Improv Playhouse® Theater is committed to providing a safe environment for all its students, employees and staff free from discrimination on any ground and from harassment at work including sexual harassment. Impov Playhouse® Theater will operate a zero tolerance policy for any form of sexual harassment in the workplace, treat all incidents seriously and promptly investigate all allegations of sexual harassment. Any person found to have sexually harassed another will face disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from employment. All complaints of harassment will be taken seriously and treated with respect and in confidence. No one will be victimized for making such a complaint.
SENIOR STAFF
David Brian Stuart is the Founder and Executive Producer of Improv Playhouse®, the suburban based theater and training center (est. 2000; Libertyville/Highland Park) where several hundred adult/youth students engage in improvisation/comedy studies, musical theater and film making. David is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television Radio Actors). Additional association memberships include NATAS (National Association of Television Arts and Sciences) and IFP (Independent Feature Project). He has been involved in producing and casting independent films most recently holding the title Associate Producer-Casting Director of the Emeritus Production, festival winning feature, “Killing Poe” (Matt Bush, Julianna Guill, Cyrina Fiallo, Sunkrish Bala). Voiceover and on-camera credits include Sears, American Homes, Oscar Meyer, and R. C. Johnson (A Family Company). BFA Directing degree from SIU-Carbondale School of Communications. Mentored in improvisation by Players Workshop of the Second City founder Josephine Forsberg, who nurtured the talents of IO’s Charna Halpern, Bob Oldenkirk, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Dan Castellaneta (Homer Simpson), George Wendt and Shelly Long. Second City Conservatory graduate and additional training from the legendary, late Martin DeMaat, Mike Gellman and Norm Holly. David and his staff members have personally coached and led leadership and team building workshops for a plethora of Fortune 500 companies and their head honchos. Co-taught adult improv workshops with David Murphy (O’Connor Casting and The Green Room) during Players Workshop years. Movement studies with Plasticene’s Dexter Bullard. Musical Improv with Nancy Howland Walker. Regular improviser with IP Touring teams. Favorite performance roles ( behind a microphone) include the voice of David Hassid in the NY Times Bestselling radio drama series, Left Behind Literature. Regular ensemble member of Unshackled, longest running radio drama in airwave history, directed by Tim Gregory, produced by the Pacific Garden Mission-Chicago, allows David to pull off a Robin Williamesque pallete of voices. Recently played George Bailey in IP’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Sam Spade in “Maltese Falcon”. Directed Joesphine Forsberg’s “The Gathering”. Coached IP House Teams “Therapeutic Funtillectuals” and “Lost Not Stolen”. He is also an active acting coach in the Chicago region.
Rachel Kwiecinski, Administrative Manager, Performing Artist. Rachel Kwiecinski received her BA in theatre/Minor in Art from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and her MA in Shakespeare from the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK. Upon returning to Chicago, she worked with Sleep No More NYC, Adventure Stage Chicago, as the Production Script Assistant for the world premiere musical Hazel at the Drury Lane Theater, as an educator with the WIP Training Center, and with the Bingham Camp Theatre Retreat (now Live & in Color) in Connecticut as an arts admin and print designer. Currently, she is the Administrative Manager for the Improv Playhouse® and the Design and Marketing Associate for Live & in Color, where she helps develop new musicals. Rachel is a Disney Parks Enthusiast and also a trained artist, drawing and painting in her spare time. She recently gave her dissertation presentation at BroadwayCon in New York City!
Little Known Fact: Rachel once sang happy birthday to Stephen Sondheim in London.
Mansie O’Leary, Youth Theatre Teaching Artist. Mansie has been a Musical Theater Teaching artist since 2009, and has worked on 12-14 musical theater productions a year. She is a much sought after designer of custom costumes for competitive figure skaters, rhythmic gymnasts, dance and poms teams, as well as for the theater. As the mother of a professionally trained figure skater at the Senior Ladies level, Mansie understands the dynamics of youth schedules and the the balance of life activities. In her work for Improv Playhouse®, she focuses on show specific warm-ups which include diction, correctness of tone and rhythm for vocals; specific musical theater dance steps and combinations, plus rhythm work for choreography. She has conducted the Triple Threat workshop for us as well as act as director/choreographer for our Broadway Bound workshop/showcase version of Tangled this summer. Mansie is a graduate of the University of Illinois with a BFA in Theater Set and Costume Design, and has studied classical voice and piano. In addition, she has won several awards for team building. Mansie is also available for individual vocal instruction.
