Sign up for the shows here. We are accepting donations but it is a pay what you can offering with a base of free admission. Our improvisers come from as far away as Australia, New Zealand. Peru and Brazil; from the UK, Poland,Belgium, Austria and France. They come from all four corners of the US and places in between. San Diego CA, Rotunda West FL, Bangor ME and Washington/Oregon. Our Festival celebrates the contributions that life experience affords the performance art of improvisation- comedic, theatric, and dramatic. This year we explore the many facets of improv from Chicago to LA, from Europe to Canada from funny to poignant and a tiny bit of clown. In the traditions of Viola Spolin and Keith Johnstone, to influences of Commedia del Arte to the homespun form developed in a coastal town in South Carolina. We are experimenting with Beat Boxing and Body Percussion, movement and new ways of connection. No matter when you join us, you will have a great time. You may laugh, you may cry, you may experience wonder. Whatever it is, we can guantee you it has never happened quite this way before and will likely never repeat itself in the future. Come make some history with us in Saco Maine at the Ferry Beach Retreat and Conference Center. You will be glad you did!
SHOW LINE UP
Wednesday October 4 :
9:30 PM Show
- The Upside Down Players of Internet Fame
- Criess/Tavares Curated Team
- Sonic BoomBoom the @theFollies Virtual Sensation improvises using you antique photograph as an inspirationn
Thursday October 5
7:00 PM Show
- The Maestro , an homage to Keith Johnstone. Fun, competetive and engaing. The Audience decides who wins,
9:15 PM Show
- FERNÁNDEZ-PROENÇA Curated Team
- Gellman/Tollenaere Curated Team
- Lynn/Brown Curated Team
- Green/Criess Curated Team
- Adjacent Space
October 6
11 AM Show: ALEATÓRIO
- One hour special event
A Solo Show by Luana Proença the Brazilian-Portuguese improv sensation
7 PM Show
- The Smallest Mask : A Soulful Clown Experience created by Vivian Gladwell Nose to Nose , UK Directed by Miki Manting
- Green/Pitts Curated Team
- Redmond/Morris Curated Team
- Gellman/Hefler Curated Team
9:30 PM Show
- Orr/Tollenere Curated Team
- Palermo/Michalski Curated Team
- Brown Tavares Curated Team
October 7
3:30 PM Show
- The Faculty Show European-style
- One Hour Special Event
- Directed by Andrew Hefler, Budapest Hungary with Improv Masters :
- Michael Gellman, Toronto
- Jonathan Pitts, Chicago
- Diana Brown, San Francisco
- Tom Tollenaere, Belgium
- Greg Tavares, Charleston
- Jeff Michalski, LA
- Jane Morris, LA
- Brian Palermo Washington
- Miki Manting Boston
7 PM Show
- Special Event :The Oracle created and directed by Jonathan Pitts
- Vintage Vinyl Musical Improv Festival Team form created and directed by Tom Tollenaere
9:15 PM Show : DuoFest
- WePolak : Jeff Michalski US Monika Ozdarska Poland
- Ramen on Sunday : Steve Circeo US Falki US
- Mikmik and Cole : Elsa Mikmik Belgium Carolyn Cole US
- Accessories Before the Fact : David Silberman US Cheryl Solimini US
- Tom and Betse: Tom Tollenaere Belgium Betse Green US
October 8
7 PM Show
- Special Event : Faculty Musical Directed by Tim Redmond, Melbourne Australia
- Morris/Palermo Curated Team
- Gellman Masterclass
- One Sophisticated Take by The Hefler Mondays Players
- Michalski Masterclass
9:45 Show A Festival Closing Spectacular
- A Silent Movie created and directed by Jonathan Pitts
- Cabaret and Last Chance Jam : in the style of the original French Cabaret there will be music, improv games, improvised songs, particiant/faculty scenework, dancing and laughter, If you come for Silent Movie we invite you to stay and party with us in celebration of the contribution of life experience to propelling the art of improvisation to the next level!
