Brian Stephen Ellis is a writer and storyteller who has been story coaching with the BACKFENCE storytelling series since 2014, as well as teaching storytelling through Portland Community College since 2017. He has also published five collections of poetry through Write Bloody Books, University of Hell and Limit Zero Press. More info can be found at brianellis.info 

Deanna Fleysher is an internationally-renowned drag clown, comedy artist, teacher and director currently based in Bellingham, WA. She cultivates comedy that is interactive, magnetic and brave. She has toured extensively with her award-snatching hit show Butt Kapinski, and now her new duo show CINEPRIXXX, as well as directing many award-eating touring solo and duo shows. Deanna's workshops sell out all over the English-speaking world, and Finland. For more info, visit www.dontcallitclown.com, and please check out her blog at dontcallitclown.substack.com. 

Jon began teaching improv in the early 2010s in Austin, TX at The Hideout Theatre and co-produced The Out-of-Bounds Comedy Festival. He has since traveled to London, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, among others to teach and direct niche forms of improvised theater and comedy. His favorite classes, however, will always be working with newcomers and watching them gain confidence, awareness, and the power of being present. He strives to make everyone feel comfortable, safe, seen & heard.

Jon began teaching improv in the early 2010s in Austin, TX at The Hideout Theatre and co-produced The Out-of-Bounds Comedy Festival. He has since traveled to London, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, among others to teach and direct niche forms of improvised theater and comedy. His favorite classes, however, will always be working with newcomers and watching them gain confidence, awareness, and the power of being present. He strives to make everyone feel comfortable, safe, seen & heard.

Thea is a local improviser, aspiring gardener, and shark-aficionado. Thea performs regularly as a member of the Breaking News improv team and hosts the Kickin' Off Your Weekend with Kickstand Comedy show on XRAY.fm. With 11 years of improv experience, 4 years in the Kickstand community and nearly twenty years as a self-proclaimed "comedy nerd" - Thea is thrilled to bring her passions for community, comedy, and life-long learning to her role as a teacher. 

Dana Murphy is a midwest transplant with a passion for comedy. Since joining the Portland comedy scene in 2017, she’s performed improv with various groups around town including current teams HONK, For Ginger, and Hot Dip. While improv holds her heart, you can also see her writing and performing sketch comedy with Pretty Kitty Glitter Party.

When she’s not performing, Dana loves hunting down delish vegan spots, having solo concerts in her car, and smoochin’ on her little dog named Tuna.

Widely regarded as a resident of Portland, Steven Wilber is one of the funniest comics currently teaching stand up classes at Kickstand. He is the winner of the Portland’s Funniest Person contest in 2014, has performed at Montreal’s Just For Laughs and the Bridgetown Comedy Festivals, and has opened for comedy greats like Tig Notaro, Dana Gould, Ron Funches, and the guy who voiced the Taco Bell chihuahua. Steven’s style of humor blends wit, whimsy, and utter stupidity into material that breaks the conventions of traditional stand up, to varying levels of success. Also, the Portland Mercury has called him an “agent of chaos” on multiple occasions, for whatever that’s worth.

Natalie is an improviser, actor, and karaoke enthusiast who found her love for improv during her time earning a degree in Theater Arts back in 2013. Since then, she’s trained with UCB New York, The Brody Theater, The Liberators, and found her home at Kickstand Comedy. Their career highlights include performances with groups like Portland’s WAFE and Show Ridiculous, alongside touring engagements with the Kickstand Cvlt ensemble. Natalie has performed in festivals such as the Del Close Marathon and the Vancouver International Improv Festival, consistently delighting audiences with her infectious enthusiasm. Beyond the stage, Natalie is deeply committed to fostering a nurturing environment for aspiring improvisers through her teaching. They are dedicated to cultivating a supportive space that ensures students can confidently explore the art of improv comedy.

Julia Corral is a Latina comic from Portland, OR. She has been described as the friendliest-caustic person you will ever meet. The Alt Weekly papers have named her Funniest 5 comics (WW) and Undisputed Genius of Comedy (Portland Mercury). She has performed at Limestone, All Jane, Treefort,Upper Left and Savage Henry Comedy Fest. She host Of Helium’s Cooch Street, Kickstand’s Comedy in the Park and many more shows in town. She has been featured on NPR.

