DuFort & Peacock, Detroit & Chicago

We ask Nate DuFort and Adam Peacock, two Detroit good ol' boys who moved to Chicago to make their place at The Second City, about their personal paths, the differences between the DET and CHI improv scenes, and what they're up to now.

(Spoiler - the call is coming from inside the neighbor's house...)

Where are you from? 

AP: I'm from Allen Park, Michigan.
ND: Plymouth, Michigan.
AP: AP from the AP, baby. So, it makes sense that I pretty much base all of my characters on Juggalos, that style of person. Does that sound terrible?
ND: Of course it does (laughing). And I think Plymouth has influenced me in that it’s a balance of blue collar and culture which definitely gave birth to my aesthetic and work ethic. I’m either giving Plymouth or myself too much credit there for sure.  

Where did you work/perform in Detroit? 

ND: We both came up in the Second City Detroit training center system when it was downtown.
AP: Then I was your stage manager with you and Timmy (Tim Robinson) on Tour Co.
ND: That’s right. I feel awful, but we tortured you. We were awful. Great company though – Tim Robinson, Jaime Moyer, Quintin Hicks, PJ Jacokes, Brett Guennel toured with us, Tiffany Jones.
AP: Yup and then the Ant.
ND: Planet Ant was like home to both of us.
AP: The Home Team,  we did the original comedies there.
ND: How many of those did you do?
AP: I don’t know, five or six.
ND: That sounds high. You’re definitely exaggerating.
AP: I don’t know. Does it really sound exaggerated?
ND: (laughs) and then I ran the film fest. It’s so important to have a home base like that and I imagine that’s how a lot of people feel about Go now.
AP: It’s gone now, but Improv Inferno was big for a lot of us. The Damnation Game and Eye Candy with PJ, Chris, Timmy and Tim McKendrick.

What took you to Chicago? 

ND: I was running Second City Novi and then when the partnership at Second City and the Novi venue was ending I was hired in Chicago to produce so I made the jump.
AP: For me, Second City closed and I didn't really know what else to do here in Detroit you know and I wanted to try it out of Chicago because they were supposed to be the best.  And so I wanted to go up there and see if I can hang with those guys and Timmy and Sam were out there, you were out there – a bunch of people. So I went.

What did you do in Chicago? 

ND: You go first.
AP: Yeah, I did a handful of ships for Second City, I understudied Timmy on the Mainstage for what like six months?
ND: Yeah.
AP: After that I joined Blue Co (one of the Second City’s Touring Companies) , did a lot of the shows in the UP Theatre, Theatricals and improv shows and then did a six week run at Wooly Mammoth in D.C.
ND: And my story was that I was the Producer of Second City’s Theatricals division and the Producing Director of the Touring Companies and some weeks was producing up to 105 performances weekly. That’s a lot of comedy. Some of the cooler things I did was produce the show we did with Lyric Opera with Renee Fleming and Sir Patrick Stewart and then led the producing team for the Second City partnership in the collaboration with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. I was really lucky to have been on those shows and work with that amazing talent.
AP: Relax.
ND: Fair enough.

What are some major differences between the Detroit and Chicago improv scenes? 

AP: This one's really tough to answer.
ND: For sure. Well, even though the Detroit scene has grown significantly since we've been here it still seems like it's one big family. And it’s a family that you’re part of forever. I know that even now when I walk into a theater in this scene it feels like I’m going to see my favorite people in the world.
AP: Totally. I think the biggest thing and correct me if I'm wrong, but like there's more opportunity in Chicago because of the industry.  
ND: Yeah I think that's a huge difference. If you hustle you can make a career in Chicago just playing and teaching.
AP: In Detroit that’s less true, but the difference is everyone here (in Detroit) does it for love.
ND: Exactly. That’s huge.  And there’s less pressure here because of who might be in the audience that can hire you for this gig or that gig so it doesn’t seem like you’re auditioning all of the time.

