3pm Saturdays Live from Times Square NYC

Tag: writing

  • NEW BOOK: Quit Your Day Job: Executive Home Manager

    NEW BOOK: Quit Your Day Job: Executive Home Manager

    My wife and I started an entertainment company in 2002. We were wannabe actors, struggling waiters, barely living paycheck to paycheck. By 2005 we QUIT OUR DAY JOB thanks to selling out 4-6 shows a week in Times Square NYC and more and more working in schools, corporate events and even private family homes. Im 2014 we bought a house.

    Since then the number of aspiring actors performing for FREE has grown ten fold at schools posing as theaters and comedy clubs. This is why I wrote my first book. QUIT YOUR DAY JOB: HOW TO BE A FULL TIME WORKING ACTOR.

    All of Walter’s books are available free via Kindle Unlimited and inexpensive via Amazon Kindle. Some also have paperback, hard cover and or audible editions. New eBook now available: Improvisation for Project Managers. Also blogger, original murder mystery shows, sketch comedy and more!

    Every day I see incredibly talented actors come to the city, only to quit and go home within the first year, or become full time food service employees for life.

    I drive around, going from gig to gig, actually fearing for the future of my nieces, nephews and students. I have had a version of this and other books in my head for months.

    Two months ago, I had a solo murder mystery gig, one of my clue parties, cancel, because the client lost his very high paying job and feared spending a small fortune on his 40th birthday party in the face of uncertainly. With in a day, two gigs came in to replace the same time slot, creating work for 8 actors.

    Meanwhile, while playing Santa the other day, I met a kid… TWELVE YEARS OLD… offering to jack up my sleigh with nitro, turbo, hot rod detailing etc. I thought, funny, right…. His dad stepped up, with a HUGE GRIN, saying, Santa, he’s serious. He just rebuilt an entire car all by himself. In short order I could tell this was not some father/son weekend project. This kid had a business. At 12, 4 years before getting a license to drive, he can make you a car, or at least fix the one you have. Santa (me) joked, “This kid will never work at a Starbucks!” I was only half joking. Actually, inside I was thinking, I need to publish this book!!!

    Quit Your Day Job: Executive Home Manager” is now available free on KINDLE UNLIMITED, or for purchase via Kindle eBook, AudioBook and paperback via Amazon.

    Why can’t that be you?

    That 12yo kid will never have a day job. He will never have a boss. He will have clients. He will have employees, not employers. He might have partners.

    I feel horrible for my would be client losing his job, but because of my diversified entertainment business options I can weather just about any storm. Even during pandemic we found ways to generate income, doubling down on what works at the time, constantly pivoting, staying agile, even as we grow.

    While everyone else is falling behind, blaming the world, the school system, AI, capitalism, nepo babies, etc etc etc, I hope YOU will realize YOU HAVE OPTIONS. YOU HAVE CHOICES!!!

    While the rest of the world makes excuses, go create opportunities for yourself. I have an entire series of books about to drop, each with a path to creating your own business.

    America is richer than ever, but despite all the crying about the failure of TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMICS, very few are doing anything to solve the problem. The wage gap between CEO and employee grows. The white collar work force shrinks. The era of having one job for 20-40 years before retirement is over for more and more every year.

    No one is coming to our rescue. It is up to us to create opportunities. It’s a lot of work, but it’s easier than you think.

    The sooner you start a side hustle, the sooner it can become your full time gig and you finally get to FIRE YOUR BOSS.

    Why wait till your 18?

    While millions of teens get jobs at the mall, fast food, or other minimum wage jobs, two hours of your side hustle can create more income than 20 hours at Starbucks.

    While the old models crumble, brick and mortar fails miserably, high paying jobs become more and more scarce, the time is better than ever touring take a chance on YOURSELF!

  • January Comedy Forum, Times Square NYC Classes & More!!!!

    January Comedy Forum, Times Square NYC Classes & More!!!!

    January 2026 Schedule

    Pay just $100/month for classes and get access to up to $300+ in show tickets (improv comedy, murder mystery), pdf versions of our books, and more!!!

    The most original murder mystery show EVER!!! Madcapped Mysteries is a fully immersive experiences where YOU and your guests help create then crime scene before becoming characters in the story and eventually deputized detectives. This show has the most amazingly create endings.

    Improv Theater LLC is a one stop edutainment center for corporate team building, office / holiday parties and more. Our comedy shows and workshops deliver high impact results. Clients include Cushman Wakefield, Google, Merck, Mercedes Benz, META /Facebook, TikTok, JP Morgan Chase, Accenture, Morgan Stanley, Twitter, Roblox, Rimowa, EI Digital, Accenture, Datadog HQ, Milbank, BING/Microsoft, Bank of America – Merrill Lynch, Home Depot, Ernst & Young, Johnson & Johnson, Louis Vuitton, Coach, UBS, BDO, AMEX, Master Card, Macy’s, 360i, IBM, GM, Kraft, UNILEAVER, HBO, Disney, American Express, WeWork, Prudential, Convene, Conference Board and many more including 1000s of public and private events in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska….

