Meet Jay Sukow | Improvisor, Facilitator and Instructional Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay Sukow and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jay, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was tired of waiting for permission to do what I wanted to do. For years I had bet on other people and places and it was time I finally bet on myself. I truly believe that if every person took one improv class the world would be a better place. If I wanted that to come true, I needed to be proactive about it and start something. As we say in improv, “Follow the Fear! Today’s the Day!”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In 1991, my parents gave me improv classes at The Second City and little did I know that it would change the trajectory of my life. The emphasis on collaboration and improvisation really struck a chord with me. We improvise every day of our lives and the skills I learned in class and on the stage — adaptability, active listening building relationships — were skills that were applicable to people’s personal and professional lives.

My company is called Today Improv and we teach people and companies how to become better through improvisational tools, skills and philosophies. How to be more agile, more present, better listeners and more effective communicators.

We love seeing the changes in people’s lives that improv brings.

Was it easy? The challenge is that for anyone who is in the arts or a creative field, people think what you do is just a glorified hobby. Which it isn’t, of course. It’s a career and something that I’ve worked really hard at and have enjoyed immensely all the twists and turns that have happened along the way. But I wouldn’t change anything, to be honest. I loved the challenge and am proud of where I am and who I’ve become.

Also, the pandemic certainly was challenging. Back in March 2020, within a span of 48 hours, all my work I had on the books was canceled for the year. It certainly was stressful. I remember talking to my friend, Will Hines, who is a wonderful improv teacher and actor. He said, “I’m not going to worry yet. If things are bad in three months, then I’ll worry. But look at how things have changed in just a week. We’ll be okay.” And he was right.

I had to remind myself that as an improvisor, I had trained my whole life for the uncertainty of a global pandemic, as strange as it sounds. The things I used to tell my students to do I now had to do: stay present, take things moment to moment, remember to breathe, be comfortable with being uncomfortable, everything changes…so many lessons I taught others I now had to (re)learn myself.

Life is an ongoing journey and it’s never the destination.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love Los Angeles because the weather is great, the city is massive and there is so much to see and do. I would definitely spend some time hitting the hiking trails, like at Runyon Canyon. I actually walk more in LA than I did when I lived in Chicago. Lots of waterfront paths too, so you could park near the ocean and spend a few hours walking up and down the coast. You can’t go wrong with a picnic in Griffith Park and while you’re there, check out the Observatory, where tons of famous movies have been shot. If celebrities are your thing, there are bus tours of celebrity homes happening frequently. The more you experience the city, the more you will see many places from your favorite movies and tv shows. You’ll most likely see celebrities in all the usual places you go, like gas stations, supermarkets, restaurants and tourist spots.

Of course, you should see some live stand up and improv comedy shows at Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica and Fanatic Salon in Culver City. Those are my two favorite places to watch live comedy and the talent is always top notch. The Getty Center is pretty great too. Check out The Farmer’s Market and The Grove for some good food and people watching. I like Universal Studios, lots to do and you could spend a few hours there, easily. Of course, there are so many film studios here so take a tour of one of them. My kids really dig (pun intended) the La Brea Tar Pits. LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) is a wonderful museum. The Hollywood Bowl is an excellent place to see music. I live in Santa Monica, so I recommend the Pier and also walking up and down Ocean Avenue, as well as Montana Street, which has a good selection of shops and restaurants. Definitely stop by a deli, like Canter’s or Greenblatt’s Deli & Fine Wines, which is right next to the Laugh Factory. Oh, and the Venice Canals are fun to walk around, too.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh man, that is a hard one to narrow down to just one person, place or thing.

First off, I have to give a shoutout to Louise Thomson, my partner in life. She is someone who believes in me without hesitation or expectation. She brings me joy every day and I am so unbelievably lucky to be with her. She has had an amazing impact on my life and continues to do so every day. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am.

My two kids give me strength, joy and love and are the lights of my life. They keep me young and present and bring me more happiness than I could have imagined.

My improv partner for over 25 years Bill Chott, who has be there with me almost every step of the way. Martin DeMaat from The Second City, with his teaching and philosophies, has had a huge impact on who I am today.

I learned so much at The Second City, ComedySportz, M.i.’s Westside Comedy Theater and the other amazing places I’ve worked and performed, both here in the US and globally. All my teachers, colleagues and my students have shaped who I am today.

Gilda’s Club is an organization I work with which offers free cancer support for the whole family, the whole time. They do tremendous work.

The book “Buddhism: Plain and Simple” by Steve Hagen has influenced me a ton, both in my improv work and my life. Beastie Boys are my favorite band and their lyrics and how they live life is an example for me.

Website: I have two: todayimprov.com and jaysukow.com

Instagram: @JaySukow

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysukow/

Twitter: @todayimprov

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/todayimprov

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/today-improv-with-jay-sukow-los-angeles

Youtube: youtube.com/todayimprov

Image Credits
The main shot of me is courtesy of Michael Anthony. The top left photo, me with a group around me, is courtesty of Impro Neuf in Oslo, Norway. The upper right meme was created by The Improv Boost. The second row on the left is courtesy of the Fanatic Salon The second row right is courtesy of the Animal Style Mini Improv Festival Third row left is courtesy of Gareth Garvey The third row right I am unsure of The bottom two are mine