Joe Lemmo with WIT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Woodstock, Georgia. This is fearless formula with Sharon Cline.

Sharon Cline: Welcome to Fearless Formula on Business RadioX, where we talk about the ups and downs of the business world and offer words of wisdom for business success. I’m your host, Sharon Cline. And today in the studio we have the director and performer of Woodstock Arts Improv Troupe, and they teach classes for adults, teens, youths. And he is also a teacher and has been a teacher for 25 years. Hats off to you. This is Joe Lemmo.

Joe Lemmo: Yes. Thank you. I’m excited to be here. Appreciate the invitation.

Sharon Cline: Of course. I’m so happy you could come on a day. That’s not my normal, fearless formula Friday. Because we are supposed to get some snow, right? A little nervous about it.

Joe Lemmo: I was hoping we could have done it earlier in the day. You could have given me, like, a doctor’s note, and I could have gotten out of the school day. I wish I had power like that. No, I love what I do. I wouldn’t I wouldn’t want to do that. No.

Sharon Cline: Well, so I’m excited to hear kind of about how you got started in improv. I was doing, of course, my typical cyberstalking.

Joe Lemmo: Limited cyberstalking.

Sharon Cline: Yes. Uh, to be able to ask you some good questions. But what I wanted to know is initially you were you grew up in is it Erie, Pennsylvania?

Joe Lemmo: Yes. Erie, Pennsylvania. How did you.

Sharon Cline: Come down here?

Joe Lemmo: Well, I have relatives, aunt and uncle, who live here and still live here, and I was traveling in the summers since I was 16. I loved to come down to Georgia and kind of visit and always had a good time. And then when I was studying to be a teacher in 99, I graduated in December 99th. They talked about job growth down south. They said, if you want to get a teaching job, you want to you’re willing to move Carolinas, Florida, Georgia. You’ll get a job right away. And they were right. So I decided decide to move, talk to my parents. So what do you think? They go. Yeah. Let’s. You should do it. So I did it. And, uh, 25 years later, a wife, two children and a 25 year career in teaching and improviser. Now, about 15 years.

Sharon Cline: I’m still here a whole life.

Joe Lemmo: Yes, it’s. Well, it’s interesting when you look at that. I’m 47 and I’m like, oh my goodness, 25. That’s over half of my life now. I’ve been in Georgia. So does it feel.

Sharon Cline: Like home to you now?

Joe Lemmo: I guess so, yeah, it does pretty much. Um, you know, up north, people are always, you know, people are always like, you bump into people in the South all the time. Wait, where are you from? I don’t, I don’t you don’t sound like you’re from the south. And then you you start talking and finding other people who are also from the north. So, you know, I still still refer to that as the home, you know?

Sharon Cline: Okay. So I’m excited to talk to you because I got to see you, um, and my friend Christine Fitzgerald, who is just we did a play together a couple of years ago, and she’s just a wonderful human. And she was taking one of your classes, so I got to see her performance a couple of weeks ago, and it just seemed so fascinating to me, the whole process of it and and the bravery it takes to be on stage like that. This is not something that you sort of grew up doing though, right?

Joe Lemmo: That’s right. Yeah, I was I grew up playing hockey and soccer. Those were my, my two sports and a little bit of tennis. Nothing at all to do with the theater. Not even interested in going to plays, obviously. I loved going to movies. And so it was very far from, you know, it’s far from what I was doing growing up. And even in my family, nobody was an actor or pursued performance. So it was definitely a surprise when I got into improv. Definitely.

Sharon Cline: So how did you get exposed to it?

Joe Lemmo: Well, I it’s interesting because Woodstock Arts, I consider myself an OG.

Sharon Cline: With.

Joe Lemmo: Woodstock Arts because I take us back to the town. Lake Arts Center is what it used to be called, Telarc. And it used to be located a tiny little performance center on Bells Ferry Road on Kellogg Creek. I think it was like near Kellogg Creek in Bells Ferry. Very small, about 103 seat, you know, venue. I was recruited to become a board member for the theater at that point, because I was an educator, and they thought it would be nice to have an educator on the at the time. So I joined and we were actually moving the theater from town, like art center there all the way to downtown where it is located now. And we just got that space from the city. So Woodstock. Yes. So we we had to, you know, pick up props and load things and put them in boxes. And I just couldn’t help myself that I was putting stuff on. I was like putting helmets on and swords and coming out and becoming characters. And people are like, Joe, we’re supposed to be moving the stuff, not putting it on. But I was like, I don’t know what came over me. I’ve always enjoyed entertaining my friends, my my family, my family members and my friends. So at the time, the the troupe director was getting ready to to start the improv team there, she said to me, you know, have you ever considered improv? And I was like, I, I don’t know what that is. I no, I have not. And so I ended up auditioning for the troupe. I made it and then, you know, I was a part of it for a while. And then I became the director after a certain amount of time.

Sharon Cline: Okay. So you auditioned and and just got in that easy.

Joe Lemmo: Yeah. It was, uh, you know, I mean, just, I guess it was natural, uh, natural ability, um, you know, improvisers really, everybody improvises all day long. You know, it’s something we do, and some people are more comfortable, you know, doing that and having conversations. But yeah, it felt natural to me. I enjoyed the creativity as an educator as well, uh, being willing to, you know, picture things and become characters and personification, all that kind of stuff just kind of fell into place for me as a performer.

Sharon Cline: What did it feel like the first time that you auditioned and everything? I mean, you didn’t have any training at all.

Joe Lemmo: No, you know, I didn’t, and I was single at the time, so it was also an opportunity for me to connect with other people. And so that that became an exciting part of it. I really got along well. And I’m still good friends with, you know, a lot of those troupe members, original troupe members. And so that kind of was fun for me. That felt natural. We had good chemistry. An improv team needs to have good chemistry. Overall. It shouldn’t be one person standing out over another. So it’s kind of a nice ensemble of people.

Sharon Cline: You were, um, on on this troupe or in this troupe? Troupe? Yeah. And you, um, had been participating over and over, and then all of a sudden they asked you. We need a director. Would you do it?

