May 8, 2017

Meet Jay Sukow of Today Improv in Sherman Oaks

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay Sukow.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jay. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m an improvisor. In addition to my classes and workshops with Today Improv, I’m currently a faculty member at Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica and Second City Hollywood. I’m also a facilitator with Second City Works, the corporate arm of The Second City. I’m very blessed.

My life’s philosophy is “yes, and…” But I didn’t start out to become an improvisor. I started out not knowing what I wanted to be.

I grew up in Glenwood, a far southeast suburb of Chicago. My dad, an iron worker and my mom, a teacher-turned retail store manager, were so supportive. “I don’t care if you want to dig ditches. Whatever you do, do it well and be happy.”

I didn’t take an improv class until I was a 5th year senior at Illinois State University. I didn’t even really know what improv was. But instantly, I was hooked. My first improv class was actually a Christmas present from my parents; an 8-week course at Second City Northwest, in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. It was my last semester of college and I would drive up every Friday night from Normal, Illinois to take a 3-hour improv class from 12-3 on Saturday. Sometimes, I’d drive back that night. Other times, the next day.

I clearly remember the first thing I ever learned in class. The instructor told us to walk around the room as if a string was connected to our heads, pulling them to the ceiling. Oh. My. God. Then, he said that string was now pulling from our stomachs. I walked around, amazed. I loved it! I was hooked. So, each week, I went back. I took more classes. This was my real-world education.

My first three teachers were Stephen Colbert, Dave Razowsky, and Steve Carell. Eventually, five of us formed the group “Wakamalaka”: Liz Allen, Ed Brown, Bob Dassie, Ed Dassie, Judy Fabjance and me. We did our own student graduation sketch and improv show, which turned into a year run of “The Best of The Second City Northwest.” I got to perform the same sketches as my comedy mentors! All thanks to our producer, Cheryl Sloane. She’s the daughter of one of my all-time favorite people, the heart of Second City for its first 50 years, Joyce Sloane. Two amazing women who gave me a shot.

My first professional job was with ComedySportz Chicago, where my first show paid…$4! And I thought I had made it! During the audition, only one of the auditors wanted call me back: Joanne Cloonan. Without her, I would not be where I am today.

And along the way, I’ve had some pretty influential teachers: Martin DeMaat, Michael Gellman, John Holston, Fran Adams, Tom Gianas at Second City, Dave Gaudet, Randy Smock and Dr. Jim McDonnell at ComedySportz Chicago. Del Close, Charna Halpern, Kevin Dorff, Jon Favreau, Peter Gwinn, TJ Jagodowski, Bob Dassie, Noah Gregoropolous, Paul Grondy, Matt Besser, Joe Bill, Dan Bakkedahl, Lillie Francis at iO Chicago, Mick Napier, Mark Sutton and Rebecca Sohn from the Annoyance Theater. I’ve studied with Keith Johnstone, Dick Schaal, Michael Gellman, Jimmy Carrane, Liz Allen, Jean Villepique, Sommer Austin, Andrew Gallant…and many more. But I’ve learned the most from the students with whom I’ve worked.

I’ve been an ensemble member of ComedySportz Chicago, on teams at iO Chicago, performed at Second City Northwest, Donny’s Skybox, the deMaat Theatre, Club Med, and I have been a guest performer at improv sets for Second City Mainstage, Second City ETC, Second City Northwest, and “Messing with a Friend.”

I’ve been a guest on “The Improv Nerd” with Jimmy Carrane, “ADD Comedy” with Ian Foley and Dave Razowsky, “Whether the Weather”, “SDI”, “Smeared, Inc.”, “SDI”, “MBSing”, “The Eisenstein Effect” and “The Improv Sound Off”.

I’ve toured the country with ComedySportz, Chicago Improv Productions, and Mission Improvable. I’ve performed at Boom Chicago, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Del Close Marathon, The C/U Improv Fest, The New Orleans Improv Fest, Club Med…

And countless murder mysteries and team building gigs. Which helped me become a much, much better improvisor. I learned how to read and engage a crowd. I learned my stage persona. I learned how to be comfortable in front of a lot of people I didn’t know.

