Podcast
Philosophy vs. Improv
Hosted by Mark Linsenmayer, Bill Arnett · EN
Mark Linsenmayer (host of The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast) and Bill Arnett (head of the Chicago Improv Studio) each try to teach each other their crafts via conversation, sketches, and what can only be called performance art. No taking turns!
16episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
PvI#93: Poetry Stands its Ground w/ Shannon Bass and Audrey Kohler
Jun 400:49:05Tap to summarizeShannon the philosopher and Audrey the poet are Seattle improv buddies that form a duo called Closer to Clarity that uses improv to answer audience members' big life questions (BLQs). Through these guests and their BLQs, philosophy and poetry face off and mind meld and do-si-do as we play through two wacky corporate office scenes and return once again to Empty Street™ for an attempted gas station poetry open mic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →PvI#92: Postale au Naturale w/ Greg McBrayer
May 12, 202501:07:57Tap to summarizeGreg teaches philosophy (and is Interim Provost) at Ashland, loves Xenophon, and runs a podcast. We reflect on the dangers of radon and other "natural" things. How might one of our government agencies become more natural, and would we want that? Are fart jokes the most naturally funny kind? Then, Greg the trucker visits Empty Street and embezzles dead mules. Bill was thrust from the final portion of the call, so Mark and Greg engage in some philosophy podcast shop talk. He returns for the Post-Game after Greg's departure (actually, it was the next day) to reflect on the episode and specifically identify the naturalistic fallacy. You can choose to watch this on YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →PvI#91: Community Breakdown (or Breakdance?) w/ Nick Armstrong
Apr 13, 202501:06:32Tap to summarizeMark and Bill are joined by the actor/improviser who directs Camp Improv Utopia and is involved in managing improv spaces such as Denver's Rise Comedy. We talk about the notion of community, with a scene about the neighborhood watch and a return to Empty Street to deal seriously in a public-service-announcement/after-school special sort of way with the issue of buying liquor underage.How does one foster a supportive improv community? Can we develop a community of returning Empty Street cast members?You can choose to watch this discussion on unedited video.In the post-game, Mark and Bill talk briefly about people who can't sympathize beyond their immediate circle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →PvI#90: Empty Street
Mar 24, 202500:54:26Tap to summarizeMark and Bill introduce a new potential setting and some characters for ongoing use in future improvisations. We talk about techniques for doing that and wrap up by getting an update from Bill on his substitute teaching and talking about what makes for a good teacher.You can choose to watch this on unedited video. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →PvI#89: Improv 4 Change w/ Shawn and Aaron from srsly wrong
Feb 19, 202500:58:13Tap to summarizeMark and Bill are joined by two north-of-the-border podcasters, Shawn Vulliez and Aaron Moritz, who incorporate both improv and philosophy in their dirty leftist podcast.We simulate conversation as competing knowers-of-the-good-life and talk about using improv for political purposes. Note that this was recorded back in December when we were in the thick of Luigi Mangione fever and not yet consumed with daily Presidential antics.Watch this on unedited video. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →PvI#88: The Dark Side of Improv w/ Randy Fertel
Feb 1, 202501:15:01Tap to summarizeRandy is a literature guy who has written a couple of books about improv and here joins Mark and Bill to talk about WINGING IT: Improv's Power and Peril in the Age of Trump, wherein he basically blames improv for giving us the orange man. Our scenes are about Trumpers hustling a fast food joint and improv for dogs.Mark and Bill stick around for some post-game bringing in yet another metaphor: music and its stylistic development.Watch this as unedited video, if you so choose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →PvI#87: Mystic Toaster with Simon Critchley
Dec 23, 202401:05:48Tap to summarizeSimon is a professor at New York's New School for Social Research and moderates the New York Times' philosophy offering, The Stone. He joins Mark and Bill to discuss his new book, On Mysticism: The Experience of Ecstasy, and we used the occasion to explore how art and mysticism might be connected, including engaging in improv rituals.You can watch this on unedited video.We do some post-game discussion for the first time in a while (not on the video) where we reflect on the episode, and Mark connects it to PEL's current topic, Ludwig Feuerbach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →PvI#86: Friends with App-Platter Benefits w/ Sarah Shockey and Tommy Maranges
Dec 6, 202401:05:06Tap to summarizeIt's a TEAM PLAY episode just in time for the holiday season! Returning guests improviser and podcaster Sarah and recovering Philosophy Bro Tommy join Mark and Bill to talk AND EXPERIENCE friendship, with our longest single improv scene to date. What is friendship? Is it gendered? Do you know your friends enough to imitate them? Does one friendship or fast-casual restaurant have to die so that another may emerge? Can Bill even get to the end of the call?Watch this on unedited video.The image was swiped off Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →PvI#85: Prototype Protoplasm w/ Mike Gorgone
Nov 21, 202400:57:32Tap to summarizeMike hosts the Hitchhikers and Appetizers podcast, and we recorded this episode a bit before Halloween, before the election and the consequent mass exodus, as a sort of memo to the future, i.e. you. We blister our way through many topics including discovery, hospital dramas, time travel sex, self-experimentation, ancient aliens, sharkNATO, Flintstone furniture, the first Wisconsin Thanksgiving, Subway nation-states, and more.Watch this episode on video. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →PvI#84: Interesting? w/ Lorraine Besser
Nov 3, 202400:54:31Tap to summarizeLorraine teaches at Middlebury college and has recently written The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How to Cultivate It. How does "the interesting" fit into human flourishing? How do we know when some attractive stimulation is really in our interest and really good?Can we find something interesting even the most tedious, repetitive tasks? Is it interesting to start an improv scene by declaring that your scene-mates are dealing with alcoholism and divorce? Certainly it is rude. Also, Happiness 12 Step Programs.You can choose to watch this on unedited video. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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