JONATHAN PITTS
Jonathan Pitts is an award winning international theatre artist from Chicago. He’s a creator, director, improviser, performer, producer, and teacher. He co-founded the Chicago Improv Festival and produced it for 20 years.
He also created and produced the College Improv Tournament for 10 years and he created and produced the Chicago Podcast Festival or the last 2 years.
He taught improv at The Second City for 16 years and he’s a contributing writer to The Second City’s book on improvisation. For 3 consecutive years he was selected by New City magazine as one of “Chicago’s Top 50 Theatre Players.”
He’s performed in over 1,200 improvised shows.
Get to Know Our Other Amazing People
Anthony Spirovski
Anthony came across improv in 2017 and quickly realised life had been boring until then. He has trained in Sydney, Chicago and Vancouver and thinks everyone should give improv a try.
Amanda Hood
Amanda Hood is a writer/director/ improviser from Sydney. She regularly performs with her musical improv troupe, Unplanned Melodies.
Tim Quabba
Tim Quabba is a Melbourne based actor and improviser. His improvised solo piece “Breadcrumbs” debuted at Melbourne Fringe 2016 to both audience and critical acclaim. Tim has also trained, performed and taught at The Improv Conspiracy since 2012 and is an iO Theatre (Chicago) alumni.
Linda Calgaro
Linda is an improv actor, comedian, musician, teacher, producer and director who has been prominent in the Sydney performing arts scene for over 25 years.
Marcelle Gammal
Marcelle is LMA’s Head of HR. She has over 20 years of HR experience specialising in transforming small to medium sized businesses within FMCG, Retail and Media / Entertainment.
Tracy Mekler
Tracy is LMA’s “virtual” CFO and a finance, strategy and operations professional with over 20 years of experience working with senior leaders to develop and adhere to strategic and financial goals.
Peter Davie
Peter is a public servant by day and a LMA House Team member by night. He loves rocking out to Queen in the car, cats and procrastinating about writing bios.
Jono Edwards
Jono is a recent convert to improv having being brought along by a friend last year and has never looked back after finding such a fun welcoming world.
Rachel Unicomb
Rachel has been involved in some sort of performing since high school. After being bitten by the improv bug she has discovered that a stage is a more acceptable outlet for her natural voice projection than an office.
Doug Neale
Before starting improv in 2017, Doug used to take too long to think
of comebacks during banter and would just look offended.
Phill Dawson
A massive comedy nerd, but mum said nerds are cool now. Loves improv, learning and research.
Louise van der Post
I am an actor, creator and improviser and I live to laugh, eat, and dive. I frequently work on my chakras and am a fan of restrictive and faddish diets.
Jacob Sacher
Jacob Sacher loves comedy. Catch him performing improv, stand-up, sketch or skletch at any fine comedic institution.
Christine Wines
Christine Wines is a performer and self proclaimed “Twitter Personality” recently transplanted from Chicago, IL, USA to Sydney
Elizabeth Donald
Elizabeth has been studying Improv since 2015 and has performed as a part of the cast for Completely Improvised Potter, at TIC with Fuggtown, as well as with an all-female comedy troupe FEMMILY.
Bel Tree
Bel was a big performer in her younger years and always assumed that she’d be an actress. However, she took no steps to follow that dream after high school and somehow ended up in law school. Bel has a deep love for the asburb and will ham up game whenever she gets the chance.
Fab Mackojc
Fab is often mistaken for an American given his strong accent from a childhood stint living there. He has previously worked as a programmer in Silicon Valley and can confirm that it is exactly like the hit TV show.
David Bakker
David is an actor and improviser. Hailing from the remote, desolate land of Albury, NSW. He has journeyed far and wide to learn the way of improvised comedy and storytelling.
Max Gettler
Actor at Bold Artist Management | Babymetal fan | Reader | Meditator | Margherita pizza connoisseur
Jakub Duniec
Little boy, fun to be around on occasion. Dabbled in improv; has been dabbling in it ever since.
James Tranter
James loves improv. But there was a time not so long ago where he thought improv was for weird nerds. Signing up for what he thought was a stand-up comedy course, fate threw his judgemental mind into a tailspin of discovery. The lightness, loss of control and sheer serendipity of improv forced James to learn to how to be vulnerable and fluid. A state that never felt comfortable until improv found him. He is now the most eager of the weird nerds, and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Giovanna Rojas
Gio’s lack of long-term memory and pursuit of a good laugh brought her to LMA. She couldn’t be happier to know there are a bunch of other weirdos around that find making funny scenes for the sake of it a good use of one’s time.