TRAINING CENTER DIRECTORS-EDUCATORS
Jayson Acevedo, Touring Team, Stand-Up Comedy Kids Instructor, Improv Camp Associate Director. At just the young age of 21, Jayson Acevedo performed in six English-speaking stand-up comedy showcases in Paris, France as part of his affectionately dubbed “Latino in Paris” Comedy Tour. That same year in August, Acevedo received the opportunity of a lifetime by being invited to perform at the world’s largest arts festival, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Now in his late 20s, Acevedo has yet to clean his room. Acevedo continues to perform regularly throughout the city of Chicago at notable venues such as The World Famous Laugh Factory, Zanies, Second City, The Comedy Bar, The Revival, House of Blues, UP Comedy Club, his nephews house, and more. Beyond Chicago, Acevedo has performed at The IceHouse (Pasadena), HaHa Comedy Club (LA), The Velveeta Room (Austin) & Harvey’s Comedy Club (Portland) to name just a few. In addition, he has also opened & shared the stage with notable comics such as…Tim Meadows (Saturday Night Live), Chris Redd (Saturday Night Live), Jeff Ross (Comedy Central Roasts, Bumping Mics), Hari Kondabolu (NPR/Totally Biased w/ W. Kamau Bell), George Perez (Joe Rogan Experience, Showtime), Ian Edwards (Comedy Central “The New Negroes”), Godfrey (Comedy Central/Showtime), Steve Rannazzisi (FX’s The League) and Reno Collier (Blue Collar Comedy Tour). Acevedo finally filmed his very first unique comedy special “Lonely Wit” in 2018 in front of an oversold hometown crowd & self-released the hour-long improvised musical stand-up comedy experience on his very own website, jaysonavocado dot com. Acevedo’s comedy has proven to translate well around the world, having told jokes in 4 different countries (France, Scotland, Colombia, & Mexico). Acevedo was recently chosen to proudly represent the city of Chicago in Mexico City as part of the 2019 Year of Chicago Theatre by “Choose Chicago,” the official destination marketing organization for the city in direct partnership with the legendary Second City. Today, Acevedo can be heard claiming he’s better at being Adele than Adele. Social: @jaysonavocado is on everything…jaysonavocado.com. Little Known Fact: Jayson does a great Adele vocal impersonation.
Tony Alcantar, Visiting Instructor. Tony is an accomplished DIALECT COACH and ACTOR. His dialect coaching is renowned among A-Listers in the film industry. Born and trained in Chicago, Tony holds a B.A. in Theater and M.F.A. in Acting from Chicago’s Roosevelt University. Although he never showed an interest in the arts while in high school (Lane Tech. class of 1978). He was more interested in hockey and was the school’s goalie on their 1978 championship team. Tony’s introduction into acting was quite a fluke. Not knowing what to do after high school graduation, he attended part-time courses at Wright Jr. College. It was in an “Introduction To The Theater” class that he saw a Second City show. Like many bitten by the improv bug, Tony took the year course at the world famous “Players Workshop of the Second City”, eventually teaching and directing there. After studying improv for many years in Chicago at Victory Gardens Theatre, ImprovOlympia, etc. Tony finally got cast in the Second City. He is among the long list of Second City actors, working in film, TV, animation voiceover and theater. He was dubbed, “A Standout Comic for his physical humor” by the Edmonton Journal and “The funniest man in summer theatre” by the Meaford Express. Tony has taught acting in Chicago, Toronto and Vancouver and was one of the improv teachers of Stephanie Weir (MAD TV), Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) and Improv Playhouse’s® very own, David Brain Stuart, among others. He runs his ImprovChicago workshops in Vancouver (since 2000) and his Windy City Women improv troupe is a comedy mainstay. But all of the above would be meaningless without the Grace of God.
