Episode 18: Joe Bill

The Improv Teachers

It's Tuesday and... Joe Bill is our guest! Joe Bill is widely regarded as one of the best teachers of Scenic and Comedic Improvisation in America today. He currently teaches, performs and is the Director of Corporate Training at iO Chicago. He is also on the faculty at The Second City Training Center where he teaches intensives in Duo Improvisation and Improvisation for Actors. He is one of the founding members of Annoyance Theater Chicago where, for 12 years, he performed in and/or directed more than 60 different shows. Joe first learned Improvisation and in 1977 studied and worked with Del Close from 1985 through the mid 90’s. Joe tours internationally featuring innovative formats in Long Form Improvisation including BASSPROV with Mark Sutton, (Annoyance Theater Co-Founding Member and Artistic Director for Training and Development at The Second City). They have been heralded by the NY TIMES: “BASSPROV refreshingly has the feel of a quiet character study…jokes emerge organically, using wordplay, character quirks and quicksilver wit.” In the last year Joe toured Eastern Europe, teaching and headlining with Jill Bernard (Huge Improv Theater – Mpls.) in their hit Duo show SCRAM! He headlined with Chicago Improv Goddess Susan Messing in Messing With a Friend at the Miami Improv Festival, with Lee White (CRUMBS – Winnipeg) in their show PARADIGM in the U.K., Germany, Switzerland and Italy, with International Improv Legend Patti Stiles (AD – Impro Melbourne) in Paris and Rome with their show Our Play, with Israeli Powerhouse Inbal Lori in Brest, France with their show That Date and with David Razowsky (Host A.D.D. Comedy Podcast) in Razowsky & Bill at Wurzburg (Germany) Improtheaterfestival and at Improvention in Canberra, Australia. Joe performs in The Del Tones, The Armando Diaz Theatrical Experience and Musical Armando at iO Chicago. He has played as a guest in The Scene and Chica GO-GO at The PIT in New York City, with Let’s Have A Ball and ASSSSCAT 3000 at UCB Theater in New York & L.A and with Kornfeld & Andrews at Magnet Theater in New York City. He has performed, directed, taught and served as an Artistic Adviser for a number of Improvisation/Comedy Theaters & Festivals all over North America, Europe, Australia and South Africa and at every major Improv Festival in The United States.