BONUS CLIP: UCB Origin Stories (w/ Ify Nwadiwe)

Summary

Staying Alive with Jon Gabrus & Adam Pally

Bonus Clip: UCB Origin Stories (w/ Ify Nwadiwe)
Recorded in Austin | Released April 9, 2026

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Episode Overview

This bonus episode features an in-depth, candid, and nostalgic detour from the hosts’ regular health and wellness conversations. Jon Gabrus, Adam Pally, and guest Ify Nwadiwe (pronounced “Waddaway” in transcript) share their unique comedic origin stories with the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB). The trio reminisce about their early days navigating the improv scene, discuss the evolution and quirks of UCB in NYC and LA, and reflect on the community, competitiveness, and cultural shifts that shaped their careers and personal growth.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Finding Community and Early Influences in Improv

• Starting out feeling lost: Adam Pally describes the challenge of breaking into comedy without connections—“You don’t feel connected in any one community, you can kind of feel lost.” (00:49)

• Early inspiration: Echo Kellum & Donald Glover:

  • Ify credits Echo Kellum as a crucial early influence.
  • Matt Apodaca encouraged Ify to listen to Donald Glover’s episode of WTF, where the scarcity of Black improvisers is discussed. This encouraged Ify to pursue UCB.
  • Ify on expectations:
    • “Even though I was nowhere near it, I was half expecting (Donald Glover) to be like, and I hear this guy in Orange County, Ify Waddaway.” (01:54)

• Delusions of grandeur as motivation:

  • “That’s the delusion of grandeur that we all have. You almost arguably need it.” – Ify Nwadiwe & Jon Gabrus (02:17–02:21)
  • “The fact that I’m so delusional about this means I must be obsessed.” – Jon Gabrus (03:02)

2. Representation & Diversity in Improv

• Scarcity of Black improvisers:

  • “Donald said not a lot of Black improvisers.”—Ify (03:31)
  • The lack of representation was both frustrating and motivating for Ify and many others.

• Comparing LA and NY diversity:

  • Ify notes experiencing a more diverse scene upon moving to LA:
    • “In New York, the drama was, there’s no POC performers... I come to LA, and I’m like, they’re here.” (04:25–04:38)

• All-Black “ASSSSCAT” show discourse:

  • “Donald should have done the LA ASSSSCAT, Black History Month. That should be a new rule. If he does one, he has to do the other…” – Adam Pally (04:38–04:47)
  • “I’m gonna text him that right now. LA is pissed.” – Jon Gabrus (04:47–04:49)

3. UCB: Comparing Cultures, Hierarchies & Shifts

• New York vs LA UCB hierarchy:

  • Adam brings a “hot take”:
    • “NY UCB, at least back in the early DCM era, had more of a hierarchy than LA UCB…” (05:54)
    • Ify and Jon agree, noting LA’s more democratized feel due to its newness and influx of transplants.
    • NYU theater kids and old guard created a sense of “ownership” and competition.
      • “I famously say that our Herald team... was the last time that a Herald team was just made up of ‘these are the fun’... After us, it got so much more competitive.” – Ify (08:03)
      • “There just weren’t enough people... if you were still around after Level 3...” – Jon (08:17)

• Anecdotes of making it ‘in the club’:

  • “In LA, you hear like, ‘yeah Andrew Garfield’s in a 101 class... are you gonna big dog Andrew Garfield because you have a couple of guest stars?’” – Adam Pally (06:41)
  • On breaking into teams via connections:
    • Ify: "It's like asking your mom if your friend could sleep over in front of your friend." (09:34)

• Stage time & dedication:

  • Monster Heralds, indie shows, last-minute jams—everyone hustled for time.
  • “You had to go to it. It made people kind of dwindle down who were just... going through the motions.”—Adam Pally (10:43)
  • Success required intention & passion, not just attendance.