Do you have any advice for Detroit improvisers looking to move to NY, LA, or Chicago? 

ND: My advice is really that Detroiters are everywhere. The best advice for people who want to move out of the city is to reach out to the people that have done it before you. When I visit Los Angeles those are always the first people I reach out to – old castmates, directors, teachers, people I look up to…and so far every single person I've ever reached out to has been so giving so accommodating.  I just recommend making sure you have a strong base of people and don’t forget that building a career takes years. There’s nothing that will kill you faster than expecting things to happen overnight.
AP: Yeah, you know it's a pretty tight knit community so I wouldn't be afraid to reach out to anybody and just ask them for some advice. I mean, reach out to one of us for sure and we’ll happily share all of our failures.

What projects are you working on now? 

AP: We have the podcast My Neighbors Are Dead.
ND: Adam interviews side characters from horror films with some of our favorite improvisors.
AP: TJ (TJ & Dave’s TJ Jagodowski), Katie (SNL’s Katie Rich), Tim Ryder (MST3K), Brendan Dowling, Asher Perlman, Blaine Swen (Improvised Shakespeare Co.).
ND: Susan Messing and Rachael Mason, so many great players. Jaime Moyer.
AP: Totally. And then I’m just focusing more on writing solo sketch material.
ND: And I have another podcast called Midstream and a few more coming out this summer. 

Adam Peacock, Nate DuFort, Jaime Moyer

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Listen to My Neighbors Are Dead here and check out Midstream here. 

Failing an Audition

by Michelle Giorlando

“You will SO get cast. You’re so funny! They’d be crazy not to cast you.”

Back in 2010, I was a fresh-faced improviser with a year of Second City classes and then a year of writing, rehearsing and putting up a show under my belt. Auditions for the newest Go launch group were coming up, and I kept hearing endless variations of the above. I was flattered, and I had an inkling that my friends were right; improv happened to be pretty much the only area in my life where I had some self-confidence. I knew I was a decent improviser, and I was looking forward to acing my audition and showing them what I could offer.

Audition day came, and I nailed it. I had pored over Pj’s audition tips (which I highly recommend reading) and I was ready for it. The line game was great, my scenes went really well, and I even got brought out to do an additional scene. When it was finished, I went to the WAB with the rest of the auditioners, and I felt fantastic. We’d been told we’d get a phone call by 5:00 p.m. the following Friday if we made it.

I wasn’t even worried – I knew I made it.

(Everyone knows where this is going. Even my friend’s fetus knows where this is going.)

I totally didn’t make it.

To further add a thrill, that Friday, I was departing on a cruise with my friends, and we were pulling out of port at 5. I had my phone in my hand all afternoon, and when 5 came and went, I lost it. Incidentally, if you’ve never tried hiding an hours-long sobbing fit on a dirty Carnival cruise ship, you are missing something from your life. My friends were sympathetic, but I had to work hard to pull myself together and not ruin the next three days. It was so hard. I just kept going over and over the audition in my mind, wondering what I’d done wrong.

It took me some time and distance to realize I hadn’t done anything wrong. I simply wasn’t the right fit.

It’s hard not to take it personally.

It’s hard not to wonder, “Why did SHE make it and I didn’t?”

It’s hard to realize you spent money on classes and went through a whole program and didn’t make it.

It’s hard not to rant on Facebook.

It’s hard not to look at the auditioners and wonder what the hell they were thinking.

It’s hard not to feel like you deserved to make it.

It’s hard to look at yourself and realize that maybe you have more learning to do or experience to get or life to live before you’re ready to be cast.

It’s hard to stomach that 90 people might audition each time, but only a dozen or so move on and you might never get cast.

There are a thousand reasons you might not be cast. None of them are that you are a garbage person and should quit, so please don’t quit.

