Muprov Musings: Exceptionally Average Improv
Muprov Musings: Exceptionally Average Improv, is a podcast that teaches Long-form, Narrative, Theatrical, Improvisation, or as we call it: Muprov. The hosts, Hal Munger and Julian Bernado are experienced and innovative Muprovisors, who are excited to spread the word about their favorite ways of doing their favorite activity. On the show they provided practice plans that you can use for your ensemble, teach fun formats, and chat with guests who bring a wide variety of perspectives! Intro Music By Sebastian Blue Hochman
Listen on:
Why Mu?
1) Mu is the greek root of words like muse and music. Ancient poets would invoke the Muses before telling an Epic story. Like an Epic, our shows are long and follow a continuous narrative.
2) Mu is a statistical symbol that represents the population average. We come from a lineage of students of Patricia Ryan Madson, who teaches the improv maxim: Be Average.
3) Mu is an important word in Zen Buddhism, meaning nothing or no. While most improv centers Yes, we believe that sometimes the best was to say Yes is to say No. Our practice involves emptying our minds to that we can be present and react our stage partner.
A NEW PLAY
Our 90-minute improvised stage play, The set, costumes, props, music, lights, and sound are all created on the spot!
Episodes
50 minutes ago
50 minutes ago
The plot thickens in the second episode of Animatia... If you want this to make sense... go back and listen to the first one!
Suggestions for this episode were Water Strider and Rhino.
Monday Dec 01, 2025
Monday Dec 01, 2025
The first episode of our improvised television series. The only thing we decided in advance was that all the characters would be animals and that the show would begin with a car chase.
For this show we received the suggestions:
Cheetah, Gopher, Canada Goose, and Peacock.
Sunday Nov 16, 2025
Sunday Nov 16, 2025
We discuss our plans for our next format on the podcast, a serialized improvised audio show!
Monday Nov 03, 2025
Monday Nov 03, 2025
Julian and I have been off the podcast for the past month, so on this episode we dive back in to Muprov Musings and catch each other up on what we have been learning in London and San Francisco.
Monday Sep 29, 2025
Monday Sep 29, 2025
After an extended break, we are back to talk about our recent experience at the Fringe. John Mistele is guest! Sorry for the audio quality on this one!
Sunday Jul 27, 2025
Sunday Jul 27, 2025
The Glorious GOAT we are interview this week is none other than Lisa Rowland! We have always looked up to Lisa when she was our teacher, but assumed that she was just the best improviser that we knew. As we have traveled the world and seen more improv, it turns out that she is one of the best in the whole world too! Lisa has served as the artistic director of BATS, was the only improviser chosen from the USA to be in the cast of Impro Amsterdam 2024, and Status magazine (which is a GOATed publication) included her on a short list of improv teachers who deserve Three Michelin Stars. But don't just take our word for it, give it a listen to see how great sausage is made!
Sunday Jul 20, 2025
Sunday Jul 20, 2025
The second part of the interviews that I got from Flock Festival, this episode features the voices of the international guests who had come from far and wide to take part!
It includes interviews with:
Liam Webber
Chris Mead
Maria Ramis
Auri Itämäki
Isabel Brodie
Adria Lerma
Katy Schutte
Phill Spear
Lê Kim Thanh
Julia
Sunday Jul 06, 2025
Sunday Jul 06, 2025
This special live episode, I interview great improvisers while they play the dutch game of Sjoelen. Flock Theater in Amsterdam is the best improv theater that I have seen anywhere in the world, and I hope these episodes will shed some light on how it runs! This is the first in a two part series of interviews from Flock Festival in Amsterdam, with the first one focusing on local talent and members of the Flock Community.
This first episode features interviews with:
Gael Doorneweerd-Perry
Laura Doorneweerd-Perry
Tanine Dunais
Mark Bulthuis
Mateusz Barczyk
Hal Munger
Thom Roelofs
Babbette Hinterleitner
Jeroen du Chatinier
Rosanne Eschweiler
Daniel Potts
Gerit Scholz
Tuesday Jul 01, 2025
Tuesday Jul 01, 2025
Dr. Mark Smith joins the podcast for the first episode of our GOATs Series, where we interview great improvisers to try to understand how they got to where they are today. Mark is the artistic director of the Liverpool Improvisation Festival, has a very substantial body of work in improvised and scripted theater, and he wrote his doctoral thesis on how improvisation can be applied to devised theater. If you are interested in the blending of improvisation and theater, this episode is for you!
Monday Jun 23, 2025
Monday Jun 23, 2025
A duo show, recorded live at the Unscripted Shakespeare Festival featuring Hal Munger and John Mistele! This is the audio of the show that we are bringing to the Edinburgh Fringe this year. Julian is adjusting to his new job, so he will be back on the podcast soon to begin an exciting new series but in the meantime I hope you enjoy the Flicker of the Flame:
Video Version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyOKc7C5lu0