Sally Hepler
Sally has loved performing ever since, as a young child, she would recite the entirety of the Lion King from her swing set to no one. While she found theater (mostly musical) in high school and college, Westside is her improv home. She started on the piano and played shows for years before finally getting up the courage to do the “onstage thing”. She would like to take this opportunity to thank and blame her husband Josh for getting her into improv.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Michelle Borter-Gurak
Michelle has been singing and acting in plays and musicals since the ripe old age of five. After starting a family, the theater took a back seat for several years. Missing being on stage, she started thinking about trying a new type of performance, and that’s when she discovered improv. Curious as to what improv was all about she registered for an 8-week class at Westside Improv in early 2016 and was hooked!
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Matt Guglielmi
Matt started doing improv back in 1998 at Fredonia University in Western New York with the comedy group Random Acts. After graduating, Matt with two friends moved to Chicago to try life in the big city. Matt completed the training program at iO and performed on the team Ralphies Rug for two years. He was also on various teams at the Playground theater. He then took time off from improv to help repopulate the Earth. He is excited to return to improv at his new home Westside Improv.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Lisa Schmela
Lisa is a member of SAG-AFTRA. She worked professionally as an actress in NYC and LA before moving to Chicago. Her career highlights include two years with Shakespeare in the Park, a recurring role as Candice Howard on General Hospital, and guest star spots on ED, Even Stevens, and several national commercials. She has trained with Second City Detroit and performed on the main stage in Blah Blah Sista-Hood. Now she is a sought-after acting coach and guest artist for several Dupage County schools.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Laura Kivisto
Laura Kivisto started her training in improv and sketch with classes at Westside Improv in 2016. She is best known for her 90’s hip-hop references and claiming she is dead inside.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Kathleen Richardson
A native of Lisle, Kathleen has always enjoyed making people laugh. She acted in plays in high school and college—then got married and raised four fabulous children. Life changes brought employment opportunities at People’s Resource Center here in Wheaton. After downsizing her life and looking for comedic things to make her heart flutter again, Kathleen found Westside Improv. The classes were fun and supportive! She’s made many new friends of all ages! And Jeff Ash has made the journey to House Team a wonderful one! Her advice is to jump into whatever it is that you love! It’s never too late!
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Karin Rettger
Karin Rettger found her love for Improv at Westside! She took her first class without any knowledge of improv or any experience acting. Studying under some great teachers at Westside, and after getting over the fear of performing, she learned how playful and fun it is! A single mom, she discovered a supportive community at Westside, wonderful friends, and Taco Tuesdays at Muldoons. She has her own successful business in Glen Ellyn as a Benefits Advisor and Wealth Manager. Karin graduated from Elmhurst College and obtained her Master Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Karen Craven
Little did Karen Craven know when she awoke the morning of November 1, 2017, that a nearly forgotten goal of practicing improv would come to fruition. She pasted “Improv” into a dream box more than a decade earlier, in part because she thought she was funnier than her sister who practiced it. The second daughter of five children born to a former nun and Chicago firefighter, Karen’s initial path as a communicator began as the family storyteller. As a news reporter she covered murderers and mayors. When she went into government and politics the actors changed to felonious statesmen. Her work in corporate and now in not for profits has her massaging messaging for the masses through the right medium. Her favorite part of Improv is connecting with her fellow players, seconded by making random thoughts into absurd comical sense. Mom to one teenage daughter and two dogs, she’s humbled to be in the company of the wittiest women she knows. She lives by the words of Oscar Wilde, “Be yourself, everyone else is taken.”
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Josh Hepler
Josh Hepler has been performing Improv ever since he stumbled upon it in High School. He is a graduate of the Second City Training Center Conservatory, and formerly performed with Frank Frank at One Group Mind in Chicago. He also teaches Youth Theater Acting and Improv classes.
He enjoys film, attempts to write a novel every November, and has completed several Pokédexes.
