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Teachers

Alicia Gonzalez

Clown

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.

Alistair Magee

House Team Coach

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.

Amanda Hood

Level 1

Amanda Hood is a writer/director/ improviser from Sydney. She regularly performs with her musical improv troupe, Unplanned Melodies.

Andrew Wowk

Improv Level 4

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.

Andy Balloch

Improv Level 1-4, House Team Coach

Andy brings endless reserves of experience and enthusiasm to LMA. He is currently a Teacher, School Coordinator and Producer in Melbourne.

Anthony Spirovski

Improv Level 1

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.

Carolyn Mullen

Improv Level 1, Head of Young People's Programs

Carolyn is a self confessed improv addict and Program Coordinator & Facilitator LMA Professional Development / Improv Training for Business Success.

Chris Pahlow

Improv to Screen

Chris’ first feature film was “Play it Safe.” The Music.com.au said “This new film will resonate with every struggling musician you know.”

Christine Wines

Teacher & House Team Coach

Christine Wines is a performer and self proclaimed “Twitter Personality” recently transplanted from Chicago, IL, USA to Sydney

Dan Thomas

Improv Level 2

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

Teacher

David is a crazy, weird, awesome, comedy genius and he’s got the hair and beard to prove it.

Elizabeth Donald

Assistant Teacher

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.

Ella Lawry

Improv Level 1

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.

Flavie Laliberte

Teacher's Assistant, Assistant Producer

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.

Georgina Sierra

Practice Team, Teacher's Assistant

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.

Happy Feraren

Artistic Director, School Coordinator

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.

Jeff Mesina

Improv Level 1-2, House Team

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.

Josh Magee

Improv Level 1-3

Josh has a wonderful spirit and energy and, gosh darn it, people like him. Also he’s a brilliant performer.

Justin Porter

Sketch Comedy Writing

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.

Lauren Hayward

Improv Level 1

Lauren creates a warm, welcoming space where ever she goes. She is currently the producer of “Open Minded” a comedy variety show.

Linda Calgaro

Level 5, Advisory Board

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.

Lucy Griffin

Improv Level 1-4, House Team Coach

By day Lucy works in casting for TV, by night she improvises, makes short films and produces a popular improv theatre show ‘Stiff Company’.

Lucy O’Brien

Musical Director

When not improvising piano for “The Completely Improvised Musical,” Lucy works as a Musical Director, Arranger, and Pianist.

Madi Savage

Improv Level 1

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.

Melissa McGlensey

Improv Level 1-4, Improv to Sketch

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.

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).

Sharnema Nougar

Teacher

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.

Sophie Long

House Team Coach

The only thing Sophie likes more than improv is cats. And she likes improv a lot. Like, really a lot.

Talya Finberg

Improv Level 1

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.

Teresa Ewan

Head of Corporate Training (Melbourne)

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.

Tim Quabba

Improv Level 3

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.

Victoria Hill

Improv Level 1

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.

Vidya Rajan

Sketch Writing, Access & Inclusion Director

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.