Find people you like to improvise with and form a troupe. Hire a coach to get you going and give you notes and advice. Play with a wide variety of people. Play the jams. Enter tournaments. Take a workshop. Go to improv camp. Go see shows. Check out other theaters. Write sketches. Play 1001 in the car on your way to work. Hang out in the lobby. Hang out with your non-improv friends and remember that the world is bigger than this.

One of my favorite things about improv is the fact that it’s so fleeting. Once it’s done, it’s done. We don’t generally film it and re-watch our scenes over and over and dissect them. Once your audition is done, let it move behind you. It’s so tempting to analyze every word or movement, but once it’s done, it’s done. No matter what the outcome is, there’s always something else beyond it.

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Michelle has been improvising for nine years, and is a teacher and Resident Company cast member at Go Comedy. Her lifelong dreams were finally realized when she got to play both a princess and Laura Ingalls Wilder in a sketch show.

Suggested Media from Pj, James, Gary, and Shelby

Suggested films

Don't Think Twice
Trust Us This Is All Made Up
Waiting For Guffman
A Mighty Wind
Best In Show
Drinking Buddies
The One I Love
Blue Jay

Suggested podcasts

Off Camera

After Improv

Comedy Bang! Bang! 

IRC (Improv Resource Center) 

Improv Yak

The Backline

Improv Nerd

Suggested blogs 

AV Club

Splitsider

Geeking out with... Pam Victor

Suggested videos

The Characters (a series by Netflix)

Jash

Tj & Dave 

Above Average Comedy

UCB Comedy

The Second City Network

And while you're at it... get a Seeso account!

European Improvisation

by Chris Fortin

In March 2017 Gary Lehman and I had the fortunate opportunity to travel to France to take part in the Subito Festival International de Théâtre d'Improvisation.

Before travelling to Brest for the festival, we visited Paris, where we took in some improv and were invited to drop in on a class. For a week we watched shows, took and taught workshops, performed in sets and jams, and just soaked in as much European improv as possible. Here’s some of what I took away from it.

Improv and Europe

When talking about the introduction of improv to Europe, two things were brought up over and over again: The Match and Keith Johnstone. The Match is an improvised game show, similar in format to a ComedySportz show or our own Showdown, except it lasts three hours because of strict guides to decorum. The whole show is hosted by an MC, who is NOT the referee, that’s someone else who also gets two assistants for impartial vote counting. Then there are two teams of three improvisors. Who also have coaches. Which brings the total to twelve people for one show. Did I mention the whole thing is done in a simulated hockey rink and the serious leagues wear hockey jerseys because the show actually originated in Canada? Oh, well I should have. If we explain improv to our friends, family, and coworkers by asking them if they know “Whose Line Is it Anyway?” the equivalent in any French speaking nation would be asking if they’ve seen The Match.

Keith Johnstone, author of “Impro,” is the European Del Close. Or Del Close is the American Keith Johnstone. I would suppose that they’re actually the same person but they’ve been seen in the same room having a grumpy-old-man-off. Keith Johnstone is also the creator of Theatersports (which means he’s also, unintentionally, the originator of ComedySportz). If you want to make sure you look like you know nothing about Improv in Europe (or Impro, as they call it), say you’re not familiar with Keith Johnstone and watch the disappointment creep into your new friends’ eyes. Whole improv communities can be traced back to someone getting a copy of his book, stumbling through it in English, and figuring it out from there.

Be grateful for stage time!

Out of everyone I talked to, across France, Italy, Germany, Morocco, and Finland, only one group came from a city with a dedicated improv theater (a theater called Improvidence in Lyon, France). Everyone else took classes in rented rehearsal spaces with more experienced improvisors, and they would get a class show once every couple of months. Some were in improv clubs that might do a set twice a month. Then everyone takes the summer off to recharge from the 20 shows (if they’re lucky) they got to do that year. If you’re hustling in Detroit you can do as many shows in a month as these guys get to do in a year. So don’t take it for granted!