Joe Lemmo: Well, no, the I was a part of it. And after a while, it kind of. It dissipated a bit. So we, uh, we took a break. I want to say it was maybe around. I don’t know the exact year, but maybe 2015 or 16 was. We actually didn’t have a troop for a short amount of time. Um, we had a guest on the in one of our shows. His name was Jay Star, and he was running a theater called the Basement Theater, which was an improv venue in Buckhead. They’re no longer they’re no longer there. But he had recruited me and asked me if I’d like to be a part of their team. And so I was performing in both places. And then when the troupe shut down for it was called the I think, improv Troupe before it, before it was Woodstock Arts improv Troupe. Um, I was there, so I was still kind of getting good time as an improviser. And then I came back and they had they had offered me, you know, the position if I wanted to be the director. Did you.

Sharon Cline: Question that at all or were you like.

Joe Lemmo: Yes. No I didn’t. I did have some parameters. I you know, I had certain, um, you know, a certain way that I wanted to do it, you know, different aspects of it. And they’re they’re great over there. Um, Christopher Christopher Boston, who’s the director? Um, he actually was a part of the team that hired helped to hire him. So. And I got to know him really well. So they were very open to my suggestions, and they said, yep, that sounds good. So we did it.

Sharon Cline: I’m trying to imagine how much growth you’ve had with improv from the very beginning, from the first time until now. What have you noticed over over the years? Um, I don’t know. Is it like an improv muscle? You know, that you practice and you get good at.

Joe Lemmo: Yeah, it is. And I’ll tell you the the interesting thing about thing about improv is if you talk to someone who’s been in it for ten, 15, 20, 30, 40 years, you you still have a lot to learn, you know, from it. So it’s kind of a constant, uh, educational experience for you. And I think as you, for me, as I’ve grown like I wasn’t a father, I father. I wasn’t a husband, you know. And you look at a lot of comedians, and they’re their bits will change depending on the the stage of life that they’re in because you have new material, you know, because ultimately, as an improviser, you’re trying to be a character that is recognizable to the audience. Um, and then, you know, through that process, something unusual tends to happen when you’re making things up. So I think it’s allowed me to play different characters stronger and to understand them, you know better because I’m living them now.

Sharon Cline: Are they all kind of floating around in your head?

Joe Lemmo: Yeah. They do. You know, I sometimes when I’m driving, I’ll practice my accents. Oh, really? Oh, yeah. So I don’t have, um. You know, there’s certain go to, you know, accents that I think are a little bit easier to to play with. Um, but, you know, sometimes you just turn into something else, you know, and it’s, you know, you learn that I just start playing around with my voice and lowering it or hiring, you know, hey, what’s going on? Because, you know, you can have a different character that you know, is inspired by the, you know, the pitch of your voice. So.

Sharon Cline: So when I was doing theater in high school, I know I took improv classes and I, I’ve never been comfortable with it. You have to think so quickly in in my mind, that’s what it was like 100 years ago when I was in high school. Is it is it is it that you are? I know that you have to listen to each other a lot in order to be because you’re really collaborative, right? So how do you how does your brain keep up with it? That is my biggest hang up with with it for me. Why? I would never probably do it unless forced.

Joe Lemmo: Right? Well, I think you’re right. When you said, listen, I think it’s, um, the term should really be, uh. We don’t think quickly, we listen quickly, and, uh, because it is, it’s primarily listening. And I think what’s been really beautiful for me is I have been able to understand the how the applications and skills in Improvization are actually life lifelong skills. What do you mean? Well, for example, I learned several years ago that as an improviser, your goal really is to make your scene partner look good. I mean, that’s that’s part of a big part of it. So when we’re making things up on the spot, if my scene partner has just said something, I want to show them that I value what they’ve said, and I’m going to build on what they’ve said or help justify what they’ve said. So they think to themselves, oh, that was a good choice, you know. And then I’m hoping they’re going to reciprocate that. So when I’m performing with other people on stage, I’m really listening to what they’re saying so I can build off of it, show them I’m listening and build it. And then if you think about just an average relationship, you know, most people in conversations are already thinking about what they want to say when they’re listening to somebody. You can’t you can’t do that in improv. You can’t think about what you want to say next. You might miss a key detail. So that’s a huge part. Trust. I mean, improv, You have to trust your scene partners. You have to be willing to take risks. You have to share emotion and be clear on how you feel about what’s happening. Because if you don’t, then it’s hard to play off of that character. So those I have found have been just, you know, kind of like really good relationship things. You know, as a consequence, my wife knows that. So she and I, we talk about it and.

Sharon Cline: It’s a, it’s a marriage skill.

Joe Lemmo: Yes it is. And uh, and it’s good because it makes me think about it, you know, um, also like eye contact, you know, when you’re in a scene, you can’t you need to be checking in with your scene partner. You can’t do things. You have to pay attention to body language, all those things. So I’ve learned a lot about that through the years, and I’m still learning. But those are really nice kind of, um, lessons that you can apply, you know, to, to the rest of your life.

Sharon Cline: Do you have, um, a particular improv scene that you did that was just like you high fived yourself when it was it was over. It was so great. You were just like, so happy. And you think about it sometimes.

Joe Lemmo: Um, you know that that’s a tough one. I mean, I do have, um, one that kind of the first thing that comes to my mind is actually a scene where we don’t you don’t use any words. It’s all gibberish. It’s called murder mystery. So someone has, uh, you know, been killed somewhere with something. And basically, it’s like charades. You’re trying to get the other person to guess who it was, where it was, and what the weapon was. And it’s all gibberish. So you’re trying to look at body language, and, um, I was not getting what the other person was doing, and I was getting very frustrated, and the audience was recognizing that. And it was a big crowd. So it was a lot of energy, and it was just some huge laughs that just I’ll never forget. I mean, that’s the the beauty of improv is you go there and sometimes the audience is, you know, 30 people, sometimes it’s 130 people and it’s different. But every show is unique. And hearing that audience laugh is, you know, is really fun.

Sharon Cline: It must be so satisfying.

