Rhythm and improvised poetry can lift the highs and heal the lows. For Monster Baby Podcast episode #99, Ted and Lisa link up with San Francisco freestyler, improvisor, music-maker, comedian, actor, Larry martial artist, activist, spiritual practitioner, and all-around good guy, Larry Dorsey, Jr. Larry starts the conversation explaining the history behind the “Junior” in [more…]
Monster Baby #88 Hello Humility
If you’re looking for a holiday dessert, how about a taste of humble pie? It’s Episode #88, and Ted and Lisa are thinking about all the ways they just don’t know. After a fun prompt from Ted and a few rounds of syllable-at-a-time-three-things (2:36), Ted shares what led him to this episode’s topic (9:12). Lisa [more…]
Monster Baby #84 Oh, Those COVID Doldrums!
How do you dance with your doldrums? Yup. We’re still in a pandemic and it looks like we will be for quite a bit longer. In this episode, Ted and Lisa take stock of that fact and look to transform their feeling a bit down…by acknowledging that they feel down. Ted starts things off with [more…]
Who Goes First on Zoom? Some Playful Tips for Facilitators, Trainers and Teachers
One of my favorite parts of teaching is getting students into dyads for in-depth interaction. Who doesn’t love a good pair share? That said, moving that classroom element into Zoom rooms—or any other online setting—puts a wrench in the works. This post will offer a few tips for how to deal with such wrench-tossing. It’ll [more…]
Monster Baby #78 Extroversion Introversion
Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Are you sure? In their continued adjustment to living with the reality of a world-sweeping pandemic, Ted and Lisa turn their attention to one of their most noticeable differences. They start the episode by acknowledging the challenging circumstances of the time (1:49) and then begin by introducing the [more…]
Monster Baby #75 Sorting Through Super Tuesday
Presidential Primary season’s swirling into hurricane mode: how do we make sense of it all? Just before the big Super Tuesday Democratic Primary elections, Ted and Lisa take stock of their feelings and leanings. The episode begins with Lisa’s excitement about her new position as the Artistic Director for BATS improv (3:12), including some musings [more…]
Monster Baby #61 Parenthood without Partnership? Lisa considers motherhood on her own
Some family stories are unconventional from the start. Stepping into a vulnerable arena, Lisa shares her consideration of having a child on her own. Ted and Lisa start with an insight about improv and love from Lisa’s recent class (1:59) and note the ways that our environments help shape who and how we are (8:07). [more…]
Monster Baby #17: Post-Election Reflections
After a world-changing, head-spinning Election Day outcome, Lisa and Ted turn to each other to process their emotional turmoil. Lisa relays the experience of her first post-result class at Stanford and asks, “How can we play or teach when we’re in the face of a devastating loss?” (2:28) They discuss how mindful sharing offers one [more…]
Monster Baby #11: Passing the Bechdel Test: On Gender in Improv and Facing Old Demons
With Ted finally back from a month in Europe, he and Lisa explore the ramifications of her recently directed run of “Bechdel Test” improv shows.* After a playful warm-up game of Finish the Word (3:23), Lisa and Ted recount their performer and audience perspectives on the show’s portrayal of stories about women (16:12). Eventally, they [more…]
Peace or Privilege? The Paradox of Mindfulness and Social Change
When I consider mindfulness and social change, two contrasting impulses arise within me. One voice suggests coming to peace with what is. That voice recognizes that the problem may not be “out there” so much as it is within me. That I need to develop a quiet, a stillness, a readiness, a clarity of intention before I [more…]
