FEATURING

TRIO

Trio is an improv ensemble that combines the talents of Stephnie Weir (MADtv, The Comedians, Night Court), Bob Dassie (Community, The Spoils Of Babylon, Review), and Rich Talarico (Key & Peele, SNL, MADtv, Tonight Show). Formed in Chicago in1999, “Trio” played sold out runs at Chicago’s Improv Olympic and have played at UCB Los Angeles and headlined the Vancouver Improv Festival.“No movement is wasted, no gesture is unimportant–everything is a possible portal of discovery.” — The Chicago Reader, on Trio

OPENING NIGHT: THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL!

OPENING NIGHT: THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL! is exactly that - a Broadway- style musical that is made up on the spot, based on audience suggestion. Therefore, every night is the `Opening Night’ of a musical that has never been seen! Sadly, it is also the closing night, but closing night sounds so very final. And not even this cast can withstand the damage done by weekly wrap parties. Every show, whether a mind- numbing rock opera or a tap-dancing Phantom-filled fiesta, is a completely unique experience!

Based in Hollywood, California, the Opening Night cast combines Chicago and Los Angeles improv with the Broadway stylings of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Gilbert & Sullivan, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Bob Fosse and Edith Head. Occasionally, they borrow the helicopter from Ms. Saigon. They usually give it back.

Opening Night has performed at various festivals, comedy clubs, charity events and corporate road shows for almost two decades!

BRINGING HOLLYWOOD TO YOUR HOMETOWN

GREG GARCIA

Emmy-winning comedy writer/producer Greg Garcia will speak at “Bringing Hollywood to Your Hometown,” an event highlighting the ways cities like Utica can attract film and television production, and the benefits to the film and tv industry for shooting on location. The event, presented by Uptown Theatre for Creative Arts (UTCA), will be held at  12 p.m. on October 5 at the Uptown Theatre as part of the four-day Uptown Comedy Festival. 

Based in Los Angeles, Garcia — whose television sitcom credits include My Name is Earl, Raising Hope, and Yes, Dear — opted to bring production of his most recent series, Sprung, to Pittsburgh, after considering various small cities throughout the east coast. “Bringing Hollywood to Your Hometown” will feature a screening of Sprung, followed by a Q&A with Garcia. This lunch-hour event is open to the media and the public, and UTCA hopes to provide valuable information to local businesses, creative and production professionals, and entertainment industry enthusiasts. There is no cost to attend, but registration by emailing info@utcany.org is recommended to reserve a seat. 

KAREN RONTOWSKI

PSYCHIC STAND-UP

Karen Rontowski’s fast-paced, quirky and charmingly optimistic comedy has been featured in clubs, TV, radio, and at corporate events all around the world. Her stand-up showcases endearing, self-effacing and intelligent characters that catch you by surprise every time. Karen uniquely blends comedy with her experience as a Paranormal Investigator, Tarot and reiki master.  

Karen has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Sirius Satellite Radio, Comics Unleashed, Comedy.com, Live at Gotham, Comedy Central and Mysteries of the Unexplained.    You can see her Dry Bar Comedy Special called Ridiculous Me has received over 21 million hits and her second, War and Instant Pudding is out now. She is also a Paranormal Panelist at the Los Angeles ComicCon.

After performing and hosting at paranormal conventions all over the world she created the hilariously odd web series Paranormal Karen where she has fun reporting from haunted and obscure places everywhere.  She also has an in depth podcast by the same name.

PAUL KOZLOWSKI

COMEDIAN

Paul Kozlowski has performed stand-up comedy on Evening At The Improv, A&E’s Caroline’s Comedy Hour, FOX’s Comic Strip Live, PBS’ Comedy Tonight, Comedy Central’s Stand Up Stand Up, NBC’s Friday Night Videos, VH1’s Two Drink Minimum and MTV’s Half Hour Comedy Hour. He has written and appeared on The Jon Stewart Show, The Chris Rock Show, Comedy Central’s Gong Show, MTV’s Idiot Savants, Fox Sport’s Ultimate Fan League, Exit 57 with Stephen Colbert, Ellen, The Wayne Brady Show, and HBO’s Mr. Show.

An accidental painter and sculptor, Paul owned the legendary Fake Gallery, an art gallery and performance venue that became an underground Los Angeles hot spot. Patton Oswalt and Maria Bamford held comedy residencies there and Robin Williams once proclaimed that the art on the walls was “like the foreplay before sex.” The LA Weekly wrote that the Fake Gallery was the best place to see comedy in Los Angeles.

Paul currently operates the Ake Gallery in Cortland. Its mission is to take the stuffiness out of the art gallery experience and offer affordable, fun fine art and to encourage and promote the many talented artists living in the area.

