EDUCATION DIRECTOR

Siobhan O’Hara

Siobhan O’Hara is the Education Director of ComedySportz Philly and has been a Philly-based comedian performing improv for 10 years in New York and Philadelphia. In addition to performing in ComedySportz, Siobhan worked as a cast member of The She-Quel and Dun-Dun: Improvized Crime Unit. Siobhan has performed at ComedySportz Philadelphia, Philly Improv Theater, Crossroads Comedy Theater, This Week Sucked at The Lab in Ambler, and is a member of the indie improv teams: Daddy Issues and Tchotchke. She is also the co-author of The Comedy Improv Handbook

David Dritsas :: Instructor

David Dritsas has been performing improv and sketch comedy professionally for over 23 years, working at ComedySportz in both Philadelphia and Chicago. He also worked for The Second City Theatricals department, performing in various shows and aboard cruise ships. Additionally, he has performed at the Annoyance Theater in Chicago in the long-running hit show, Hitch-Cocktails. He's now back in Philly and regularly performs with popular improv shows such as Murder Manor, Roll Play, Puppets Here & There, Trash Puppets, and more. He also has over 15 years of experience teaching improv at all levels, including musical improv

Don Montrey :: Instructor

Don Montrey joined ComedySportz in 2002 and was Executive Director from 2012-2024. He created and hosted the comedy shows DIE, ACTOR, DIE, The Dirtiest Sketch in Philadelphia and the NED Talks: Funny People Talking About Funny Things. For 13 years, Don was the Head News Writer for 1812 Productions’ This Is The Week That Is.

Em Harnett :: Instructor

Em Harnett is an actor, writer and comedian currently based in Philly. They earned their Acting BFA from Point Park University and are now ~doing the thing~. Em has performed most notably at 54 Below, The Fillmore Philadelphia, Punch Line Philly, Philly Improv Theater, and Comedy Sportz. Along with private coaching, Em has taught at Philly Improv Theater for nine seasons and is currently the Acting Coach at Lower Merion High School. Em just premiered their solo show, Mommy & Momma or The Queerspawn Play, which received an honorable mention in the Philly Fringie Awards. Along with theater and improv, Em also does acting and writing for film/TV. As a teacher they lead from a place of exploration, play and values strong and supportive communities in class. They hope to see you this winter!

Jake Lucas :: Instructor

Jake Lucas (they/them) is the Artistic Director of ComedySportz Philly, and has been improvising and educating for over 9 years. Their specialty in play and social & emotional learning (SEL) helps ensure everyone can put the "imp" in impulse.

Jake has taught, devised, and consulted with the City of Philadelphia, University of the Arts, Philadelphia School of Improv, Playworks, Fab Youth Philly, School District of Philadelphia, Mantua Theater Project, and countless other clients. They have performed with Pseudonym Productions, Maukingbird Theater Co., American Immersion Theater, SideQuest Theater, Waterhouse Collective, Swim Pony Performing Arts, Collaboration Town, and of course ComedySportz Philadelphia, appearing throughout Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, and online. They’ve won Best Actor and Best Acting, along with Best Ensemble, Best Film in the Philadelphia 48hr film festival.

Jake is the creator and Director of PRIDE & Prejudice: A Queer Parody, Detective Improv: a noir film parody, Game Night: the party-game game show, The Neighborhood, and But WAIT there’s MORE! Jake is the current lead artistic producer for Dual Duel, The Longform Mini Festival, the Improv Double Feature, and so many more amazing shows at CSz Philly.

You can see them performing improv comedy right now in ComedySportz, Roll Play, Hallmarkable, Be Kind, Puppets Here & There, Mirror Zone, Best Medicine, or wherever fresh hoagies are sold.

