2007 | ImprovAcadia

JENNIFER SHEPARD is an actress with 20 years of experience. She has done everything from Greek Tragedy to Avant Garde performance art. After graduating from the University of Iowa, she moved to Chicago to study improvisation. During her nine years in Chicago, she was fortunate enough to perform at iO (ImprovOlympic) and The Playground Theater. She also worked with The Chicago Comedy Co, touring to colleges and writing corporate comedy. While in Chicago, Jennifer helped to write over 10 sketch comedy shows. Since moving to Maine she's enjoyed teaching improv at The College of the Atlantic, the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center, on Isle Au Haut, and at ImprovAcadia. During the winter months she joins Chicago's The Second City cast performing for Norwegian Cruise Line in the Caribbean.

LARRANCE FINGERHUT (Music Director) has been improvising on the piano since he was two years old. After spending 13 years performing and composing in the Bar Harbor area he went to Chicago where he was music director for iO, Baby Wants Candy, and Second City Touring Company, and a teacher and music director at Columbia College. He composes chamber music and music for theater. During the winter months he joins Chicago's The Second City cast performing for Norwegian Cruise Line in the Caribbean.

RACHEL MILLER is thrilled to join the cast of Improv Acadia in beautiful Bar Harbor. She recently performed with The Second City aboard the cruise ship, The Norwegian Dawn. Prior to cruising, she spent 5-1/2 years in Amsterdam at the sketch and improv theatre, Boom Chicago, where she performed throughout The Netherlands and all over Europe, hosted the Improv Jam, the Improv Battle and was head of the Training Center. Rachel studied improvisation in Chicago at The Second City, The Annoyance and iO, where she performed with The Pat Shay Dancers, Kiki Greenwell, and The Minions of Love. She also performed with Baby Wants Candy at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She thinks her family and friends are swell

REBECCA SOHN is thrilled to return to Bar Harbor and ImprovAcadia. In Chicago she's an ensemble member ofThe Annoyance Theater, where you can see her in TheInvension Show, Grabass and Bad Touch. She's analumna of The Second City, where she wrote andperformed 2 reviews and currently writes and performsfor the Theatricals and the Communications divisions. As an actress in Chicago, recent shows include AnImmigrant Class at Remy Bumppo and The Butcher ofBaraboo at The Steppenwolf Theatre. She toursinternationally with Deb Downing-Grosz and JeanVillepique in their improvised show, Switchboard.

ROSS BRYANT is excited to be enjoying Maine with the talented people of ImprovAcadia. When in Chicago Ross can be seen weekly with the critically acclaimed groups The Improvised Shakespeare Company, Baby Wants Candy, and ComedySportz. He thanks his family and friends for their love and support.

PAT SHAY is downright giddy to be back in Bar Harborfor his third season with ImprovAcadia. A longtimeperformer at the ImprovOlympic theater in Chicago, Patrecently joined a shipboard cast of the Second Cityfor four months along the Mexican Riviera. He alsoperformed as one of the "teachers" in the upcomingshow "Improv School" on Comedynet.com, and has donesome voices for the HBO powered site thisjustin.com.He continues to teach and perform at the PeoplesImprov Theater in New York City.

MARY THERESA ARCHBOLD is thrilled to be joining the ImprovAcadia cast. She currently resides in New York City where she teaches and performs improv at The Magnet Theater. Recently, she performed for The Second City in the Mexican Riviera. She performed at the ImprovOlympic for years and did various musicals in regional theaters across the country. Favorite shows are West Side Story, The Music Man, Annie Get Your Gun and The Secret of the Old Queen: A Hardy Boys Musical. Her career highlights are her one woman show, "Make 'em Laugh; A Tribute to Donald O'Connor", her independent Television pilot "Manayunk Press" and her upcoming solo show "Jazz Hand: Tales of a One-Armed Woman" at the NY Fringe Festival. Thanks to her amazing husband Pat Shay.

SHELBY JENNINGS is very excited to be returning to Acadia this year. A native of North Carolina, Shelby currently lives in Chicago. Her most recent projects include The Fowler Family Radio hour which was selected to for the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina and Hogwash - an improvised family show. She is also a proud member of two improv teams Cowlick (The Playground Theater) and Airbourne (iO Theater). She would like to thank her family,friends Joe, and Kevin for thier love and support.