  • 1920s Roaring 20s Jazz, Speakeasy, Organized Crime & Murder Mystery

    1920s Roaring 20s Jazz, Speakeasy, Organized Crime & Murder Mystery


    I love doing 1920s Murder Mystery shows.

    Early on I loved old MGM musicals about the 1920s, vaudeville and burlesque by Bob Hope, Gene Kelly and others. As a teen I played trumpet and piano in Jazz bands, including dixieland ensembles with my father (a) trombone player. Later in college, as I switched to theater, mostly Broadway & Opera, I performed in many “jazzy” shows, learning how to Tap Dance, swing and sing.

    In my 20s, I fell in love with the Godfather 2 and the history of Irish and Italian New York “families”. Part Sheehan & Murphy, I am a descendant from Irish Americans on both sides of the family. As an opera singer, I fell in love with great Italian food. Since 2012 I have been playing Santa Claus on Arthur Ave, the REAL Little Italy of New York.

    Combine all that, and 20+ years in Improv Comedy, completely immersing myself in a speakeasy or similar show just seems right. Perhaps the most natural next step in my career.

    These days I run 2-3 Murder Mysteries every week, from Clue Parties to full blown dinner theater style shows. I’m on the road 2-10 hours a day. I’m eating a lot of great event food.

    It’s not for everyone, but I love it. And like my improv comedy shows, any given night I get to play, using my talents as a singer, actor, dancer and comic. Sometimes I even get to play a little piano, or sing an Italian song with my uke.

    If you’re looking for something different, our shows are incredibly unique. Especially my Madcapped Mysteries and original Clue Parties that get your guests playing zany characters.

    Just like my improv shows and workshops, my mission is to spread joy and laughter, while building communities. In every show, I get a moment to be a fly on the wall, watching the fruits of our labors, as folks deliberate final solutions to the mysteries. Watching folks smile, rise to the challenges, collaborating with each other…. it’s what keeps me going at 2am driving home from some remote town upstate, Boston, DC, Pennsylvania or similar long-distance destination. The drives there are always gorgeous and the rides home are always long. But the 2-3 hours we get to entertain… priceless!

    We bring interactive, immersive entertainment to venues, homes and offices for any occasion. We have shows for any budget, group size and / or venue. Let our detectives lead your team / family of suspects or engage our entire team of zany characters. Let us turn your restaurant into a murder mystery dinner theater. We are ready to serve up the crime drama.


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  • Episode 1: How to get stage time! Stand Up Comedy 101

    Episode 1: How to get stage time! Stand Up Comedy 101

    Show Notes: Ways to Get Stage Time

    Open Mics:

    Open mics are shows performed by and for performers. The audience is often other comics.

    Go to an open mic within the next 48 to 72 hours and get on stage for five minutes and just talk.

    Find a good open mic, and go back. Avoid the bad ones.

    Barker and Bringer Shows:

    These are ways to create stage time with an audience.

    Bringer shows are where comics bring their friends, creating a small audience.

    Barker shows involve handing out flyers on the street to attract an audience.

    Barking is a way to develop audience, and get stage time.

    Barking also allows you to interact with people before the show, and create a relationship with your audiance.

    Producing Your Own Show:

    This gives you control over everything.

    It’s a way to create consistent stage time.

    Finding talent is easy, building an audience is the hard part.

    Paid Gigs:

    Eventually, you may get paid to perform at clubs, colleges, or corporate events.

    Even when getting paid, you need to keep working on new material, and getting stage time at open mics.

    The Comedy University

    Don’t complain about paying five bucks for stage time or spending an hour on the street. Think of it as your comedy university. You’re learning what works and what doesn’t. Remember, as my friend Milinth Fowler says, “There’s no wrong, no bad, no good. Is it working, or is it not working?”

    The Process

    Every time you get on stage:

    • Prepare: Brainstorm or outline your material.
    • Have Fun: Focus on enjoying yourself without being a jerk.
    • Analyze: Objectively evaluate what worked and what could have been better.

    Repeat this process throughout your career. You’re never fully “ready,” but you’ll figure it out.

    Creating Opportunities

    As Oran Sandel said, “If you can’t find work, create it.” If you’re not getting stage time, create opportunities. Find other people who need stage time and organize shows. This could be at school, a bar, or anywhere.

    Call to Action

    Get on stage within the next week. If you need guidance, wait for my next episode. But if you’re ready, just get on stage and talk. If it works, do it again. If not, try something different.

    The next four or five episodes will cover how to create your first five-minute stand-up routine.