Josh directs BOINK!.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
John Abbott
John Abbott started improvising in late 1999 and hasn’t planned out anything since. He’s a graduate of Second City’s Conservatory, iO, and Annoyance, and he worked at iO for nine years. Over those years, he estimates that he’s seen over 5,000 improv shows, and all of them were amazing. He’s performed around the U.S. and coaches several teams. In his spare time, John keeps two cats that he’s trained to attack intruders.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Jeff Ash
Jeff Ash is the owner and Artistic Director of Westside Improv Studio. Jeff is an alumnus of The Second City, Hollywood, and has performed and taught improvisation all over the U.S..
The host of TEDx Naperville in 2016 & 2017, Jeff also performed at the 2017 event with his team Rad Uncle. On top of teaching the Intro to Improv class at Westside, Jeff also coaches several teams and teaches sketch writing.
Jeff is the co-creator and primary teacher at Westside Studio B, focusing on organizational training, communication, leadership, and development.
UPCOMING SHOWS
David Barron
David Barron started doing improv in “Spontaneous Art” at Michigan State University where he received his BA in Theatre. After college, he attended the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College (yes THE Clown College) and trained to be a circus clown. David had the honor of spending a weekend learning improv from Del Close 30 years ago and has been studying and performing improv at Westside since April 2015. David is thrilled to be a part of the Westside Improv family and looks forward to the years ahead.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Danny Mecler
From his introduction to improv at their first class, to his participation in Players Workshop and Sketch class writing, his entire comedy experience has revolved around Westside Improv. During his non-comedic time, Danny is a graphic designer, musician, finger-skateboarder, and most importantly, a wrestling fan.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Dave Kuhlmann Taylor
Dave began his improv and sketch comedy journey in 1999, when he moved from the DC area to Chicago to take classes at Second City. There, he penned “Starbuck Trek”, ek,” a Star Trek parody set in a coffee shop—inspired by his barista position at Starbucks and featuring the characters Scones McSoy, Pecan, Biscotti, Mr. Stock, Cremora, Mr. Solo, and James T. Perk. Trust us, it was brilliant and cutting-edge comedy. A couple years later, he started long-form improv classes at iO, and eventually joined the main stage ensemble, Rattlesnake High School. In Los Angeles, he performed weekly for seven years at iO Hollywood with USS Rock N Roll, who performed at festivals in San Francisco, Boston, and Los s Angeles. He also toured the festival circuit with the sketch comedy group, 25th Century Heroes, who somehow managed to sell an ad campaign dubbed the “Hot-N-Ready Talker” to Little Caesars Pizza about a carpool commuter who wouldn’t stop talking about Crazy Bread. Dave is happy to be back in the Chicago area and is thrilled to be performing with the perfect gentlemen of Rad Uncle.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Danny Bowery
Danny Bowery, best known as the back-to-back-to-back St. Francis Borgia Grammar School Spelling Bee champion (‘98, ‘99, ‘00), has been a part of the Westside community for almost 4 years. When he’s not tearing it up with house team, Boink!, he can be found watching Bar Rescue or keeping his local community Facebook group on its toes #fortyfive. Danny lives in Elmhurst with his wife and Chiweenie.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Jon Ksiazek
Jon Ksiazek began his training at Second City in Chicago in 2012. After a few years away, Jon picked up improv again at Westside in 2016. When he’s not improvising, Jon works as a civil rights lawyer. You cannot convince him that gif is pronounced with a hard g.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Sarah Haggett
Sarah discovered improv while trying to impress the cool kids in high school. Now in her 30’s and a pediatric occupational therapist, she has rediscovered improv at Second City and Westside, and is still trying to impress high school kids on the regular. She is grateful for the opportunity to play with her Westside family while staring down fears of failure and rejection both collectively and with total abandon.
UPCOMING SHOWS
PERFORMS WITH
Tom Walker
Tom has been performing in plays and musicals since high school, but his first improv class was at Westside in the fall of 2017. Tom has enjoyed the community, the challenges, the discoveries, and the deep laughs so much at Westside that he hasn’t left. He will also be happy to enthusiastically discuss nearly any geeky topic with you. Just try him.