Cat Hayes (she/they) is a writer and improviser who has been performing for five years. Cat studied improv at Kickstand Comedy and has taken the Level 4 Harold class five separate times because they love the Harold that much. You can see Cat perform with Shaving Season, Active Bitch Face, Heaven’s Gate, and Kickstand’s Cvlt, The Algorithm. Their solo show, The Scientific Method, is touring to the Denver Fringe Festival in June 2024.

Randy Smith (they/them) is a Portland-based improviser and writer who has been performing for the past ten years. They studied and taught at BATS improv in San Francisco and came up through classes right here Kickstand. You can see them performing at Kickstand’s Saturday Big Dogs with their teams HONK and For Ginger as well as on the Kickstand Cvlt team, The Algorithm. When they aren’t performing improv you can see them on their other favorite stage, in a nightclub dance fitness class at PulsePDX.

Janet is an actor and improviser known for her crackling wit, generosity, and deeply human characters. She can be seen regularly in plays, sketch shows and improv performances in Portland, as well as in festivals around the US & Canada. You may also watch her on the Season 7 opener of Portlandia on IFC.

Paris is a long form improviser who trained at IO West, UCB LA and Kickstand Comedy. You can see her perform with the Kickstand Cvlt team, The Algorithm, on the 3rd Friday of every month, and at Harold night on Sundays, performing with The Humans. Her BTS bias is Jin.

Sergio is a Clio award winning director, an Emmy award winning writer and a non award winning actor. He’s written and directed multiple original web series for Comedy Central including the digital content for KEY AND PEELE. He’s written for MTV, PBS, and COMEDY CENTRAL. As a performer, he’s appeared on NEW GIRL, CALIFORNICATION, MARRIED, FRESH OFF THE BOAT, HAPPY ENDINGS, TOSH.0, MARON and Adultswim. Before moving to Portland, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.

Adam Trabka has been improvising since 2009, training at Austin, TX's ColdTowne Theater and studied under alums of Chicago improv institutions such as iO, the Annoyance Theater and the Second City. While in Austin, Adam hosted and performed in a weekly improv showcase with his locally award winning troupe Bad Boys.

In addition to performing, Adam served in writing, producing and directing roles for a number of productions in Austin, most notably as Technical Producer of Austin Sketch Fest.

Adam moved to Portland in 2014 and has been teaching, directing and performing around town since his arrival. He was a founding faculty member of the Kickstand Training Center, and is excited to be back teaching after a recent hiatus.

A cast member of Mr. Show once told a mutual friend that Adam "gets it," "it" referring to comedy.

Naomi Dixon is a Portland-based improviser, writer, and actor with eight years of improv experience under her cool vintage belt (it’s thrifted!). Naomi holds a B.A. in Theatre and Communication Studies from the University of Nevada, and has studied short and long form improv under coaches from Second City Chicago, UCB LA, and Kickstand Comedy, where she has recently served as a teaching intern. Naomi was a proud member of her first improv team, The Utility Players (Reno, NV), with whom she has performed in residency at the Sands Regency Casino & Resort (Reno, NV), and at the Enchanted Forest Gathering (Laytonville, CA).

After relocating in 2019, Naomi currently resides in Portland where you can see her performing at Kickstand Comedy in shows like Secret Aardvark, Velodrome, Broke Gravy & Friends, and GORP. Naomi would like us to note that she is a Pisces Moon, whatever that means.

Eric Simons is a writer, improviser, teacher, and producer originally from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, who has been swimming in Portland rivers since 2015. He has gathered over 20 years of comedy experience from all corners of the contiguous United States (and THREE CANADIAN PROVINCES). He currently uses all that worldweary experience with his group Broke Gravy and as a teacher with Kickstand’s BIPOC Comedy Program.

Diana Kolsky is a writer, actor, stand-up, and improvisor. She's a proud member of the former Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre NY weekend team, Airwolf.

Jack Martin is a musician and music educator that has been performing for 20 years and teaching for 15. He is a pianist, guitarist and half of the musical improv show “Band Practice.”

Mariah Mercedes Muñoz is a Portland-based artist, performer, producer, and long time collaborator with Kickstand Comedy. She joins us with over a decade of experience on stage and teaching. Mariah creates an empowering space for growth all while fostering a safe, trusting environment for her students. She is a member of the improv group Queer Ye Queer Ye. A queer improv group born out of the Kickstand Community. Improvisational Theatre has been a throughline of her life and career. Mariah is a Lead Facilitator at On Your Feet, a creative consultancy that uses improv to help businesses achieve better results. Just ask and Mariah can point you towards the top 3 burgers you should be eating in Portland right now.