Check Out Clay Morgan’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Clay Morgan.

Hi Clay, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I saw my first improv show, Comedy Sportz, with some friends in 1996. I was instantly hooked! I loved the art form. I took some workshops and learned the basics of the craft. It came very naturally to me. That led me down a path of learning and growing as a performer.

I played my first Comedy Sportz show in the fall of 1997, and I still remember that first show. I was having fun, and the audience was having fun. My only thought was, “Wow, I’m actually doing it! People are laughing!”

I rose through the ranks and was performing several shows each weekend. I learned how to run lights and sounds. I learned how to host the show. As I learned more about the construction of shows, my perspective switched from being kind of a showboating performer to one that considered the audience first. That was a BIG shift in the way I performed. I don’t think I can explain it very well, but I will try. My focus shifted from, “Look at me, I did or said the funny thing, now laugh!” to putting the audience, hoping that what happens on stage is so relatable that they laugh with me.

I found myself teaching workshops, and sharing knowledge I had gleaned over the first few years. At first, I was intimidated. I suffered imposter syndrome. I just knew the students were going to figure it out on their own how easy this was! The more I taught, the less I felt like a fraud, and that I really knew what I was talking about.

Comedy Sportz, Kansas City, was renamed in 2000 as Comedy City. I worked there, performing pretty regularly until 2008. I gathered a group of very talented individuals, Charley Belle, Rob Grabowski and Patrick Lindhorst. Later, we added Jonathan Bender. We started performing as Loaded Dice. The five of us gained a pretty nice following, and were performing regularly at various venues around town. We were invited to perform at the Orlando Improv Festival at one point.

I read a lot of books over the years, and have toyed with different show formats. Sometimes it was a pop-culture driven show. One of the themes we tried was a Behind the Music featuring the reuniting of a 90’s era Boy Band. During the show we improvised pop songs that we performed based on audience suggestions.

One of the books that deeply affected me was Improvise: Scene From the Inside Out, by Mick Napier. Mick is an improv great from Chicago. He owns and is the director of the Annoyance Theater. This book made me want to know more about the philosophy of improv. Taking the concepts of “Yes, and…” and then employing that further. A kind of exploratory journey about what it means to improvise, how that applies to life, and how being more open can benefit all of us.

I was approached by the owner of Comedy City in Kansas City and asked if I wanted to purchase the company in 2011. I did. The company needed a big overhaul, and I had some ideas. New branding, new website, selling tickets online and doing consistently good shows was all part of the plan. I held auditions and made phone calls and suddenly we went from doing two shows a weekend to doing five. Then six. I took charge of training and we had a good business going. It boiled down to training every week, introducing new games and styles of play to keep the show fresh for performers and audiences alike.

Someone made an offer in 2017 to purchase the organization from me, and I accepted. I had kids and the nighttime hours were begining to take their toll. Regrettably, Comedy City shuttered it’s doors in 2020, due to Covid.

Now… that brings me to the current era. One of the things that I have always loved about my improv journey has been sharing knowledge and ideas with others. That led me to teach almost continually since I sold Comedy City. I have worked with George Caleb Bingham Academy of the Arts each summer, teaching high school theater kids the art of beginning improvisation. I love doing this! I also have worked with Blue Spring High School’s Theater Department to develop and produce a Spring Improv Show for the last three years.

Last year, I got a message from an improv friend named Bill Chot. Bill is notable because he’s from St. Louis and live in Los Angeles and works as an actor. He was Principal Laritate on Wizards of Waverly Place and has been in countless shows and movies. Bill is a great guy! The most generous and friendly man. Anyway, Bill messaged me and asked if I could teach a corporate workshop for a friend of his. I immediately said yes!

Johnson County Library had wanted to do a series of improv workshops to help facilitate some changes going on with their management staff. I sat down with Laura Blair and she filled me in on what their needs were. I assembled a team of the best improvisers I could and came up with a plan for five workshops sessions for the staff at Johnson County Library. My curriculum was so well received, and the results were so positive that even some of the more reserved members of the staff told Laura that they needed to do the workshops again in the future.

That led me to launching Breaking the Script. Improv workshops make a lot of sense in the corporate setting. Participants who go through an improv workshop learn communication skills, acceptance, creativity and how to give and receive constructive critiques. My experience working with people in corporate settings has become an invaluable tool. Why wouldn’t you want to have a fun afternoon learning how to work better as a team? The skills used in improv translate directly to corporate life. One of my favorite sayings is, “There is no bad idea. Only good and better ideas.” Imagine sitting in a meeting and you’ve already prejudged your ideas as bad. But it could be that an idea, with a little bit of input from others, that could become a great idea.

Improv has taught me that good communication is key. Trust yourself that you will communicate well, and trust that your teammates will listen well and communicate back. That’s it. Improv at its core, is about trust and communication.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
So far, It’s been smooth. There is not a lot of cost involved. I office out of my home and don’t have much overhead. The most difficult part, as with any startup, is finding the right clients at the right time.

Staffing is sometimes an issue, however. I work with other seasoned improv professionals and sometimes schedules don’t line up for our clients needs. I am well connected in the improv community, however that does not mean I can have just anyone lead a workshop for a client. I won’t ask someone with little to no experience or training lead a workshop.

If someone wants to become one of my facilitators, they must work with me personally on training exercises and then attend and observe several workshops before they can work with Breaking the Script.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Wow, what a question! As a performer, I specialize in character work. I try to make everything about my voice, movement, demeanor and motivation as distinct as possible.

As far as Breaking the Script, I have a really experienced group of people I work with. That’s what sets us apart. Our last workshop had 5 improv artists with over 100 years experience between them. We know what we are doing.

Our focus and philosophy that the difference between good communication and great communication is listening with intention to understand. Great communication can lead to a great workplace environment.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can work with me by sending a message to [email protected]
Or visiting breakingthescript.net and booking a free consultation.

I am great at responding to texts, I’m pretty good with emails, and, believe it or not, random phone calls get sent to VM.
Too many calls about auto insurance, warranties or medical offers for my kidney.

Booking a video chat is the best way to learn more!

Pricing:

• 30 Minute Consult is FREE
• 2 Hour Teambuilding Workshop $1000
• Custom Workshops are Available for Quote
• Public Workshops – Offered a few times a year. $100 per person per 4 Week Session (Once a Week)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.breakingthescript.net/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-the-script/