4. Growing Careers, Sacrifice, and Peer Transitions

• Making life changes for improv:

  • Ify juggled a salary job and comedy, calling in sick for unpaid auditions until he was suspended and ultimately quit to pursue DCM and improv full-time:
    • “I was calling out a salary job for the whole... for a potential to make a hundred dollars.” – Ify (11:55)

• Peer dynamics & mentorship:

  • Improvisers’ respect is based on talent, not fame:
    • “Fame in an improv green room is the least tradable asset.” – Jon Gabrus (05:48)
    • “Improviser does not care if you’re the most famous or least famous—they will cling to you if you’re funny.” (05:35)

• From van rides to peerage:

  • “In that van is like me, Schwartz, Bobby, and Colton... all those people now to me are like the best of the best. They become peers. But when you were in that van, you’re like, holy shit.” – Jon Gabrus (10:30–10:41)

5. Getting On Stage: The Old UCB Hustle

• Indie team stories and ‘crash shows’:

  • “You’d be like, ‘Hey, do you want to do Walsh’s show? Everyone has to come up with something to do for 90 seconds...’” – Ify (13:25)
  • “If you could do it, you could do it, you know...and get a call if you can hang.” – Jon Gabrus (14:12)

• Rapid Joke About Being “In”:

  • “They’re pretty good about being like, well, you’re in now.” (14:17–14:19)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “That’s the delusion of grandeur that we all have...You almost arguably needed.”—Ify Nwadiwe & Jon Gabrus (02:17)
• “Fame in an improv green room is the least tradable asset.” – Jon Gabrus (05:48)
• “In LA, you’re hearing like, ‘Yeah, Andrew Garfield’s in a 101 class…are you gonna big dog Andrew Garfield because you have a couple of guest stars?’” – Adam Pally (06:41)
• “You had to go to it. It made people dwindle down who were just...going through the motions.” – Adam Pally (10:43)
• “If you could do it, you could do it, you know, and get a call if you can hang.” – Jon Gabrus (14:12)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:49 – Adam Pally on feeling lost in comedy, and finding guiding community
• 01:54 – Ify’s pivotal moment hearing Donald Glover’s podcast
• 02:17–03:02 – On ‘delusions of grandeur’ as creative necessity
• 04:25–04:38 – Ify on LA vs NY diversity in improv
• 05:54 – Adam’s “hot take” on UCB hierarchy NY vs LA
• 08:03–08:33 – Ify & Jon on how UCB teams were historically formed
• 09:34 – Ify’s story of becoming part of an all-Black indie team
• 10:30–10:41 – Gabrus on the significance of riding with future stars
• 11:55–12:16 – Ify on quitting his stable job for improv
• 13:25–14:12 – On the old UCB hustle: getting stage time however possible

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Takeaways

• The struggles, motivations, and culture shocks of early improv careers are universal, marked by a mix of delusion, hustle, and sudden opportunities.
• Representation and diversity remain key issues, and the evolution between NY and LA improv scenes holds meaningful differences.
• Despite fame or lack thereof, respect and opportunity in UCB’s heyday were earned through dedication and funny—there was no shortcut.
• The episode is filled with humor, nostalgia, and practical wisdom for comedy nerds or anyone fascinated by performance communities.

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For fans of comedy, improv, or the UCB legacy, this episode will feel like late-night green room banter: honest, funny, and brimming with the unvarnished realities of 'making it' in comedy.

Transcript

[Adam Pally]

Smart.

[John Gabris]

Bless media.

[Ify Waddaway]

What's up alive heads? It's Gabris coming at you with a bonus episode of Staying Alive. It's a little deleted scene from our most recent interview with Ify waddaway. Surprising no one. We go on a 20 minute detour about our history with UCB. And that doesn't always fit with the health and wellness podcast, but we thought you guys still like to hear it. So here's a little aside from our conversation that we recorded in Austin with Ify Wad Away. Enjoy.

[Adam Pally]

I feel like sometimes like in comedy when you're like young and hungry and you're. You're only accesses like your. But you don't feel connected in any one community, you can kind of feel lost. And for me, I felt like I really locked in when like I had certain people who were like, hey, this is what you should be doing. Or hey, this is. And so like, who were those people for you? Oh, man. I think like the early, early, earliest one was Echo Kellum was because I. So that's a good. When I was working that desk job that I was sweating at profusely, I'm

[John Gabris]

there sweating my ass off in a studio.

[Adam Pally]

So I started, you know. Cause I was been doing improv since high school. I started doing improv like locally at Long Beach. I was doing the Long Beach Playhouse. And then I was doing these shows at. It was called Stages Theaters turned into Spectacles Improv Engine. And then I was on a team called Cherry Spitz. And I would. I was just doing it, but I was like, okay, but like, how do I level up right? And I was feeling like I was the funniest guy there. Big fish in Small Pond, doing shows in Fullerton that like, like use. Like it wasn't there. And then Matt Apodaca told me to listen to the Donald Glover WTF episode. And he was like, yeah. He was like, there's not that many black people in improv. And he like says a couple names. And even though I was nowhere near it, I was like half expecting to be like, and I hear this guy in Orange county and if, if he

[Ify Waddaway]

wide away, I think correctly, you're like, thank you, childish.