Diane Christiansen, Acting Coach. Diane Christiansen began coaching actors in 1992. This year, CHILDREN IN FILM lists her as the “#1 Top Rated Acting Coach in Hollywood” for kids and teens. She was also named “One of the Top 3 Acting Coaches in Hollywood” by the YOUNG PRESIDENTS ORGANIZATION in NYC. The last three years, Diane was voted “One of the Top 10 most effective Coaches in Hollywood” by Actors Access . Recently selected to appear as Acting Coach on Hit Reality TV shows, “FAKING IT” and Danny Bonaduce’s “MY KID’S A STAR” ON VH1. A graduate of the Strasberg Institute, she was mentored by Academy Award Nominee, Sally Kirkland and the late Joseph Bernard. She has appeared with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall in NYC; danced with Siegfried & Roy in Las Vegas and on NBC TV specials, she has been featured on the Merv Griffin Show and hit series “Vegas”. As a TV & Film actress she has worked with Angelina Jolie, Corey Feldman, Adam West, Orson Welles, Stacy Keach, Pia Zadora, Ann Margaret, Jon Voight, Dom DeLouise, Joan Rivers, Robert Urich, Billy Zane & Fred Durst. .2011 – 2014 WINNER – Backstage West’s Readers Choice Award – voted – BEST ACTING CLASSES FOR KIDS & TEENS!!
Little Known Fact: When Diane turned 18 she began a world tour with the Rockets!
Shannon Campe, Alum/Visiting Instructor. Shannon Campe grew up in Libertyville, IL, where she enjoyed participating in youth theatre, usually playing someone’s obnoxious little sister. At school, she could be found singing in various acapella choirs or faking sick in order to read paperback novels in the nurse’s office. A graduate of Butler University in Indianapolis, Shannon had the opportunity to act both in class and main stage productions, as well as learn about the backstage components of theatre, such as lighting and costume design. The summer after her sophomore year of college, Shannon interned at the Indiana Repertory Theatre where she worked alongside professional actors, directors, musicians, and choreographers, to teach students scenes from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and songs from popular musicals. She, as well, studied abroad in England, taking Shakespeare, Contemporary Theatre, and Philosophy of the Arts courses at Royal Holloway University of London. Shannon performed in several productions directed by prolific London stage actor Tim Hardy, who is also on the board at the famed Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts, or RADA, in England. She also performed traditional Kathkali dance in a production directed by four theatre artists from India, and blended broad Shake also performed Shakespearean physical comedy with traditional Indonesian stylized theatre techniques in a version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream adapted by her Balinese professor, Dr. I Nyoman Sedana. Shannon began assisting teaching youth classes at Improv Playhouse® when she herself was fourteen years old, and little more than a paid tattletale. She has now served as staff on many fully staged youth productions, for students ranging in age from six to sixteen. Over the years, she has graduated from junior counselor to stage manager, to assistant director, to director and choreographer running the show! She has adapted several well-loved children’s stories for the stage, and her students have performed them as part of Improv Playhouse’s® annual summer camps. In the spring of 2015, Improv hosted a two-day workshop reading of Shannon’s original stage adaptation of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. She is currently working extensively as a performer, writer, researcher, and producer on the podcast series Little Women: A Modern Audio Drama. The show passed 100,000 individual downloads within a year, and the scripted finale charted on the Apple Podcast Top 100 scripted podcasts. Shannon’s hobbies include reading multiple books at once, cooking spicy foods from around the world, collaging with old magazines. She is a frequent guest on friends’ podcasts thanks to her reputation as a goof who can, quote, “talk the paint off a door.”
Nicole Frier, Improvisor, Actor, Coach. Pittsburgh native Nicole Frier draws on her study of the human condition for her character work. After earning a BA in Psychology (MCL) from the University of Notre Dame, she completed an MA in Social Science at the University of Chicago. She specialized in the Anthropology of Food, particularly how we brand ourselves and mark celebrations through comestibles. She’s a lyrical pro, and is skilled at rap and music improvisation. A graduate of both the iO & ComedySportz training centers, Nicole has performed at the Chicago Improv Festival and Sketchfest. Favorite improv and sketch teams include Funny Bones Improv, Happy Karaoke Fun Time, and ComedySportz’s BattleProv. Nicole’s corporate work has focused on customer service and training. Improvisation is indispensable there, as well as with her busy young boys at home. At the Improv Playhouse®, you can find Nicole on the travel team and onstage. She is represented by Ambassador Talent in Chicago.
Little Known Fact: Nicole sang in a cover band in Illinois, danced hula in Indiana, was drum major of a marching band in Pennsylvania, and sat on a killer whale in Ohio.