His podcast, “Look Who Showed Up” features over 30 nationally known comedians including Steven Wright, Bobcat Goldthwait, Jackie Kashian and Dana Gould and can be found on iTunes.

WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS

RICH TALARICO

Rich Talarico is a Peabody® Award winning and four-time Emmy® nominated writer and producer best known for his work on Comedy Central’s Key & Peele where he wrote K&P favorites Substitute Teacher, Racist Zombies, Karim and Jahar, Hatz, Teaching Center, Obama Greets, Black Ice and many more. Rich worked 20 years in Hollywood where he wrote and produced on shows like MADtv, Review, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Rich also wrote for Saturday Night Live, Red Nose Day, Dick Clark’s New Years’ Rockin’ Eve, and Must See TV: A Tribute To Jim Burrows.  Rich is an alum of Chicago's legendary Second City Comedy Theater and a long-time teacher and performer at The Improv Olympic (iO) in Chicago and Los Angeles. As an actor, Rich has appeared in featured roles on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, MADtv, the feature film High Fidelity and numerous commercials including A&W Root Beer's classic ad, "Mr. Dumass.” Talarico’s extensive experience in the comedy industry has made him a highly sough-after writer and consultant, and he continues to define what it means to be funny. Originally from Frankfort, NY — Rich is currently based in Nashville, TN where he is performing stand-up comedy. —more at richtalarico.com

WEIRDASS

WeirDass is Stephnie Weir and Robert Dassie, a husband-and-wife duo who use their shared experiences to inspire scenes, duologues and random asides in their long-form improvisation. They have been improvising together for over 25 years performing in cities across the states, Canada and the U.K. Stephnie Weir is an alumni of the legendary Second City and was a cast member on MADtv from 2000-2006, and Bob Dassie worked with the Improv Olympic, toured with Second City, performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Baby Wants Candy (a fully improvised musical) and can be seen on HBO’s “Funny or Die Presents…” starring in “Carpet Bros.” along with Tim Meadows, David Spade and Will Farrell.

BOB Dassie

Bob began performing in Chicago at the Improv Olympic and touring with the Second City. He has performed and taught at the Improv Olympic (Chicago & LA), Upright Citizens Brigade (NY & LA) and across North America, the United Kingdom and Singapore. Over the years, he has been involved with several long-form groups including the improvised musical Baby Wants Candy, Trio, The Armando Show and alongside Stephnie Weir in the 2-person WeirDass. Until recently, he performed with Dasariski (with Craig Cackowski & Rich Talarico) and Quartet at the IOWest in Los Angeles and has appeared in the fully-improvised play, Stolen House, which premiered in Chicago and had a limited off-Broadway run in New York. Bob has appeared on various screen sizes in shows such as HBO's Funny or Die Presents: The Carpet Brothers, NBC's Community, Comedy Central’s Review, FX’s The Comedians, IFC’s The Spoils of Babylon, and in the film Casa de mi Padre. He has been a frequent guest on podcasts for Earwolf, and has also written for Adult Swim’s only satanic dog show Mr. Pickles, the reboot of the Bugs Bunny cartoon, Wabbit, and again with Ms. Weir, for the web series, WeirDass: Eleven Year Itch.

After a 20 year career in Hollywood, Derek has moved to the United Kingdom. And he has been busy! He recently appeared in the series “The Man Who Fell to Earth” - worked on Guy Richie’s “Wrath of Man” and appears weekly on Channel 4’s BAFTA nominated show, “Steph’s Packed Lunch.” AND the feature he wrote, "Monsternado" will be released on Amazon this fall!

In Hollywood,  Derek appeared on shows like Scrubs, Superstore, The Goldbergs, Drunk History and Transformers 3. He headlined the shows Wedding Band on TBS and Secret Girlfriend on Comedy Central.  He wrote for the Nickelodeon animated series “It’s Pony.," served as a consulting writer on three series and acted as a writer/performer for NBC’s prime-time sketch show. Along with appearing in over one hundred commercials, Derek moved behind the camera and cut his teeth directing casting sessions for thousands of spots and became an on-set consultant for A-list directors. He segued into directing branded content and animated series. Derek has taught, directed and coached thousands of actors - all using improvisation as a baseline - he taught at IOWest and Second City and is currently on the faculty at the MOB theatre in Dublin and teaches acting at Yorkshire Academy for Film and TV Acting, Act4TV,  and runs bespoke workshops all over the UK and Europe!

