y ago2:25

2:25

The large building in your view was opened in 1971 and carries the name of Helen C. White. It houses a popular student study spot, College Library, and a handful of academic departments, including the English Department. Helen White taught English at UW for forty-eight years, from 1919 to her death in 1967. As mentioned in a previous stop, she was …

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Science Hall 1:43

2y ago1:43

1:43

UW has been a leader in scientific research and teaching for more than a century. The rustic red brick walls of Science Hall are an imposing testament to this legacy. The building was erected in 1887, and has hosted more than a dozen science departments, from agriculture to zoology. As the university grew, Science Hall came to be known for its chie…

1
Education Building 1:52

2y ago1:52

1:52

The Education Building, built in 1900 and renovated in 2011, houses UW’s School of Education, routinely ranked as one of the top programs of its type in the country. The School of Education was founded in 1930 and was seen by the university as a direct outgrowth of the Wisconsin Idea, a term first coined in the early twentieth century by UW Preside…

1
Muir Woods and North Hall 2:19

2y ago2:19

2:19

Across Observatory Drive there is a small nature preserve named Muir Woods. It stretches down the hill to the shore of Lake Mendota. Muir Woods is named after John Muir, sometimes called the “Father of the National Parks” for his career as a preservationist and co-founder of the Sierra Club. Muir was born in Scotland in 1838 and when 11 years old i…

1
Bascom Hall 2:38

2y ago2:38

2:38

You have probably heard of the idea of “academic freedom.” At UW, it has meant that anything that matters to the citizens of the state is worthy of study. Read the plaque to the left of the front door out loud. The plaque symbolizes the seriousness with which the university takes its commitment to the “continual and fearless sifting and winnowing b…

1
Birge Hall 2:05

2y ago2:05

2:05

Birge Hall, home of UW’s Department of Botany, was erected in 1910. It took its current name in 1950 in honor of Edward Birge, a prominent zoologist, educator, and two-time president of UW-Madison. Birge was one of the country’s first great experts on lakes. He contributed to Lake Mendota being nicknamed “the most studied lake in the world.” Birge,…

1
South Hall and the John 8:32 Plaque 1:57

2y ago1:57

1:57

South Hall, built in 1855, is the second oldest building on campus. It was the original women’s dorm before what is now Chadbourne Hall was built, and it is now home to the administration of the College of Letters and Science. Like all early buildings at the university, South Hall at one time possessed a chapel that was an active part of student li…

1
Music Hall 1:54

2y ago1:54

1:54

Looks like a church, doesn’t it? It was built in 1878 and first named Assembly Hall because administrators were eager to have a space to accommodate the entire student body in one place. Today, many high schools wouldn’t be able to fit into its original 800-seat auditorium, but back then UW’s student body hovered around 500. UW’s student population…

1
Park Street Bridge 1:46

2y ago1:46

1:46

Stand in the middle of the bridge, facing away from the lake, and look to your right to Chadbourne Hall. Back in 1871, this building was the Female College and women’s dorm. The Female College had been created a few years earlier to separate men and women students, who had been enrolling together since 1863. The UW president who insisted on the sep…

1
The University Club 2:43

2y ago2:43

2:43

As you look south to the brick building of the University Club, you’ll see one of the oldest existing social spaces on campus. The building was finished in 1907 and, on the order of university president Charles Van Hise, the club was founded to promote faculty community. It has always had a dining area on the first floor, but originally the more th…