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RANCE RIZZUTTO

Improvisor, Host, Entertainer

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I Do Improv

How it All Started

Living most of my life in Portland, OR, that seemed like a good place to start. I started by doing improv with ComedySportz in Portland. This not only meant performing for their theater every weekend, but doing shows in remote locations for various colleges, companies, and events, sometimes for up to 1500 people. Through ComedySportz, I also provided corporate training and team building for many different businesses.

While still in Portland, I also joined Portland’s longest running sketch comedy troupe, The Third Floor and added sketch writing to my arsenal. Performing in their shows Double Fisted Shot Glass, Greatest Hits 3 & 4, and The Third Floor: The Musical led to bringing Portland sketch comedy to the Chicago Sketch Festival in 2003.

Chicago seemed pretty cool, both figuratively and literally since it was January, and two months later, I moved to Chicago to further my pursuit of improvisation.

Chicago Life

Since moving to Chicago I have performed with ComedySportz, Chicago, DSI (The Beatbox), and various other improv teams and venues including winning the 2007 Dual Duel competition with a wordless two-person show called Silent Treatment. Currently, I can be seen at iO Chicago performing with The Deltones and Chaos Theory on Saturday nights.

With all the fantastic talent in this city it was only a matter of time until some of them formed up to do video sketches. Some friends and I joined forces and became seven8nine. Writing, filming and editing videos for fun, for festivals, or for contests. I even wrote and directed the winning video for AskMrVideo.com’s “My Day In 60 Seconds” contest!

Not long after that Second City hired us to perform improv and sketch with their theatrical division aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL). I’ve performed sketch and improv all over the seas. Caribbean, Mediterranean, Atlantic Ocean, and in late 2009, the Pacific Ocean…Hawaii. All in all, I’ve spent 17 months traveling and performing aboard cruise ships. That’s a LOT of buffet food.

Traveling with Second City also made possible one of my favorite improv opportunities: sitting in with the Istanbul, Turkey improv group Istanbulimpro and singing about swearing with cultural awareness (SFW).

In mid-2014, Tara DeFrancisco said, “Do you want to do a two-person musical?” I said yes. It was a one-off show that has now become “Here“…we’ve since performed in 13 countries as of 2015.

Paying it Forward

After years of performing, I started teaching as well. I currently teach for iO, and have taught for ComedySportz and Second City in the past. People come from all over the world to study improvisation in Chicago, and I’ve been thrilled to help people grow.

I’ve also developed some specialty workshops, coached many improvisation teams, and continue to help companies increase their communication skills and team work through improvisation principles.

Rance Rizzutto

What Else?

What Else?

Having improvisation as a foundation has helped Rance become successful in many different areas of expertise…like:

Host / Emcee

Let me bring energy and flow to your next event! I frequently host for iO Chicago shows, emcee for WCF and have worked as a brand ambassador/emcee for Wendy’s, AT&T, DiGiorno’s, Macy’s, Microsoft, and more.

Teaching

If you’re a beginner looking to get started in improv, part of an improv group looking to polish your show, or someone who is nervous with public speaking and looking to improv to help, I can get you on the right path. Find out more about CLASSES.

Team Building

I’ve worked through many various companies to help other companies work as a team. If you need to build your teamwork, strengthen communication, creatively let off some steam, or something in between, I can get your crew excited and united.

Hypnosis

Yes, I’m really a hypnotist as well. Not only do I perform in entertaining stage hypnotism shows, but I use hypnotism to help people. For many, that means helping them find a way to fight fear with my Confidence Blast workshop.

Photography

That, too! My father is a photographer, so I grew up around cameras. Focusing primarily on actor headshots, my improv skills come in handy for keeping you at ease and having fun during your shoot.

Classes

My dream is to create a world where bad improv no longer exists. Throughout my career I have seen a lot of improv and I’ve focused in on what steers a scene down the path to “bad.” There are many different possibilities, depending on the improvisor, and I have workshops to counter almost all of them.

These workshops will make your brain hurt. Then the pain will subside and you’ll realize you’re improvising from a whole new mindset with a palette of improv choices ready to make your performance more engaging, more bold, and more fun.

If you would like to know about the next workshop dates or would like to have me coach your improv ensemble please let me know.

Improv Rehab
Emotion Through Music
Object of Your Desire

Improv Rehab

Every improvisor picks up a bad habit or two along their journey. Some know what theirs are and some don’t. You don’t have to know what it is to take this class, but you’ll know by the end. Based on hours of observing, performing, and coaching I’ve developed Improv Rehab. It will break your bad habits and focus you in strong relationships and environments…oh, and like rehab, your brain is gonna hurt a little.

If you didn’t get enough the first time around, I can also take you through Improv Rehab II.

Rance tricks you into having fun and taking improv less seriously so you can have fun and then realize he’s making you take improv more seriously! I have been having a great weekend since this workshop!

Jared Larson

I thought that the workshop was incredibly helpful…It helped us realize in practice what we’ve always been told about improv in theory…Rance knows his stuff and knows how to get great performances out of improvisors.

Mike Madgiak

The simplest and most honest thing to say about Rance’s training / coaching / teaching is that it is an absolute explosion of fun from beginning to end. He creates and fosters a supportive and safe atmosphere that allowed me to not worry about failing in the exercises.

Orlando Lara

Emotion Through Music

Music is constantly used in television, movies, and theater to drive or solidify an emotional connection for the viewer. This workshop uses music to help the improviser connect emotionally to the relationship of the scene. Whether you perform regularly with musical accompaniment or not, your characters should always feel. The music is only used for inspiring emotion. This is not a musical theater/singing workshop.

Object of Your Desire

Having clear and concise object work can let you add detail to a scene without the need for calling it out verbally. This is my specialty. You will leave with a new appreciation for object work and the right mindset to make it so much easier to do.

Let’s Get In Touch

773.357.7523

rance@rancerizzutto.com

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