Joe Lemmo: Yes. Yeah. It is. And, um, I think working and I’ve learned to, uh, you know, I used to sometimes I walk away from a show, and I and my wife was there, and I’d say, man, that was not a good show. And she goes, are you kidding me? That show was great, you know? And I realized that an improv troupe or an ensemble is not it’s not, um, you know, valued on just one person. So you. I felt like maybe my choices weren’t that funny or I didn’t feel good. But yet, if other people were doing really well, then as, as a whole, we have given our audience a great show. So it’s not individualized. It’s more of a team effort.

Sharon Cline: So given that you had a natural propensity to do well in improv, do you find that a lot of your students there are some that just get it that just Don’t need to be taught quite as much.

Joe Lemmo: Yes. You know, and I’ve had that’s been a lot of fun, you know, working with Christine and so many people. You know, I’ve worked with just people of different backgrounds and age levels. You know, like you were saying, the youngest I’ve worked with is the youth. We have a youth troop, our youth class that we have, and we have a teen class. And then adults, you know, and adults, we could have a class where there’s a 19 year old and there’s a 65 year old. Um, you know, I work with some people in their 70s and it’s just it’s fun to see, you know, gaps kind of narrowed in these, all these connections to people of different age levels. And, you know, I had a teacher or a student who was a neonatal brain surgeon and artist. What? And she’s in my class and she’s super. She was so smart. So, you know, funny, witty. Um, and I was just it was an honor to, you know, you to be working with someone like that.

Sharon Cline: Isn’t it interesting to think that there are people every day we pass by and had no idea they may have this dream, right? A neonatal surgeon to want to do improv? It’s just kind of. I love that she did it because so many people don’t really follow some of those impulses. Right.

Joe Lemmo: Yeah. And so, um, it’s fun working with different people like that. Um, and, you know, it’s you you can kind of tell pretty early on if, um, if somebody is going to be successful with it and most students, they either love it or and they want to do it again or they just think, yeah, that was that was cool. I think I’m good. Yeah, that was fun. I did it, but I’m okay. And there’s some that are just, oh, they can’t get enough of it. Like they want to know when the next class is going to be. How do they get it? Can I be a part of the troop, you know, um, and so that’s fun. It’s fun to see them, you know, get that bug because I obviously I have it it’s it’s really become a second career for me. It’s now a profession. You know, I get paid and I do freelance work and I have other shows. So it’s kind of a it’s my fun time and a hobby and a profession kind of all mixed into one.

Sharon Cline: It’s kind of the dream.

Joe Lemmo: It. Well it is. I’m very fortunate as an educator, you know, being an educator for so long. And I have a master’s and a specialist degree. So I’ve kind of put myself in a good position financially to be the primary breadwinner, you know, in the house. Um, and that’s nice. And then to be able to do improv, but then to, to get paid for it as well is definitely it’s a support. It’s a great support to the family.

Sharon Cline: Do you find that the because I’m trying to picture the kids like the youth group. Are they just adorable? Just imagine it.

Joe Lemmo: They you know, they are. They have a lot of energy.

Sharon Cline: And that says a lot right there.

Joe Lemmo: Yeah, it’s sometimes it’s, you know, a lot of their scenes. It’s funny the, the youth, their scenes are like just really extreme, you know, it’s it’s over the top. Yeah. Um, and then the teens, you know, you get that angst. There’s like this. They’re really fun. The teens are fun to work with, too. And, um, because a lot of them don’t, they didn’t necessarily fit in in other places. They aren’t necessarily a jock. Um, and they, they, you know, they do weird stuff, like improvisers were weird. You know, I mean, we’re regular people, but we as an adult, I play like a child with other adults, and we’re playing like children and playing make believe. You know, so you have to be you have to be silly and you have to be okay with that. And I think the teens, when they get to experience that, it’s special for them because they’re like, okay, there’s other people like me, you know, this is all right. I do things, I’m kind of weird, and I might not be well received in my classroom. Maybe, you know, um, but this is kind of like a safe. It becomes a safe place, which is really special. Like, a lot of improv groups become close. And that’s really fun to kind of be a part of, you know, being.

Sharon Cline: Yeah. You said you you have to trust each other. So it’s like the ultimate trust exercise, I guess.

Joe Lemmo: Yeah. It is. Yeah. And and you know, you can tell, like, if people are trying to be funny, it’s, uh, it doesn’t work. And it’s really. It’s very awkward. Like, that’s a big thing that I have had to learn through improv. Like, if you’re purposely trying to be funny at the expense of your scene partner or jokey or puns like, there’s no, there’s no place for that, really, in improv. It’s supposed to be raw. It’s supposed to be in the moment, and you aren’t pre-planning things. Inevitably, when you do that without a script. Something unusual always happens. And then you embrace. You embrace that thing. And you, you say, if this is true, what else could be true about this character or this situation? So it’s really there are no mistakes. We have a beautiful saying in improv there are no mistakes, only gifts. And so you you don’t see it as a mistake. Oh, you mispronounced, you know, chauffeur. You wanted to say chauffeur, but you said gofer. Like you said, gofer. You know. And, um, you know. Yeah, I’m my gofer. Should be. I mean, my chauffeur. Your gopher? Okay, so your gopher. So we would play off of that, you know, in a in a positive way to make it a part of the scene basically.

Sharon Cline: Do you find, since you do this so often, that there are days that are better than others for you as a performer?

Joe Lemmo: Yes, definitely. A lot of times, you know, you you know, most of our shows are Friday nights, you know, so I’ve taught, I teach, I teach second, I teach second grade. So, you know, I work. Yeah, I’ve, I’ve taught fourth grade, fifth grade, seventh grade. And now I’m currently with second grade. So, you know, I’m, I’m with the kids all day long. It’s it’s a lot of energy. It’s a lot of emotion. And and I am, you know, pretty drained. But as an improviser you kick into a you have a new gear and I host the shows, you know, so I’m setting up the games. Well, you saw that when you were there. I did. So that’s another level of energy that you have to bring to the, the show. And that’s, that’s sometimes what I have to deal with is I’m both the host and an improviser. So I kind of have to change gears. I have to be in a scene and be a character, and then I need to be a host and and make the audience feel welcome and understanding of what’s going on. So it’s it’s kind of like, um, you know, it’s sometimes it’s tough at that at the on a Friday night to, to find the energy. But I do and then I crash, you.

