Our People
Every member of our team brings a unique and inspired quality to our theater.
From performers to staff to board members, everyone at Mockingbird Improv is experienced in their fields and committed to quality. Often friends outside of “work” they are very supportive of each other (just like an improv team?) Not only are they talented, but they are all having so much fun, it’s impossible not to enjoy watching them do their thing.
Instructors
Jackie first fell in love with improv in 2006 as a creative outlet and a embracing community. She studied improv and theater in college and has immersed herself in a wide range of improv styles from short form to highly experimental two-hour improvised plays. She returned to San Diego in 2014 where she began both performing and organizing in the improv community. She helped innovate a community engagement event called The Lab with Sidestage Improv and later founded a youth program with Old Town Improv Co. (OTIC). She worked as OTIC’s Program Manager for several years before the pandemic saw the permanent close of the theater. Refusing to let the laughter die out she reassembled the team and founded Mockingbird Improv where she continues to pursue her passion for helping people unleash creative flow and build joy and connection in the community.
Jackie Bookstein
Chris has been studying improv since 2001. He’s been blessed to have learned the art form from teachers at San Diego TheatreSports(SDTS), National Comedy Theater, Finest City Improv, Sidestage Improv, BATs, and Mockingbird Improv. After many years performing with SDTS, he was the founding member of Husky Improv, the sexiest improv team in San Diego, Up Yours!, puppet improv, and a collection of other indie groups. Chris has also enjoyed teaching improv classes at SDTS, The La Jolla Comedy Store and The Comedy Palace in San Diego. Chris admires the work of Peter Gabriel, Marina Abramovic, and Fred Rogers. He and his amazing wife Unison have two amazing kids Zion and Zachary.
Chris “Jazz” Colthurst
Sean has performed with and coached a number of improv teams in New York City theaters including Broadway Comedy Club, PIT, Magnet, and UCB. His directing credits include the feature film ACT SOCIAL starring Colin Mochrie (Winner-Film Heals Award-Manhattan Film Festival) and VELO, a solo clown show. Sean relocated to San Diego in early 2023 and is excited to bring his honest and encouraging teaching style to the local improv community.
Sean Mulvihill
Whitney has been performing and actively learning improv since 2016. She studied at Finest City Improv and completed there conservatory program in 2018. Since then she’s taken loads of workshops with talented improvisers from all over the world. Shes performed in All Hands On Deck (2017-2023) and Point of Passion (2017-2019, 2022) a long form improvised soap opera). Presently you can also catch her in her Australian improv Duo, Hacky Sacks and Khaki Slacks, and soon in the new show Mockingbird show Adrift! She firmly believes the world would be a better place if everyone in the world took at least one improv class! Whitney loves that improv allows her to be who or whatever she wants on stage and allows her to feel supported in those choices!
Whitney Seymour
Peter has been practicing and performing improv for 25 years in the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego. He helped co-found Mockingbird Improv in 2021. He has made films, been a visual artist, performed in improv and traditional theater and is, of course, working on a podcast. He performs in Lyrics & Laughs and Adrift, at Mockingbird.
Peter Jacques
Jenn is an enthusiastic improviser who thrives on the magic of the stage. Having a flair for the dramatic she found her skills well suited in sales and marketing. With over ten years of experience she used her talents to bring innovative marketing strategies to life. Working with a plethora of different types of companies and clients has given her the life experiences to diversify her tactics. Thinking outside of the box, while maintaining a high level of communication builds a great scene and a great team!
Jenn Wessels
Adam has been improvising since before the turn of the century, when his days performing in musicals and plays were supplanted by his love of getting on stage without a net (and helping hundreds of others do the same). He has studied with, taught at, and/or performed with many troupes in New York, Chicago, and of course, San Diego. He spent 7 years on the faculty of Chicago’s Second City Training Center teaching both comedy writing and improv before coming to San Diego.
Adam Raichel
Keith has been performing improv and comedy since 2007. In that time he has studied and performed with some of the best improvisers all across the country, taking nuggets of wisdom wherever he can and dipping them into the BBQ sauce of knowledge. He won a comedy award once (it was a long time ago) and he has even written for TV (local TV still counts!). Keith is also very uncomfortable referring to himself in the third person.