[John Gabris]

But that's the delusion of grandeur that we all have.

[Ify Waddaway]

You almost arguably needed.

[Adam Pally]

I was going to say, you kind of. You need it.

[John Gabris]

You need to have that feeling. Like, I remember when I first saw my like first improv show at ucb, I had that vibration that I was like, I'm gonna walk on stage. Yeah. And like I.

[Ify Waddaway]

And they're gonna, like.

[John Gabris]

And they're. No, it's like, they need me. They need me out there, like. Cause I know what to do, I see what to do. But then you, you come back to yourself and you're like, I'm a viewer in an audience. But if you don't have that feeling, I don't think you.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah, but what I will say is, like, I think that is the, the secret, you know, other piece of that, right. Is you have that feeling, but you're like, but that's like, I'm not gonna do it.

[Ify Waddaway]

I have respect for the crowd and I'm enjoying them as an audience.

[Adam Pally]

Don't think you could just walk. If you think you could walk on stage and you've done that, stay out.

[John Gabris]

No, no, no, of course, of course. But I think that that instinct is what I like, recognized it early on as, like, that's a delusion. But the fact that I'm so delusional about this means that I must be obsessed. Exactly that.

[Adam Pally]

And like, it's this element too, where you can see yourself up there.

[Ify Waddaway]

Right? Completely.

[Adam Pally]

And I think that's what stops a lot of people from doing so many things.

[Ify Waddaway]

Let me be human Vyvanse for a second.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[Ify Waddaway]

Donald, say not a lot of black improvisers.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. Not a lot of black improviser. Great job. That's why I was saying talking with people with ADHD is great because one person will remember to like, be like, we got to come back to this. Yeah.

[John Gabris]

That's John's job.

[Ify Waddaway]

I have such a fear because I talk so much. I have such a fear of like accidentally stomping out someone's story that if I am on a rift that goes way too long, I'll go. And you were saying that your dad bought a house in New Orleans.

[John Gabris]

We can, we can go back to my question about your polyamory later.

[Adam Pally]

What were you saying? So, so when I heard that, I was like, oh, I gotta go to ucb. So I start going and, and shout

[John Gabris]

out to Donald because I do think a lot of people heard him say that.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[John Gabris]

And I think that it's. It was an. It was like needed to be said.

[Ify Waddaway]

They did an all black ass cat in New York, Donald.

[Adam Pally]

I, I bitched about that to the big team guys. I was like, we've been doing that in LA forever.

[Ify Waddaway]

I moved to LA in 20, in 2012. And in New York, the drama was, there's no POC performers, blah, blah, blah. I'm like, it's crazy. We gotta get and then I come to LA and I'm like, they're here. Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

Well, truly, I was like, I wanted. Donald should have done the LA asset, Black History Month. That should be a new rule. If he does one, he has to come do the other. And then I have to be.

[John Gabris]

I'm gonna text him that right now.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah, yeah.

[John Gabris]

I'm gonna be like, dude, LA is pissed.

[Adam Pally]

It's so funny because I remember when I started because of that, like, I wanted to go and I was going to so many shitty. That of course this is like right when his career is like going up. So he's. He hasn't. He's never been to a shitty job.

[John Gabris]

So you're like, oh, I got to watch Schwartz pretending Skittle again.

[Adam Pally]

It's so funny.

[Ify Waddaway]

It's a very funny group to have to go see every week.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[Ify Waddaway]

If you're going there to see Donald and only getting six tall, white, artistic guys, it gets a little frustrating. Shout out all my friends who are on that.

[Adam Pally]

I love all those guys and it's. It's crazy thinking about this and like, oh, yeah, I'm friends with them now. That's also what's weird about improv. It's like, you know, become friends with people like you looked up to and

[John Gabris]

you're like, holy improvisers don't care.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[John Gabris]

Like, once you cross that thread threat, like, once you cross the threshold of you're funny. An improviser does not care if you are the most famous or the least famous. They will cling to you because you're funny. It's like, you're going to take care of me. Like, fame in a green. In an improv green room is the least tradable asset.