Sharon Cline: Know, when.

Joe Lemmo: I get.

Sharon Cline: Home. When you were working with the other troupe, the one that was in Buckhead, did you find that the energy was different because there were different people?

Joe Lemmo: Well, definitely. It was a city club atmosphere. We had well, you know, it was like more we had two shows. There were two shows on the weekends and 8:00 and a 10:00 show. So the 8:00 show was usually family friendly, you know? And so there were sometimes kids at the show and families. And then the 10:00 show was, you know, you didn’t know.

Sharon Cline: What you’re getting.

Joe Lemmo: You’re in Buckhead and it’s 10:00. And, you know, it also was a small venue. It only sat about 55. Yeah, but.

Sharon Cline: They want to be entertained, don’t they?

Joe Lemmo: Yes. Yeah. So it’s much more intimate. The stage was tiny and the audience, and it was really fun. I loved it, actually. It was like I was getting out of, you know, Woodstock. And I mean, I love it here, but I was going into the city and I was performing, um, and at first we didn’t get paid, but then we were getting paid. So this is wow, this is pretty cool. You know, it wasn’t much money, but, um, it was fun to get away, you know? But, um, but I love our shows at Woodstock Arts because they are family oriented. I mean, you know, we’re clean comedy. And so we have a lot of regulars that are families. And it’s it’s fun to see them, to be able to come together on a Friday night to to a wholesome, you know, a comedic performance. And so, um, we appreciate being able to deliver that to those audiences.

Sharon Cline: I love that families go to to something, um, art worthy, you know, here in downtown Woodstock, it’s not just paintings and things or things on the green, but it’s actual theater. But it’s not a play either, so.

Joe Lemmo: Well, a lot of times they say that improv is a nice window into the theater. So if you if you’re out there and you’re like, I’ve never gone to a play and never gone to a musical, I don’t know, would I get it or is there anything I really like? Um, we like to invite people to come check out an improv show because it’s interactive and it’s it’s segmented and we try to make it funny. Um, so it’s a bit more relaxed. And I think it’s a nice introduction for some people to a theater because, I mean, that’s what we’re doing. We just don’t have a script, basically.

Sharon Cline: Well, if you’re just joining us, I’m interviewing Joe Lemmo. He is the director of the Woodstock Arts improv troupe. Um, I wanted to ask you, where do you find that? Your. I know you had said that your improv skills kind of can be in other parts of life, but are you finding that people are coming to improv because they want to apply those skills to other parts of their own lives?

Joe Lemmo: Yes. Um, there are some actually some people in sales have gone. They’ve I’ve had some people who have learned, they’ve been told, you know, hey, take an improv class. It might help you with sales because it’s all about communicating with others. Um, so I have found that that is one area. We had I had a lady who English was her second language, and she took the class. She actually took a workshop. And she found that the, the intensity of the on the, the, in the spot or on the spot in the moment responses really challenged her ability to understand her. So it really helped her work on her language.

Sharon Cline: Um, that is brave.

Joe Lemmo: Conversationally, yeah. And then she decided to take the class. She took a class after that, so she pursued it, and then she encouraged somebody else who also was taking the class for the same reason. So I think if it’s an English language learner, improv can be a great way to, you know, expose yourself to conversational moments and interacting with different types of people. So a lot of people have done that. Some people are actors, you know, they’re aspiring actors. Currently in one of my classes in my class, there’s a comedian, a stand up comedian, and a lot of times, if you look at some of the great comedians out there, they have spent some time in improv in Chicago. It’s a big place. Chicago and LA are huge meccas for improv, so Second City, you know, a lot of talent comes from there. So we have aspiring people and we have people who are like, bucket list, you know, they’re like, it scares me. The idea of doing something like this is something I would never do. So here I am. And some of them, some haven’t made it. After a couple of classes, they just couldn’t do it. It was too intense. But the fact that.

Sharon Cline: They were brave enough to try. Know that they’re afraid of doing it, but then still do it, I love that.

Joe Lemmo: Yeah. And we try to, you know, a lot of times at the beginning of a class, we, we talk about why we’re there, you know, what brought you here. And we learn a lot about each other and we try to take care of each other. You know, do those kind of check ins, like if somebody, if someone. So if somebody says, yeah, this is something I’ve never done before, I’m not comfortable. Then we try to embrace that and we try not to, you know, be over the top with someone like that, be a little bit more compassionate. Um, and I think, you know, in life in general, in all of our working environment, you know, if people were a little bit more aware of that or even willing to share, you know, that real honest, you know, feedback, we might be a little bit kinder to other people, you know, in realizing that.

Sharon Cline: When you walk around downtown Woodstock, do you just see people, you know, everywhere?

Joe Lemmo: You know, I used to, um, I used to when I was teaching in Town Lake, the town Lake area, um, for 18 years. I was in there. I would get a lot of the Mister limo, you know, there would be these mister limo sightings. And actually, my wife, um, it was fun. We. One of our first dates that we went on, we went to a movie, and then we came down to downtown Woodstock and there was something going on where the the big event space is the amphitheater. There was something going on there. So we were walking and it was almost like, um, like Groundhog Day, like I had planted all these people because people were coming up to me and. Oh, Mr.. And I actually had been named teacher of the year.

Sharon Cline: Oh my God, congratulations.

Joe Lemmo: Thank you. The previous thing the previous year. So then someone was like, teacher, you know, that was so awesome. Teacher. And I’m like, wow, this is all good stuff right here.

Sharon Cline: Um, was your was your wife like, oh.

Joe Lemmo: Yeah, she was she was really impressed. She was like, wow. You know, a lot of people.

Sharon Cline: Um, celebrity.