Keith Foster
Olivia has been practicing and living improv for over a decade. She has performed on teams at the National Comedy Theatre, Finest City, and an embarassing amount of college and high school improv. The freedom to explore and the ability to connect with others is what draws Olivia to this artform. Using comedy as a way to build confidence and improve teamwork skills, she brings a unique teaching style to Mockingbird Improv. Olivia performs weekly at Mockingbird with Rat City, All Hands on Deck, and Friday Night Flix!
Olivia Heifetz
Damaris Trevizo
John has a great appreciation for improv as an art form due to its collaborative nature. John has had over 10 years learning, teaching and performing improv, and has had a great joy doing so. There is no question that John credits his experience with improv as a major improvement to life in general. At the risk of sounding a little cultish, John would like to encourage anyone and everyone to learn and apply the fundamental lessons of improv at as much as possible and wherever applicable. He promises you will not regret it.
John Lopez
Josh (he/him) is a graduate of the training programs at Finest City Improv, National Comedy Theatre and the Magnet Theater (NYC). He is known for his energetic and supportive play. His classes are focused on creating a fun, and safe space where all of his students get the repetitions and support they need.
Josh Rowland
Belle began acting in plays and musicals before delving into nearly 10 years of improv, from ComedySportz in high school , Seoul City Improv in Korea, and finally to Mockingbird Improv in San Diego. She has also acted professionally on camera in Seoul, Korea.
Belle Fulton
Mae has been teaching improv for 8 years since developing Virginia’s Operation Improv curriculum for the nonprofit Armed Services Arts Partnership. Mae has studied improv performance at both the Second City Conservatory and Groundlings Core Track. She has been on at least a dozen house teams and indie teams at theaters spanning the country, including genre, premise-based, Harold, JTS Brown, movie, musical, puppet, and short form. Her teaching philosophy has been shaped by Teaching Artist training from PsychArmor and psychodrama methods at Duke University and other some of which informed her work in her Masters in Cognitive Neuroscience and her M.Ed. in Instructional Design. Some of her specialized skills include film production, film and theater acting, Shakespeare, vocal performance, sketch, clown, stage combat, and standup. Her standup was featured in a PBS documentary in 2016. Her mission is to unblock shame & fear to tap into every player’s inner genius.
Mae Brayton
Lennie (she/her) discovered improv in 2012 and can’t imagine life without it. She has a background in theatre and music, and has studied improv with Cornerstone, Ruby LA, UCB, and NCT. Her favorite thing about improv is its unapologetic celebration of weird. As a Latina, she is determined to create safe, inclusive spaces that celebrate diversity in the local theatre community. Lennie also enjoys museums, exploring the outdoors, and vibing with her friends, her partner, and their furry buddies, Albie and Roxy. She can be spotted in the wild doing improv with Mockingbird’s “Adrift” house team and her duo, “Jeepers Peepers.” She also wants you to know that your outfit looks great today - neat shoe choice!
Mylene Macias
Andrew has been performing and teaching improv for 13 years. He has a degree in theater and uses his theatrical expertise to bring magic to some of San Diego’s best storytelling improv shows like Book Club, Point of Passion, and so many more. Plus he’s just so dang funny. His depth of experience and supportive teaching style is guaranteed to reignite your Improv mojo!
Andrew Katseanes
Joel has been doing improv for over 8 years and has performed in several festivals including Orange County Improv Fest and Westside Improv fest. He helped produce Jackie: The Improvised Martial Arts Movie. He can currently be seen in Improv VS Stand Up at Mockingbird Improv and Kid Goblin at Finest City Improv.
Joel Arriola
Nick is a writer and performer who has been studying and doing improv since he was 11! He has trained and performed at UCB LA, Second City Chicago, iO Chicago, Annoyance, National Comedy Theater, and Finest City Improv (so yeah, he knows a thing or two about improv). Favorite credits include singing in the choir in The Hunchback of Notre Dame at La Jolla Playhouse, and writing a play with puppets called Ozombie bin Laden: in 3D! Nick looks forward to teaching YOU how to treat everyone like poets and geniuses!