MARLA CACERES is a Miami, Fla., native. She began improvising at the University of Florida, then moved to Chicago to see snow for the first time and fall in love all over again with improv. Marla performs in the critically-acclaimed improvised political satire, Whirled News Tonight and with the iO Theatre house team Cougars. Her other credits include Storybox, Dinner for Six, Hogwash, and the bilingual LoCo, for Second City Outreach. Marla would like to thank her wonderful husband, James, and her moody cat Penny, for their support.

RICH SOHN is excited to be back for his third season at ImprovAcadia. Rich is an ensemble member and teacher with The Annoyance Theater in Chicago where he can currently be seen in the shows: The Invention Show, Grabass, Bad Touch and Crickets. He was a long time member of the ImprovOlympic ensemble, The Pat Shay Dancers, but Pat Shay doesn't even have that in his bio anymore so why should Rich? He is no longer as fat as he looks in this photo.

RANCE RIZZUTTO, originally from Portland, OR, has been living in Chicago since 2003. Since 1993 he has been learning, performing, or teaching improv in one fashion or another. His Chicago main stays are ComedySportz, Johnny Roast Beef at iO, and most recently with the musical improv group Baby Wants Candy. Keep an eye out for Rance and his fiance Deanna in The R&D Project: Silent Treatment. Rance wouldn't be where he is today without the support of great people...they know who they are...but especially Deanna.When not performing, Rance also does headshot photography. www.rancerizzutto.com

Rex Graff was born and raised in Northern Michigan and expects to end up back there. He currently lives in Chicago and performs there with the comedy groups Rattlesnake High School and Malice. He has trained at iO, Second City Conservatory and The Annoyance in Chicago as well as with some New York luminaries from Burn Manhattan. He has toured worldwide playing guitar and improvising with the two person show Improvision. Rex is very happy to be performing with the talented cast at Improv Acadia.

JOHN MULHERN has performed improv for almost 15 years now. He has performed in over 1000 shows in cities like Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Canada has even let him improvise there. He's also very proud of "Annoyance and The Seven Deadly Sins" and improv CD he produced featuring The Pat Shay Dancers. He also appears on it. Get it on iTunes!

LISA LINKE is thrilled to be a member of ImprovAcadia's cast. Having traveled the world, this Midwestern native calls Chicago home (eight years and counting). She facilitates for Second City Communications during the day to support her improv habit at night. She can be seen with Cougars at iO; Mustang Repair, Double Date and Big Yellow Bus at The Playground; and around Chicago with Improvidate and DSI Chicago. Previously she played in The Noble Fool Theater productions of Sex In The Suburbs and The Baritones, and around the country with Humor Solutions production of Corporation, Inc. Big thanks to her friends and family, especially her mom, who will be looking after Zoey and Wrigley while she frolics in Bar Harbor.

MIKE SHREEMAN started his career in Detroit where he earned his SAG and AFTRA memberships. Some favorite roles include improvising for Disney Cruise Line, playing Fred Gayley in the national tour of the musical "Miracle on 34th St." and returning for the eighth year as spokesman of the Dusseldorf Tourism Bureau. At ImprovOlympic, he directed the long running hit "Baby Wants Candy" and currently teaches at Second City Chicago. Mike also founded and directs "Novel Ideas", an improvisational theater troupe that performs at schools throughout the Mid West. He would like to thank Jen and Larrance for the chance to bask in the spiritual glow of Maine and its people. And the golf courses.

STUART RANSON is thrilled to be joining the cast of ImprovAcadia. He moved to Chicago to study improvisation after graduating from The College of William and Mary in Virginia. After completing the training centers of the Improv Olympic, Annoyance Theater, and Second City, he began a tour of duty with the Second City National Touring Company. At Second City, he also performed with the ETC cast in the Jeff Award Winning "Holy War, Batman!" Stuart has performed with several ensembles at the Improv Olympic Theater, including resident company Baby Wants Candy, with whom he also attended the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Spoleto Arts Festival. Baby Wants Candy was also named 2005 Ensemble of the Year by the Chicago Improv Festival. His musical credits include the smash hit musicals "Jedi: A Musical Tour de Force" and "Moulin Scrooge." Thanks to his parents and Sam.

TIM SNIFFEN is currently a member of The Second City National Touring Company, travelling the country and bringing joy to such places as Auburn, Alabama. In early 2006 Tim performed with The Second City on the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship, and he spent 2003-2005 in Amsterdam with the delightful Boom Chicago comedy theater. He's created improvised musicals with Baby Wants Candy in Chicago since 2001. Finally, Tim's thrilled to rejoin old friends here at ImprovAcadia!