Joe Lemmo: So it is fun. You know, it’s it’s fun to, uh, to meet different people. I’ve definitely have, uh, through the years, met a lot of different people. And, um, it’s fun for me to interact with people outside of the education world because, you know, educators, we, uh, sometimes the job isn’t necessarily deemed cool, and you’re not meeting different people. You know, you’re with, you know, I love the love the people I work with. They’re just they’re fantastic. Um, but, you know, out in the. It’s like the real world, like, right now. Like you offered me, uh, would you like some water or tea? And I’m like, yeah, I’ll take the tea. And then I don’t even know what you said. You what kind of tea?

Sharon Cline: What kind of very something, something. There’s no caffeine in it. I’m like.

Joe Lemmo: I’m gonna take it. You know, most people are like, no, don’t worry about. Yeah, I’m gonna take what else you got? You got snacks or you guys got hats or shirts? What can I.

Sharon Cline: Get in here?

Joe Lemmo: Um, that kind of stuff. Um, I’m kind of like. So for me, the improv world has been exciting because it’s it’s been a, I don’t know, I feel like it’s cool, like, to be an entertainer. I get to call myself a comedian, an improviser, uh, performing shows. It’s been really special. And then the work with the people, other people that I bring with me on stage who are really fun, just funny individuals, just just good people. A lot of improvisers are very talented. So it’s been fun to have that new network of people and then to learn, you know, and, and to meet other people in downtown. So it’s really neat to to bump into people, you know, walking around.

Sharon Cline: In that environment where you’re having to employ bravery oftentimes and to think on your feet and to be so connected with other people. Are you finding that there are very similar themes to what we all want and as like humans? Do you know what I mean?

Joe Lemmo: Yeah, I think it probably goes back to, uh, definitely being heard, I think is a huge thing. Um, you know, just that recognition. We have an exercise in improv. It’s called, um, uh, so I’ll. Okay. So I’ll so basically what I would do is I would say, um, you know, it’s up to you. If you were my scene partner, I would say, uh, it’s raining outside, and then you would just repeat what I’d said, and you said, oh, what you’re saying is it’s raining outside, so I’ll. And then you would say something else like bring, I’ll bring an umbrella. And then what I would say is what you’re saying is you’ll bring an umbrella. So I’ll bring some extra rain boots, and then we just keep repeating what the other person had said. What you’re saying is you’d bring rain boots. So I and it’s kind of like an exercise we do to remind ourselves to show the other person that we have heard them. So I think I think we all have an innate nature, you know, of of yearning, of recognition and validation. Um, I think that’s, that’s that’s probably a big word to maybe even goes deeper than being heard actually being validated. Um, those are big things. As an improviser, you have to emote.

Joe Lemmo: And, um, if you if I am angry with you as a scene partner, I want you to be affected by that. I don’t want you to just brush it off. I want to I want to know, how does that make you feel? You know what I mean. Are you angry that I’m angry, or are you happy that I’m angry? Which would be fun, you know. Oh. You’re angry. Oh. That’s great. I’ve been waiting for you. Finally. And then, you know, when you say something like that, you’re gifting me something about the character and our relationship. So I think those are big parts of, um, you know, that validation is big. And even just having fun, like, you know, I think people like to have fun and and feel like they can be themselves. That’s what we try to teach. We try to treat improvisers and just be yourself. Like, be honest, and you’re going to be received and we’re going to work together and build something in the moment together. I think it’s just like every relationship, any working environment, um, you know, all of that is just, you know, validation, listening, uh, trust, honesty. So it’s it’s a fun hobby, you know, to be a part of.

Sharon Cline: I think this show is sort of like a very small microcosm of that whole theme of being able to say, you know, tell me your story. What’s it like to walk in your shoes for a little bit or what have you learned? I actually wanted to wanted to ask you also, um, you obviously have been in, um, improv for a long, long time now. So what would you have wished you had known before you got started that, you know, now about improv? Is there anything that surprised surprises you?

Joe Lemmo: Um, I think one of the big things was that I learned later on was about the scene partner. You know, um, you know, I used to think that as an improviser, you have this. There’s this stress of having to be funny, you know? And I think, oh, man, I need to make sure when I step out on that audience that I am as funny as I can be. And that’s not really what it’s about. It’s not. It’s about a connection building a scene with somebody. The other thing, too, is early on in my career, I was really affected by the size of the audience. And, you know, as I said at the Basement theater, when I performed there, it was very small. So it was, you know, and it was dark and small. So if you had 30 people, it felt it still felt pretty full, you know. But at Woodstock Arts, we have a big, a big, beautiful theater and a huge stage. So sometimes with a smaller audience, it’s you have these insecure feelings of, oh, people are going to look around and be like, there’s nobody here, you know? And my wife, um, as usual, uh, shared some enlightening information with me. And she said, you know, it doesn’t matter how big the audience is, if you put on a good show, they’re going to leave wondering why more people weren’t there, you know? So she it just and that was a really good piece of advice that she gave me.

Joe Lemmo: And so now, um, it is there’s a different energy when you have a smaller crowd. But I think all those years I was disappointed at the end of a show, I didn’t even think about necessarily how good the show was. I was thinking about, oh, there weren’t enough people like, I want to bring people in. I want to feel like it’s a cool experience. Um, you know, and then the other thing that I used to worry about was the who the audience was. I was really affected by that. Um, you know, like I said, a lot of our shows are more family oriented. So and sometimes I’m like, well, where are the 20 year olds? 30 year olds? Are they are we not cool enough? You know what I mean for them. But a lot of times there’s there’s language at other shows, you know, that I think some people like to go to. But, um, but I’ve been content with, with our audience. So I think those are probably the, the biggest takeaways for me if I, you know, if I would have known. But it’s still been it’s been a growing experience, learning experience with my own children. It’s been a lot of fun. You know, I have an eight year old and a five year old and it’s we do lots of improv games and exercises. They must.

Sharon Cline: Love it. I mean, you must be really I mean, obviously not every minute, but to be able to play with your kids in a different way than, like, board games, you know.