Nick Scutti
Jeff is a San Diego native and has been an actor and performer from an early age, studying Theatre at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts where he was first introduced to improv games as warm-ups and cast party shenanigans. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Television, Film and New Media from San Diego State University with Emphasis in Critical Studies, which means he’s talked a lot about the Kuleshov Effect. For years, he had played the beloved SeaWorld character Biff, among many others, to crowds of thousands and crowds of ones, always with the same amount of comedic zeal and commitment. While at SeaWorld, he also produced and directed award-winning shows and events and created the story treatment for a new children’s playland, Ocean Explorer, in San Diego and Kraken: Unleashed VR in Orlando. He thrives on creating fun experiences for people of all ages to enjoy and laugh about.
Jeff Hillman
Brandon is a performer, instructor, and producer based in San Diego. Since starting his improv journey in 2011, he has trained at iO West, Pack Theater, North Coast, Magnet Theater, and Finest City Improv. Performed at various festivals and theaters around the country. Additionally, he has produced and hosted sold out shows all around San Diego, like Hamiltunes, Dungeons & Dementors, and the Roar Takeover. He has been an instructor at Finest City Improv and Improv Utopia. You can catch him perform with his two person show, Jackie: The Improvised Martial Arts Movie in San Diego or any festivals that'll have them.
Brandon Hensgens
Cory fell in love with improv and comedy while studying it at California State Long Beach and has pursued comedy since then through one form after the other. Cory has performed improv and musical improv in Los Angeles, New York, and San Diego, but also has experience in stand up, freestyling, and video production. You can see Cory perform on All Hands On Deck, On That Note or on the indie team the Downton Daddies. Despite his many facial tattoos and muscular figure, Cory is a real softy, so feel free to chat with him about anything you like.
Cory Coogan
Kristen is a comedian and composer/musician who has been performing improv since 2018 and currently performs with House Team Willis, indie musical team The Basic Pitches, and in various clown shows at Finest City Improv in Hillcrest. She has taught music and movement to adults and kids of all ages for over twenty years and brings her extensive experience in these various arts-related fields to bear in her teaching at Mockingbird Improv.
Kristen Baum Wilcox
staff
Jackie first fell in love with improv in 2006 as a creative outlet and an embracing community. She studied improv and theater in college and has immersed herself in a wide range of improv styles from short form to highly experimental two-hour improvised plays. She returned to San Diego in 2014 where she began both performing and organizing in the improv community. She helped innovate a community engagement event called The Lab with Sidestage Improv and later founded a youth program with Old Town Improv Co. (OTIC). She worked as OTIC’s Program Manager for several years before the pandemic saw the permanent close of the theater. Refusing to let the laughter die out she reassembled the team and founded Mockingbird Improv where she continues to pursue her passion for helping people unleash creative flow and build joy and connection in the community.
Jackie Bookstein
Education Director
Adam has been improvising since before the turn of the century, when his days performing in musicals and plays were supplanted by his love of getting on stage without a net (and helping hundreds of others do the same). He has studied with, taught at, and/or performed with many troupes in New York, Chicago, and of course, San Diego. He spent 7 years on the faculty of Chicago’s Second City Training Center teaching both comedy writing and improv before coming to San Diego.
Adam Raichel
Artistic Director
Peter has been practicing and performing improv for 25 years. He helped co-found Mockingbird Improv in 2021. He earned a BA in Visual Communication with an emphasis in Graphic Design from San Francisco State University. He has made films, been a visual artist, performed in improv and traditional theater and is, of course, working on a podcast. He now brings his knowledge and experience to the theater as Design Director in addition to teaching and performing.
Peter Jacques
Design Director
Jenn is an enthusiastic improviser who thrives on the magic of the stage. Having a flair for the dramatic she found her skills well suited in sales and marketing. With over ten years of experience she used her talents to bring innovative marketing strategies to life. Working with a plethora of different types of companies and clients has given her the life experiences to diversify her tactics. Thinking outside of the box, while maintaining a high level of communication builds a great scene and a great team!
Jenn Wessels
Managing Director
Board of directors
Dean first experimented with sketch comedy and musical theater in high school. While he never studied formally, he was always drawn to performing. From comedy troupes in Los Angeles to musicals in New Zealand to acapella groups in Michigan, Dean returned to his hometown of San Diego and dove into the improv community. Dean helped form an independent musical improv team, and together they performed in a variety of theaters and venues in the area. He performed regularly on a house team at Old Town Improv Co, and made guest appearances with other indie musical improv teams. What Dean most loves about improv is the trust, creativity, collaboration, honesty, and freedom that can so easily be applied to other aspects of life.