[Adam Pally]

So here's, here's my, my, like, curious hot. Take that. I'm curious what the two New York guys think about it is. I feel like New York ucb, at least back when in the. In the early DCM era, had more of a hierarchy than the LA UCB had. Because I felt like. I remember I went to dcm, it was my second dcm, and I was talking to someone in that, you know, the student center that they used to have. And like, they're like, oh, you're doing dcm? I was like, yeah, are you gonna do a show? There was like, no, I'm just a student. I was like, what? So am I, like, like where.

[John Gabris]

It's like, that was a terrible time, in my opinion, in ucb.

[Ify Waddaway]

I happened to be in the club.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[Ify Waddaway]

And. But it was fucked Up.

[John Gabris]

I was already, I was already on my way out when that shit was going. Starting to go down. I was already like.

[Adam Pally]

It was like bizarre to me, but it made sense as to why because like, you know in LA you're hearing like, yeah, Andrew Garfield's in a one on one class. And it was like, yeah, are you gonna big dog Andrew Garfield? Because you have a couple of guest stars.

[Ify Waddaway]

Right?

[John Gabris]

Exactly.

[Adam Pally]

I was on Parks and Rec, like, okay, I'm Spider Man.

[John Gabris]

Yeah.

[Ify Waddaway]

Well, New New York had the thing back then too is that some people built that theater like started it. So that had a kind of like weird. That kind of had a weird like. And then LA kind of broke that cuz it was the second theater and the guys who brought it out, the people who brought it out there mostly guys unfortunately are. Were New Yorkers but they were new to the city and there was already comedy there. So then there's not. There's less of ownership over it and kind of democratized it a little.

[John Gabris]

It was a good thing for the, for the New York people when LA opened. It was a good thing for the New York people to get a little bit of like a come uppance in the idea that maybe there were people doing bits like this in other parts of the world. Because the, the UCB had had like two stages from, from when we were there and this is so nerdy. But whatever. Like when we, when we first got there in like 02 that it was still like not known about really. It. It wasn't.

[Ify Waddaway]

It didn't have it by accident.

[John Gabris]

Yeah, it didn't have. There were like 30 people in classes, you know, and it was.

[Ify Waddaway]

I famously say that our Herald team which was formed in 05 was the last time that a Herald team was just made up of like these are the fun. After us it got so much more competitive. Not saying that, not saying that. We like slipped in. We're actually good.

[John Gabris]

There just weren't enough people. And so they were like if you're still around after level three because there were only like one two and they

[Ify Waddaway]

were like a basic understanding of game and it put me in the top five percentile. And then like two years later it's like NYU theater kids have been taking improv and watching improv since they were 16.

[Adam Pally]

Well that's my other like odd hot take about UCB is like I'm all about like accessibility and I get it. But I feel like when we had the inner sanctum in L. A and people were able to just kind of like. It felt like, you were just able to like walk into your class, meander into like a jam and all that. Like, I feel like before that, when before UCB was providing a space and you were fighting for that stage time, there was more intentionality. Like, you had to like, if you were. I got into like, the whole reason, you know, the big team was created was because they were doing indie shows. And then they're like, oh, they did the Black History Month show at ucb, had fun. And like, I think it was like Ronnie and Lamar and Ish and Zeke. I think they're like, we're going to start all black team. Then my white ass friend like says, you should add my friend Iffy. But he like had me CC in it. So they basically had to do it.

[Ify Waddaway]

It's like asking your mom if your friend could skip over in front of your friend.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. Because it's like, that's the only way I would have been on that team because they didn't know me. So they were. And we always joke about. They're like, yeah. But then they're like, okay, we'll add my buddy Carl. He does stuff at Second City. And like, we.

[Ify Waddaway]

And like, this is so fun to me as like a comedy nerd and like a fan of you guys that just like, yeah, let's randomly add these guys, Ify and Carl, who are a two close buds. But two of the funniest accidentally added these two guys. So.

[John Gabris]

But that's what. But that. But that is what old UCB used. That. That is exactly what it felt like for us because it would be like, you know, like, okay, there's a, there's a sketch. There's like a Montreal sketch audition. Two groups got callbacks. You got to go to Montreal, but you got to rent your own van. And in that van is like me, Schwartz, Bobby and Colton.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[John Gabris]

You know, and it's like all those people now to me are like the best of the best. But like, they become peers and they become peers. But. But when you were in that van, you're like, holy shit.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[John Gabris]

Like, I can't believe I'm in this van, you know?

