Voices - Introverted Improvisers

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Behind the Voices

These are the extremely generous shining stars that are lending their voices as examples, encouragement, and entertainment.

Jess O’Neill has been improvising, writing and directing for nearly 10 years between New Zealand and the UK. She has studied with teachers from The Nursery, Hoopla Impro, Second City and The World’s Greatest Improv School. She spent 3 years performing with Impropriety in Liverpool, where she taught and performed in regular shows and improvathons. Jess currently plays with Casino Improv, Queen City Comedy and Improv MKE.

Thompson Powers has rarely met the expectations others set for him. Through puppetry, improvisation, and comedy he has been able to play many roles from many backgrounds, universes, and timelines that suit his less-than-expected responses in a way that not only delights his own sensibilities, but exceeds those of others. Thompson can be found inside mascots, behind a red nose, below a puppet, or on stage, screen, or the street with scripted and unscripted projects including Denver’s Hit and Run Improvised Musicals, Makeshift Shakespeare, and the PreTendFrends.

Brad – is simply an enigma.

Jeff Miner has been doing improv since 2008. In 2011 he helped found Liquid Mind, a house troupe at Pan Theater (Oakland, CA) where he also teaches and directs, and can be found onstage (or online) most Fridays. His credits include Galaxy Probe, Oh, That Ritchie! and St. Crisis Ward among others.

Anyone with even a passing familiarity with American culture in the 20th century is already well aware of the basic facts of Jeff’s life. A foundling raised by carnies until the age of eight, he ran away to study accounting. Having become the world’s youngest self-made billionaire at age eleven, his fall from grace is now legendary – the parties, the drugs, the sordid
affairs, the futile humanitarian gestures, the failed bid for the presidency and his refusal of
the Nobel Prize. In order to escape the constant hounding of the tabloid press, Jeff took up
improv where he has faded into blessed obscurity. He is not to be trusted.

Bela Evans has been improvising with chairs to audiences of walls since the mid-1990s. He has studied with master teachers such as That Guy, Guru Lady, You Know, and Sounds Familiar But Can’t Quite Place The Name. He currently performs in front of his computer with several improv troupes made up of other people in front of their computer. Some of these troupes have names; others don’t. Bela enjoys growing his hair out and collecting double chins, and hopes one day to make a choice about which road to travel.

There is little in life more rewarding than connection.

It’s been said that we tell stories in order to try to make sense of the world around us. It’s also been said that those of us who write stories do so in order to connect with fellow humans in the best way we know how.

Maggie has been writing and performing for over 35 years and can confirm all of the above.

Steve runs the show LiveClickbait! on Spotify. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s worked on various projects such as low budget independent films and news parody websites. After moving to the Bay Area, he discovered a passion for improv and has been performing various troupes since 2015.

Karen Sandvoss has been improvising since 2014, getting her chops at Pan Theater, All Out Comedy, and Un-Scripted Theater in the Bay Area. In 2018 she Co-Founded The Village Makers – helping working professionals create more cohesive work environments through improv. She relocated back to Chicago (where she’s originally from) in 2019, where she studied and performed at IO and Annoyance Theater. Karen also takes the side stage now and then as a musical director, and has performed at Un-Scripted Theater and Second City Chicago.

Sidonie Starr is a performer, teacher, director, and producer of various forms of improv and improv-adjacent theater. With a background in physical theater, Sid seeks to integrate the abstract, experimental, and highly-physical with improv. As a practitioner of Full Spectrum Improvisation, she explores the unique ways improv can encourage vulnerability and self-revelation. She also loves both conventional and boundary-stretching musical improv. Sid is faculty at Leela Improv (SF) and formerly faculty & Director of Experimental Programming at Pan Theater (Oakland.) Interview

Ann Marie Kjerland: “I’m many things – mother, wife, nana, friend, dog owner and koi fish hobbyist. My happy place is improv it is a playground that allows me to create fantastical places and explore relationships. I’m a curious person that is always trying to better understand the world and the wonderful people in it!”