Today we’d like to introduce you to Joey Partynski
Hi Joey, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Looking back on my childhood, I feel like I was always performing in one way or another. I loved making my friends laugh, often at inopportune times, which earned me a few class clown designations over the years (sorry mom!). But it wasn’t until I started studying theater in college, that I really discovered a passion for performing.
After graduating, I moved to Boston and continued taking acting classes where I could. The plan was simple (shoutout Simple Plan what’s up guys): get cast in a Dunkin Donuts commercial that would inevitably be seen all the way in Hollywood by Judd Apatow or maybe even Martin Scorsese and they would be so blown away by my performance as “iced coffee drinker #3” that they would have no choice but to cast me in their next film and become best friends with me forever.
I never booked that Dunkin commercial, but instead, an acting teacher suggested I try improv as he thought I’d really enjoy the spontaneity and creative freedom it afforded. Spoiler: he was right! I started taking classes in the North End of Boston and a couple years later when I was ready to move my life across the country to San Diego, I knew improv would be a great way to make new friends but also to keep the creative juices flowing.
Fast forward to today, and it’s crazy to think that as I type this, I’ve been performing live shows in San Diego for nearly a decade, and about 7 years ago, I actually started teaching and coaching as well. The theater I perform out of is Finest City Improv in Hillcrest- a venue I’ve watched expand significantly over the last 10 years, the local improv community in San Diego expanding with it.
Finest City Improv (“FCI”, if you’re cool. Ha ha, just kidding. None of us are cool. That’s why we do improv.) is a great place to catch live comedy or to try your hand at improv classes. I’ve performed and studied at many other theaters in many other cities, but one thing I find unique to FCI is that students get on stage in front of audiences early and often. This sort of face-your-fear mentality is incredibly powerful, as it helps to build confidence and reinforces the mantra that “you are enough” for students who might be looking to step outside their comfort zone.
It’s at FCI where I get to scratch that performer itch every weekend, playing in a number of different shows for excited and engaging audiences regularly. We’re fortunate to have such a wealth of talented and creative teams and individuals in the San Diego improv community, and it shows in the consistency and energy of so many of the shows you can catch on any given night at the theater.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think a huge challenge for many improv theaters and performing arts centers in general was surviving the pandemic. So many theaters all across the country were affected, and FCI was no different. We resorted to teaching classes online, running virtual shows and fundraisers, and crowdsourcing some of the effort to keep the theater alive. With the help of the incredible community, FCI was able to stay open after the pandemic and it has come back in full-force, with a packed schedule of shows every weekend and a new wave of students taking classes in the training center.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Focusing so much time and effort into improv over the years has been incredibly rewarding. I love the energy that comes with performing for live audiences, but more importantly being able to play a small part in someone’s journey through improv classes has been incredibly fulfilling. It’s an art form that is inherently collaborative. You’re always there to support your scene partner. That sort of mentality can be rewarding to take into your personal and professional life as well.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Sign up for a class! There are even free “discover improv” classes you can take to see if you like it! Or, you can come to see a show at Finest City Improv!
These days I’m usually performing with Hott Topic (@hottimprov), a house team at the theater that performs every other Saturday at 8PM. We briefly interview a few members of the audience and use their true stories as inspiration for our show. Maybe YOU can inspire our next one! Additionally, you can catch me in a show called SAD BOYS (@frickinsadboys) to see an improvised emo musical. Or later this year we will be running another brand new sketch comedy hour with the OKAY Sketch Team (@okaysketchteam). Check us out!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://finestcityimprov.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/joeyparty
- Other: https://instagram.com/hottimprov
Image Credits
Joey Partynski