Michelle Cefai
Michelle is a self proclaimed comedian who laughs at her own jokes. She’s definitely her own biggest fan but maybe you just might appreciate her quick wit and violent nature on stage* She started out doing Level 1 improv with LMA for a bit of fun after work but 4 levels later, she has managed to “yes and” her way into a house team in the space of just over a year, don’t act like you’re not impressed.
*May contain traces of nuts
Rebecca Hurd
Rebecca Hurd is an actress and comedic writer from Chicago, Il. In Chicago, she trained with iO, The Second City, The Annoyance Theatre, and CiC. She’s currently in Sydney getting her MFA in Writing for Performance from the National Institute of Dramatic Art. You can check out her improvised romantic comedy podcast at www.YouHadMeAtLMFAO.com, or, if you’d like to see more of her acting and writing, check out www.RebeccaHurd.com. She has and always will be Hilary Duff’s #1 fan.
Marc-Antoine Roy
Marc is a designer by day and an improv comedian by night. Not all of the nights, but some nights. Usually Wednesday nights. He enjoys short walks to the fridge, early morning bike rides and strong coffee.
Rachael Millanta
Rachael is an actor, improvisor, comedian and writer, who has a problem with over-enthusiasm that she refuses to work on.
Happy Feraren
Happy has been practising improv theatre for over a decade and performed in over 500 shows in a wide range of improvisational theatre formats for both cultural and corporate audiences. She is the Artistic Director of LMA.
Sharnema Nougar
Sharnema Nougar is an Award Winning comedian, writer, director and chanteuse clown. A veteran of five Edinburgh Fringe seasons and hundreds (thousands?) of gigs around the international comedy circuit, her latest directorial project was just Nominated for Best Comedy at Fringe World, Perth (Super Woman Money Program). She’s also currently in a Holden ad. Best smug acting ever.
Teresa Ewan
After discovering the wonder of Chicago-style long-form improv, Teresa is 100% an improv addict (it changes lives maaan!). She enjoys improvising, cats, pretending to be a cool French girl from the sixties, Steve Coogan, and cheese.
Georgina Sierra
Georgina’s other passion is flying planes. We think she’d have a really great “This is your Captain speaking…” message and hope to hear it one day.
Alistair Magee
Alistair Magee has travelled the world performing and learning improv and is a walking encyclopaedia of improv knowledge. Ask him anything. Just be prepared for a long answer.
Sophie Long
The only thing Sophie likes more than improv is cats. And she likes improv a lot. Like, really a lot.
Kate O’Keefe
As a child, Kate dreamed of becoming a professional dancer but when she realised she wasn’t going to cut it, she gave acting a go. She trained at The Second City in Toronto before returning to Australia as an improv addict.
Lucy O’Brien
When not improvising piano for “The Completely Improvised Musical,” Lucy works as a Musical Director, Arranger, and Pianist.
Alicia Gonzalez
Alicia loves the Frenchies. Her influences include Compagnie Philippe Genty, Ariane Mnouchkine, Peter Brook & Maguy Marin. When she’s not trying to find absurdity in the everyday idiosyncratic human condition, she offers her expertise as a story consultant to screen writers.
Asha Ray
Asha has been a student with Laugh-Masters Academy (LMA) since 2015, completing all four levels she has gone onto perform with ‘Apple Llama’, ‘One-nightstand’ and is now dabbling in clowning and performing with Laugh-Masters newest team.
James Teagle
James fell in love with improv while binge-watching ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ instead of studying. His tastes in comedy have been heavily influenced by Seinfeld, Friends, How I Met Your Mother and Scrubs.
James has since graduated from LMA, performs with House Team ‘Lolwhut?’, and hopes to take his brand of funny internationally when on layover from his day job as a pilot.
Naomi Mourra
Assistant Teacher
Naomi is currently performing with LMA House team Shut Up Darryl! and will seriously consider joining other teams – excluding sporting teams. She completed a short course at Second City Chicago to see if it is all it is cracked up to be (it is).
June Waldenburger
June discovered improvisation in Chicago. She has taken courses at The Second City, Hoopla, Impro-Australia and LMA and says that improvisation has opened up the world of creativity for her.
John Brudeski
When John isn’t on stage he can be found sitting on his couch with a rum and coke in hand watching blooper reels or leaning over the edge of his balcony yelling at the youths of Bondi.
Alex Boggie
Alex’s surname auto corrects to “boogie” which is amazing because he’s a terrible dancer. Maybe. We don’t really know for sure. He could be great. Actually, he’s a great dancer. Yeah, that’s it.
Julien Perrottet
Julien has so any headshots it was almost impossible to choose which one to use here. Seriously, google it and be rewarded with a plethora of comic handsomeness.
