Instructors Present & Past

AMEY GOERLICH

The Hub Artistic Director & Instructor

Amey graduated from Marymount Manhattan Performing Arts College with a directing degree. She worked with experimental theatre gurus Richard Foreman at the Ontological Hysteric Theatre and Charles Busch. She has been doing long form improvisation in NYC since 2001. Trained at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre with Armando Diaz, Ian Roberts, Kevin Mullaney, Michael Delaney, Billy Merritt, Owen Burke and more. She has been directing and coaching improvisation and sketch teams all over the city since 2003. Teaching the Krompf form, the documentary form and game workshops at Improvisation Festivals and Improv theatres around the country.  Amey uses her theatre and improv training to hone in on your particular improv Achilles heal and makes the adjustments you need to be a better improviser. Amey also created and hosts Indie cage match at the Upright Citizens Brigade East in NYC, a competitive improvisation show for independent improv teams. Amey has been teaching in NYC public schools for almost a decade now teaching film making, animation and TV production to Kindergarden through 3rd grade.  She has produced and filmed over 200 children’s short films. She has also directed and produced several shows all over NYC comedy stages and the internet. Currently she is living and teaching in Los Angeles California independently and at M.I. Westside Comedy Theatre.

HEATHER J MCADAMS

Heather has worked with children in many forays. She has tutored children with ADHD and emotional issues. She also used sub for a private high school.

She was a member of Tim Robbin’s Actors’ Gang for many years and was in several of their productions as well as taught commedia dell’arte to middle schoolers with the Gang. Her biggest and most creative work-in-progress to date is motherhood.

In the spring of 2019, she worked extensively with PS Art’s Donzell Lewis on Walgrove Elementary’s production of Peter Pan which was probably the best production this side of the Great White Way. Zhe is again working with Donzell on Alice in Wonderland.

She plays soccer (without diving) and just got her yellow belt in Krav Maga. Heather lives near the beach with her husband, son, and two dogs.

Heather has worked as a screenwriter and filmmaker for the past two decades. Check out some of her work at www.agamemnon.com .

Additionally, She plays soccer (without diving) and just got her yellow belt in Krav Maga. Heather lives near the beach with her husband, son, and two dogs.

JORDAN TODD BROWN

Jordan is a good ol’ boy from Utah and has been performing improv for 10 years. He studied at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater completing their core improv training program and continued studying in its advanced curriculum. he’s on several improv teams which have performed at improv festivals both in the states and internationally. He just performed at the Edinburgh Improv Festival in February 2020.

Jordan is also a member of the Story Pirates, which is a group of teachers/actors/musicians who turn stories written by kids into sketch shows and songs. He’s both an actor for Story Pirates performing those stories written by kids at assemblies and theaters. He also teaches workshops in classrooms of kids K-12 how to write their own stories.

Last summer He was the guest teacher for Pickleville Workshops. He took the reigns once a week teaching how to use improv in acting.  We are so happy to have Jordan as part of our teaching staff.

ANN CARR

Ann is a writer, actress and director who loves performing on the UCB Maude Team Legs for Days and The Livia Scott Sketch Program. She guest-starred on Louie (FX) as the disturbingly emotional babysitter Karen. You can also see her in the SXSW winning feature film Fort Tilden. Ann recently finished production on the 3rd Season of the critically-acclaimed web series The Actress which she co-writes with her husband Warren Holstein. The Actress screened at the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival this summer and has received glowing write-ups in The New York Observer, The Boston Globe, Bust Magazine, Time Out, Indiewire, Splitsider and The Huffington Post. You can watch all episodes and read all accolades at: www.theactresstheseries.com.

