We strive to bring instructors from all across the world to you, here in the Hudson Valley.
TJ Del Reno
TJ Del Reno has been trained by Upright Citizens Brigade and Reckless Theatre since 2005. He was on Kinsey with Natasha Rothwell as well as City Mouse at UCB Theatre in New York. His teachers included Zach Woods, Bobby Moynihan, Anthony Atamanuik, Shannon O’Neill, Chris Gethard, Jeff Hiller, and many more.
At the P.I.T. he was on Cannonball and the weekend veteran show Chica GoGo! with Jodie Lennon, Amey Goerlich, and Mick Napier, when he was in town. The show is based on a blackout improv form called ‘Screw Puppies’ created at The Annoyance in Chicago.
His final home was Reckless Theatre, created and run by Magnet Theatre, UCB, and The Groundlings’ Sunday Company member Christian Capozzoli. He was on Too Big of a Dog, which started as a Big Fiasco house team and ended up as a weekend team followed by All Gonna Die.
Every year, he travels to Europe to train with Christian Capozzoli at the Whalefish Theatre Improv Retreat. Here, he has trained with Groundling members Emily Pendergast and Michael Churven. This year, TJ is traveling to Barcelona to train with Susan Messing from The Annoyance Chicago.
Lisa Pertoso
Lisa Pertoso is a learning experience designer, improv comedian and writer. For more than 15 years Lisa has trained and performed improv, musical improv, sketch, and storytelling at NYC’s top theaters like Magnet, Annoyance, The PIT, UCB, and throughout the Hudson Valley. Her satire and personal essays have appeared in McSweeney's, Glamour, Insider, and one very nice Canadian Newspaper. Follow her words and nonsense on Substack here.
She is proud to be a founding Board Member of the Duke Comedy Theatre, where she created Hudson Valley’s first women-led comedy show called The Bechdel Test. When she’s not performing, she’s using improv to build leadership skills inside organizations with her company, Follow the Fear.
Christian Capozzoli
Christian Capozzoli's improv techniques are taught the world over. He holds a B.F.A. from Emerson College and a Master’s in Literature and Education from Harvard University.
Christian has had the privilege to collaborate with esteemed comedians such as Stephen Colbert, Lena Dunham, Robert Smigel, and Adam Sandler. Notably, he directed the Amazon special "Something from Nothing” and worked in tandem with legendary comedic instructors Mick Napier, Charna Halpern, and Armando Diaz.
For two decades, Christian lived in New York City, teaching, performing, and touring with UCB, Annoyance, and Magnet House teams. During his tenure in New York, he created the critically acclaimed 4Track, renowned for high-octane shows with relentless agreement. Presently, he resides in Los Angeles, where he can be seen performing at the Groundlings Theater.
His "Aerodynamics of Yes: The Improviser’s Manual" equips readers with essential tools to unlock imagination and celebrate each other. Additionally, his latest Improv book, “IMPROV: THE ART OF COLLABORATION,” has already become a staple in college acting programs.