Give More Than You Take: An Interview with Swift Rice
By: Ames Doyle
In advance of the incredible, one-night-only Dad’s Garage All Star Improv show, In the Garage is bringing you up close and personal interviews with the mega-watt talents of the Dad’s Garage ensemble! Our improvisers come from all walks of life and experience levels with unique paths leading them to our hallowed stage.
Today we’re featuring Swift Rice, one of the newest members of the ensemble. Swift has a vast and impressive performance history, but, as you’ll read below, it was through his friendship with original ensemble member Tommy Futch that he found his way to Dad’s Garage. This kind of cross-generational ensemble connection is not uncommon among members, both past and present, and often encourages rich, deeply rooted friendships that last long after their tenure at Dad’s is complete.
Read on to learn more about Swift Rice, and be sure to follow along in the months to come for exclusive insights from your favorite Dad’s Garage performers!
DG: When did you become interested in performance?
SR: I’ve always been interested in improv. I just didn’t know what it was until Tommy Futch formally introduced me to it.
Tommy Futch was a leading light at both Dad’s Garage and in the city at large. Between teaching classes, running Atlanta’s oldest improv troupe, Laughing Matters, and mentoring future performers, Tommy was deeply invested in the performing arts community. He also advocated fearlessly for the disabled community—Tommy himself became a paraplegic in his teen years after a traffic accident—and fought for ADA compliance and accommodations in restaurants, among other things.
His warmth and zeal for life touched everyone he came into contact with and he frequently put a hand out to bring new improvisers into the fold. After his death in September, Dad’s Garage dedicated the lobby stage to him to honor his legacy and the many lives he touched along the way.
DG: Can you tell me about your relationship with Tommy? How did he formally introduce you?
SR: Tommy was like a father figure in this business. He talked to me about how it worked and what I should be contributing to it. He was a major influence on me. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I would have the career I have now. I miss him a lot.
He wanted me to come in with no ego and unassuming. He told me not to tell anybody that I had been trained when I came to take classes. He wanted what I knew about improv to speak for itself.
DG: Can you tell me about your history with Dad’s, pre-ensemble?
SR: My first interaction with Dad’s Garage was in 2000 we did a show together called Calle Comedy Cure 2000—it was short improv scenes we did for TBS.
DG: Why did you want to pursue being an ensemble member?
SR: To be honest, I really didn’t pursue it. I was just doing so much work with Dad’s and hanging around. They asked if I would be interested and I said yes. Two years later they offered me the spot.
DG: What did it mean personally for you and in terms of your career?
SR: It meant I was on the right track, and if you just do the work, someone will give you a shot.
DG: What are you most looking forward to as a new ensemble member?
SR: Making an impact that will help improvisers behind me.
DG: Tell me a story of your most memorable interactions at Dad's.
SR: My most memorable experience was doing the 2023 Invasion: Christmas Carol. Maged Roushdi, the 2023 director, wanted me to bring a very grounded performance of Jacob Marley. He wanted the moment between me and Scrooge to really touch the audience—no comedy, just emotion. It came at the same time my Dad was placed in hospice. I was dealing with my Dad transitioning, so that performance gave me an opportunity to release my emotions on stage. I cried a lot during that run, and that run of Invasion: Christmas Carol gave me a closeness with my cast, whom I still love dearly. It made a very difficult time in my life bearable. I will always be grateful for that. Shout out to Karen Cassady for pushing for me to audition.
The care that ensemble members have for each other is evident at any show, but Swift’s performance as Marley in Invasion: Christmas Carol was especially affecting. 2023 featured another Black performer, Avery Sharpe-Steele, as Ebenezer Scrooge. Avery remarked that in that context, Marley felt more like a father figure rather than a business partner, and the genuine concern he felt for Scrooge's future wellbeing took on new meaning through the lens of shared Blackness.Their performance together forged new dimension and solidarity to an otherwise well-worn narrative. The effect was raw and powerful, and it left a lasting impact on the show.
DG: What is your favorite thing about improv?
SR: Being creative in the moment!
DG: What is your favorite improv game?
SR: Should have said!, Versions (an improv game where the same scene is performed multiple times under a different genre, i.e. western, music video, Shakespearean, etc.), and A-Z.
DG: Anything else you want to share? Anecdotes or advice for new improvisers?
SR: I became deeply empathetic after my Dad and Tommy passed, so I would say, give more than you take.
Catch Swift in action at the Dad’s Garage All Star Improv event on Friday, May 16 at 8 p.m. It’s a showcase of our most skilled improvisers performing at their best for an evening of hilarity you won’t find anywhere else! Funds raised at this event will support the Dad’s Garage mission of transforming people, communities, and perspectives through laughter. We couldn’t do it without you!