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. And it was, yeah, it was just this thing where you, because you had to like go to it. It made people kind of dwindle down who kind of were just. Because I think people, you know, you have like Donald Glover hopping on pods. You have like people like me and Carl and us, we all talk about like going to ucb and then they see our careers. They're like, oh, so you go to ucb. And then that happens. I was like, no, there's all this extracurricular stuff that you have to really want it to do it. And that's not to say that it shouldn't be accessible. But I think when you make things easier, when you have the guy who's like told by his agent, you should go to ucb, that'll get you some guest stars. He's just kind of going through the motions and then he's like, well, why isn't anything happening? He's like, oh, because the people who are in it are so dedicated. But to get back on that subject, when I was so I was working this full time job and I start doing improv and I was like, okay, this is what I want to do. I kind of start seeing the vision and. But I was, this is nuts. This is so wild. I had, I was working for the LA County Register Recorder and I was calling out sick for auditions to like college humor sketches. Like, like college humor Funny or die sketches. I was like calling out a salary job for the whole.

[Ify Waddaway]

For a potential to make a hundred dollars.

[John Gabris]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

And it's like not, not nailing any of these just the realest. Yeah. But then like it got to the point where like I got suspended naturally because they're like, you're taking days off. You don't have like sick days. You're just taking them.

[John Gabris]

You're clearly audition. Yeah. You have headshots in your car.

[Adam Pally]

Those are pictures of me.

[John Gabris]

I' tracking my progress.

[Adam Pally]

I don't know what to say. So then I had to quit because they're like, you can't take any more days off. And DCM was coming up and I was gonna go do my first dcm. And to me it was important cause I was like, if my peers see me in New York doing improv, they'll know that I'm serious about it.

[Ify Waddaway]

Even if it's a 2:30 in the morning weird ass themed Harold or whatever.

[John Gabris]

I think that's where I first saw you and you guys blew my mind. That was like that first dcm. I remember I was I with you in that, in that thing because like I don't remember. Oh yeah. It was one of the best improv shows I think.

[Ify Waddaway]

I don't think I met you guys. Met you or anyone else till la.

[Adam Pally]

I don't think I met you when

[John Gabris]

I started when you guys did your DCM show.

[Adam Pally]

Okay.

[John Gabris]

And it was electric. It was awesome.

[Adam Pally]

It was like, it was so fun. But like, like so that was like my second One, because that's. We. We formed.

[John Gabris]

That was the second one. Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

But the first one, I did like a Monster Herald where it was like. And the reason I was able to join it, because they needed so many people, was like, at 4am in the morning and it was like four people talking as one. As a performer. It was just the weirdest shit.

[Ify Waddaway]

But that's how you used to get stage time back in the day. You would be like, hey, do you want to do Walsh's show? Everyone has to come up with something to do for 90 seconds. And he brings you out and you're like, I'll be on the same stage as Matt Walsh, of course.

[John Gabris]

And you would hope that. And. And that was what was really cool, was like, like Walsh or Amy would be doing a thing and if you could nail your. And they would. And they would be like, okay. Coming up, they're like reading some John garbage. Coming up is a lawyer who doesn't know how to trial. You know what I mean? And then you go out there and like. But if you do it, instantly you felt like they would come back and they'd be like, hey, we got a show next week. You're like, you. It was like a. If you could do it, you could do it, you know, and get a

[Ify Waddaway]

call if you can hang.

[John Gabris]

And they. And they. And you instantly. They're pretty good about. At least ours were.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[John Gabris]

Pretty good about being like, well, you're in now.

[Ify Waddaway]

Yeah, you're pretty good at this. We'll ask you everything now.

[John Gabris]

We have to.

[Ify Waddaway]

Yeah. You have been listening to Staying Alive with John Gabris and Adam Pally. A Smartless Media production in association with

[John Gabris]

Sirius xm Produced by Devin Tory Bryant and Anne Harris. Engineered and edited by Devin Tory Bryant, who also wrote the music, Associate producer

[Ify Waddaway]

and video producer is Matty McCann. Social media producer Tommy Galgano.

[John Gabris]

Assistant engineer Kyle McGraw. Special thanks to Jared O' Connell at SiriusXM.

[Ify Waddaway]

Executive producers are John Gabris.

[John Gabris]

Ooh, me.

[Ify Waddaway]

Adam Pali. Ooh, you Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Richard Corson and Bernie Kaminski. Do us a favor. Just rate and review the podcast. It actually helps.

[John Gabris]

Just so everyone knows, we do not have a discord.

[Ify Waddaway]

Don't reach out to us.

[John Gabris]

See us on the street. Walk the other way or you'll catch Hands.

[Ify Waddaway]

Smart less medium.