Meet The Instructors
David Charles
David Charles, PhD, works as a professional improvisational practitioner, deviser, author, and improv scholar. A New Zealander by birth, David has called central Florida home since 2003, where he has served as a Professor of Theatre and Dance, Departmental Chair, Producing Director of the historic Annie Russell, and Founding Artistic Director of Rollins Improv Players at Rollins College. He is a former Equity improviser with Walt Disney World’s Comedy Warehouse and a proud ensemble member, instructor, and director at the region’s preeminent improv venue, Sak Comedy Lab.
His Improv Dictionary: An A to Z of Improvisational Terms, Techniques, and Tools with Routledge hits the shelves in April. Original improvisational works include: (Your) Opera in a Trunk, Variations on a Theme, The Lost Comedies of William Shakespeare, Upton Abbey: An Improvised Comedy of English Manors, Murder We Wrote, and Lights Up: The Improvised Rock Opera. For more about David's career and projects, and to access his comprehensive online Game Library, visit www.improvdr.com.
Fred Brown
Fred Brown graduated from the Pig Iron School / University of the Arts in Philadelphia with an MFA in Devised Performance. Prior to that, he worked as a Latin and Greek teacher, holding an undergraduate degree in Classical Philology from Harvard University. He has been involved in performing, directing, and coaching improv comedy since 2013. He has participated in improv festivals across the US and Canada.
For six years, he was part of weekly improv comedy shows in Philadelphia, primarily with the teams The Future and Dream Tank. He also instructed improv at the Philly Improv Theater, catering to beginners seeking to broaden their skills and advanced improvisers aiming to refine their craft.
At one point, he was hired to recite Duchamp’s manifesto in a men’s bathroom at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Jonathan Pitts
Jonathan Pitts is an award-winning international improv theatre artist and storyteller. He's performed and/or taught in 26 countries and 104 cities. He's the former Executive Director of Chicago Improv Productions; Co-Founder/Producer -Chicago Improv Festival; Creator/Producer - College Improv Tournament; Founder/Producer - Teen Comedy Fest; Founder/Producer - Chicago Podcast Festival; Creator/Director of improv theatre productions The Oracle; The Silent Movie; and Storybox Theatre. He taught, coached, and directed at The Second City Training Centerfor 16 years. He’s a contributing writer to Anne Libera's book, "The Second City Improv Almanac''. He’s written the forward to two books on improv: Improv Shaman and On Directing Improv. He’s been interviewed for several improv books and has been a guest on many podcasts. He’s also the narrator for the feature film He Went That Way which was released worldwide in September 2023.
Ryan Goodman
Ryan Goodwin is a 28-year old, Orlando-based musician whose current credits include music director & keyboardist for bands such as Wish Radio and Queen K & the Vibe; music director at SAK Comedy Lab; and performing at Universal Studios Orlando. He is the former keyboardist of Raspberry Pie and has composed for musicals seen at the Orlando Fringe Festival, including Buggin' Out: A Small Musical (2018), and Ladies Room: The Musical (2019).
Since 2010, he has been producing electronic music under the name Metablip, and has releases on Spotify & Bandcamp. His latest project, Goon Reunion, is also now on Spotify and other streaming platforms.
Shaun Landry
Shaun Landry founded The Ledge Theatre in Los Angeles, which does improvisation, sketch, poetry, and storytelling and is more geared specifically to diversity in theater. She was a member of The Second City Chicago, Geese Theatre Company (drama therapy in prisons and penitentiaries), and Co-Founded The San Francisco Improv Festival. She performs with improv and life partner Hans Summers as Landry and Summers. As a SAG Actor, she can be seen in the movies Milk, Read You Like A Book, and BAD CGI SHARKS. She can be read in the book Whose Improv Is It Anyway? Beyond The Second City about diversity in improvisational theater.