The VIF 2023 Faculty
- Andrew Hefler
- Betse Green
- Brian Palermo
- Deana Criess
- Diana Brown
- Greg Tavares
- Jane Morris
- Jeff Michalski
- Jonathan Pitts
- Michael Gellman
- Stephen Gilbane
- Tim Orr
- Tom Tollenere
Andrew Hefler
Andrew Hefler is a performer, director, trainer working in theatre, music, film and television for nearly thirty years. He was first introduced to Improvisational theatre at the age of 10 in grade school in Los Angeles. Since then he has worked with theatre groups in the US, Canada, Europe and since 1994 in his homebase of Budapest. He was a founding member of the experimental impro trio Scalabouche and later he founded Grund Theatre in 2008 developing a company and training methods for actors and shows for performance. Grund Theatre has a strong mission for creating progressive relevant improvised theatre, television content, and skill building courses for the public. Education for people in the entertainment industry as well as applying improvisation for a wide range of clients from the professional business, socially conscious sectors.
Andrew, a versatile performer has acted in the National Theatre of Hungary, appeared in numerous television episodes, commercials, and films, and provided voices for various cartoon characters. Additionally, he has designed and conducted acting, improv, and communication training for numerous companies, organizations, and educational institutions, while also being a loving father of three and a devoted husband.
Betse Green
Betse Green has been a very active member of the Portland Improv scene since 2002. Currently, she is an ensemble member and teacher at Curious Comedy Theater and CSz (ComedySportz) Portland. She also performs regularly with the acclaimed indy teams B&B, B.A.B.E., Broad Selection and Unbreakable Chain. Her talents have been showcased performing and teaching at improv festivals and theaters across the Globe and she has Directed Festival Ensembles at the San Diego Improv Festival, Impride Festival (San Diego), Laugh Riot Festival (Phoenix) and directed the first ever Festival Ensemble at the San Francisco Improv Festival.
She currently teaches classes and performs using Zoom and has adapted her style of teaching and performing to accommodate this new medium.
Betse's studies have included ComedySportz, IO Chicago and under Master Class instructors including Coco Galore, Jill Bernard, Susan Messing, Joe Bill, Dave Razowsky and Tracy Burns. As a Certified Applied Improvisation Architect/Teacher she has created and facilitated applied improv curriculum in classrooms and corporate business.
With nearly two decades of improv experience, Betse Green knows a thing or two about “YES; AND…!” while still being able to address barriers both nervously personal and inherently societal. As a player & instructor, she has performed all over North America and Europe. Her curiosity compass points directly toward forming strong, grounded characters, whose honest relationships form the heart of the scene. She likes to play for the others: those people and situations that can otherwise be forgotten on the improv stage, as is apparent in her work with people possessing a wide range of abilities and experience. Her workshops explore a variety of topics-from improv basics, to guiding experienced players through complex territories such as race and gender, and how artists can incite and continue these conversations from the stage. Yet paramount to any ideology is FUN! Betse’s lust for life has made her a staple of the Oregon improv community and continues to propel her imagination and dedication to Portland’s improv stages and beyond;
Brian Palermo
Brian Palermo leveraged his love of improv into a professional acting career with over 100 credits in TV and film. He has Guest Starred on such classics as Friends, Modern Family, Curb Your Enthusiasm and many more (IMDB.com).
Brian spent nearly 25 years performing, directing, teaching and creating shows at the world-renowned Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles. He is an original cast member of “The Crazy Uncle Joe Show” and performed over 1,000 shows in that format alone. He’s a veteran with three decades of improv experience and absolutely delights in sharing this stuff with performers of all levels!. Brian’s grateful to have played with a Who’s Who of improv legends including Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Eddie Izzard, Rachel Dratch and many, many others.
Brian’s an energetic teacher who has taught improv in several countries and across the USA. He is “encouragingly critical” and gives a lot of support while also helping you to increase your skills.
He uses the experiential learning techniques of improvisational theatre to facilitate trainings in the corporate sphere. And his niche is working with scientists and technologists to increase their interpersonal communication skills. More at: https://www.palermoimprovtraining.com
Deana Criess
Deana Criess has been a professional improviser for more than 20 years. A master instructor, director, and performer, Deana has done shows and workshops at festivals, theaters, colleges, and Fortune 500 companies all over the country. Deana’s work has been featured on PBS, NPR, KBS (the Korean Broadcasting System), The Boston Globe, CNN, and Slate.com. She is the founder and former Director of IBCreative, where she created training programs for corporate and academic settings. She has worked with hundreds of corporate clients including Google, Facebook, Twitter, Intel, Novartis, Moderna, Procter & Gamble, Ocean Spray, and many more. Her academic work ranges from pre-K through post-grad programs including work at Harvard School of Business, MIT Sloan, Northeastern, Emerson, Berklee School of Music, Boston University, Boston College, and others. She also has extensive nonprofit experience including her wellness workshops at Childrens’ Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, her programs for dementia patients and their caregivers, and her current work at Perkins School for the Blind.