Danielle (Coody) Lopez, Director and Choreographer. Danielle Lopez is originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Danielle obtained a B.F.A. in Theatre from The University of Oklahoma and a B.F.A. in Dance from The University of Central Oklahoma. For Improv Playhouse®, Danielle directs and choreographs productions in Highland Park and Libertyville. She is a teaching artist, director, choreographer and scenic painter for Metropolis Performing Arts Centre. She directs a dance program for JCYS in Buffalo Grove. In Chicago, she served as a ballet and tap instructor for ARCC Ballet & Dance for 4 years. In Oklahoma, Danielle performed professionally with The Pollard Theatre, The Lyric Theatre, Carpenter Square Theatre, The Jewel Box Theatre and The Oklahoma City Theatre Company. Favorite roles include Ti Moune in the Oklahoma premiere of Once On This Island; Evelyn Nesbit, Ragtime; Alice Sycamore, You Can’t Take It With You; Little Red Ridinghood, Into The Woods; Belinda/Flavia, Noises Off!; Peggy, Godspell. Danielle served as a Resident Actor/Choreographer for The Pollard Theatre, as the Theatre Director for J. Rogers Performing Arts Studio, as a modern dance instructor for Cynthia Poteet Little Theatre and Sacred Heart Catholic School. As a dancer, Danielle performed with the Kaleidoscope Dance Company and performed professionally with Perpetual Motion: Modern Dance Oklahoma, Inc. Danielle has been with Improv Playhouse® since 2011.
Adam Minzer, Film Instructor. Adam Mizner is a production/post-production audio specialist and filmmaker based in Chicago, IL. Adam was born in Rockford, Illinois and obtained his Associate of Arts with Honors at the local community college Rock Valley College. He also earned a Media Specialist Certificate from the school before transferring to Columbia College Chicago in 2011. It was there Adam graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Audio Arts and Acoustics while focusing on Audio for Visual Media. While attending school, Adam worked as a production and post-production sound mixer on numerous student, independent, and commercial film projects. Since graduating, he has worked on Columbia College Chicago’s “Shoot Your Spot Shot”, feature length films “HUNTER” and “Dearest Jane”, a promotional live event for the French clothing company Hermes, as well as work on multiple independent short films. Adam has taught multiple Improv Playhouse® Film Intensives and Film Camps for Improv Playhouse® in Libertyville and Highland Park.
Jessye Grace Mueller, Improv Coach. Jessye Grace Mueller is an Improv Playhouse® Touring Company member, a Director of the IP Improv and Theater Games Day Camps in Libertyville, and has had the pleasure of directing the Improv Playhouse® Junior, Teen, and College Ensembles as well as instructing many of our students. A graduate of Indiana University, Jessye has a BA in Theatre and Drama, and has been improvising for over 13 years. Jessye is a graduate of the Conservatory at the Second City Training Center in Chicago, a company member of Improvised Jane Austen (Bughouse Theatre) in Chicago, and a member of the improv ensemble The Dewey Decimals. She is an alumnus of the Second City Youth and Teen Ensembles, the Improv Playhouse® Teen Performance Ensemble, and the Piven Young People’s Company. She has also studied with New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Experimental Theatre Wing. Recent credits also include Call Me Never as a contributing writer and cast member for the Annoyance Theatre Triple Feature.
Jillian E. Mueller, Improv Coach. Jillian E. Mueller is a Chicago-based director, writer, performer, and lyricist. She worked as a teaching artist, performer, and workshop facilitator with Improv Playhouse® since 2007, and is an alumn of the Teen and Youth Program! Mueller also currently works at The Annoyance Theatre where she is a Resident Director, instructor for AP 1 classes, and performer in the long-running improv show Trigger Happy (Directed by Mick Napier). She has directed, co-written, and provided lyrics for three original musicals at The Annoyance; Ask Your Doctor: A Pharmaceutical Musical, Slamazons!, andAngela of Death. Past performances and original works at Annoyance also include the sketch shows Loose Cannons and Gravitational Pull. Recent projects around Chicago include serving as the Assistant to the Director for Second City’s 106th Mainstage Revue: Dream Freaks Fall From Space, Director for Engage! A Choose Your Own Sci-Fight Adventure at Theatre Wit, and Performer and Workshop Facilitator with the Improv Playhouse® touring team. Mueller holds a BFA in Theater from the University of Illinois, and is a graduate of the Second City Directing Program, Second City Conservatory, the Annoyance Program, Tisch School of the Arts ETW Summer Program at NYU, and is an alum of the iO Harold team Sonis. She currently works as a freelance director, teaching artist and performer.