Jim Burns :: Instructor

Jim Burns is so grateful to be an instructor and performer with CSz Philly. Jim attended ComedySportz Philly roadshows while in college back in the mid-90s and became an avid fan! Twenty years later - in 2014 - he was in the cast! Before and during his time with CsZ, Jim studied improv, performed on a long-form house team (Hot Dish!), and did a Star Trek-like show (Warp Jawn!) with Philly Improv Theater. Additionally, Jim has been stage acting since 1990 - including performing in school tours and facilitating educational workshops. He's done a few internet series, been an extra in a few movies and tv shows, and also worked as a mascot for several years. He is currently in the midst of a 10-year commitment to learn how to tap dance. Meanwhile, he tries to "Yes, And" the relentless offers of fatherhood.

Karen Getz :: Instructor

Karen Getz is a Philadelphia-based performer, choreographer, theater-maker and teacher. She’s been improvising for 40 years and teaching improv since 1990. Karen began performing and teaching with Comedysportz Philadelphia in 1994. Her improv training began with TheaterSports and The Groundlings in Los Angeles and she has studied with Mike Abdullah, Keith Johnstone, Joe Bill, Jeff Wirth and Jill Bernard. She has a degree in Acting and Dance from Binghamton University. She was a co-founder/director of Tapestry Theater, Philly’s first female-centered theater company - where she produced The Female Funnyfest- a national theater festival premiering new, boundary- bending comic works by female-identifying artists. She was a member of the 5 member, long-form ensemble Lunchlady Doris during its 12 year life span,13 Skirts (Philly’s first women’s improv ensemble) and the fully-improvised musical, Choosical. She created and performed (with Kelly Jennings) the award-winning, improvised, immersive theater-experiment- Cecily and Gwendolyn’s Fantastical…throughout the U.S. and, since 2012, she and art-partner, Dawn Falato, have been performing The Gorgeousity-an immersive, audience-centered, improvised musical-theater party. Karen has garnered three Barrymore Awards for her theater choreography and her three, original, comic-actor’s ballets (featuring many members of Comedysportz Philly.)Karen began her career as a movie and video dancer. You can see her 23 year old -dancing (and gum-chewing) self in the movie, Dirty Dancing.

Keane Cobb :: Instructor

Keane Cobb is an actor, improviser, standup comedian and writer from Philadelphia, PA. Keane has been writing and performing his own brand of comedy since 2008 while living in Pittsburgh, PA. Keane has hosted at the Funny Bone in Albany, Helium Comedy Club and Punchline Comedy Club in Philadelphia. He is also a member of the all POC comedy troupe NYTEShift, the comedic trio known as Black History Monthly, the improv team Not Yet Rated, and a company member of ComedySportz. He has performed in a number of comedy festivals including the Pittsburgh Comedy Festival, Hell Yes Fest in New Orleans, New York Sketch Fest, NYC Improv Fest, Cinder Block Comedy Festival in Brooklyn, Diverse AF Festival in New York, We The People Improv Festival, Philly Sketch Fest, Philadelphia Podcast Festival, and Fringe Festival. More recently, Keane has taught multiple improv classes. Keane has hosted/open for Tommy Davidson, John Heffron, Jessica Michelle Singleton, Jamali Maddix, Randy Feltface, Zach Martina, Duncan Tressel, Yedoye Travis, Darryl Charles, Setoiyo and Chappelle Lacey.

Mary Carpenter :: Instructor

Mary Carpenter has been with ComedySportz Philadelphia since 1992, where she has worked as a performer, teacher, Education Director and Artistic Director. She holds degrees in theatre from Northwestern University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Her improv training began at The Second City in Chicago and continued with Mick Napier, Keith Johnstone, Joe Bill, Todd Stashwick, Jill Bernard, and Jeff Wirth. She has appeared in plays with Stephen Colbert, and David Schwimmer, and developed and performed in an original two-woman show with SNL alum Ana Gasteyer. Mary co-founded Philadelphia’s first non-profit Improvisation Company, Freefall Productions where she produced Philly’s first women’s improv ensemble 13 Skirts, as well as the fully improvised musical Choosical. In addition to ComedySportz Philadelphia, Mary’s improvisation experience includes City of Nutterly Love with The Second City, Dangerous Fools with Thomas Fowler, ‘Til Death Do Us Part, Wisdom Teeth and Smoochy & Me. Mary also works as an actress, writer and director. Most recent projects include directing I Love You, You're Perfect Now Change at Act II. She is the author of the improv guide Do or Do Not: How to Improvise Like a Jedi.