During her years in comedy, she has worked with some amazing artists including Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons), Laura Hall (Whose Line Is It Anyway), Kevin McDonald (The Kids In The Hall), Shantira Jackson (SNL), Lauren Ash (Superstore), Ryan Stiles (Whose Line Is It Anyway), Eric Drysdale (Full Frontal), Jen Kirkman (Drunk History), Janeane Garofalo (Wet Hot American Summer), Dave Razowsky (The Second City), Faith Soloway (Transparent), Josh Gondelman (Desus & Mero), Richie Moriarty (Ghosts), Anthony Atamanuik (What We Do in the Shadows) and many more.
Deana is currently the Associate Director of Recruitment & Admissions and Applied Improvisation Specialist for Career Launch@Perkins, an innovative job training program she helped to develop at Perkins School for the Blind. There, she uses improvisation to teach job readiness and job acquisition skills to adults who are blind and visually impaired.
Diana Brown
Diana was voted most valuable Mentor and Teacher 2018 at the San Francisco Improv Festival.
Diana’s an improv artist, actor, voice actor, playwright, producer and teaching artist. Diana is a teacher, director, and member of the leadership team at Leela in San Francisco. She leads the improv program at Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s School of Theatre.
Independently, she’s a communications consultant & acting coach. She’s led Master Classes in San Francisco, Salt Lake City DuoFest, 2nd Best Comedy Fest, Camp Improv Utopia - West, New Orleans Improv Festival, Denver Improv Festival, 2020 Virtual Improv Festival and with the Global Improv Project online.
Diana has studied with master teachers Jonathan Pitts, Jill Bernard, Brian James O’Connell (BOC), Joe Bill, Tracy Burns, Carla Cackowski, Tara De Francisco, Rance Rizzuto, Peter Rogers & Lindsey McGowen, Jane Morris, Dee Ryan, Jay Sukow, The Cast of Shrew: Improvised Shakespeare.
She studied acting with The Arizona Theatre Company Conservatory.
Diana performs as half of the nationally touring improv duo Bingewatch.
Greg Tavares
Greg Tavares lives, works, plays and teaches in Charleston, SC. He is one of the founders of Theatre 99 and The Have Nots comedy improv. Greg created the curriculum taught at Theatre 99’s training program and he wrote the book Improv for Everyone. Greg is not famous, he has never worked at any of the big improv theatre and lives in a small town, but he has done over 5000 improv shows and taught over a thousand improv workshops.
He travels to teach improv and its a really big deal that he created his own improv approach at a small out of the way theater in Charleston that has gone viral.
Jane Morris
Write it. Hone it. Perform it. From page to stage.
Jane Morris conducts a solo performance workshop that takes your work from idea to staging, to performing. The class works with actors and writers at any level of the process, whether you’re just getting started, or you feel almost ready to mount a whole solo show. Look at your work from various angles, as a personal story, as satire, as action, as dialogue.
Stop waiting to perform. Start working right now! The workshop, now in its third year, has produced 9 original shows. Every participant has finished work and taken their work to venues around Los Angeles. Our shows have traveled the country and won awards. Your performance can be next!
You’ll have the opportunity to rehearse and perform an aspect of your work at a VIF2023 show if you’re ready!
Jeff Michalski
Chicago born JEFF MICHALSKI is a legendary comic, improviser, director and teacher!
Jeff first appeared on the Improvisation scene in 1974 and has mostly been involved in projects that synthesize the theatrical experience with Improvisation. He worked in comedy clubs across the USA with the Original Comedy Rangers.
He took part in the development of Chicago’s famed Zanies comedy club in Chicago before settling in with the Chicago’s Second Cityin 1980.
During his years with the Second City Jeff studied with Paul Sills and his historic Story Theatre. While traveling the country with Second City’s National Touring Company he trained with Second City co-founder Sheldon Patinkin, and artistic directors Del Close, Fred Kaz and Bernie Sahlins.