Joe Lemmo: Yeah. Well, and my wife is, uh, she’s, um, she’s a has her own music studio. She’s, uh, she teaches music and movement, uh, to children ages 0 to 7. And their parents, they do together. And she also is was a pit instructor for a marching band, and she works for an indoor drumline, and she was an elementary music teacher. And she plays the piano. And so we, you know, there’s all this music, we have this fun, um, you know, chemistry that I didn’t even realize was going to happen in our relationship. And that’s where theater has been. She’s a big theater fan, too, you know, she loves wicked. And I mean, she’s been a big theater person. So it was really fun to see how that kind of grew, how God kind of put that in my life and then kind of put me in the right position, you know, to meet her. So it’s been really cool. And yeah, the kids, we always joke. We’re like, sometimes we wish we weren’t as fun with our kids. Like our kids, they always want to do stuff together. You know? We’re like, just go play, go play. No. Can we do character? Can we do this? No. Just play by yourself for a little bit, okay. No, but they’re really they’re really cute. And they like to kind of jump in and and do improv games, you know, at home as well.

Sharon Cline: I don’t play like that. Like I don’t as an adult. I just, I think I don’t ever really let myself kind of just really just play and and I’m realizing, just listening to you how how kind of sad that makes me feel. I wish I did more or had permission to do more. I guess I don’t know if permission isn’t even an important word, but for some reason that I feel like I need to throw that in there. Like someone needs to give it to me. You know, as if my as if I can’t give it to myself.

Joe Lemmo: Well, and also there’s, you know, um, you know, there’s you need to in life, you need to have serious. We have serious moments. And, you know, it can’t all be, you know, fun and games. And, you know, a lot of people know that one person, everything’s a joke, you know, so it’s hard to have a it’s hard to have a conversation with them. And um, and that can be dangerous. So you have to have balance, you know. So I think sometimes when I’m at an event and then someone finds out you’re, you know, you do comedy, it’s almost like they’re like, okay, do something funny.

Sharon Cline: What do you got?

Joe Lemmo: What do you got?

Sharon Cline: Turn it on right now. I mean.

Joe Lemmo: You know, and it’s, you know, in that case, it’s more about just being a good listener and having good conversation. But, um, you know, it’s, uh, so it’s you just you have to balance as well. And I think and I think that’s that’s what, what excites people when they take a class is they feel like, wow, this is I just get to play. You know? And that’s all that’s really like what it is. It’s just adult play. And, um, you know, there’s lots of great in Atlanta, you know, dad’s garage, um, whole world theater, improv. Yeah, there’s there’s just such a great improv scene and it’s fun for us to be outside, you know, in the suburbs and, and some people, when they find out about where we are, they’re like, oh, I didn’t know there was improv. You know, I thought I had to go into the city, you know, to see it. Um, so I think I see people all over the place like they’re excited about that. And they. And I think that’s what what brings them back is like, wow, that was something different. You know, I just, um, I haven’t let loose like that in a while, you know, because everything is so serious and, you know, so, um, I think that’s that’s fun witnessing that, being a being a witness to that, you know, each time.

Sharon Cline: What would you want people to know about improv that maybe the average person doesn’t know? Like someone who’s listening that I don’t know, maybe would be encouraged to come to come see it. What would they need to know?

Joe Lemmo: Uh, I think, you know, there is, um, well, if somebody wanted to just some people, it amazes me that some people don’t still don’t know what improv is. And and really just to divine.

Sharon Cline: The just to define it anyway. Yeah.

Joe Lemmo: That’s usually that’s usually what we say. It’s kind of like whose line is it anyway? I mean, that’s the type of improv that we perform at Woodstock Arts is um, basically we take suggestions from the audience and we create characters and scenes based on those suggestions. Um, so it’s really theater without the script. So every I would want them to know that every show is different, you know, and there are different types of performers. You know, our troupe has about 15, 15 to 16 people in our troupe, and we usually have about six on stage, you know, for a show. So you’ll you’ll see a variety. Um, so I would tell them that, you know, it’s, it’s, you know, it’s different every time. So that’s one thing that’s kind of fun about it. If someone was thinking about taking a class, I would tell them that, you know, there are there are bad teachers out there, you know, and there are some bad. I mean, some people have had bad experiences, unfortunately. Um, but I think that I would, you know, I would encourage people to, you know, if you’re worried about not being able to think quickly or you’re worried about what other people are going to think if you’re going to be funny. Um, that’s, you know, all the pressure should be off. You know, you get in there and you know, everyone else is in the same boat as you are. And most teachers, I think, are very encouraging.

Sharon Cline: And they were when we were when I was watching Christine’s performance. Well, well.

Joe Lemmo: That’s what’s nice for me is I’m being an educator. So, you know, not all improv teachers and coaches are necessarily also, you know, educators. And I’ve enjoyed that because we because we didn’t always have classes, you know, at the theater. And then I started those and we’ve developed several levels now. So we have a youth and a teen and level one, level two, level three. And so my education background and teaching background kind of supports that. So now I have this love of improv and I’m learning about Improvization. And and now I feel more comfortable teaching it, you know, especially for the kids too. And not not a lot of people can can work with the younger kids. You know.

Sharon Cline: That’s with the energy level.

Joe Lemmo: Yes. Yeah. And patience and you know, all that you have to you kind of have to have that, that background. So um, that’s what I would do. You know, I would recommend they just encourage them to check it out. We have shows, you know, on Woodstock. It’s interesting because we are we’re called wit um, we are the Woodstock Arts improv troupe. So we basically, you know, I’m the director of our in-house, you know, troupe. We’re not like, an outside group that comes in and performs at Woodstock Arts. And I think some people don’t I don’t know some people don’t.

Sharon Cline: Know that you’re the you’re the resident.

Joe Lemmo: Ones. Yeah, we’re the resident comedians. Yeah. You know, there. And we perform once a month. Um, we have workshops, you know, a lot of times in the summer as well. So. But I would encourage people to go, you know, go down to dad’s garage, go to whole world. I mean, there’s really a lot of talented performers, you know, out there. So I think it’d be a fun thing for date night for, you know, family night. Girls night out, guys night out. Um, you know, I think there’s really not a bad reason to go to an improv show.