Dean Sage
Adam has been improvising since before the turn of the century, when his days performing in musicals and plays were supplanted by his love of getting on stage without a net (and helping hundreds of others do the same). He has studied with, taught at, and/or performed with many troupes in New York, Chicago, and of course, San Diego, in everything from improvised comic books (“Ka-Baam!” off-off-Broadway) to short form competition shows (most recently, Showdown at OTIC). He spent 7 years on the faculty of Chicago’s Second City Training Center teaching both comedy writing and improv before coming to San Diego. He is currently the Artistic Director of Mockingbird Improv and directs the Improv VS Standup show. Adam is also an elite tutor for undergrad and graduate entrance exams, a co-author of several books of math competitions, and a surprisingly graceful dancer, thank you very much!
Adam Raichel
Mary MacFarlane
Belle began acting in plays and musicals before delving into nearly 10 years of improv, from ComedySportz in high school , Seoul City Improv in Korea, and finally to Mockingbird Improv in San Diego. She has also acted professionally on camera in Seoul, Korea. She now performs on several house teams as well as coordinates Indie Night, finding joy in giving improv teams a place to perform and connect within the community.
Belle Fulton
Dr. Shannon McCarty is an academic affairs leader and educator with a passion for student success, learning, and teaching. It is this passion, combined with my multi-faceted and innovative experiences, that have supported and elevated learning programs and ecosystems in the higher education space. Dr. McCarty currently works as the Vice President of Learning and Instruction at Calbright College, California's Online Community College. In this role, she leads the Institution's digital strategy that supports competency-based education programs and aligns the strategic objectives, mission, and values of an innovative learning organization poised for growth.
Shannon McCarty
Zoe Hayman
Lee's first improv show, after six classes in 1989, was in front of 170 people. A lifelong introvert, he was terrified; his knees were literally knocking together in fear. Since then he has performed in thousands of shows across the country doing comedic, dramatic, and musical improv. He continues to be fascinated by the change in people’s lives improv can spark. Facing his fear of being on stage helped Lee find his inner child, taught him to play again, ensured laughter in his life, and even helped him grow from a software developer in a cubicle to a clean energy business leader. You can check out his climate change mitigation podcast at TheClimateChampions.com and listen to him improvise a closing rap to wrap-up each episode.
Lee Krevat
Brian is new to the improv scene and looking forward to being part of the Mockingbird community. For the past ten years, Brian has been a financial analyst working in the private sector. He is excited to lend his financial expertise to enrich the Mockingbird organization, and his sense of humor to enrich the improv community on the whole.
Brian Connover
Erica’s been doing improv since 2018, performing on different teams, playing at festivals, and even acting in some award-winning sketch comedies. She’s especially into the Slacker form, where she gets to dive into fast-paced scenes, and she absolutely loves throwing out terrible accents on stage just for the fun of it.
Erica Oberbauer Sutton
John Paul Lopez has a great appreciation for improv as an art form due to its collaborative nature. John has had over 10 years learning, teaching and performing improv, and has had a great joy doing so. There is no question that John credits his experience with improv as a major improvement to life in general. At the risk of sounding a little cultish, John would like to encourage anyone and everyone to learn and apply the fundamental lessons of improv at as much as possible and wherever applicable. He promises you will not regret it.
John Lopez
Mae has been teaching improv for 8 years since developing Virginia’s Operation Improv curriculum for the nonprofit Armed Services Arts Partnership. Mae has studied improv performance at both the Second City Conservatory and Groundlings Core Track. She has been on at least a dozen house teams and indie teams at theaters spanning the country, including genre, premise-based, Harold, JTS Brown, movie, musical, puppet, and short form. Her teaching philosophy has been shaped by Teaching Artist training from PsychArmor and psychodrama methods at Duke University and other some of which informed her work in her Masters in Cognitive Neuroscience and her M.Ed. in Instructional Design. Some of her specialized skills include film production, film and theater acting, Shakespeare, vocal performance, sketch, clown, stage combat, and standup. Her standup was featured in a PBS documentary in 2016. Her mission is to unblock shame & fear to tap into every player’s inner genius.
Mae Brayton
Karallyn Kruse