The Metro: Detroit Creativity Project brings improv and comedy to students

Nancy Hayden (Second City Chicago) and Marc Evan Jackson (“Brooklyn 99,” “The Good Place”) joined the show on Thursday to discuss the organization’s improv comedy program. 

The Detroit Creativity Project's annual Student Showcase will take place on Saturday, March 16, 2024.

The Detroit Creativity Project's annual Student Showcase will take place on Saturday, March 16, 2024.


The Detroit Creativity Project (DCP) is a nonprofit founded by actor and performer Marc Evan Jackson, best known for his roles in Brooklyn 99 and The Good Place.

The program aims to foster creative expression among teens, while revitalizing and reintroducing sketch comedy in Detroit.

Improvisational comedy requires coordination and collaboration. For teenagers, Jackson says its a great field leveler.

“There are no cool kids, there are no not cool kids. You see people, they are physically transformed. They stand taller, they get involved more, they have more energy. They realize that not only is their voice important, but its essential for the comedy, for the scene, for the comment that we’re making on society,” he said.

Jackson joined The Metro on Thursday along with DCP Executive Director Nancy Hayden, to talk about the organization’s upcoming Student Showcase, which features performances by students from nine Detroit public schools participating in the Improv Project — a free public school program and workshop series created for Detroit students. The showcase will take place on Saturday, March 16.

Use the media player above for the full interview. Learn more about the Detroit Creativity Project at detroitcreativityproject.org.

More from The Metro on Feb. 29, 2024:

  • Paul Eisentstein of headlight.news speaks with co-hosts Tia Graham and Nick Austin about why electric vehicle sales are lagging in America and what car companies are doing to change that.
  • Michigan’s first LGBTQ+ senior center opened in Ferndale last month. Angela Gabridge, executive director of MiGen (formerly SAGE Metro Detroit) joined the show to talk about her organization and how it supports LGBTQ+ seniors in metro Detroit.
  • This weekend will be the last opportunity to catch Detroit painter LeRoy Foster’s Solo Show at Cranbrook Art Museum. In The Groove host Ryan Patrick Hooper shares the story.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

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