Forms and Style

This relationship between classes and shows creates a group of improvisors that are well trained, but have limited stage experience. Most of the improv I saw on stage, in class, and at workshops was slower and more thoughtful, with rich characters. The actors let the scene and the characters drive, not the approval of an audience.  Along with being very thoughtful and dramatic, French improv was more physical. With the rich history of clowning in France, it shouldn’t have been surprising how well people moved, and especially excelled at emoting without speaking.

The discussion of forms began and ended with short vs. long form. Short form is well circulated through The Match shows. Long form in Europe almost universally meant one storyline being followed from the beginning to the end. There was a general impression of the Harold, which was usually referred to more generically as “Chicago Style” improv.

The best part of the experience was the people. Improvisors, no matter where they’re from, have bright, enterprising spirits that seek out community and collaboration.

Improv is fantastic because of the amazing places you can go in a scene, experiencing whole lives you would never get to otherwise. It was just as amazing to have improv take me 4000 miles from home and still make me feel completely comfortable. To be welcomed into a group immediately, with no hesitation, because the group existed of purely welcoming people, was amazing. It was an incredible opportunity that I hope you get to experience. Submit to perform and teach at international festivals, they would love to have you! But for the love of god, don’t tell any Europeans you don’t know Keith Johnstone!

Bon voyage!

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Chris Fortin is a homosexual.
(Please see below for proof that this was, in fact, his requested biography in its entirety...)

The Art of Acting

By Tim Kay

As you might have noticed, Go’s new show, Skit Parade, features scripted sketch comedy. Or, you might have checked out one of our other written shows, like Now That’s What I Call a Show About Music, or Manger Things. Because doing sketch or written shows is a goal for a lot of people in our community, I thought I’d pass along some things I learned as an actor in college that can be applied to performing scripted material. (And they said a Minor in Theater Arts was a risky move!!!)

Here is my list of stuff that you, as an improviser, might not have thought about before when performing scripted material:

For Rehearsal

Be prepared

Bring something to write with and make sure to have your scripts ready to go. Better yet, memorize your lines as soon as possible. Getting your script out of your hand fast is the key to really exploring the scene. With script in hand, you aren’t actually acting. Personally, I like to get the jist of line memorized with the cue lines, then I go back and memorize the words in detail.

Arrive on time

Not to sound like a total pain in ass, but arriving on time is a big deal and shows off your level of commitment. Giving your rehearsals the agreed upon time will allow you to focus and ultimately make the show better. Be a pro and show up on time!

Write down notes and direction

It’s super helpful to have a written record of what your director is giving you. Maybe they want you to move during a certain line, or say something in a certain way. Writing it down will help commit it to memory and provide a reference if you happen to get a TON of notes. Plus, directors haaaaaaate giving notes multiple times.

Stage directions

Know your directions! Back in day, stages used to be tilted towards the audiences. Meaning, the back of the stage would actually be higher than the front. (We call this a raked stage.) That’s why we call the back half of the stage, “upstage” and the front part that is closest to the audience, “downstage”. If you are standing onstage, facing the audience, right and left stage still apply relative to you. Downstage right = towards the audience, on your right.

 

During a Performance

Be quiet backstage

Nothing sucks more than to be on stage and clearly hear voices from backstage. Not only is this distracting for the audience, it might throw your fellow actors off. You’d hate it if someone was talking through your big scene, right? So, if the lights are up, stay quiet!

Volume & Diction

Being well heard is probably the single most important thing you can focus on. Make sure the very back of the theater can clearly hear every word you say by speaking from your diaphragm (the muscle) and annunciating each word carefully. I usually aim to be twice as loud as I think I should be for any given performance space and I’m still probably too quiet.

Know What Your Weird Body is Doing

Without a ton of experience or direct feedback, you might not have noticed that you fidget when you’re on stage - it’s fine! Many people have habits that they don't realize. As an actor, you should be in control of your body so it doesn’t become distracting and take away from your scenes. It might put you in your head a little at first, but once you become aware of your habits, good and bad, the faster you can correct them or use them to your advantage.  

