Episode Notes

For the Love of the Game: Patient, Slow Improv with Ashley Rube and Ryan Myers of Touch Baseball

Host: Mike Garvin

Guests: Ashley Rube and Ryan Myers (Touch Baseball)

In this episode, Ashley Rube and Ryan Myers of Touch Baseball sit down with host Mike Garvin and talk all things duoprov (or “twosies”), Group Mind, teaching improv, and what it means to slow down and be present with your scene partner. Based in St. Louis, Ashley and Ryan are performers and teachers at The Improv Shop.

Twosies to these two involves something they call “the secret agreement” as well as a shared vocabulary and trust that you won’t get lost. They discuss being present and embodied in their characters and supporting your scene partner. It’s clear that collaboration and teamwork is crucial for these two, because as Ryan states, ”if you take the batter out, or the pitcher out, then no one’s playing baseball.”

About the Guests:
Ashley Rube is a St. Louis-based improviser,  teacher, coach, and commercial actor. Alongside her longtime improv partner, Ryan Myers, Ashley  serves as The Improv Shop’s Co-Director of Business Services in St. Louis, helping businesses, non-profits, and professional teams overcome challenges through applied improvisation. 
Ashley is also a faculty member of The Improv Shop (STL) Training Center and a regular House Team player. She has participated in The Compass Improv Festival, STL Shakespeare Festival, The Flyover Comedy Festival, COMOtion Improv Festival, Third Coast Improv Festival, Omaha Comedy Fest, and Missouri Thespians Conference as a performer or instructor (or sometimes both!). 
Ashley holds a Bachelor’s degree in Literature and earned her Master of Theological Studies Degree right here in Nashville from Vanderbilt Divinity School. Before improv, she worked in a variety of fields including non-profit advocacy, marketing, and dairy farming.
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Ryan Myers is an improviser, teacher, actor, and writer based in St. Louis, Missouri. He received his BA in Vocal Performance (Opera) from The University of Missouri – St. Louis. Ryan is currently a teacher and coach at the Improv Shop in St. Louis, and co-directs the Improv Shop Means Business, which helps organizations and professional teams overcome challenges through applied improvisation.
Ryan has taught and performed all over this great land in festivals such as: Flyover Comedy Festival, Compass Improv Festival, Third Coast Improv Festival, Grand Rapids Improv Fest, Omaha Comedy Fest, COMOtion, Missouri Thespians, STL Shakespeare, and more.
Producer’s note: This episode was recorded November 2023

Executive Producers: Christina Ashworth + Emma Supica
Editing: Cammie York
Mixing: Dave Strumfeld
Graphic Design: Cammie York

A project of Unscripted, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Nashville, TN. We heal, empower, and connect our community through equitable and accessible improv programs.