Splitsider: Craig Cackowski on ‘Trust Us With Your Life’ and Improv on TV

I had the pleasure of interviewing Craig Cackowski — veteran improv performer, teacher, coach, etc. — for Splitsider about his experience shooting Trust Us With Your Life, a new improv TV show for ABC in the style of Whose Line Is It, Anyway? Craig talks about doing improv on TV and the prospects of a long-form TV show.

Excerpt:

“CC: Because Chicago’s always been at the forefront of improv, that “second city” mentality — not Second City the theater, but that underdog complex — has always been tied in to improv. There is that humility you need as a performer. But I think we’re realizing that you need that mix of cocky-ness and humility, get it in perfect balance, to know that it’s not about you, but to also know that you have something to offer that’s unique that nobody else has to offer. I think UCB has already been heading this way. I just want improvisers to get more media savvy and industry savvy without compromising their principles as improvisers. I think slowly but surely the industry has been trained to understand what improv is and what people are bringing to the mix that makes them different from a non-improviser. I think we just need to keep stepping up our game.”

Read the full post on Splitsider.com.