Headliners
Check out the amazing headliners, teachers and coaches joining us at Ed Improv Fest 2026
Headliners
Chris Gethard
Chris Gethard is currently the host of the Beautiful/Anonymous podcast, formerly the host of the underground cult talk show "The Chris Gethard Show", and once wrote and starred in a critically praised HBO special called Career Suicide. As an actor he's been on shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, Broad City, and more. He's also been in films like The Other Guys, The Heat, Class Action Park, Anchorman 2, and a movie about improv called Don't Think Twice. In terms of improv bonafides, Chris started at the Upright Citizens Brigade New York in the year 2000 at the age of 19. He performed with many great groups and performers over the years, was a mainstay teacher, and wrote a number of the original curriculums used by UCBs school. In 2023, Chris co-founded Laughing Together, a non-profit organization that sends improv into schools as a social emotional learning tool.
Trumane Alston
Trumane Alston is a Brooklyn native who spent half his 20s performing improv and sketch at UCB, the Magnet, and countless bars and basements across New York City. He spent the other half of his 20s in Chicago improvising regularly at The Saturday Show at Logan Square Improv and Baby Wants Candy.
He studied acting at Black Box Acting and starred in the Goodman Theatre's 2025 production of Fat Ham. (He won't stop talking about it!) You can currently catch him playing himself as one half of the aptly named duo Chris Gethard and Trumane Alston.
Jiavani
Jiavani can be seen doing improv streaming on the internet with Dropout TV or live in Los Angeles at the UCB Theater. Film/TV credits include Between Two Ferns: The Movie and Dead to Me on Netflix, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO, Reno 911!, and more. Voice credits include Digman! on Comedy Central, We Baby Bears on Cartoon Network and guesting on podcasts such as Comedy Bang Bang, The Neighborhood Listen and Mega. Jiavani is co-producer of the Gaysian AF show, a variety show in the Asian AF family.
Lyndsey Frank
Lyndsey Frank has been performing improv since 2008. Lyndsey is currently on the coveted Harold Night at UCB Los Angeles with their team, LOHAN and UCB’s first all trans and gender non-conforming team, QT’s.
Nick Mandernach
Nick Mandernach has been improvising for eighteen years at UCB. He's performed with house team JV, the improvised emo band Every Place I Cry, and on DropOut TV's Make Some Noise. Nick has written for TV shows like: The Great North, Duncanville, and Young Sheldon. His fiction has appeared in New England Review, EPOCH, and The Florida Review.
Oscar Montoya
Oscar Montoya is an actor, comedian, and hip hop dancer living in Los Angeles. He won a Critics Choice award for his work as Richie in the HBO/Starz series Minx, and played Oscar the Garbage Man in the A24 film Dicks: The Musical. He is also a host of the podcasts “Inside the Disney Vault,”, "Eurovangelists", “Spanish Aquí Presents”, "Drag Her" and “Podcast Killed the Video Star.” He is a teacher and performer at the Uprights Citizens Brigade Theater and performs in improv teams Pisces and Rita Repulsa
Ensemble Coaches
Amanda Breen
Amanda Breen (AB) is an improviser and writer who wears many hats, literally and figuratively. AB is the Director of Improv and the Training Center Director for UCB. They teach improv at UCB NY, Second City Brooklyn, and the Brooklyn Comedy Collective. AB performs weekly with ASSSSCAT, biweekly with veteran team Duchovny, and around the city with indie team soft. They also produce and host a monthly show “What the Hell? An Incredible Improv Show” which brings together veteran and up-and-coming improvisers to put on a damn good improv show, some might even say… an incredible improv show.
Monika Smith
Monika Smith is an actor, writer and comedian from Canada who modeled internationally for years until realizing she preferred food and smiling. Monika toured with The Second City and has been a regular performer at Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre in shows like ASSSSCAT, Harold Night, Maude Night and more. She has performed at the Kennedy Center with Ultimate Improv, and at theatres and comedy festivals across North America like The Chicago Improv Festival and The Del Close Marathon. As well as in theatres and festivals across Europe and China.
You might not recognize her from pranking celebs on Punk’d for 3 seasons, and shows like Blunt Talk, Two and A Half Men, or podcasts like Comedy Bang Bang and Improv4Humans. Monika has written for shows on Quibi, MTV, TBS and numerous comedy websites. As well, she has written improv school curricula for multiple schools and has taught workshops in almost every continent. When she’s not hanging with her weird dog in Los Angeles, Monika is touring her solo show improvising a one act play.
Teachers
Dr. Amanda Cassil
Dr. Amanda Cassil is a Clinical Psychologist and the founder of STEM Psychological Services. She is the author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person and The Self-Care Plan for the Highly Sensitive Person, and host of the podcast Practicing Failure.
Ben Cassil
Ben Cassil is an improv instructor, coach, and performer. He has been improvising for over a decade, with training from WE Improv and UCB Los Angeles. You can see Ben perform with the WE Improv House Team Cosmo, Improvised Movie team Hot Set at WGIS, Trans-Atlantic team SIPS, and hear him on his improvised podcast Live From the Big Apple.