In 1984 Jeff Michalski co-founded, with Jane Morris, Bill Applebaumand others the Second City etc! His directorial debut etc’s premiere show Cows on Ice made The Second City etc an instant hit and was followed by the even larger success of Mirrors at the Border. His achievements brought him to the Second City Toronto where he was nominated for a Dora Award for his direction of „Who’s Tory Now?”Michalski continued as director and Artistic Director of the the Second City etc until 1988 when his success in Chicago led him to be chosen as director of the premiere production of the Second City in Santa Monica, also a critical success.
While still in Chicago with the the Second City etc Michalski also co-developed the Second City Workshop Program, a comprehensive training program from which the next generation of Second City players are chosen. He also created the Second City Training Program in Santa Monica.
Jeff Michalski and Jane Morris founded the Upfront Comedy Showcase in 1990 and also headed the Upfront Comedy Showcase Workshop Program teaching people from all walks of life to improvise.
Jeff Michalski’s production credits include many Second City shows and Michael Moore’s TV Nation, as well as the feature film Family Values.
Jeff has also written for television shows including Helen Reddy, TV Nation, and Stephen Colbert’s Exit 57. He has also been a director at the Cats’ Laugh International Comedy Festival in Kilkenny, Ireland.
Jeff Michalski has taught all forms of improvisation for almost 50 years as well as developed his own long-form techniques. He has performed across the United States, Canada, Ireland, Sweden and Poland and has directed Second City companies in Chicago, Los Angeles, Kilkenny, and Toronto.
As a producer, director and performer, he has worked with Dan Castellaneta (Simpson’s), Chris Farley, Amy Sedaris, Mike Myers, Stephen Colbert, Ryan Stiles, David Pasquesi and many more. As an actor he played in almost 40 movies and worked with Robin Williams, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, and many others.!
Jeff is currently teaching people to improvise at the Fanatic Salon in Culver City, California as well as traveling to international festivals to teach and perform with WePolak.
Jonathan Pitts
Jonathan Pitts is an award-winning international improv theatre artist from Chicago with over 30 years’ experience. He’s a creator, director, improviser, producer, and teacher, and he’s also the Founder and Executive Director of Chicago Improv Productions.
He co-founded the Chicago Improv Festival and produced it for 20 years. He created and produced the College Improv Tournament for 10 years. He was Teen Comedy Fest’s executive producer for 7 years. He’s also the founder and producer of Chicago Podcast Festival for the past 2 years.
He has taught and performed internationally in 12 countries, as well as all over America. He’s performed in over 1,250 improvised shows. He has created the improv shows, “The Make ‘Em Ups”, "The Oracle", "The Silent Movie", “Solo Plus One”, “Stopwatch”, and "Storybox Unscripted Theatre".
He taught at The Second City for 16 years and he’s a contributing writer to their book on improvisation. He taught story-based improv at Piven Theatre Workshop. He’s also taught at 25+ American cities at regional improv fests and improv theatres.
For 3 consecutive years he was selected by New City magazine as one of "Chicago's Top 50 Theatre Players" and he’s been interviewed about improvisation in books, newspapers, online posts, podcasts, radio, and TV. He has recently worked on a newly released film about his dad, a serial killer and a chimpanzee.
Michael Gellman
Michael J Gellman is an alumnus of the Chicago Second City mainstage and a
Resident Director for Second City in Canada and the USA for over 30 years
including a stint as Artistic Director of the Second City Toronto where his shows
were nominated for 7 Dora Mavor Moore Awards including twice for Outstanding
Direction. He is Senior Faculty and a Founding member of the Second City
Training Center where he was a Program Head and Director of the NYC Training
Center. He is also a Founding Faculty member at Improv Olympic with Del Close,
ten years Adjunct Faculty Columbia College in the Film Directing and Comedy
Studies Programs, Co-Founder and Company Member of Rendition Theatre,
Artistic Associate at Organic Theatre, Founder and Artistic Director of Theatre
Works and Windy City Workshop and Co-Artistic Director of Wavelength.
He has taught and designed classes and workshops in directing, acting and
improvisation at such notable institutions as: Actors Centre London, The Audition
Centre, Victory Gardens Training Centre, Act One Conservatory and Loyola Law
School as well as master workshops for hundreds of universities, festivals, theatre
companies and improv groups around the world.
He is credited with originating “Long Form” Improvisation and the book:
“Process: An Improvisers Journey” (Northwestern University Press) co-authored
with Mary Scruggs is a summary of his approach on improvisational training and
Improvised Acting.
