Instructors
Paul Cross
Paul believes that improvisers hold a funhouse mirror up to the audience, and teaches with an emphasis on the intersections of improv and psychology, with some Zen and Taoism analogies. A native Okie with a Bachelors in Theatre Education, he’s been improvising since 1998, a grad of Chicago’s The Second City (improv and sketch writing), iO and The Annoyance Theatre in 2000. He performed on the Del-Award winning iO Chicago house team, “Fox Force Five." He created & taught the improv curriculum for Colorado School of Acting, and his own program, The Improv Dojo. He taught improv for Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids, Colorado Free University, and Denver’s The Yes! Lab. Creator/Director of the improvised within an outline modern adaptation shows: “Mafia Macbeth”, “Harry Potter and The Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Redneck Romeo and Juliet”, which has had 6 different runs, and was the first improvised production to be nominated for a Denver Post Ovation Award.
Stephen Bowers
Stephen's improv philosophy is that you are enough. Creating compelling characters, crafting engaging stories, and eliciting laughs are built on a foundation of confidence from knowing you possess the ability to entertain by being yourself and speaking your truth. A native Houstonian, Stephen has been a part of the San Diego improv community since 2014. He graduated from the Finest City Improv program in 2015 and has been a house team member there ever since. He coaches an indie team, teaches San Diego improv classes and performed in improvised within an outline shows as Tybalt in “Redneck Romeo and Juliet”, Voldemort/Oberon in “Harry Potter and The Midsummer Night's Dream”, and Donald Trump in “The Trump Clown Show.” He has received training in improv, sketch, and clown from greats including Craig Cackowski, Kevin McDonald, Red Bastard, Red Door, Paul Vaillancourt, Rachel Mason, and Jetzo.