About
We created Cornerstone Improv with the hope of adding another inclusive space in San Diego to get better at improv. We love sharing our love of improv with others through teaching classes and workshops. We’ve all been involved in the San Diego Improv Scene for the last 8 years and want to find ways to increase opportunities for our amazing community.
Matt
Co-Founder
Matt has been improvising for 16 years and he wouldn't have it any other way. He started his training in Improv Asylum in Boston where he developed his love of this art form. Outside of Improv Asylum, Matt has trained at IO West, Annoyance Theatre, and UCB. He has performed improv in every city he has lived including Boston, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, and San Diego. In San Diego, he performed at the National Comedy Theater on their Sunday Company and Mainstage teams, Sidestage Improv, and Finest City Improv. He currently plays with indie team Slack to the Future. He loves long, committed scene work but is also content with fast tags and following the fun.
Ryan
Co-Founder
Ryan re-kindled his love of improv back in 2010 when he joined the National Comedy Theater as a member of their College Team and, later, their Sunday Company and Mainstage teams. He has studied at NCT, FCI, Sidestage Improv, The Pack Theater and more. He currently plays with San Diego indie teams Slack to the Future and We Krooked Swedes. He loves honest and slow improv but is very comfortable jumping into the more whimsical side of things.
Brandon
Guest Instructor Management
Brandon Hensgens has been performing improv since 2011. He is a performer based in Finest City Improv in San Diego. Brandon started his improv journey by auditioning for his first group, Roar. Since then, he has been non-stop. He has trained at iO West, Pack Theater, Dosage Improv, and Roar Theatre. You can catch him perform with Roar, Greg Hess’ Hair, and JACKIE: The Improvised Karate Movie. He is also the director of the Harry Potter improv show, Dungeons and Dementors. Since 2013, Brandon has worked as an actor in the cast of Dinner Detective. He loves physical and silly improv but also thrives in grounded, patient scene work.
Vanessa
Director of Inclusion and Vulnerability
Vanessa has been doing improv since 2009. She's trained at NCT, UCB, Miles Stroth Workshops, The Annoyance and obsessively at improv camps, festivals and basically wherever possible. She currently teaches improv for UCSD Extension and has taught for Finest City Improv. She enjoys traveling for improv and has taught in Phoenix, New Hampshire, Liverpool, Nottingham and Chester. She's performed in Dublin, London and Oslo. Vanessa loves vulnerable honest improv, but also enjoys being extremely silly. She most loves watching people connect and drop their judgement towards themselves and each other. She supports this community very much and is excited to help the Cornerstone team with inclusion.
Gosia
Registration Coordinator
Gosia started her adventure with improv in 2016. She studied at Finest City Improv, Old Town Improv Co., and Cornerstone.
She currently plays with San Diego indie teams Rug of Love, Fem&ms, and Unreleased Files.
She enjoys slow, grounded improv but also loves it when things take a turn for the fast and silly. She believes physical comedy is a wonderful spice and she likes to add it as often as she can.
Julius
Show Producer
Julius is an improv performer and instructor currently based in San Diego. He is an ensemble member at Finest City Improv and primarily performs with resident Saturday-night Armando show “Found Family”. Previously, he performed with “The World According to…” at FCI and “The Fellow Travelers” at Old Town Improv Company. He is also an instructor and coach with a focus on scene-work and advanced forms. He trained and performed improv and sketch at The Second City Hollywood and iO West in Los Angeles, as well as Finest City Improv and Sidestage Improv in San Diego.
Keith
TNI Showrunner
Keith’s improv journey started in March of 2018. A gift to himself to step into something new. Having no idea what improv was, he fell in love with the art and continues to grow in this fascinating life of improv.
Keith is a graduate of FCI and has been attending Cornerstone workshops since the early days of CS. He plays on three indie teams, Rug of Love, Dadbod, and the duo Kmart.
Being a fan of strong emotion and character work is where Keith likes to take his improv. Making the absurd reality and the reality absurd is his favorite type of scene work.
Photo by: Michael J. Astrauskas
Kory
Workshop Coordinator
Kory started his improv journey in 2018 and was quickly hooked. He's trained at Finest City Improv, Whole Bodied Coaching, Clowning with Tommy Galan, Camp Improv Utopia, and roughly 800 workshops (many through Cornerstone). Kory was also a part of the FCI PDI program (RIP Yer Baby) and the Clubhouse. He can now be found performing around San Diego with his teams Terra Squad, Bad Finger, and The Drop Outs.
He also doesn't take pictures seriously.
Iris
Development Coordinator
Iris began her improv journey in 2018. She can't believe how reluctant she was to try improv! Iris had dabbled in standup comedy and never dreamed of improvising. Now improv is a huge source of joy, community, and satisfaction in her life. Iris is a graduate of FCI and plays on their Clubhouse team, and the indie team Sticky Blondes. She became involved with Cornerstone as a participant and continues to be impressed with the mission, vision and leadership.
Alex
TNI Showrunner
Alex began his improv quest in 2018 and was quickly enchanted. He has fully accomplished FCI's training and now continues his journey as he delves into Cornerstone and FCI workshops to further progress his improv mind. Alex performs on two indie teams: Never Ever Sometimes (Harold Team) and Pete To The Wade (Trio).
He also loves his dog Nemy.