Sharon Cline: Do you find that you use your improv skills while you’re teaching?

Joe Lemmo: Yes, I do. Uh, and with the second graders, sometimes it causes more.

Sharon Cline: No, no more of a.

Joe Lemmo: Yeah, it’s, uh, you you break into characters, and then all of a sudden they get all riled up. I remember this one. It was probably one of my maybe first or second day working with the second graders. And this kid drew a picture of a portal, you know, on his paper. And then I pretended to jump into that portal, and I was walking all over the classroom and it’s. I joke that it’s it’s kind of my, um, it’s my space to work on characters as well. You know what I mean? It’s, um, because they’re they’re a fun audience. Well, they’re also honest.

Sharon Cline: If it doesn’t work out. Yeah, they’ll tell you. And we do.

Joe Lemmo: A lot of reading. I do a lot of read alouds. So, um, it comes into play with characters when you’re reading a good children’s book and there’s different characters. Um, it’s I really, you know, I’m invested in it. I commit, I.

Sharon Cline: Commit.

Joe Lemmo: Commit to the position. So I enjoy that, you know, using it. And as a dad as well with my kids, it’s a lot of fun to do that.

Sharon Cline: It’s a real positive energy. I’m just trying to, like, imagine you in a classroom, like playing around because that energy, it’s infectious and and it’s engaging. So, you know, if they’re not paying attention, they will pay attention to when you have like that play energy.

Joe Lemmo: Yes. Yeah. It but even that uh, I’ll tell you even that does expire. They get you know, it’s interesting because when I was younger and they, they wheeled in the TV and they had a good day.

Sharon Cline: Oh, yeah. It was the best day. Wow.

Joe Lemmo: Now it’s like there’s just there’s a lot to compete with. Um, you know, and I have a YouTube. I have a YouTube channel, uh, Joe comedy. And, um, I jokingly said, yeah, I’m excited. I’m up to about 324 subscribers, you know? Um, wow. I’m big time, you know? But, um, I kind of have a, you know, a variety of, uh, some performances that I’ve done, little clips from performances, just interactions, just silly, you know, silly things. And. But it takes a lot of time, you know, to do stuff like that. Um, but, you know, I’ve enjoyed doing that. And so it it I do feel like I provide good entertainment for them, but, um, it you know, you do, like I said, have to have that balance of, um, structure and seriousness. And sometimes it’s they are a tough crowd because they are used to, you know, being.

Sharon Cline: Entertaining.

Joe Lemmo: Constant entertainment.

Sharon Cline: So over the top, even more and more and more it seems, you know, um, yeah, whatever they’re seeing, it just seems like that was last year. Now there’s something bigger and better and it’s just hard to keep up, I imagine, for something that’s very organically done, it’s not like it’s produced, you know.

Joe Lemmo: But I think but even and even going back to the listening, like the other teachers that I work with, we just sometimes talk about, you know, we I have 22 kids in one class and then I switch and I have 24 in the other class. And, you know, kids have a lot they want to share. You know, they want to tell you stuff. And sometimes it’s not the right time. And, you know, trying to balance, showing them that you care, that you’re invested in what they’re saying, you know, but also balancing, you know, moving on and doing what you need to do is, is a lot of times a challenge. But I think a lot of my improv does help me, you know, with that. And a lot of these kids are just they’re they just want to be heard again. You know, they’re looking for that validation or so. Sometimes you don’t even need to do much comedy. Just show them that you are interested in what they’re saying. A lot of times, and I think that goes a long way as well.

Sharon Cline: Thank you for being an educator. My hat is off to you. I think I would be a terrible educator. Maybe for a minute I could do it. But like, long term, no. I have strengths in other places, but not that. And I always admired people who could, um, manage all of the different personality types that you and home environments that get brought into a classroom, you know, and to be able to, um, impact someone’s life. They’re so young now, but you don’t know what you’re creating, you know, for them in the future. And I just I appreciate that about.

Joe Lemmo: Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. That is a tricky thing about the profession, you know, is there’s a tough, tough it’s hard to monetize, you know, day to day. Um, and.

Sharon Cline: I that’s a good way to.

Joe Lemmo: Put it. I have um, there’s really I’ve got some special, you know, relationships that I’ve built through the years. And one actually is around the holidays. Um, this one former student of mine who’s now a teacher, he teaches really high school. So sweet. And, um, his mom is a baker. And, um, when he was in my class, uh, this was, gosh, I think it was maybe my third or fourth year of teaching. So we’re talking 20 years ago, they brought me Gingersnaps. And the next year, then I didn’t have them in my class anymore. But the the office called me Mr. Lomo. I got a I got a delivery for you. Gingersnaps.

Sharon Cline: Stop it.

Joe Lemmo: The next year. Gingersnaps. Um. And this past year, I got ginger snaps and chocolate chip cookies. So, like, every single year, a kind note. We value you, and we’re so thankful. Um, you know, it’s like, that’s. Those are really exciting, you know, exciting moments as a teacher. So, um, it’s tough out there right now for teachers. So I appreciate you saying something. I give a shout out to all my teachers out there because it’s hard, you know, it’s hard. It’s it’s a hard job. But, you know, they put a lot of emotion into it and, um, you know, try to encourage each other. And we try to work together as a team, you know, other teachers. And so it is it’s a good profession. Um, you know, and I’m thankful that I got into it. Uh, it allowed me before I was married and had kids. It allowed me to have, you know, to have that sense of value, you know, because they look up to you so much. So, um, and but then, you know, when I got married and now I have children, you know, my teaching has changed.

Joe Lemmo: It’s changed me, you know, just like, as an improviser. So it’s a little bit different. I don’t go to as many basketball games and piano concerts. You know, I have my own family. I have my own children. So, um, you know, that’s kind of shifted a little bit, but it’s been fun. And, you know, I’ve had kids come to my shows, you know, which is nice. You know, that when I have students come to improv shows, I’m not like, oh, gosh. Okay. Hey, everybody. Uh, let’s give them the clean version. Clean, clean version. Tonight. Uh, I got some kids in kids in the audience, you know? So, um, that’s that’s been a nice kind of addition. Like to invite people and, like, teachers. Sometimes they’ll have a teachers night out and they come to an improv show, and it makes me feel good that I can, you know, I can share that with my colleagues, you know. So it’s kind of it’s been fun to see how the worlds have have collided in that way.

