Instructors
We are excited to have such a dynamic set of instructors for 2013. Our headlining teacher is Rich Talarico, returning for a third year Craig Cackowski, teaching for the first time at camp is Dana Powell, Dave Hill and Improv Utopia Founder Nick Armstrong.
Rich Talarico/ INSTRUCTOR
Rich is a 20-year improv veteran having studied with Stephen Colbert, Charna Halpern & the late Del Close. Rich trained and performed at the Second City Chicago and IO Chicago. Rich has written for Mad TV, Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show w. Jay Leno. Currently he’s a staff writer for Season 2 of Comedy Central’s Key and Peele. Rich has led improv workshops in Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston, Austin, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles & NYC. You can see Rich perform at UCB LA with the improv group “Dasariski.”
Craig Cackowski/ INSTRUCTOR
Craig Cackowski has been improvising for twenty years. Based out of Los Angeles, Craig teaches and performs at the IO West and Second City theaters. He’s part of the triumvirate behind the long-running and critically acclaimed show Dasariski. He has also taught at many improv festivals, including the Phoenix Improv Festival and the Out Of Bounds Festival in Austin, TX. Back in his Chicago days, Craig performed with Second City on their two resident stages and with their National Touring Company, as well as with such teams/shows as Baby Wants Candy, Carl and the Passions, Mr. Blonde, Armando and the original cast of Close Quarters. He was also the director of the now-legendary JTS Brown, and has also directed for The Second City (touring cast and Norwegian Cruise Lines cast). Film and television appearances include Community, Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Year of The Dog.
Dana Powell/ INSTRUCTOR
Dana Powell is an actor, writer, and improvisor who currently lives in Los Angeles. She is a Groundlings Sunday Company alumnus and has performed and trained at iO West, UCB LA, and the Groundlings. She has coached and taught at iO West and MI’s Westside Comedy Theater. Her acting credits include ‘Bridesmaids’, ‘The Office’, ‘2 Broke Girls’, and ‘Suburgatory’. She can currently be seen improvising on stage at iO West in the ‘Celebrity’ show.
Nick Armstrong/ INSTRUCTOR
Nick is an Actor, Writer, Improviser and Director living in Los Angeles, CA. On TV, Nick has been on the Emmy-Award winning shows The Office, Parks and Recreation and Grey’s Anatomy. He has also made regular appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and is currently on AMC’s Story Notes. Onstage you can catch Nick performing regularly at the world-famous iO West in Hollywood, CA with LA’s longest and best Harold team King Ten and The touring Genre-Improvised Show Kind Strangers. Nick has also trained at the famed Groundlings Theater. He is the Founder and Camp Director of Improv Utopia an annual camp for improvisers. For more information visit www.nickarmstrong.com or www.improvutopia.com
Dave Hill/ INSTRUCTOR
Dave is an actor, writer and improviser who lives in LA. He is so proud to be a part of King Ten on stage and off. You can also catch him at the iO West (and other spots around LA) in Hill Jones and The Armando Show. He’s also always teaching and coaching improv so feel free to get in touch if you’d like to work with him.