Susannah Beckett :: Instructor

Susannah has been a performing member of ComedySportz since 2007. She holds a theater degree from Rutgers University, New Brunswick. After University she toured the East coast for six months with the KingFisher Theater Company performing two original plays - both used puppets, one used fire. She has had the opportunity to teach with many great organizations including: Story-Up! as the Artistic Director 2018-2020, Open Circle as the lead instructor for the senior citizen improv group, Hedgerow Theater, Temple University, Thomas Jefferson University, and many more. She loves ComedySportz and for over a decade has been teaching for CSz as a class instructor, workshop leader and team building facilitator for non-profits, corporate clients and private events. Off the stage, she works as an Environmental Educator for Philadelphia Parks & Rec and teaches Landscape Ecology at TJU. She is delighted to use her improv skills everyday to help people connect to each other and the planet.

Tom England :: Instructor

Tom England  is a performer and screenwriter with over ten years of experience in Philadelphia improv.  While also being a regular player in ComedySportz, Tom has been seen in Hallmarkable, Off the Record: The Improvised Rock Musical, as well as the creator and director of The Mirror Zone. Tom is a graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Professional Program in Screenwriting, but don't worry he won't ask you to read his screenplays (unless you really want to!).

Instructor Hall of Fame

The following amazing instructors taught in our education program for a one-off course or dutifully for years. While they may no longer be running classes for the Philadelphia School of Improv (PSI), they are still amazing forces for improv, art-making, and almost all can be found performing and teaching to this day one way or another.

Features coming soon for Sarah LeClair, Kevin Regan, Josh Holober-Ward, Kelsey Hebert, Emily Davis, Prateekshit Pandey, Kelly Jennings

Kristin Finger

KRISTIN FINGER has studied/performed improv since 2001 and has been a member of CSz Philadelphia since 2007, where she served as the the Artistic Director for 7 years. At CSz Philadelphia, Kristin created the hit shows Murder Manor: An Improvised Game of Clue and Murder Manor: The Golden Girls Edition.

Her acting and improv training include the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, Second City Chicago, CSz Worldwide, and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. She has studied under Paul Scheer (The League), Seth Morris (Parks and Recreation), Jill Bernard, Jen Childs (1812 Productions), and Tara DeFrancisco. While in New York, Kristin performed stand-up in clubs including The Comedy Cellar and Standup NY alongside Jim Gaffigan and Dave Attell.

A few other projects/shows she’s been a part of are Improvukkah at 1812 Productions, Just Wingin’ it at Act II Playhouse; independent groups include Grey Gardens, Kris&Chips, Wisdom Teeth, The Real Housewives of Philadelphia, Spirit Animal, which have performed in different festivals across the US. She has also been teaching/coaching improv since 2010 in cities including Philadelphia, Boston, San Jose, Richmond, and Chicago.

Caroline Rhoads

CAROLINE RHOADS was first bit by the improv bug in college where, while receiving her B.F.A. in Performing Arts, she coached and performed with her campus troupe (The Happy Tuesday Players). After taking her first intensive with Second City, she was hooked. She then made her way to Philly where, through her apprenticeship at the Walnut Street Theater, she was able to connect with and bolster her acting chops under the guidance of Seth Rozin, Ellen Tobie, Jennie Eisenhower, and Susie Stephens. Caroline then decided to supplement her love for performing with her love for teaching. Teaching credits include Mighty Writers: Girl Power Theater (A grant-funded program she developed for young women to find their voice through improvisation), Barrymore Award Winning Program: Of Mythic Proportions, Art Reach, Story Up!, Child Drama workshops, and the Delaware Art’s Initiative: Camp Imagine. In between planning  lessons she made time to study long and short form improvisation with such talented comedians as Susan Messing (IO), Jen Childs (1812 Productions), Maggy Keegan (Figment Theater), Nathan Edmondson (PHIT), Kristin Finger, and Dave Jadico. She largely credits the training she's received through ComedySportz for the skills she possesses today. 

