Maged Roushdi

This week I sit down with my mentor Maged Rushdie — a veteran and ensemble member at Dad's Garage who you've seen in Blackground, The Tight Acquaintances, and Invasion Christmas Carol (which he's also directed). Maged has been improvising since 2001, and we cover an enormous amount of ground, starting with his trial-by-fire origin story: his very first time on stage was in front of a live audience, with no training, and he somehow "won".At the heart of this episode is a genuinely useful deep dive into the acting side of improv. Maged breaks down objectives, tactics, and expectations, makes the case that every improviser is an actor, and walks through a flower-pot scene and a divorce scene to show why a want should be something only your scene partner can give you. We also get into the nuance of giving good notes (note the move, not the choice), why everything you need is already in a level one class, handling burnout, the real purpose of jams, and finding theatricality through stillness. Plus the case for a well-placed dick joke, breaking on an inflatable T-Rex, and a pitch for "Gymprov." It's long, it's fun, and it's packed with wisdom for improvisers at any level. Enjoy!Send us a message, question, or topic!Support the showFollow us on Instagram - @thejoyofimprovpodSupport the podcast with a small tip - https://ko-fi.com/thejoyofimprovEmail any questions or ideas to [email protected]: Joel Camargo - Insta - @joelc1225Audio Editor: Matt Issacs - Insta - @mattisaacs20