MIF 2025 - The Next 3 Minutes (Joe Bill)

The Next 3 Minutes

Instructor: Joe Bill

In this workshop we’ll touch on techniques from The First 30 Seconds and then focus on forwarding into and through your scenes as a co-author/co-actor with your scene partner(s). We’ll build on the ideas of your character knowing HOW they are (disposition) being tied to knowing Who they are, and then Listening Strategically, Emotionally and Psychologically. I’ll show you Meisner (actors will recognize this, now you will too!) hacks to get to recognizing the Truth of the Moment, and I’ll teach you how “Listening is the Willingness to Change” is the key idea in forwarding your scenes through relationship and story as they evolve. I’ll also tie all of this into “Game of the Scene” AND I’ll give some general and specific individual feedback about things you can focus on in your improvisation, going forward.

Instructor Bio:
Joe Bill

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 Senior Facilitator & Designer 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 with innovative Long Form shows including SCRAM! with Jill Bernard (Huge Improv Theater – Mpls.) and the NY Times acclaimed BASSPROV with Mark Sutton (Annoyance Theater/The Second City).

Joe headlines with Chicago Improv Goddess Susan Messing in Messing With a Friend, with Lee White (CRUMBS – Winnipeg/Berlin) in their show PARADIGM, with International Improv Legend Patti Stiles (AD – Impro Melbourne) and their show Our Play, with Georgie Caldwell (The P.I.T. NYC/iO Chicago) in the (Sutton-Hallal) show In Every Life and with David Razowsky (Host A.D.D. Comedy Podcast) in Razowsky & Bill.

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 NYC, with Let’s Have A Ball and ASSSSCAT 3000 at UCB Theater in NYC & L.A and with Kornfeld & Andrews at Magnet Theater in NYC.

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.

Host or Publisher Miami Improv Festival