SUE SMITH

Sue Smith teaches improv and acting at New York Film Academy. A veteran improviser and stand-up, Sue has appeared on Best Week Ever, I Love the 2000s, and 40 Greatest Viral Videos on VH1. She’s one of the 10 Funniest Women in NYC, according to Time Out New York. Sue’s performed and studied at the UCB since 2007. In addition to hosting two shows every week, she’s also a correspondent on the Digital house team, UCB1. Her solo character show, Minimum Rage, ran at the UCB on both coasts, was a Time Out Critic’s Pick and was profiled in the New York Daily News. She’s the host of Tits & Giggles, the podcast for women in comedy. Her writing has appeared in xoJane, Brokelyn, VICE and other places that aren’t as hipstery. Sue loves snacks. suesmithcomedy.com

JOE BILL

Joe Bill has performed with, coached & directed a vast number of successful groups and formats including The Screw Puppies at Annoyance, The Del Tones, The Armando Diaz Theatrical Experience and Georgia Pacific (originators of The BAT) at iO Chicago. He directs and performs in Chica Go-Go and is a guest performer in The Scene at The PIT in New York City and he’s frequently a guest improviser in Let’s Have A Ball and ASSSSCAT 3000 at UCB Theater in New York & L.A. In 2015 Joe undertakes an International Tour of Improvisational Duo Shows, paired with some of the best Duo Improvisers in the World. In late January, Joe headlined with longtime friend and Chicago Improv Goddess Susan Messing in Messing With a Friend at the Miami Improv Festival. The rest of 2015 Joe plays with Lee White (CRUMBS  Winnipeg) in their show PARADIGM, in the U.K. He’s back in April with longtime partner Mark Sutton in BASSPROV (2009 Nichols & May Award for Outstanding Improv Duo) at The Chicago Improv Festival after playing in Paris with International Improv Legend Patti Stiles (AD – Impro Melbourne) in their show Our Play and in the Festival Cast of Festival Subito!, including a new Duo with Israeli Powerhouse Inbal Lori in Brest, France. He’ll play with partner David Razowsky (Host A.D.D. Comedy Podcast) in Razowsky & Bill, and with Jill Bernard (Huge Improv Theater  Mpls.) in SCRAM! and much more through the end of 2015. Joe was one of the co-founders of Annoyance Theater and has performed, directed, taught and acted as an Artistic Adviser for a number of Improvisation/Comedy Theaters & Festivals all over North America, Europe, Australia and South Africa and at every major Improv Festival in The United States. He first studied Improvisation in High School in 1977.

JAMES III

James III is an actor and writer from Akron, Ohio. He co-hosts Black Men Can’t Jump [in Hollywood] podcast and is a member of the comedy group, Astronomy Club. He currently performs improv on Take It Personal and appears in the sketch show, Obama Daughters: Requiem for America at UCB-NY. James can be seen in a lot of web content, Funny Or Die, Fusion, Above Average, etc., but you probably know him from his dramatic three lines on Law & Order: SVU in 2011. James teaches improv at UCB Training Center and taught previously at The Peoples Improv Theater, Bennington College, Brooklyn College Hillel, Bernard College, 10,000 Hours Improv, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Miller South School for the Arts, and many others. James loves dinosaurs, time travel, and Sour Patch Kids.

SEAN O’REILLY

Sean O’Reilly is a comedian, actor, and improviser who has been performing and studying since 2010. He is proud to have learned from coaches and teachers such as Gavin Speiller, Laura Grey, Doug Moe, Ryan Karels, Chelsea Clarke, Christian Capozolli, Don Fanelli, Will Storie, Eddie Dunn, Achilles Stamatelaky, and Corey Brown. He also also a participant in the “Controlled Chaos” Advanced Study Performance class performing Tuesdays in August at the UCB.

He can be seen around town as a member of the indie teams Johnny Velvet and the Moonbeams, The Farm, The Boys, and The Serling, which has had the distinct honor of performing at ICM at the UCB East and Cagematch at the UCB theatre in Chelsea.

BECKY CHICOINE & SAM REECE

Becky and Sam are the critically acclaimed sketch duo Girls with Brown Hair. Known for their off-the-wall characters, absurd musical numbers and their undeniable camaraderie, GWBH is currently performing their second running show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City.

Girls with Brown Hair has headlined all over the U.S. at theaters and festivals such as Austin Sketchfest, Seattle Sketchfest, Chicago Fringe Festival, Boston Comedy Arts, NYC Sketchfest, Jangleheart Circus in Chicago, Hell Yes Fest, Upright Citizens Brigade Los Angeles and the Philadelphia Improv Theatre.

Their work has been featured on Splitsider, Mashable, Slate, CollegeHumor and more.

TJ DEL RENO

AUSTIN RYE

ARI VOUKYDIS

BETSY STOVER

MARCUS BISHOP WRIGHT

REBECCA VIGIL