Little Known Fact: Jillian loves to freestyle rap, and has been known to break it down both on and offstage.
Samantha Pinchard,, Musical Theatre and Vocal Instructor. Samantha Pinchard is an award winning performer, director, and educator from Racine, WI. She holds a BSE in Theatre Education and a BA in Music from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Samantha has been a standout singer and actress from a very young age in educational and community settings. Performance credits include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia), Blithe Spirit (Ruth Condomine), Twelfth Night (Olivia), The Addams Family (Morticia). Samantha serves as music director and vocal instructor at Improv Playhouse® in Libertyville, IL where she has music directed over 10 productions including Once On This Island, The Lion King, Matilda, The Addams Family, and The Little Mermaid. Additionally, she works as a teaching artist for the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and teaches private voice lessons.
Kenzie Smith, Teaching Artist, Education Staff, Improv Teacheer. Kenzie is a BFA graduate of Northwestern University Theater and, hence, has trained under some of the finest instructors in the country. She is also a graduate of NU’s infamous High School Chrubs program and studied at the Second City Summer program. One of her certifications and expertise is stunts. She has further training in circus performance, advanced dance, she is a choreographer of fights, an advanced martial artist, a writer of novels and plays, a designer of games, a student of mythology, military history, magic, and healing, and a wanderer of the world. Kenzie has just returned from circumnavigating the globe, stopping for a few months in rural China to study Chinese Martial Arts and in Iceland for an Artist Residency at Listhús. She has studied at the International Stunt School in Seattle. And currently works at Bristol Renaissance Faire’s RenQuest! Kenzie recently taught the 2018 -2019 Fall, Winter and Spring Sessions of Showstoppers and teaches the Junior and Teen Improv Classes.
Paul Whitehouse, Teaching Artist, Corporate Team Building Facilitator, Actor-Improviser. Paul is a Chicago based actor, improviser, teacher, and storyteller who has been with Improv Playhouse® since 2008 in various roles as a teaching artist, sales developer,, team build facilitator and performing artist and improviser. His on camera work has included commercials, industrials, and independent films. He has traveled the country performing over 500 shows for young audiences. Most Fridays you can see him perform in BATSU!, an improvised Japanese game show. Every other Saturday, Paul creates work with families Play ‘N 90 at the Goodman Theatre. This program provides families with children ages 5 to 12 the opportunity to create a play together in 90 minutes. It is Paul’s passion to empower youth through creative arts so that they may develop as people and artists. Since 2009, Paul has served as a teaching artist for the PlayBuild Teen Program (formerly General Theatre Studies) at Goodman Theatre. Paul implements the improv and comedy curriculum for the program, and he devises and direct scenes for an original play created at the end of each summer. In the summer of 2013, Paul was appointed Company Director of Child’s Play Touring. As Company Director, he oversaw the creation of over 100 shows based on the writings of children. Paul also taught short and long term acting and creative writing residencies in classrooms in Chicago and across the country. Paul stepped away from this full time commitment in summer of 2014 but continues to aid in casting, directing, and touring. He currently is on staff with Beverly Arts Center teaching Creative Drama in elementary schools and Pegasus Theatre teaching playwriting in high schools. He also leads biweekly workshops with families at Goodman Theatre. Paul’s leadership has been especially appreciated as a lead facilitator in team building events for major Fortune 500’s contracting Improv Playhouse® for their services through its division, PRIMED (Positive Reinforcement Implementing Maximum Employee Development).
IMPROV PLAYHOUSE® FORMER FACULTY
Colby Adams
Step Bakus
Shannon Baucus
Ishita Bhama
Caryn Berieschke
Justin Callas
David Cocks
Sarah Cushman
Austin Davis
Lara Dohner
Beckey Keeshin
Ashley Lanyon
Sheila Linn
Cory McNemony
Claudia Martinez (visiting faculty)
Abby Pajakowski
Corliss Preston
IMPROV COMEDY HOUSE TEAM
Shahab Asta
Sam Barbaro
Emily Bleeker
Chris Brucher
Emily Friedman
Daniel Ness
Kyle Quinlevan
Jodie Schultz
Declan Shannon
Matt Terry
Lorena Vazquez
Karen Wadin
Ann Zartman