Comedic Pursuits

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Topher Bellavia

About Topher Bellavia

Topher Bellavia is an improv teacher, corporate trainer and three-time FIST Champion. He has coached hundreds of corporate and artistic groups and thousands of individuals to work and play together more harmoniously. As a co-founder of the Washington Improv Theater Training Program, he mentored dozens of instructors and shepherded the program from twenty annual student registrations to fifteen-hundred. He has produced, written and performed in eight national and local award-winning improvised short films. His past students have gone on to perform on the TBS show Ground Floor, Bojack Horseman and Fox’s Mulaney, as well writing NBC’s Saturday Night Live “Weekend Update.”

Playing to Win FIST: Advice from a FIST Champion

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Starting with your first improv show, you've probably heard one line a thousand times, whether it's from a coach, teacher, or your own teammates. The suggestion to "just have fun" is the most ubiquitous advice in improv. While having fun is, obviously, fun for you as team, it's also important to remember that the show is never just for you. There are good people paying good … [Read more...] about Playing to Win FIST: Advice from a FIST Champion

Improv Audition Tips to Help You Succeed

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My first improv audition was humiliating. I still remember what room it was in, where I was standing, and the jackass that I was paired with. He thought he was so fucking funny. I had no idea what to do, I could feel the blood rush to my ears. So I did what all human beings are programmed to do: I defended myself. When I later tried out for Washington Improv Theater in 2000, … [Read more...] about Improv Audition Tips to Help You Succeed