A lot of this advice may seem like it only applies to theatrical/scripted acting, but it should also be kept in mind during your improv performances! Performing is performing amiright?

Focusing on just a few things like these can help your performances and make your acting process smoother. Take it from me, I’m a theater MINOR.  

Directing NEWSish

by Scotty Myers

While the world was going through the 18-month long version of Dante's Inferno, otherwise known as the 2016 Presidential Election, Tim Kay and Jess Loria asked me to take on the task of directing them in Go Comedy!'s most politically charged production (to date), NEWSish. The monthly (well, almost monthly) 45-minute scripted show melded together the formats of The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, and Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update.

It was one of the most stressful, mind-wrenching, challenging things I've ever done.

I couldn't be more excited to be returning with a condensed version of it this summer as part of a political sketch show coming soon.

When we started working on NEWSish, we knew it was going to be a challenge. The first show took us three months to pull together. We put out a call for special guests, story ideas and video segments. We got a handful of responses and polled people we believed could do a good job, giving out assignments and working on segments. And we started writing. Lots and lots of writing. We learned quickly that having too many stories to fit into a show was far better than having to scramble to write at the last minute. 
 

A typical 45-minute NEWSish program will have between 30 and 50 segments or stories. This makes the show much more similar to a broadcast news program, rather than a sketch show. At the start of each cycle, I would lay out a schedule of deadlines, casting and stories.

We quickly learned that putting it all together was too much for one person, so we brought on another spreadsheet loving improviser, Chris Fortin as Assistant Director. About a week before our show, he and I would sit down with all of the stories and put them together into a running order.

Working on a show that's dependent on current events means that you are subject to changes in those current events. With last year's election chaos, every month several of our stories would change or be out-of-date by our last rehearsal. So a NEWSish show would have about 20-30% of its material written within 36 hours of show time. Thank God for the most patient and wonderful stage manager in the world, Pete Jacokes, for being able to roll with us through it all - including the 30-40 slides and videos that made the show work.

Finally, at the end of all of that organization, comes content.

As satirists, I believe our job is both to entertain and enlighten.

Our culture's current state of information overload has left us fairly numb to the facts (or lack of them) in the news. It takes the power of laughter, irony and satire to break through the hazy day-to-day barrage of things flooding our screens and ears. And that's how I felt we had to approach NEWSish. We had to push a story to its "did we go too far?" limits. And we had to find ways to make the audience laugh in uncomfortable moments to bring light to stories, situations and realities we miss every day. I think we did that, often enough. Sometimes we struggled to maintain our voice and our humor. At other times we got caught up in our point of view and missed the mark.

But in the end, the work we put up was something everyone at Go can be proud of.

It pushed our political boundaries and definitely made our audience, and us, think differently about our world.

And that is always a good thing.

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Scotty's theatre and improv credits include: Second City Detroit Touring company understudy, Producer of Comedy Works with The Guild at the Gem/Century Theatres, Motoprism, several Sunday shows at The Improv Inferno, The Detroit Neutrino Project & Insta-Flick, Go Comedy! ResCo, & GoU! Teacher. He is also on the administration team for Water Works Theatre Company & Shakespeare Royal Oak and currently does freelance publicity for Go!, Planet Ant, and The Detroit Public Theatre. Full time, he is the Marketing Director for Broadway In Detroit and occasionally he will perform his one-man improvised Shakespeare show, The Dogberry. 

Behind the Scenes & Off the Stage

by Shelby Kittleson

I love comedy.

