Join Billy Merritt and his global gang of improvisers as he continues his delightfully chaotic journey through the many flavors of longform improv.
Today's focus: PRETTY FLOWER — also known as Spokane, or "that thing that's kind of like Lost meets Marty meets at a haunted pie shop."
Billy starts by tracing the roots of this character-driven form, developed with the group Sentimental Lady and inspired by layered storytelling (think Lost, but with fewer smoke monsters and more apple jam).
The Pretty Flower starts with a single scenic mono scene—then "blooms" into supporting cutaways that explore character backstory, heighten stakes, or, sometimes, just celebrate a 74-pie menu.
🎭 In class, the students explore:
🧺 A struggling family-run apple orchard turned fall tourist trap
🥁 A post-championship hangover in a high school band room (with questionable closet storage decisions)
🥧 A pristine retro diner trying to re-create a 1950s vibe for a mysterious couple who might actually be… ghosts?
Cut tos, cut backs, musical montages, and a possible mob-connected cleaner all show up in this episode full of bold initiations and gentle chaos.
As always, Billy keeps it structured just enough to find the funny—and the heart.
Today's students:
