68 – A Conversation With Charna Halpern

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THE MEAT IMPROV

Charna Halpern founded the Improv Olympic theaters in Chicago and Los Angeles, she worked directly with Del Close and mentored many of the most successful comedians working today. Josh and Jake went to Chicago and sat down with Charna for a very special conversation about the history of the Improv Olympic Theater in Chicago, her days working with Del Close, Chris Farley’s formative years, what it was like to mentor people like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Adam McKay and Brian Stack, and a whole lot more. Charna also talks about the future of improv comedy, the fun and family she’s found through improv and the importance of comedy in these particularly messed up times. We don’t improvise on this episode, we just go way inside baseball.