Dan Sipp

Dan Sipp began improvising in 1988 with Transactors Improv Company and has taught improvisation for over 10 years. In 1998 he moved to Chicago where he studied, performed and directed for eight years. He is a graduate of The Annoyance and The iO (formerly ImprovOlympic) training centers and has studied with such improv luminaries as Paul Sills, Del Close, Charna Halpern, Mick Napier, Joe Bill and at The Second City. Dan has taught at festivals around the country as well as Duke University, Raleigh Little Theater, The Carrboro Arts Center and The iO. He also directs The Break Room (the student show), and Temporary Tag (the Harold team), as part of The Late Night at The Worx series.

Senior Instructor

Bryan Cronk

One of the founding members of ComedyWorx and a graduate of the iO South Training Center, Bryan Cronk has 19 years of improvisation experience and has been training performers since 1990. He is a dynamic trainer and facilitator with over 16 years of corporate training experience as a part of a rich 26 year career in business. His diverse background has allowed him to become expert at applying the value of humor and improv to the growth of team skills, strengthening relationships and increasing productivity. Bryan has presented at local and national conferences on the use of improv in team development.

Director, Corporate Training

Larry Howard

Larry Howard has been a member of ComedyWorx since 1995 and has been teaching improv since 1998. He is a graduate of the iO South Training Center. He is also one of the original instructors and leaders of ComedyWorx's Associate Troupe. He has taught many workshops at ComedyWorx. Currently, he directs the long-form ensemble Antitrust Ice Cream. Larry performs at The Worx in the ComedyWorx show as well as with the long-form groups Touchy Feely and Temporary Tag. He has performed in various cities across the country and has taken workshops with instructors who have studied, performed and taught at places such as ComedySportz, iO Chicago, UCB, DSI, and Comedy City.

Senior Instructor

Jason Matthews

Jason Matthews has been improvising since the fall of 2000 and teaching improv since 2004. Since completing the Worx shortform improvisation program, he has performed shows in Raleigh, Buffalo, Kansas City, Green Bay, and throughout the Southeast. Jason is also a graduate of the longform program at the IO South Training Center and currently plays on the longform Harold team Temporary Tag. He has studied improv with Anthony King, Charlie Todd, Charna Halpern, TJ Jagodowski, David Pasquesi, and Liz Allen.

Senior Instructor

Ben Moser

Ben Moser began improvising with ComedyWorx in 2000. In 2002 he was among the founding members of Destroy All Monsters - Raleigh's first ever longform improv group. He began teaching improv in 2003 and has continued to teach with ComedyWorx, DSI Comedy Theater, and the now defunct SIC. He has performed improv and sketch across the country with ComedyWorx, DSI, and UCB. He has studied improv in classes and workshops from dozens of names including Matt Besser, Asaf Ronin, and Anthony King.

Senior Instructor

Jessi Nemeth

Local actress and artist Jessi Nemeth has been with ComedyWorx since 2008. In addition to receiving her undergraduate degree in theatre, she has also been fortunate enough to extend her studies at the famed Second City in Chicago under the tutelage of founding member Michael Gellman. She has found the skill and tools of improvisation to be an asset to her as an actress as well as in life. As a member of the resident troope, she can be seen performing at ComedyWorx on a regular basis.

Instructor

Brian Thacker

A performer of ComedyWorx since the spring of 2003, Brian has been functioning as its resident director since 2007. He is an iO South Training Center graduate and has received training from Charna Halpern & Jason Chinn of iO Chicago; Matt Besser, founder of NYC’s UCB; Asaf Ronin and Chris Gethard, both of NYC’s UCB; the musically gifted Glennis McMurray, Eliza Skinner, and Travis Poloeger of I Eat Pandas; and DSI. In addition to being a resident performer at The Worx, he is founder and performer of Hotel Principality, an improvised musical.

Senior Instructor

Mark Lewis

Mark Lewis is a pianist, composer and music director who does a lot of theater. His most recent shows include The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Shipwrecked! both at Playmakers Repertory Co. in Chapel Hill, and Souvenir done at Common Ground theater in Durham.
Mark was music director for Transactors Improv in the old days of the group (1990's). Over a span of several years and many shows he derived techniques of song improvisation and taught them to the group.

Guest Instructor

"Dan Sipp brings a lot of experience to the table, so his advice is always genuine and trustworthy. He brings examples from Chicago and from his show experience. Dan has a large repertoire of exercises and games to keep things consistently instructive and fresh." - Philip Boyne, Resident Performer ComedyWorx for 7 Years

"Jason Matthews is an awesome performer and an outstanding instructor. Jason commits to his onstage characters as completely and skillfully as anyone I've seen, and he deftly applies these talents in the classroom to create a wonderfully engaging experience." - Jason Pates, Account Manager at RTP-area software company and The Worx Training Center student

"Brian Thacker gave great insight and instruction while remaining positive and keeping it fun! It was the perfect learning and laughing environment. I look forward to many more classes at The Worx Training Center!" - Mimi Shankin, Business Development- NC Community Shares

"Brian Thacker makes learning a hilariously wonderful experience! I recommend it to anyone wanting to learn to play more, have more self-confidence, become more creative, and even just to have a place to let loose for awhile. It really did change my life!!!" - Jessi Nemeth, Artist & Mother, and, Now, Crazy Improv Enthusiast!!!

"Chris Moore was a wonderful teacher. His ability to draw on his filmmaking experience and channel it into instructing us on the improving our characters, scene reality and miming made his class very enjoyable." - Cary LaMay – Project Manager, Citigroup - Comedy Worx Trainee for 3 months