SHULIE COWEN teaches improv to kids, senior citizens, and everyone in between.  She previously spent 12 years teaching at The Second City Hollywood and iO West, and now travels the USA and the world teaching acting and improv at festivals and schools. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, a former member of The Second City National Touring Company, and an original cast member of Schoolhouse Rock Live!.  Shulie studied improv in Chicago at The Second City Training Center, The Annoyance Theatre, and at iO with Del Close.  She currently directs and performs in Opening Night: The Improvised Musical!® and with the improv team EST.  Film and television credits include Mr. Mayor, 2 Broke Girls, Liza on Demand, and How I Met Your Mother.

"If innovation and adaptability are the soul of improv, there are possibly no better personifications of it than Kelly Buttermore and Justin Peters." - The Improv Network

Kelly Buttermore and Justin Peters are two of America’s top independent improvisers. Veterans of the New York improv scene, for the past decade they have spent most of their time on tour, performing and teaching as their duo From Justin to Kelly at theaters and festivals across the country and around the world. Their signature form is the Walter, a minimalistic monoscene that emphasizes silence, eye contact, and total commitment to the moment. Off stage, they promote a DIY ethos that encourages improvisers to find their own voices and own their own work. Based in New York City, they also spend a lot of time in Florida, where they produce the annual Countdown Improv Festival and are partners in The Commodore, a new comedy theater in Tampa. They probably have shirts for sale in the lobby.

LISA LYNN

Lisa Lynn is an award-winning actor, singer and improviser, who tours the world performing, teaching and directing. 

Since graduating with a First Class BA Honours degree in Musical Theatre in 2009; Lisa has worked as a professional performer, alongside teaching, after also graduating as a Drama Teacher in 2013; publishing her A* thesis 'Drama and Employability' in National Drama Magazine 2014. Lisa believes that every person can and should benefit from studying (and taking part in) Improv and the Performing Arts, as part of the National Curriculum; and is working to make that happen in the UK. Lisa has taught at over 50 UK schools, colleges and Universities to date; as well as many UK and International improv schools and theatres both in person and online during the pandemic.

Lisa has performed 5* and Award Winning Off West End and Fringe theatre in the UK and LA since 2009; she also took part in the Paralympic Opening Ceremony 2012. Lisa won The Stage Award for Best Acting in the ensemble for UKIP! The Musical and had the Hollywood Fringe ‘Best International Show’ and Encore Awards 2015 dedicated to her for her hard work on ‘MacDeth’ in which she played Ross but understudied 13 other roles. The short Film ‘New Years Day’ in which she plays the lead was also nominated for multiple awards on the indie circuit in 2019 including Best Film. Lisa has also produced shows and Acting Masterclasses across the world. She discovered improv in 2015 and is now Founder & Director of Acaprov www.acaprov.com (which has a cast of 20); a HOOPLA teacher (The UK's Number 1 Improv School) and a Hoopla House Team member; a member of Hell Yeah! The Show with Monica Gaga; and a member of the Southend 48 Hour Improvathon which happens annually for a different charity each year, directed by the sensational Ali James of Olivier Award winning - Showstopper! The Improvised Musical.

Brian James O’Connell is a working actor, writer, director, filmmaker and teacher in Los Angeles.

After selling his feature film debut as a writer/director, KILLER VIEW (the only film shot on disposable video), he followed it up by directing the 35mm Southern indie comedy ANGRY WHITE MAN starring Matt Berry, Scoot McNairy, Steve Agee and Mary Birdsong.

BOC (as his friends call him) is part of the improv powerhouse & comedy collective Dr. God, who delivered their first feature film project BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS in 2015, starring Fran Kranz, Pedro Pascal, Joey Kern, Joel Murray, and Emma Fitzpatrick, which O’Connell directed as well as co-writing the script with Dr. God. The film was the Opening Night Premiere at Slamdance in 2015 and is available now on Amazon Prime after its 15 city theatrical run along with a two year run on Showtime. Seasons 1 & 2 of Dr. God's new animated series HELL DEN is currently available on SYFY Channel where they serve as the Creator, Executive Producers, Producers, Directors and Writers. (He voices GIANTIC, a frost giant represented only as a large bare foot.)

With multiple projects in development, BOC is currently pitching his pilot THE ANARCHISTCOOKBOOK (based on the book of the same name) under Executive Producer Emmet McDermott (60 Second Docs).

Brian travels the world teaching his expertise in The Deconstruction as part of his ALL IMPROV courses and as a founding board member of Camp Improv Utopia. A main stage performer, beloved bar manager, coach & teacher until the very end at iOWest (RIP), O’Connell is also proud to be a Co-Founder of The Pack Theater, LA Weekly’s BEST OF LA Pick for “Best Theater Company” two years in a row.

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