Sharon Cline: I went back to college in 2012, and I went to Kennesaw State University to finish my degree, and I hated school when I was younger. I hated everything about it. Um, and I was very stubborn and was like, why do I have to take this class? It’s ridiculous when I think about it now. But when I was an adult, I think I was 38, eight. When I went back to school, I loved it. I felt so engaged with everything. I appreciated every professor so much because they really put so much time and energy and effort into into encouraging us to learn. I just felt I could have been a student, you know, like a life. What is it called? Professional student. Yeah. Professional student forever because I just loved it. And, um, I mean, some subjects I was, you know, more inclined to do well, but I didn’t have an appreciation for it when I was younger. And I kind of feel like I, you know, did a disservice to these these teachers who were really trying to help me and to build my life on some skills. So, um, yeah, it’s just sad that I had to be an adult, but I’m glad at least I had a moment to where I could say thank you. Even one of my professors. So much younger than me too. So sweet. This this woman. And I was just like, you were like, my daughter’s age. And I just thank you for caring. You know, so much about us. And some of them I became friends with. Yeah, yeah, just as an appreciation of who they are and the effort that they’re making, I think it’s underrated. Yeah.

Joe Lemmo: Well it’s interesting, I, I have this reflection on, you know, this is my 25th year of teaching. I’m 47 years old. And I started going to school, you know, in kindergarten when I was around 5 or 6 years old. And I have not stopped since then. So I’m like over 41, about 41 years of my life? Every new school year I have been in school. So I’m interesting.

Sharon Cline: I professional student in some ways.

Joe Lemmo: Yeah, in some with some regards. Uh, it’s fun though, because now I’m like, I try to tell my students I’m from their future now because, like, I think about them in second grade and what it was like for me in second grade, you know, I think it’s good. It’s fun to reflect on that. And so they they are there and I’m where I am. And it’s like, uh, they’re it’s kind of a cool experience. But yeah, I think that’s what happens as we get older. We we realize we appreciate different things. And, you know, that’s it’s cool for us to be able to have those experiences and then share those with others.

Sharon Cline: Well, I have a obviously a very naturally curious mind that doesn’t chill. And when I had younger children before I was in college, you know, I was very focused on them. But getting out of the mom mode and just kind of seeing what, what’s important and on the horizon so that I can have a degree to be able to have a job outside of of being a mom. I just loved how much there was to learn. It just fit so well for me. But then again, I get to do something like this where I get to sit with you and ask you a lot of questions. Um, and I have one more for you, actually. Yes. Where do you see yourself in, like five years? Where would you like to see this troupe go?

Joe Lemmo: Five years? Well, um, I would say that, you know, the Woodstock arts has, you know, visions of expanding their theater. You know, we have different stages. So we we’re hoping to eventually have, like, a main stage and then like a black box theater and then and then also some kind of like a lounge, you know. So that’s, you know, that’s down, down the road. And so I think with regards to the Woodstock Arts improv troupe, um, I would kind of see us maybe, you know, 5 to 7 years, maybe having regular shows, you know, every weekend. Got it. Lots of opportunity and smaller audience. So we would have a smaller space. Um, we’d have regular shows I think I could see myself doing that. I joke, you know, six years, you know, at 25 years teaching now, 5 or 6 years, I could be retiring from the classroom, not retiring at all. Um, and, uh, I’m, you know, I’m excited to see where my education background and my improv background and skills might be able to, you know, lead me in a position of something, you know, that I could be of assistance to people like, you know, in the corporate world or, you know, just I think that would be a lot of fun. So I’m kind of excited. There’s a little bit of that unknown. Um, but I have a young I have young family, you know, so I’m kind of I’m kind of excited to see where where that takes me. And, um, you know, I don’t know. So I think that’s probably that’s where I would see it maybe performing a little bit more. And, um, you know, a bigger audience might be fun at some point, but.

Sharon Cline: Well, how could people get in touch with you if they want to learn more about what you do?

Joe Lemmo: Well, um, you know, we have classes at Woodstock Arts, so if you go to Woodstock Arts. Org, you can find information about events that, that we’re going to be a part of. We also have a Facebook and Instagram Woodstock we are with at Woodstock Arts. So you can find us on Instagram and Facebook. I have a YouTube channel, Joe Comedy. I think it’s like Joe Limbo comedy 71, 79 or something like that, I don’t know, it’s.

Sharon Cline: I’ll follow.

Joe Lemmo: You. Yeah, it’s on there. Uh, don’t expect greatness. Um, it is just kind of a medley of being a dad and a husband and a teacher and an improviser, kind of all mashed into one. So, yeah, we’d love to have you come out to a show. And, you know, our next show is February 20th, I believe it’s a Thursday. And, uh, that show will be at 730 at Woodstock Arts. And, yeah, we’d just reach out. If you want to learn more about improv, uh, just holler at me.

Sharon Cline: Well, Joe, thank you so much for coming to the studio on a Wednesday. Yes. Thank you. I really appreciate your being so, um, so generous with your words and really explaining the background of what improv does, not just for their the performers, but for the audience and then other ways that you can apply it to your life. I like that it’s something that you obviously seem like you’ll always have in your life to whether you’re teaching or not.

Joe Lemmo: Yes. Yeah, I appreciate it. And thanks for trusting me and going on on air with only a mild skimming of me on, uh.

Sharon Cline: Mild skimming of.

Joe Lemmo: Figuring out who I am. So appreciate that trust and, yeah, appreciate, um, you know, the invite, of course.

Sharon Cline: And thank you all for listening to Fearless Formula on Business RadioX. And again, this is Sharon Cline reminding you that with knowledge and understanding, we can all have our own fearless formula. Have a great day.