When I moved to Chicago after college graduation, I thought I’d take a couple years of writing classes then casually write a Second City Mainstage revue then probably be headed to NYC to write for Saturday Night Live and get to hang out with Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon all the time and eventually Amy Poehler would come to host and she'd be like, “Shelby, you’re so attentive and polite and you have the prettiest hair, I want to introduce you to my friends Abbi and Ilana” and I’d die a blissful death and float to comedy heaven. Aside from the fact that that timeline is entirely ludicrous and I honestly know I have just OK hair, note that nowhere in my fantasy did I assume it would be necessary for me to get on stage. How doe-eyed and naive I was then - like Piper Perabo’s character in Coyote Ugly assuming she could get her ‘Can’t Fight The Moonlight’ song sung by a pure talent like LeAnn Rimes without having to, at first, perform herself in a couple crappy night clubs.

But if you’re like me and being vulnerable about your art and having faith in your path and maintaining the strength of character it takes to get up on stage and get noticed doesn’t sound like your cup of tea either, don’t fear; I’ve found that there are ways to stay engaged with the comedy community that don’t involve performing.

Maybe you’re like me and you love comedy, but you’re not a comedienne.

Here’s how to stay involved with comedy if you’re passionate about it but not the performing type:

1. Take classes to work on the craft, but consider taking classes for other skills as well.

I took improv classes at The Second City, but I also took Acting 1 and Storytelling. The storytelling class gave me a chance to really work out what I find funny, but to be more analytic about when a joke is necessary in a narrative. Plus, at most storytelling nights, I ended up being the funniest one in the room, which is not the case when I’m in an improv class. Sometimes using your humor in a non-competitive/comparative environment can be healthy and encouraging.

2. Work as a host/hostess at a comedy theater or club.

I got to serve fries to Lorne Michaels, I attended a surprise Phish concert during an improv set, I hugged John Mulaney, I once accidentally kicked Fred Armisen while protecting him from being photographed, all while making money. I’m not saying being a server or hostess or box officer pays well, but I am saying that the opportunity to see the artists you believe in for free while getting paid (even minimum wage) is pretty divine.

3. Volunteer and work with arts and comedy festivals.

Know how easy it is to see your favorite comedians perform for free? Volunteer and train and work a comedy festival. Don’t slack off, and don’t ever ask if you can take a photo with or talk to the performers. I’ve worked at Chicago Humanities Festival (where I met Lena Dunham), RiotLA (where I met Moshe Kasher and Thomas Middleditch), and Detroit Improv Festival (where I met Kevin Dorff and Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson). Do the work, remain calm, be humble and grateful, and festivals can be the most amazing Coachellas of Comedy.

4. Watch PaleyFest videos.

There are a million books you could read and a trillion podcasts you could listen to about comedy. My favorites are 'Poking a Dead Frog' (Mike Sacks) and 'You Made It Weird' (Pete Holmes), respectively, but I also recommend Googling ‘Paley Center [insert favorite TV show here]’.

5. Attend charity/benefit shows for comedy.

The best part about benefits featuring comedians is that you’ll feel great about selflessly spending money to help those less fortunate than you while also selfishly cackling.

6. Intern for a theater to learn the ins and outs of production from behind the scenes.

Through interning and assisting at for-profit theaters, I’ve learned about equity contracts and the legality of intellectual property and the creative process. I learned about accountability and demographics and marketing and the real grit of the business side of comedy. I learned about customer service. I learned a little about stage management. I learned we should all know a little more about stage management so that stage managers aren’t worked to death. I learned that not everyone finds the same things funny, and that most critics are hacks, but that their reviews are still really important to the business.  

Most of all, if you get the chance, try to really listen to performers you respect. 

Ask them about their path, but ask specific questions - answering "How did you get where you are?" is really complicated, so try to ask a more pointed question like, "Did you ever take improv classes?". Make connections of any people or places you have in common. Don’t try to sell anything; no one likes being handed a mix tape (your comedy reel) unless they explicitly asked for it. And try not to cry when you meet John Mulaney, it seems to make him uncomfortable.