AMY ROEDER has been a professional improvisor for the past nine years. During that time, she has performed at the Improv Asylum Theatre (Boston), Gotham City Improv (NY), the Playground (Chicago), the Chicago Improv Foundation, and the newly formed Improv Athens (Athens, GA), of which she is a co-director. Amy has been seen on television on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, HBO's Sketchpad, Home Movies, and on Jeopardy! where she placed a dismal third. Amy is a member of the Graduate Acting Ensemble at the University of Georgia where she is pursuing her MFA in theatre performance. Amy feels terribly blessed to be a part of the ImprovAcadia cast for the third time in as many summers and to be married to Eric, the nicest man in the world. Due to her university affiliation, Ms. Roeder is contracturally obligated to say; "Go Dawgs!"

is excited to be in Bar Harbor performing at Improv Acadia with his good friends Jen and Larrance. If you're ever in Chicago, you can see Ben perform with one of his many projects and groups at the iO Theater, ComedySportz, and Second City. He's been performing, teaching, directing, living, and breathing comedy/improv/theater since he was the tender age of 18. Wish him luck on his tenth anniversary. It's coming up soon..

BEN JOHNSON

BRETT LYONS has been doing improv in Chicago for the past 6 years and is thrilled to join the cast of ImprovAcadia. Brett has studied at The Second City and iO Theater. He can currently be seen performing with Deep Schwa, Super Fun Time, The Improv Match Game, and host of The Improv Jam. Brett has also appeared at the Toronto Improv Festival and Charleston Improv Festival with Aphasia. Brett would like to thank his family and friends for all their love and support.

BRIAN JACK is proud to be working at Improvacadia. He has been fortunate enough to perform comedy in 8 different countries and almost 40 out of 50 states. Brian is a member of iO house teams The Reckoning and Deep Schwa. He has also been a part of several other projects including, Baby Wants Candy, Armando Diaz, Big Brother, CLIFFY, Weaselicious and TV SHOW. Brian spent all of 2006 living in Holland working as a writer and performer for the famed Boom! Chicago Theater in Amsterdam. Kan ik een stuk van suikergoed kopen means I would like a piece of candy in Dutch. Since his return Brian has continued to be a paid actor with The Second City in Chicago. Many thanks to Laura and his friends and family for their support.

CAYNE COLLIER has been performing stand-up comedy for the past 16 years and has been performing improvisational comedy for 15 years and 11 months. Cayne is owner and executive producer of The Elevated, Chicago's longest running independent stand-up comedy showcase. He has also performed competitive improv with Comedy Sportz Chicago and has taught high school, adult & corporate workshops and classes. Cayne was a member of The Second City National Touring Company and also works with their Communications division from time to time. Cayne is a founder of Brick and used to work at The Noble Fool Theater Cabaret in Chicago. Cayne is currently working on his second album of original musical fun (and depth). Cayne is thankful daily for his Boggle nemesis, Sue. He is happy about being back at ImprovAcadia but doesn't want another hurricane to hit his hometown of New Orleans again this time. Geaux Saints! New Orleans still needs help. www.caynecollier.com

CHRISTOPHER DAY is excited to be taking part in his first season withImprovAcadia. Chris spent 12 years studying and performing in Chicago,spending a great deal of time at the iO performing with GeorgiaPacific. In the last year he experienced a change in life and has relocatedto Rhode Island to start anew as a Librarian. Expect his performance to bearranged first by subject and then by author, and to be due back after threeweeks. Fines start at 10 cents a day.

hails from Bethlehem, PA and is thrilled to be performing at ImprovAcadia this summer. He moved from the east coast to Chicago seven years ago for college and improv. Chris is a graduate of the iO Training Center where he performed with Ga-Doosh!!! and has taken class at the Second City Convservatory. Chris tours with the nationally acclaimed improv group MissionIMPROVable www.missionimprovable.com and has performed guest spots at Improv Boston, Brave New Workshop, and Improv Inferno, as well as performing in the Del Close Marathon in New York. Later this summer Chris will be performing with PinHeads, a short form improv troupe on Chicago's Navy Pier. Chris likes his family and friends... a lot. They're great.

CHRIS GORBOS

Jeannie Cahill graduated from The University of Virginia with a degree in theatre. Her stage credits include The Cherry Orchard, The House of Bernarda Alba, Nine the Musical and The Mystery of Edwin Drood . She has also appeared in several operas such as L'elisir D'more and Suor Angelica. You can catch her performing improv weekly at the iO Theatre in Chicago with her harold team The Republic and Aphasia.

ImprovAcadia

Cast of 2007