Over the past 40 years Mr. Gellman has directed, taught, and acted with such
notables as: Dan Akroyd, John Candy, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Chris Farley,
Steve Carrell, Steven Colbert, Tina Fey, George Wendt, Del Close, Dan
Castellaneta, Charna Halpern, Mick Napier, Armando Diaz, Jimmy Carrane, David
Pasquesi, Keegan-Michael Key, Joel and Bill Murray, David Razowsky, Susan
Messing, Joe Bill and many others. Michael continues to teach, direct and act in
Toronto and around the world and is Co-Artistic Director of Process Theatre with
his wife Deborah Ann Smith.
Stephen Gilbane
Stephen Gilbane has been accompanying improvisational troupes since 1991, when he joined ImprovBoston as music director and helped develop their signature improvised musical structure. He was artistic director and founding member of Musical Improv Company, and Hidden Falls, improvisational troupes that specialized in developing and performing full-length improvised musicals around such items as the rock opera, the 7 deadly sins, the Rom-Com, a famous movie supplied by the audience, and the musical biopic. He has been teaching improvisers how to do songprov both locally in Boston and at improv festivals from California to Washington DC. He has co-written a number of short musicals, including The History Of Nails!, Romance101!, Hollywood Insider, and 10 Gorefest musicals, ImprovBoston’s annual scripted Halloween musical. He has workshopped his full-length musical Showstopper! A High-Tech Musical with NOMTI, the Boston-based musical theater workshop, of which he has been a member for 4 years. He has played keyboards with a variety of bands, including a neo-Cabaret ensemble, a jump-blues band, and a jazz standards group. He studied jazz piano with the late, great Charlie Banacos and film scoring at Berklee School of Music.
Tim Orr
Tim Orr has improvised since 1988 with many San Francisco-based groups, including BATS Improv, Rafe Chase's groundbreaking long-form troupe Improv Theatre, the renowned True Fiction Magazine, and with the acclaimed troupe 3 FOR ALL.
In 2009, he founded the Improv Playhouse of San Francisco with the goal of touring and teaching nationally and internationally in improv formats such as The Naked Stage (in the style of stage plays), Shakespeare and others.
Tim has appeared in numerous plays in the San Francisco Bay Area, and received critical acclaim for his leading roles in the improvised feature films, Suckerfish and Security. With Stephen Kearin, Tim co-wrote and originated the role of Dirk Manly in An Evening with Dirk & Blaine.
Tim has served for many years as the director of many BATS Improv long-form courses in San Francisco. He has performed and taught improvisation at the American Conservatory Theatre, BATS Improv, Stanford University, and many other venues nationally (Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Austin, Louisville, Atlanta, Minneapolis, etc.) and internationally (Amsterdam, Beirut, Belgium, Helsinki, London, Paris, Saudi Arabia, Stockholm, and Tel Aviv).
Tim coached wheelchair sports for youth with physical disabilities for more than 20 years, and served many times as the Head Coach for the USA basketball and track teams. His unique teaching and performing style is partly a reflection of his passion for both sports and theatre. You can check out the wheelchair sports organization BORP.
Tim cried when the San Francisco Giants won the World Series in 2010, and many times aferward just thinking about it. He cried some more when the Giants, improbably, won another title in his lifetime in 2012.
Tom Tollenere
Tom Tollenaere got introduced to improv in 1997 and was instantly hooked.
Tom is founder and artistic director of RIOT – the Royal Improphonic Orchestra & Theatre, specializing in musical long-form improv theatre, and now celebrating its 13th year. Prior to that, between 1999 and 2005 he was artistic director for The Lunatics, one of Belgium’s oldest short-form collectives. He also performed with them as an improv actor from 1997 until 2006.
Tom has been training and coaching improvisers since 1999. He likes to teach and theorize about Narrative long-form and musical improv, both long & short.
As an improv musician Tom can sometimes be seen outside of his home country Belgium, at festivals in Europe and North America. He loves to travel to teach. Or to showcase his solo performance “Cookbook”.
Apart from his writings on this site, Tom is a guest blogger for the Dutch improblog.nl, and several of his articles have appeared – in English & Spanish – in the international improv magazine “Status” . He is also one of the producers of the “Improovelicious” international improv festival in Leuven, Belgium, which was supposed to celebrate its 10th edition in 2020. He has been editing & maintaining ImprovEncylopedia.org, a reference site devoted to improv, since 1999.