Mentors have become colleagues, students have become teachers and, most importantly, all have become friends. I’ve performed with some of the greatest improvisors ever. With Group Mind Films, I’ve produced and directed movies featuring mostly improvised dialogue around scripted storylines with amazing improvisors and actors.

I’ve had an amazing life and incredible experiences thanks to improv. I love improv because it’s all about saying yes and building together, making each other look good, embracing mistakes as gifts, treating each day like “today’s the day,” making positive choices and assumptions, playing to the height of my intelligence, having fun. It’s about support: do your job so that the group looks good. If the group is taken care of, you’ll be taken care of. When I was a student, what really stuck with me was “Do your job or the tribe dies.”

I think human beings want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, whether that’s their family, job, church, band, Cosplay, quilting club, book club, school, whatever. For me, it’s improv.

My wife is a tremendous improvisor. But she gets stage fright so you’ll never see her on a stage. But she gets it.

When we get into arguments, my wife will say, “Treat me like your scene partner!” Or, when I’m scared, like about moving from Chicago to LA, she’ll remind me to “follow the fear!” She’s right and my favorite scene partner.

Today Improv is a new training company designed to help people improve themselves through the ‘yes, and…” philosophy.

Today Improv is really for three groups of people: Actors, regular folks and business teams. If you’re an actor, you have probably heard “You need improv training on your resume.” I can help with that. If you’re a “regular person” who wants to improve yourself in some way — come out of your shell, communicate more effectively, stay present, meet people, think quicker on your feet, or have the most fun you’ll ever have, I can help with that. If you’re with a business team, you’ve probably heard, “we need better chemistry…more effective communication…or training…or listening…or…” I can help with that.

What’s my goal?

I’d like to see every person on the planet take at least one improv class. It changes people’s lives for the better

I’d like to see people become more than they think they can. But I can’t do this alone. I need your help. What can you do? I’m not completely sure so we’ll improvise. Word of mouth is always welcome. Tell anyone you know who might be interested in taking an improv class. Help me promote it through social media. You can hire me to help with your business or group.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I guess nothing’s really smooth in life. Some of my struggles were diving head first into improv and doing nothing else during an early period in my life. All I did was work various jobs and improvise. It became too insular. I lost contact with friends and family who weren’t improvisors. At one point, I got burnt out, unhappy and started to feel entitled; a dangerous and unhealthy place to be. So, I walked away. It was during that same time that my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I moved back home to become his primary caregiver. I completely removed myself from the improv scene. It took me three years to get back into improv. And it took me getting over myself and my expectations and ego to really get back into improv.

I became clean and sober March 24, 2008 and it was the greatest gift I ever gave myself. It made me not only a better improvisor, but also a better improvisor, friend, relative, and husband.

I still struggle with listening to my ego and being focused on myself instead of other’s focused and thinking that I know a better way to do things.

So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Today Improv story. Tell us more about the business.
Today Improv teaches improv to actors, business and everybody else. We use the improv philosophies of “Yes! And…” to drive behavior change. We’re most proud of the effect we have on people’s lives and how they use the skills improv teaches not just on the stage but, more importantly, in their personal and professional lives.

I guess what sets us apart is that we demand love and unconditional support and a focus on positivity. We won’t allow people to be mediocre. We improve people’s lives in a safe and supportive environment. We help show them what is already inside of them and teach that what they do is always good enough. To trust their instincts and ‘Yes! And…’ themselves.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Improv is all about failure and following the fear. I was taught to aim to fail, to take the pressure to be perfect and not make mistakes off yourself. Using failure by turning it into something positive. Failure also helps not only you but, more importantly, others learn. On stage, the failures are used to create something wonderful.

There are no mistakes, only gifts–“Happy Accidents.”

I also learned “Follow the fear, it will set you free.” We live in constant fear, of both the past and the future and our ego holds onto fear with a firm grip. It’s when we follow the fear is when we live and grow.

So, both good and bad luck have a tremendous impact on our philosophy and our business. Accepting both will happen, you have no control, and to use luck to propel us forward has led us to where we are today.

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