I came late, as I often do to any social event or group activity, to improv comedy. But what I lack in youth and talent, I make up for in enthusiasm and self-criticism. Signing up for Camp Improv Utopia East in 2015 was like applying for graduate school without ever attending kindergarten. I had never performed anything ever for anybody. Not only did I survive that weekend, I walked away with the award for “Best First-Time Improviser.” That I was the only first-time improviser among the 100 attendees made that no less an honor or a resume milestone. Since then, I’ve basked in the warm embrace of the improv community—the most generous, kind, smart, funny and brave band of humans imaginable. My article Make a “Scene,” introducing kids ages 6 to 12 to improv, appeared in the May 2020 issue of Highlights magazine and can also be viewed and read at Highlights.com.
Performances
Scranton Fringe Festival, October 2016, October 2019. Performed with the Club Funny troupe and Scranton Improv & Comedy jam to a sitting-room-only crowd!
Holiday Hilarity, December 2016. In the Christmas spirit, portrayed a strip-club grandma, among other classic characterizations, at the then-annual event at The Cooperage in Honesdale, Pa.
Woodloch Resort, July 2017. A freaking paying summer gig with Improv Dot Biz at “TripAdvisor.com’s #1 Family Resort in America.”
Vintage Improv Festival at Improv Boston, September 2018, September 2019. Selected as a solo improviser for first-ever VIF in 2018, I performed with a curated troupe, The Missing Kellys, coached by Matt Fear. I have the video and T shirt to prove it. In 2019, trained with Will Luera and Adrienne Flagg, then performed in the curated troupes Gray Matters and Spolin Elephants. Another T shirt and two videos!
Virtual Vintage Improv Festival, September 2020, September 2021. A veritable improv-apalooza that culminated in live-via-Zoom performances with troupes taught and coached by Deana Criess, Michael Gelman, Jim Karwisch, David Razowsky, Jay Sukow and John Windmueller. Yes, a T-shirt (long-sleeved!) and video links were added to my expanding collection.
Highwire Improv, April–September 2021. Performed live monthly, virtually, with the Razowsky-inspired troupe Wait…What?!
VIF Follies, 2021–2023. Performed live-via-Zoom with classmates after workshops with Jeff Michalski and Liz Allen; monthly with the Raz-inspired troupe Wait…What?!; weekly with the VIF House Team Messing, coached by Susan Messing of Second City’s Mainstage and a founding member of Chicago’s infamous Annoyance Theatre; and weekly with VIF’s Upside Down Players, coached by Adam Cawley, alumnus of The Second City Mainstage, The Just for Laughs Festival and a three-time Canadian Comedy Award Winner.
Workshops
Camp Improv Utopia East, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022. Tagged in to a three-day weekend of intensive improvisational-comedy workshops with improv performers and instructors from around the country, including Bill Arnett (Chicago Improv Studio), Jacque Arend (The Torch Theatre, Phoenix), Carla Cackowski (The Second City Hollywood), Craig Cackowski (iO and iO West), Blue Cavell-Allette (Cakewalk and Casually Dope, Baltimore), Ti Malik Coleman (Baltimore Improv Group), Armando Diaz (The Second City Chicago, The Magnet Theater New York), Woody Fu (The Magnet), Amey Goerlich (Upright Citizens Brigade New York), Karen Graci (iO West Los Angeles), PJ Jacokes (Go Comedy! Improv Theater, Ferndale, MI), Maritza Montañez (UCB NY), Lauren Morris (AdLib Theatre, Florida), Kevin Mullaney (Under the Gun Theater, Chicago), Josh Nichols (Voodoo Comedy, Denver), Brian James O’Connell (The Pack Theater, Los Angeles), TJ and Wendy Milam Penrod (Off the Cuff, Utah), Allison Reese-Shapiro (Annoyance Theatre) and Jamie Rivera (The Magnet). Awarded “Best First-Time Improviser,” presented by Amey Goerlich, at 2015 closing ceremony.
Newark Improv Festival, April 2018. “Objects at Work” workshop with Chris Moody (Detroit Improv Collective) and “Social Justice Improv” with Keisha Zolla (Magnet Theater).
Scranton Improv and Comedy, February 2019–present. Trained in workshops with Conor Kelly O’Brien (co-founder and director of the Scranton Fringe Festival) and Lauren Esposito (Syracuse Improv Collective), as well as take part in bimonthly jam sessions and ongoing workshops with guest artists, such as Lauren Morris, Brian James O’Connell and Brian Palermo.
Sea Tea Improv Theater, April 2019, July 2023. “Be Awesome!” workshop with Lauren Morris, who is; “Advanced Scene Diagnostics” with Adam Cawley and Rob Norman.
ImprovBoston/Vintage Improv Festival, September 2018, September 2019. Workshops with Deana Criess, Matt Fear, Billie Jo Joy, Adrienne Flagg, and Will Luera.
Steelstacks Improv Comedy Festival, January 2020. “Show Me How You Really Feel” workshop with Asian AF’s Alex Cheng.
UCB-Style Harold, August 2022–present. A deep dive into the Harold with Parks & Rec (Officer Randy Killnose) and Superstore (Earl) regular Will McLaughlin, Meisner-trained actor, Upright Citizens’ Brigade–trained improviser and uber-mensch.
Vintage Improv Festival workshops, April 2020–present. Whether for a few hours or several weeks, I’ve suckled at the virtual teat of improv knowledge streaming from Liz Allen, Jill Bernard, Julie Brister, Diana Brown, Laura Baumbauer, Bill Chott, Deana Criess, Karla Dingle, Michael Gelman, Betsey Green, Andrew Hefler, John Hildreth, Rick Horner, Jim Karwisch, Steve Kleinedler, Inbal Lori, Will Luera, Chris Mead, Billy Merritt, Susan Messing, Jeff Michalski, Jane Morris, Jules Munns, Nasir Nash, Rob Norman, Brian Palermo, Kaisa Kokko-Palmer, Jonathan Pitts, David Razowsky, Kristen Schier, Gary Schwartz, Patti Stiles, Andel Sudik, Jay Sukow, Rich Talarico, Lee White, John Windmueller and…well, it’s not over yet!