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Shelby Kittleson is the Director of Sales for Go Comedy! She grew up in Michigan and moved to Chicago and briefly lived in LA and now she's proud to be in Detroit. She refuses to get on stage but promises to do one (1) Fresh Sauce one day. 

Suggested Reading from Pj, James, & Gary

Books on Improv:

Improvisation for the Theatre – Viola Spolin

Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisational Manual - Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts

Improvise – Mick Napier

Improvisation at the Speed of Life - Tj Jagadowski & Dave Pasquesi

Impro – Keith Johnstone

The Second City Almanac of Improvisation - Anne Libera

Truth in Comedy – Charna Halpern

Art by Committee - Charna Halpern and Adam McKay

How to Be the Greatest Improviser on Earth - Will Hines

The Complete Improviser - Bill Arnett

Behind the Scenes - Mick Napier

 

Books on Acting:

Acting 1 – Robert Cohen (Textbook)

Audition - Michael Shurtleff

An Actor Prepares - Constantin Stanislavski

Meisner on Acting - Sanford Meisner

Books on Writing:

The Comic Toolbox – John Voorhaus

Creativity Rules – John Voorhaus

On Writing - Steven King

Books on Improv History:

Something Wonderful Right Away – Jeffrey Sweet

Days and Nights at the Second City – Bernard Sahlins

Live from New York (SNL) – Shales and Miller

The Second City – Sheldon Patinkin

The Funniest One in the Room - Kim "Howard" Johnson

Q&A: Planned Improv

Questions can be submitted through the Go U Blog Inquiry form (found at the end of the page).

Here, Jenny Bloomer answers... 

Q: How do you deal with a fellow improviser that has planned the scene?

Basically, the question is how to deal with an improviser that does not trust the rest of the troupe. In my short experience, I have found that I just call them out on it. When I say the improviser does not trust the others, I have seen an improviser act out a predetermined character and direction for the scene. It was challenging for me to fit into what was going on. I am thinking that there are tactics I should have used? I am hoping that I don't repeat this situation. Thanks.
 

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A: Get a coach, raise the issue to the coach and let them handle it. Improvisers shouldn't be giving their peers feedback within the troupe.

It damages the trust within the group (which already sounds damaged in this situation). In the interim, remember the fundamentals- accept and respond to what is happening in the moment. It's impossible not to fit into something when you're listening and directly responding to what is being said and done in the moment, even if someone comes in with something predetermined.

Focus on how you can use this to make you better.

If you're in a place of being frustrated with your troupe mate and you're blaming them for your experience, you're shooting yourself in the foot. You're going to improvise with a lot of difficult personalities early on (and later on, and always), so a pro move is to learn how to play with them and make them look good. Consider the fear and insecurity that someone must feel if they're coming in with everything gamed out, with very little trust for the group.

Try to come at that with acceptance and support.

That's going to send the message, "I've got your back, you can trust me." Another thought that I had when I read "It was challenging to me to fit into what was going on" is that not everyone needs to be in every scene. If you find yourself feeling "I don't need to be in this scene," listen to that instinct. An under-appreciated quality in great improvisers is knowing when to not enter/not speak. If you're playing a form that requires you to be in every scene or you exit the scene in a way that feels natural, remember that the environment is there. There are two places you can be in a scene- one is with your scene partner(s) and the other is with the environment. If you can't get a word in, embrace that. Go to that environment. You'll still be engaged in the scene, supporting and enriching it, and by taking that time to be listening and engaged non-verbally, you might even find a place to speak. In my years of experience I've found that people who are untrusting and difficult to work with disappear of their own accord and you don't have to worry about it anymore. If that doesn't happen, consider not working with that person in the future. I wasted a lot of time worrying about playing with difficult people early on. And that's what it is - a waste of time. If I had a time machine I'd go back and tell myself this:

Focus on you, focus on getting better.

Since I can't do that, I'll say it to you. Focus on you, focus on getting better.