Tell us a little about your improvisation and theatre background.

I haven�t actually done actually much since my son was born three years ago, but I was heavily involved in Chicago doing Improv Olympic. I was a founding member of an improv group in college called Freudian Slip, which is just getting ready to have its 10 year reunion this year.

A lot of the people that I was doing that with I�m now involved with out here. [It's in] something called The Furious Theatre, which is in its second season. They just won Best Debut Theatre Award and we�re actually getting ready to do a British play called Mojo by Jez Butterworth.

What is the secret of improvised comedy?

Some people do extreme sports - improv is my extreme sport. It�s the adrenaline of not knowing what�s going to happen next. As far as the mind set goes, it�s so much about the people who you�re on stage with. I think the golden rule of improv is, "Yes, and". [That means] taking whatever somebody gives you, saying yes to it, and building on it.

It's almost like you�re battling with the people you're on stage with, not even trying to see who can be funnier but who can take the scene to the next level - how high, how ridiculous, how witty, how great can you get this scene to become. To me that�s the greatest thing about improv, you never know what�s going to happen next.