Larry Orkin
Larry divides his time between Sydney and Lima where he serves as chairman of the Peruvian Duck Fighting League. He can be seen weeknights on the long running 585 bus – standing room only.
Maya Aleksandra
Maya has been acting since 2005 and has appeared on TV in ‘Wilfred,’ ‘Winners and Losers’ and the semi-regular role of Senior Constable Kelly Merolli in ‘Neighbours.’
Lucy Silberstein
Lucy is a writer & improviser who began studying Long Form Improvisation and Sketch at LMA in Sydney. She then moved to Melbourne and is now a member of the house team Better Friends.
Lucy Griffin
By day Lucy works in casting for TV, by night she improvises, makes short films and produces a popular improv theatre show ‘Stiff Company’.
Ella Lawry
Ella has trained in improvised comedy with the Upright Citizens Brigade in LA and New York, TIC, the Groundlings at 16th Street and Laugh Masters Academy in Melbourne. She is currently studying a Master of Film and Television at the VCA.
Andy Balloch
Andy brings endless reserves of experience and enthusiasm to LMA. He is currently a Teacher, School Coordinator and Producer in Melbourne.
Andrew Wowk
In addition to being a wonderful Teacher, Andrew is the real deal on the wheels of steel. We try to get him to DJ every LMA party.
Josh Magee
Josh has a wonderful spirit and energy and, gosh darn it, people like him. Also he’s a brilliant performer.
TBA
TBA stands for “To Be Announced.” Or maybe “Totally Bitchin’ Awesome.” Your choice.
Carolyn Mullen
Carolyn is a self confessed improv addict and Program Coordinator & Facilitator LMA Professional Development / Improv Training for Business Success.
Victoria Hill
Victoria has been learning and performing in the Melbourne Improv scene since 2014. Her favourite improv experiences have been taking part in Now Showing: The Improvised Movie as well as studying and performing Musical Improv. During the 2016 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Victoria was part of the popular show Improv Against Humanity.
Madi Savage
Madi has trained at LMA and the Victorian College of the Arts. She wrote and performed in ‘Sketchual Healing’, the 40th Anniversary Law Revue in 2017. Madi teaches Improv Level 1.
Talya Finberg
Talya’s favourite two words in life are “Yes, and,” especially when combined in that order. Her greatest happiness is watching students find the funny in truth, listening, being playful, willing to fail, and responding in the moment.
Justin Porter
Justin attended the USC Film School in Los Angeles, and trained in improv at IO West in Los Angeles, where he performed on the mainstage Harold Team Waterloo before moving to Australia. He has since performed regularly with shows in the Melbourne Fringe Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Dan Thomas
Dan was introduced to the delightful world of improv in 2016. He currently teaches Level 2, runs the Second Saturday ‘Intro to Improv’ workshops.
David Tieck
David is a crazy, weird, awesome, comedy genius and he’s got the hair and beard to prove it.
Melissa McGlensey
Melissa showed up down under in early 2016 and brought a big bag of improv genius with her. She quickly became a treasured member of the community and we’re always happy when she comes back for a visit.
Chris Pahlow
Chris’ first feature film was “Play it Safe.” The Music.com.au said “This new film will resonate with every struggling musician you know.”
Eran Thomson
Founder LMA & LMA Training, Executive Producer at Comedy & Co. and amateur freestyle rapper.
Dan Pavatich
Dan is a comedy Writer and Performer with experience in stand-up, sketch, and improv. He was Artistic Director at LMA for Terms 3 and 4, 2017.
David Evans
Dave was the very first Teacher to run an 8-week class at LMA. Once day we’ll name a classroom after him.
Georgia Woodward
Georgia is an Actor and part-time Producer at LMA’s production arm, Comedy & Co.
Flavie Laliberte
Flavie has been a cheery and enthusiastic part of the LMA community ever since she booked her fist class on a whim 30 minutes before it started. She is currently an Teacher’s Assistant and Assistant Producer.
Jeff Mesina
Jeff was the very first student to complete all levels at LMA and then complete our Teacher Track and is just about the friendliest fellow you could meet.
Susan Zheng
Susan never expected to love improv as much as she does. She is currently the Digital Marketing Manager for LMA. If you found this site, she may be partially responsible.
Jasmine Langdon
Jas is a stand-up comic, improviser and self confessed improv junkie. She’s been an enthusiastic part of LMA ever since she started in Level 1.
Vidya Rajan
Vidya is a fantastic writer and has a brilliant sense of humour, but that doesn’t stop her from taking her role as LMA’s Access & Inclusion Director seriously.
Lauren Hayward
Lauren creates a warm, welcoming space where ever she goes. She is currently the producer of “Open Minded” a comedy variety show.