Tanya Morgan

Tanya Morgan is a director, performer, writer, teaching artist, and host. She began her career acting on stage and in films and commercials. Tanya has been writing and performing sketch comedy with her sketch team The Rhubarbs since they were thrown together as part of a competition more than three years ago. Tanya's last acting performance was at Allen’s Lane Theatre as Suzanne in the hilarious comedy “Dearly Departed”. Tanya performs comedy improv regularly with indie improv teams: Daddy Issues, the N Crowd, Not Yet Rated, No Diggity and Nyteshift. Tanya became a teaching artist in 2018. Since then, she has taught acting and improv classes and workshops at the Philly Improv Theater, Crossroads Comedy Theater, Pulley and Buttonhole Theatre Company, Philly Dance Fitness, The Unscripted Project and Philly Young Playwrights (as an actor). Tanya has also started her own organization in New Jersey, Sawubona Creativity Project, LLC, where she uses improv to teach social-emotional learning skills in a fun and interactive way,  to students of all ages. 

Kris O’Brien

Kris O’Brien has been performing on stage for over 40 years! She earned her BA in Theater from the University of Delaware, and currently teaches Public Speaking and Theater to middle school students (now that takes improv skills!) Before she was introduced to CSz Philadelphia, Kris performed in the area with the Ritz Theater, the Bridge Street Players, and the Burlington County Footlighters. Once enlightened, Kris studied improv through the CSz Education program and had the good fortune to learn from the greats: Karen Getz, Mary Carpenter, Kelly Jennings, Dave Jadico, and Kristin Finger. In fact, she continues to learn every time she’s on stage with her fellow players. Kris was cast as a member of the CSz Philadelphia Main Company in 2002, and has been performing consistently ever since. As a player with CSz Philadelphia, she has been able to perform at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles and at the Wilma Theater here in Philadelphia. She’s excited to share her love of teaching and improv with her students here at CSz Philadelphia and to spread the fun!

Sue Taney

SUE TANEY has been performing on stage since before birth. As the daughter of an 80’s punk-rocker, she spent a lot of time on stage with her mom during her childhood. She decided to learn more about performance and earned a BA from Rowan University in 2006. When a friend brought her to a CSz show later that year, it was love at first sight.

Sue studied at CSz Philly and took all of their classes (including musical improv) with Karen Getz, Dave Dristas, Kelly Jennings, and Mary Carpenter from 2007-2010. She also studied at the PHIT training center with Nick Gilette, Kristen Schier, and Mark Binghurst from 2009-2010. She has performed with the indie long-form improv group Rookie Card from 2010-2013 under the direction of Matt Holmes. She attended festivals such as the DelClose Marathon 12 & 13, NCCAF 2012 & 2013, and the Philadelphia Improv Festival with them. She was a writer and actress in the PHIT series The Gross Show and is on the PHIT sketch comedy house team Goat Rodeo. She played the part of Andie in John Hughes High at Figment Theater and is in CityBeatz, a improvised rap group with some of her CSz buddies. She is also part of the 2012 WitOut award winning group for best improv group, Hate Speech Committee.

Rob O’Neill

Rob O’Neill is an actor, writer, improv performer and teacher based out of Philadelphia. He is a member of the improv teams The Future, Not Yet Rated and Study Hall. He has also been on the teams Double Play and Outside Voices, as well as the sketch comedy team Tiny Arson. He has appeared in numerous shows in the Philadelphia area, including ‘SorkinCorp,’ ‘Shark Tank: The Final Episode,’ ‘Town’ and the House of Solitude shows ‘McNickel’ and ‘A Galaxy Uncherished.’