Leadership

Kiersten is a trained musical theater actress from Philadelphia PA. She has participated in a number of singing competitions and has been seen on stages in PA and NC. She has appeared as Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show, and Stuart Little in Stuart Little. She has worked with people like Troy McLaughin and Heitzman and Reid honing her skills and is constantly exploring new crafts. Some of her passions outside of the theater include yoga, aerial arts, painting, clothing design, and being a mother.

Shea is a Philadelphia-based actor and singer. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Theater with a minor in English Literature in 2015 from Skidmore College, where she was a member of the improv troupe, the Ad-Libs. Specializing in improvisation and immersive theater, they have performed with the Bright Invention Ensemble, Alterra Productions, Chickadee Theatre Company, X Knight Productions, and Adventure Games Inc. She has also been a cast member of Philadelphia’s largest and most famous Halloween attraction, Terror Behind The Walls/Halloween Nights for the past ten seasons and counting! 

Eric is a performer/writer who spends his time creating spoken-word performance, and improvising with Bright Invention when he isn't working for Verizon as an IT specialist. His own group Wit Jongen Dronken has performed throughout the Philadelphia region.

Kate (she/they) is a performance artist, actor, vocalist, poet, energy worker, and expressive arts facilitator. She utilizes her creative perspective to bust stigmas and increase access to creative process through the power of the performing arts.. She collaborates with a wide range of artists locally and internationally, facilitates healing arts workshops, and composes work which amplifies the personal, political, and universal. Kate's mission is to connect individuals and communities with their own strengths.

The acting bug bit me in seventh grade when I saw the original production of Godspell. Flash forward a few years, and I became a long time member of a local Philadelphia community theater where I served as actor, director, and, producer. This is where I found the value of encouraging and mentoring young kids and teens. To watch them grow strong and confident and see what fine young adults they became made me proud. Later, my path changed to comedy: stand up, sketch, and improv. I had no idea of the power of improv - how it shatters boundaries and can heal as well as teach.

A native of West Philadelphia, Carlo (he/him) is an MC, Actor, Director, Poet, Writer, Educator, and a professor in Drexel’s Theatre Dept. He is a founding member and Co-Artistic director of the award winning African American theatre company, Theatre In The X, known for its celebrated yearly August theatre showcase in Malcolm X Park on 52nd and Pine St. An accomplished Hip-Hop artist, being at the helm of Pac And Biggie is the work of a life time, a culmination of craft and passion, nearly a lifetime in the making He is the author of two collections of poetry, Afloematic and American Atheist.

David Sweeny is a multitalented artist, musician and performer based in Germantown. Widely known for his work as his alter ego Johnny Showcase, Sweeny has spent many years in the fringes of the Philadelphia DIY theatre and music communities, seeking to combine the two disciplines in ways that are colorful, joyful and funky. Under Johnny Showcase, he has co-produced 3 full length albums, including a kids album (It’s the Johnny Shortcake Show!), and appeared on Season 16 of America’s Got Talent. Always expanding his palette of expression, David has spent the last two years churning out colorful paintings of birds.

Michelle Pauls is a theatre artist, educator and writer. For over 20 years she ran her own theatre company in Philadelphia (B. Someday/Walking Fish Theatre) where she produced mostly original work. She has worked as an actor mostly in the NY/PA region and won a Barrymore Award for Educational Excellence and Community Service in 2010 from the Philadelphia Theatre Alliance. She is on faculty at Penn State Abington where she teaches acting and devising. She wrote, produced and starred in her own health humanities performance entitled, It’s Complicated…This Gift of Life , for the Philly Fringe Festival, 2023. She is a trained facilitator in Theatre of the Oppressed and has received certification in Positive Psychology with the WholeBeing Institute. She is a founding member and lead singer with the rock band, The Poettes. Michelle is a member of the Dramatists Guild, Philadelphia Dramatist Center, Actors Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild. You can see more about her here: www.michellepauls.com

Ian Gibbs has been performing, teaching and coaching improv comedy for the last 25 years. He has worked as a professional actor on stage and television, studied theater at Circle in the Square in NYC and has trained in improv with Second City NY, UCB and the Groundlings. He currently lives in Boulder, CO and performs regularly with multiple groups in and around the Boulder/Denver area. He also works with the University of Colorado Graduate Program teaching students and faculty how to better communicate their areas of research using improv techniques.

Gleason Bauer is a director, performer, and educator specializing in improvisation and ensemble-based creation. With over two decades of experience leading workshops that blend playfulness, physicality, and mindful awareness, Gleason draws on a background in devised theatre, embodied performance, and mindfulness practice to create dynamic learning spaces where participants build confidence, sharpen their instincts, and discover new possibilities through spontaneous collaboration. Their approach fosters creative agility, as well as the communication skills, adaptability, and trust essential for thriving in both artistic and professional environments.

Betty Hart is an actor, director, improvisor, and facilitator. She loves engaging audiences for entertainment and educational purposes. Betty has been in Colorado for twelve years, and has had the opportunity to work with the Denver Center for Performing Arts, the Arvada Center, the Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, the Aurora Fox Theatre, Curious Theatre, Town Hall Arts Center, Local Theater Company, the Catamounts, Colorado Shakespeare Festival,  Vintage Theatre, Oddknock Productions, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Northern Colorado, and Metro State University. Whether directing, acting or facilitating, Betty finds connection and authenticity in every room.

Karen has been acting professionally since she was 15 years old (Regional, NYC, Colorado) and singing professionally since her early 20’s (Girls On Top band, Original Dickens Carolers). She has also been a Teaching Artist/Director for kids and adults (Denver Center, BETC, Miner’s Alley, Imagination Makers). Other relevant areas of expertise include communication training, improv, and scenario work (Center for Advancing Professional Excellence at CU Anschutz medical campus and CSU College of Veterinary Medicine, CWORX/Sonderworx Training for first responders, Waterglass Corporate Training, CEO Project improv group). She holds a BFA in Drama from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts.

Will Eiserman has over 25 years of experience in improvisational theater, performing both comedic and dramatic long-form “instant theater.” As a university faculty member in early childhood special education, Will has led national public health training initiatives focused on identifying infants with permanent hearing loss, advancing multicultural education, and supporting children and adults with facial disfigurements. He has brought this blend of expertise and performance skill to culturally diverse settings worldwide and to socio-economically underserved communities across the U.S., helping people discover innovative solutions often obscured by their differences. Guided by the belief that the principles of improvisation are a way of life—bringing creativity and freedom to problem-solving—Will creates authentic, engaging scenarios that inspire leadership, collaboration, and team-building.

Rosey Waters has been a professional actor and an improvisor for more than 35 years. She founded Imagination Makers Theater Company, where she created, directed and acted in 26 original plays. The company toured locally, nationally and in the UK. 

For over 30 years, Ms. Waters has been a teaching artist with a focus on instructing educators how to use theater in their classrooms as a way to teach their curriculum. She also facilitates and role plays in projects teaching communication skills to police officers.

Rosey is a member of 3 improv teams from musical improv to improvised Shakespeare. She also directs and acts in Red Thread Playback Theater, an international online company. Rosey has conducted 2 intensive Playback Theatre workshops for Cork Playback Theatre in Ireland and was selected to lead a session for the International Playback Theatre Networkconference in South Africa.